Tatio Mudpots (upper field)

The Tatio upper field features the most intense and visible mudpots and geysers, concentrated higher up on the geothermal plateau, whereas the lower field features outflows and smaller thermal pools. The upper field experiences more direct volcanic pressure, creating violently boiling, mineral-rich mud. Both areas are situated within the massive El Tatio geothermal system.

The Tatio mudpots are located in Chile’s Atacama Desert, high in the Andes mountains. Specifically, El Tatio sits about 89 kilometers north of the desert town of San Pedro de Atacama. It is one of the highest-elevation major geothermal fields in the world.

The mudpots exist at nearly 4,300 meters (14,000 feet) above sea level because they sit directly on top of an active volcanic complex in the Andes. The magma chamber below the surface heats subterranean groundwater to extreme temperatures. The high-altitude environment lowers the boiling point of water, making the geothermal bubbling even more pronounced.

The high altitude, intensely hot, and mineral-rich boiling pools of the Tatio mudpots support specialized microbial life known as extremophiles. These thermophilic bacteria and archaea thrive in water temperatures that would kill normal organisms. They often form visible, colorful biological mats within the cooler edges of the geothermal runoff.