Cordillera the cordilleras in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Mountain ranges of this type have a complex structure, usually the result of folding and faulting accompanied by volcanic activity. In South America the ranges include numerous volcanic peaks. (Though not itself a volcano, Argentina's Mt. Aconcagua, at 22,834 feet (6,960 metres) high, is the highest point in the Western Hemisphere. The Andes cordillera has Ojos del Salado, the highest active volcano in the world, and second highest point in the Western Hemisphere. A number of the volcanoes have been active in historic times. Aside from the volcanic peaks, the crests
Volcanic Seven Summits Although Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America and the highest peak in the western hemisphere, does have a volcanic origin, its current high point is due to geological processes rather than being strictly volcanic. Due to this, Aconcagua is not considered to be a volcano on its own, at least not as a member of Volcanic Seven Summits. Topographic maps of the Argentina and Chile border region which contains the highest peaks suffer from poor accuracy, with elevation errors exceeding in many cases. However, the current consensus based on the most recent measurements places Ojos del Salado as the