Northeast of it in Bolivian territory lies Jach'a Kunturiri, due east lies Nevado Pumuta, due south Patilla Pata and northwest lies Laram Q'awa. The mountain is covered by ice along with some of the surrounding mountains and is the source of a number of rivers that flow down its slopes.[4] There are several lakes on the mountain, colloquially known as the Casiri Lakes; they include Sora Pata, Ch'iyar Quta, Casiri Macho and Casiri Hembra.[5]
The Kunturiri volcanic complex 3-2.2 million years ago was the origin of the large Lauca-Perez Ignimbrite, which covered about 15,000–20,000 square kilometres (5,800–7,700 sq mi) of land with over 775 cubic kilometres (186 cu mi) and reached as far as the Pacific Ocean, leaving a distinctive landscape on the Altiplano. The eruption left a caldera now presumably buried underneath the Kunturiri volcanic complex.[8] While the volcanic complex was once considered to be 7-9 million years old, later efforts have found younger ages[7] and argon-argon dating has yielded ages of 650,000 ± 70,000 years ago for rocks erupted from the Kunturiri volcanic complex;[9] there is no fumarolic activity at Kunturiri, but Kakepe has hydrothermal activity.[6]
Other volcanoes in the area are Pomerape and Parinacota[6] which are constructed on the so-called Condoriri lineament together with Kunturiri; this lineament may act as a magma pathway to the three volcanoes.[10]
^Clavero, J.E.; Sparks, R.S.J.; Polanco, E. 2012. Geología del Volcán Parinacota, Región de Arica y Parinacota (versión corregida). Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería, Carta Geológica de Chile, Serie Geología Básica 132: 31 p.11, 1 mapa escala 1:50.000.
^Hora, J. M.; Singer, B. S.; Worner, G. (1 March 2007). "Volcano evolution and eruptive flux on the thick crust of the Andean Central Volcanic Zone: 40Ar/39Ar constraints from Volcan Parinacota, Chile". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 119 (3–4): 360. doi:10.1130/B25954.1. ISSN0016-7606.