On a clear day, Cotopaxi is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. It has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about , with a width at its base of about . It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of . At its summit, Cotopaxi has an wide crater which is deep. The crater consists of two concentric crater rims, the outer one being partly free of snow and irregular in shape. The crater interior is covered with ice cornices and rather flat. The highest point is on the outer rim of the crater on the north side.