  We analyze the H-alpha spectral variability of the rapidly-rotating K1-dwarf
LQ Hya using high-resolution H-alpha spectra recorded during April-May 2000.
Chromospheric parameters were computed from the H-alpha profile as a function
of rotational phase. We find that all these parameters vary in phase, with a
higher chromospheric electron density coinciding with the maximum H-alpha
emission. We find a clear rotational modulation of the H-alpha emission that is
better emphasized by subtracting a reference photospheric template built up
with a spectrum of a non-active star of the same spectral type. A geometrical
plage model applied to the H-alpha variation curve allows us to derive the
location of the active regions that come out to be close in longitude to the
most pronounced photospheric spots found with Doppler imaging applied to the
photospheric lines in the same spectra. Our analysis suggests that the H-alpha
features observed in LQ Hya in 2000 are a scaled-up version of the solar plages
as regards dimensions and/or flux contrast. No clear indication of
chromospheric mass motions emerges.
