Geomorfología y paleosuperficies gondwánicas en el Paraguay central

Geomorphology and gondwanic paleosurfaces in central Paraguay

Christian F. Colman1,2,*, Oscar A. Martínez2, Francisco S.B. Ladeira3, Jorge Rabassa4, Narciso Cubas1, Emilia Y. Aguilera5, Yennifer Sarubbi Jacks1, Edher Z. Herrera6, Magna M. Monteiro7, Christian Sánchez8

1 Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Campus Universitario. Km 11, C.C. 1039-1804, San Lorenzo, Paraguay.

2 Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Ruta 259, Km 16, Campus Ing. Aldo López Guidi, U9200, Esquel, Argentina.

3 Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Rua Carlos Gomes 250, CEP: 13083-855, Campinas, Brasil.

4 Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas. Bernardo Houssay 200, V9410, Ushuaia, Argentina.

5 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Calle 60 y 122, 1900, La Plata, Argentina.

6 Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Campus Universitario. Km 11, C.C. 1039 - 1804, San Lorenzo, Paraguay.

7 Laboratorio de Bio y Materiales, Facultad Politécnica, Campus Universitario. Km 11, C.C. 10391 - 804, San Lorenzo, Paraguay.

8 Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Dirección General de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Campus Universitario. Km 11, C.C. 1039 – 1804, San Lorenzo, Paraguay.

* Autor para correspondencia: (C.F. Colman) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

How to cite this article:

Colman, C.F., Martínez, O.A., Ladeira, F.S.B., Rabassa, J., Cubas, N., Aguilera, E.Y., Sarubbi Jacks, Y., Herrera, E.Z., Monteiro, M.M., Sánchez, C., 2025, Geomorfología y paleosuperficies gondwánicas en el Paraguay central: Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana, 77(3), A091025. http://dx.doi.org/10.18268/BSGM2025v77n3a091025  

Manuscript received: January 28, 2025. Corrected manuscript received:September 5, 2025. Manuscript accepted: October 7, 2025.

ABSTRACT

In central Paraguay, a total of 207 relict planar surfaces have been identified, in some of which both major and minor relictual forms of weathering, as well as remnants of deep chemical weathering profiles, have been preserved. They are therefore considered remnants of etchplains. These smooth planar forms, distributed along the different tectonic blocks bordering the Asuncion-Sapucai-Villarrica Rift (ASVR), are the result of deep chemical weathering of igneous rocks and Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. This is followed by subsequent exhumation and erosion from the Late Cretaceous to the Eocene. This study describes and interprets representative sites of these Gondwanan paleosurfaces, including granitic and pseudogranitic landscapes. It analyzes singular examples such as the “Piedra Equilibrista de Paso Carreta (PEPC)”, and presents a geomorphological map that constitutes the first cartographic product on this subject at a regional scale for the studied area.

Keywords: planation surfaces, deep chemical weathering, etchforms, lateritic profiles, pseudogranitic landscape.