Geomorfología del área de la cuenca del río de Chita en los Andes Desérticos de San Juan (31°30’S-69°45’O), Argentina
Geomorphology of the Chita River basin in the Desert Andes of San Juan (31°30’S-69°45’W), Argentina
Laura P. Perucca1,*, Mariana Vargas1,2, Horacio Vargas2,
1 CONICET, Gabinete de Neotectónica y Geomorfología, Instituto de Geología Emiliano P. Aparicio, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), Complejo Universitario Islas Malvinas, Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina.
2 Gabinete de Petrología y Mineralogía, Instituto de Geología Emiliano P. Aparicio, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), Complejo Universitario Islas Malvinas, Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina.
* Autor para correspondencia: (L.P. Perucca) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
How to cite this article:
Perucca, L.P., Vargas, M., Vargas, H., 2025, Geomorfología del área de la cuenca del río de Chita en los Andes desérticos de San Juan (31°30’S-69°45’O), Argentina: Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana, 77(3), A140525. http://dx.doi.org/10.18268/BSGM2025v77n3a140525
Manuscrito recibido: 14 de Noviembre, 2024. Manuscrito corregido: 7 de Mayo, 2025. Manuscrito aceptado: 18 de Mayo, 2025.
ABSTRACT
This study presents the results of the geomorphological analysis of a sector in the Central Andes of Argentina, the Chita River basin, in Cordillera Frontal. The research describes the main landforms generated by exogenous processes (glacial, periglacial, gravitational, and fluvial) and endogenous processes (fault scarps with Quaternary tectonic activity). Additionally, an inventory and description of snow patches, glaciers, and debris or rock glaciers in the mining project area are conducted. Currently, snow patches and glaciers are located above 5 000 m a.s.l., while periglacial processes are active above 4 000 m.a.s.l. Below this altitude, fluvial landforms and mass removal processes (rockfalls, avalanches, debris cones, and landslides of rocks and debris) dominate. To carry out the geomorphological analysis, satellite images were interpreted and complemented with fieldwork in the areas of interest. The results are presented through a series of thematic maps, graphs, and tables that synthesize the geomorphic characteristics of the study area. In this way, it is expected to contribute to the proper land use in a mining project at the exploration stage, located in the upper portion of the Chita River basin.
Keywords: glaciers, snow patches, rockglaciers, de Chita River.