Flora and terrain at the ALMA site

Detail of the terrain at one side of the road to the Chajnantor plateau, the home of ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. The grey-reddish colour characterises the volcanic terrain, formed by pyroclastic sediments. The little bushes in the picture are an example of the desert scrub, that grows between 3000 and 4000 m altitude. The ALMA Project is strongly committed to the protection of the historical and environmental heritage of this unique area of the II Region of Chile.