Nevado de Acay

While not presently glaciated, it contains a seasonal snowpack and is the source of several streams and rivers, including the Rio Salado.

A number of archeological sites have been found on Nevado de Acay and mining activity occurred there until recent times.

[8] Another date is 26 million years ago,[9] which would make it contemporaneous with the disintegration of the Farallon Plate and the following increase in subduction and volcanic activity.

[11] Emplaced within the Precambrian-Cambrian Puncoviscana formation, the Nevado de Acay monzonite contains biotite, diorite, hornblende, magnetite, monzodiorite, pyroxene, titanite and tonalite.

[3] The Calchaqui River [es] originates on Nevado de Acay and flows south,[15][16] as does the Rio Juramento.

The mountains form the drainage divide; water flowing to the west eventually ends up in various endorheic basins.

[3] The Rio Los Patos also originates on Nevado de Acay and archeological sites are found on its river terraces,[22] and it converges with the Rio San Antonio de los Cobres, which likewise originates on Nevado de Acay as Rio Organullo and after passing close to San Antonio del los Cobres and receiving the Quebrada Potrerillos carries the name of the town, and eventually reach Salinas Grandes where they evaporate.

[24] Endorheic basins in the valleys on Nevado de Acay were an important resource for the Las Cuevas V archeological site, which belongs to a cultural horizont between 600 BC - 400 AD.