Quaternary Geology of South America
(Responsible: Daniela Kröhling, dkrohli@gmail.com)
1. Need for the International Focus Group
A continent-wide Focus Group is needed for regional and thematic approaches of the Quaternary Geology. South America (SA) extends across most climatic belts of the Southern Hemisphere (from equatorial to sub-polar latitudes), making a unique transect for studies of past global changes at hemispheric scale. The late Cenozoic geotectonic evolution of SA resulted in three morphostructural domains: (i) a mountain belt in the west (Andes cordillera), (ii) a corridor of central lowlands (foreland basins) and (iii) the old terranes in the east (upland/highland massifs or the craton). Considering this large-scale topographic framework, during the Quaternary, a series of landforms and sediments has evolved in response to major land-forming processes involving mainly the tectonic/volcanic, fluvial, colluvial, glacial, aeolian, lacustrine and marine systems.
Many parts of such a geologically dynamic SA continent had evolved during the Quaternary from tectonic and volcanic processes that created significant changes in the landscape, mainly affecting the Andean region. SA has a large potential for neotectonic and palaeoseismologic studies, also the Extra-Andean region. On the knowledge of Quaternary deformation in SA, one of the challenges in detection and determination of Quaternary structures is obtain more updated Quaternary stratigraphic frames and chronologies. Modern glaciers and the landforms and sediments produced by glacial and periglacial processes during the Quaternary in Northern, Central and Southern Andes are important for the reconstruction of the glacial history. Although the most conspicuous dynamic processes in the Andes during the Quaternary were glacial, physical weathering and mass transports have been very important. In addition, the contribution of volcanism to Quaternary sedimentary sequences and to the landscape development has been meaningful in SA.
The South American Highlands, corresponding to the cratonic shields of the SA crustal plate, are presently dominated by geomorphological processes related to climatic regimes ranging from humid tropical to periglacial. During the climatic fluctuations of the Quaternary, changes in the character and or the intensity of denudation processes produced mainly extended planation surfaces and associated deposits. The major alluvial basins of the continent (Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraná) mostly lie under warm humid/subhumid climates. Their fluvial landforms represent important information about the nature of environmental changes in tropical latitudes. Large areas of their river basins (the Orinoco Llanos, the Pantanal, the Bananal plain, the Chaco-Pampa plain) and extensive parts of Patagonian plains contain important sand dunes fields and many deflation hollows. A large part of the Chaco-Pampa plain is covered with loessic materials. Then, the main components of the Quaternary geology in the lowlands of SA are alluvial megafans, loess-paleosol sequences, dune fields, extensive wetlands and lacustrine sequences. The arid and semi-arid regions of SA contain also evidence of the existence of Quaternary paleolakes of great importance (the Altiplano of southern Peru and Bolivia; the Puna plateau of northern Chile and Argentina and the Patagonia).
Quaternary landforms marking different palaeoshorelines in SA reflects the interplay between the different heights of global seal level and the nature and rate of vertical movements in the coastal zone (e.g. the elevated marine terraces of the Caribbean coast, the marine terraces of the Atlantic coast and the Amazon and the Paraná river deltas , the elevated terraces of the Chilean and Peruvian Pacific coast, and the submerged quaternary shorelines represented by the Argentine shelf , considering that the present continental shelf was during several times in glacial periods a continental environment).
Aware of this potential, this international Focus Area Group aims to bring together scientists working on research areas that address the Quaternary Geology of different large environments within SA. A main goal consists of achieving an enriching and fluid communication among local quaternarists in order to promote and stimulate research on topics related to terrestrial processes and their deposits, with special emphasis on geological sub-disciplines. In this manner, this Group will be providing excellent opportunities for establishing collaborations among experts studying past terrestrial processes in SA.
2. History and Scope of the Focus Group
In a context of global economical crisis, the integration policies in SA have gained strength in the recent years. This gives a very suitable framework for an attempt to include more researchers from various countries in the next years, thinking on the development of the Quaternary science. Further, since most of SA is experiencing a period of economic growth, the geological knowledge provided by the Focus Group would be a valuable basis for the management of natural resources..
During the twentieth century, the Quaternary Geology of SA developed in a complex way. Studies were made at local or provincial level in the first decades, with no significant integration among them. Some countries, like Argentina and Brazil, formed important and self-sustained communities of specialists along years, even developing national paradigms. Other countries owe their progress rather to studies made by foreign specialists visiting some regions of SA. In the last years there have been rapid interests in Quaternary environmental change amongst the SA and scientific community. The number of quaternarists really active in SA is growing. Nowadays, the progress in Quaternary Geology of a large continent like SA suffers from the lack of coordination between the already existing independent working groups. Further, it is common to find that research programs undertaken in the same country are often managed separately.
3. Tasks, objectives and activities
3.1 Tasks
Challenging tasks of the group are:
(1) to assess the potential for establishing collaboration among SA quaternarists, as well as among SA- and non-SA-based researchers working on this continent,
(2) to develop interdisciplinary and inter-regional research strategies, and
(3) to use existing networks to catalyze international collaboration.
As a first step, active specialists from Argentina, Brazil,
Uruguay and Chile will be the most active members of the group. Later on,
it is expected to extend the group to the northern part of South America,
including also the possibility of integration with quaternarists of some
of the Central American countries (e.g., Mexico). The focus group will concentrate
its work on improving the relationships between specialists from different
countries. It is important to remark that this Focus Area Group is devised
to complement (not to replace) official national organizations.
The main goal of the group is to compile different types
of records (aeolian, fluvial, glacial, paludal, lacustrine, coastal, marine, palaeopedological)
of environmental responses to climate changes that occur during the Quaternary
(e.g., glacial-interglacial cycles). Specific processes that have created
significant landform-sedimentary associations, like those resulting from
rivers, wind, ice, changing sea levels, between others, will be considered.
Records retrieved from different geological settings with a wide range of
temporal and spatial resolution are of special interest. The analysis of
correlation between records from different countries and natural regions
of the continent will be one of the long-term objectives.
The application of the principles of Geology in such studies is relevant (especially those related to physical stratigraphy, geomorphology, neotectonics and sedimentology) to perform the paleoenvironmental assessment of aeolian-paleosols sequences (loess-dunes), fluvial and lacustrine deposits, pyroclastic and volcaniclastic sequences, and glacial/periglacial landforms. A particular research theme is that regarding the sedimentary records and related analytical techniques (geochronology, mineralogy, geochemistry and geophysics). The comparison of these sedimentological data with documentary, archaeological, dendrochronological, paleobotanical, and palaentological records will be also considered.
3.2 Objectives
Main objectives are:
1) To integrate field specialists in relevant areas of SA Quaternary Geology in order to build up a list of local and foreign specialists actively working in SA. This first compiled list will allow to better assess the development of potential collaborative projects of mutual interest.
.
2) To establish a core group of researchers in Southern SA (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile) that will be in charge of a particular research area.
3) To stimulate communication and cooperation between SA Quaternary scientists in their research and education, through the coordination of activities and the exchange of information among the groups involved in the focus area. The information of the major activities, proposals and on-going projects will be exchange among groups.
4) To interest young and recently PhD scientists, very active in Quaternary Geology of a region of SA, to join to the Focus Area Group activities.
5) To establish close links with the Advisory Council leaders of other INQUA Commissions such as the Stratigraphy and Chronology Commission (SACCOM) and the Palaeoclimate Commission (PALCOMM).
6) To take into account the INQUA's interests in the SA Quaternary research and to distribute INQUA information to (amongst) the SA research community.
7) To seek funding from national and international organizations or agencies, including an application to INQUA (project proposal), to organize an initial workshop of the group in the year 2012 and international workshops including field meetings in 2013 and 2014.
8) To initiate a public-access database of Quaternary geological records of SA, including a complete list of Doctoral Thesis and relevant papers published in local journals that are difficult to access. To collaborate and assist in both the mapping and compilation of Quaternary-active structures as well as their impact on the regional seismic hazard.
9) To seek awarding of travel stipends for young researchers to actively participate in international conferences, involved INQUA activities.
10) To seek common sessions in international conferences about the thematic areas of the subgroups involved.
11) To propose and arrange publication of papers arising from international meetings.
12) To establish contacts with other relevant interdisciplinary groups dedicated to research in palaeoclimate (proxy-based reconstruction and climate modeling).
3.3. Planned International
Field Meetings:
An international meeting is proposed for the year 2014 in
Argentina. It will include field trips with a wide spatial and thematic
area.
4. Initial correspondents, including
the leader, together with a statement that those named are prepared to serve
4.1 Focus Area Group Leader
Dr. Daniela Kröhling
CONICET and Facultad de Ing. y Ciencias Hídricas
Universidad Nacional del Litoral
CC 217 (3000) Santa Fe,
ARGENTINA
dkrohli@gmail.com - dkrohling@santafe-conicet.gov.ar
4.2. Responsibles for thematic area
Tectonics and Palaeosismicity:
Dr. Franck Audemard M.
Earth Sciences Dpt.
Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research - FUNVISIS
Caracas 1073, Estado Miranda, Apartado Postal 76.880
VENEZUELA
faudemard@funvisis.gob.ve
Volcanic processes:
Dr. José Viramonte
GEONORTE and CONICET,
Universidad Nacional de Salta,
Buenos Aires 177, 4400 Salta
ARGENTINA
viramont@unsa.edu.ar
Glacial and Periglacial processes:
Dr. Juan Pablo Milana
InGeo - CONICET and Universidad Nacional de San Juan,
5401 San Juan,
ARGENTINA.
jpmilana@gmail.com
Dr. Jorge Rabassa
CADIC-CONICET
Bernardo Houssay # 200
9410 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego,
ARGENTINA
jrabassa@gmail.com
Fluvial processes:
Dr. Edgardo M. Latrubesse
The University of Texas at Austin
Department of Geography and the Environment
1 University Station A3100- GRG334
Austin TX-78712, USA
latrubesse@austin.utexas.edu
Dr. Mario L. Assine
Dpt. Geologia Aplicada,
Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP,
Avenida 24A, 1515, Rio Claro, SP, 13.506-900,
BRAZIL
assine@rc.unesp.br
Lacustrine processes:
Dr. Daniel Ariztegui
Section of Earth & Environmental Sciences
University of Geneva
Rue des Maraichers 13, CH-1205 Geneva
SWITZERLAND
daniel.ariztegui@unige.ch
Dr. Eduardo Piovano
(CIGeS), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - CONICET,
Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 1611, X5016GCA Córdoba,
ARGENTINA
eduardopiovano@gmail.com
Aeolian processes:
Dr. Daniela Kröhling
CONICET and Facultad de Ing. y Ciencias Hídricas
Universidad Nacional del Litoral
CC 217 (3000) Santa Fe,
ARGENTINA
dkrohli@gmail.com - dkrohling@santafe-conicet.gov.ar
Dr. Diego Gaiero
(CIGeS), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - CONICET,
Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 1611, X5016GCA Córdoba,
ARGENTINA
dgaiero@efn.uncor.edu
Palaeopedological processes:
Dr. Francisco S. Bernardes Ladeira
Departamento de Geografia, Instituto de Geociencias,
Universidade Estadual de Campinas,
BRAZIL
fsbladeira@ige.unicamp.br
Dr. Javier Marcelo Krause
CONICET and Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio,
Av. Fontana 140, 9100 Trelew,
ARGENTINA
mkrause@mef.org.ar
Coastal and marine processes:
Dr. Federico I. Isla
CONICET, Centro de Geologia de Costas,
CC 722, 7600 Mar del Plata,
ARGENTINA
fisla@mdp.edu.ar
Dr. Roberto A. Violante
Servicio de Hidrografía Naval,
Departamento Oceanografía, División Geología y Geofísica Marina.
Av. Montes de Oca 2124-C1271ABV Buenos Aires,
ARGENTINA.
violante@hidro.gov.ar
4.3. Initial correspondents
| Dr. Daniela Kröhling | CONICET & Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe ARGENTINA | dkrohli@gmail.com dkrohling@santafe-conicet.gov.ar | Pampas region and Puna plateau (Arg.), Paraná basaltic plateau, Paraná and Uruguay river basins (Arg., Brazil, Uruguay). Loess/dunes/palaeosols sequences; fluvial/deltaic processes. Stratigraphic correlations. Geomorphology. Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. |
| Dr. Franck Audemard M. | FUNVISIS- Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research, Caracas. VENEZUELA | faudemard@funvisis.gob.ve | Northern Andes (Venezuela, Colombia, Peru). Neotectonics. Palaeoseismicity. Stratigraphy. Coastal hazards. |
| Dr. José Viramonte | GEONORTE and CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta. ARGENTINA |
viramont@unsa.edu.ar | Central Andes and Puna plateau (Arg., Chile), Antarctic peninsula
(Arg). Volcanic processes and deposits. Tephrocronology. Tectonics. |
| Dr. Juan Pablo Milana | InGeo - CONICET & Universidad Nacional de San Juan, San Juan ARGENTINA |
jpmilana@gmail.com milana@unsj-cuim.edu.ar |
Central arid Andes and Puna plateau (Arg., Chile). Alluvial, mass wasting, aeolian and glacial/periglacial processes. Stratigraphy. Tectonics. Experimental sedimentology. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. |
| Dr. Jorge Rabassa | CADIC-CONICET Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego ARGENTINA |
jrabassa@gmail.com | Central and Southern Andes, Patagonia (Arg. Chile), Pampa region (Arg.),
Antarctic peninsula (Arg.). Glaciology, Stratigraphy, Geomorphology, Palaeoclimatological reconstructions. |
| Dr. Edgardo Latrubesse | The University of Texas at Austin Department of Geography and the Environment, Austin. USA |
latrubesse@austin.utexas.edu | Large rivers (Amazon, Paraná; Brazil, Arg.). Pampa region (Arg.).
Fluvial Geomorphology, Neotectonics, Stratigraphy, Paleoclimatology. |
| Dr. Mario L. Assine | Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Rio Claro, SP BRAZIL |
assine@rc.unesp.br | Pantanal Wetland; Paraguay & Paraná river basins (Br.) Fluvial and Coastal Geomorphology, Neotectonics, Stratigraphy. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. |
| Dr. Daniel Ariztegui | Section of Earth & Environmental Sciences University of Geneva Geneva. SWITZERLAND |
daniel.ariztegui@unige.ch | Proglacial lakes of Southern Andes. Patagonian lakes (Arg., Chile);
Mar Chiquita lake, Pampa plain (Arg.) Palaeolimnology, Palaeoclimatological reconstructions. |
| Dr. Eduardo Piovano | CIGeS, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba & CONICET, Córdoba ARGENTINA |
eduardopiovano@gmail.com | Pampean and Patagonian lakes (Arg.) Palaeolimnology, Palaeohydrological changes, Sedimentology, Palaeoclimatological reconstructions. |
| Dr. Diego Gaiero | CIGeS, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba & CONICET, Córdoba ARGENTINA |
dgaiero@efn.uncor.edu | Pampa plain and Patagonian desert (Arg.). Southern Atlantic ocean.
Geochemistry. Airborne transport of aerosols. Dust provenance. Climatic variability. |
| Dr. Francisco S. Bernardes Ladeira | Instituto de Geociencias, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas SP BRAZIL |
fsbladeira@ige.unicamp.br | Paraná basaltic plateau (Southern Brazil). Tropical weathering and Palaeopedology, Geomorphology, Palaeoclimatological reconstructions |
| Dr. Javier M. Krause | CONICET & Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio, Trelew, ARGENTINA |
mkrause@mef.org.ar | Patagonia (Argentina) Palaeopedological processes. Sedimentology. Stratigraphy. |
| Dr. Federico I. Isla | CONICET & Centro de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario, Univ.
Nac. de Mar del Plata, M. Plata ARGENTINA |
fisla@mdp.edu.ar | Southern Atlantic coast (Arg.), Pampean region (Arg.) Coastal, deltaic and marine processes. Sea level changes. Stratigraphy. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions. |
| Dr. Roberto A. Violante | Servicio de Hidrografía Naval, Departamento Oceanografía, Div. Geología y Geofísica Marina, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA. |
violante@hidro.gov.ar | Rio de la Plata estuary, coastal environments, continental shelf and
continental slope (Arg.) Sea level changes, Morpho-sedimentary processes, sediment dynamics and seismic-stratigraphy in the marine environment. Palaeoceanography. |
| Dr. José C. Stevaux | Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - Instituto de Geociencias - Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, PR. BRAZIL | josecstevaux@gmail.com | Paraná river basin (Brazil, Arg.), Tropical fluvial environments of Brazil. Fluvial Geomorphology. Sedimentology. Neotectonics, Palaeolimnology. Palaeoenvironmental interpretations. |
| Dr. Carlos Costa | Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Luis,
San Luis ARGENTINA. |
mailcarloscosta@gmail.com | Central Andes and Pampean Ranges (Argentina) Neotectonics. Palaeoseismicity. Geomorphology. |
| Dr. Andrea Coronato | CONICET-CADIC, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego ARGENTINA |
andrea.coronato@gmail.com acoronato@cadic-conicet.gob.ar |
Southern Andes and Patagonia (Argentina) Glacial and aeolian processes. Stratigraphy. Geomorphology. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions. |
| Dr. José I. Martínez Rodriguez | Carrera 49 N° 7 Sur - 50, Medellín , COLOMBIA | jimartin@eafit.edu.co | Tropical South America, Pacific Coast (Colombia). Paleoceanography. Climatic variability. Paleoclimatological reconstructions. |
| Dr. Eduardo A. Gómez | CONICET- Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía, Bahía Blanca ARGENTINA |
gmgomez@criba.edu.ar | Bahia Blanca estuary; Southern Atlantic coast and deltaic environments
(Argentina). Geomorphology, Palaeoclimatology and Eustacy, Subaqueous Sediment Stability. |
| Dr. Claudio Carignano | Universidad Nacional de Córdoba & CONICET, Córdoba ARGENTINA | ccarignano@hotmail.com | Pampa region, Pampean ranges (Argentina) Aeolian processes, Stratigraphy, Geomorphology, Tectonics, Paleoenvironmental reconstructions. |
| Dr. Ernesto Brunetto | CICyTTP-CONICET, Diamante, Entre Ríos ARGENTINA |
ebrunetto@yahoo.es | Pampa plain (Arg.), Paraná basaltic plateau (Arg., Brazil) Neotectonics and palaeoseismicity, Aeolian and alluvial processes. Geomorphology. Stratigraphy. |
| Dr. Marcelo Toledo | Laboratorio de Tectónica Andina Universidad de Buenos Aires & YPF
Exploración, Buenos Aires ARGENTINA |
toledom@wanadoo.fr marcelo.toledo@ypf.com |
Pampa plain (Argentina) Alluvial and aeolian processes. Sequence stratigraphy, Geomorphology. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. |
| Dr. Daniel Panario | UNCIEP, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Montevideo, URUGUAY | panari@fcien.edu.uy | Uruguayan coast, central environments of Uruguay. Coastal dynamics. Aeolian processes. Geomorphology. Stratigraphy. |
| Dr. Gustavo Villarosa | GEA,INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche ARGENTINA |
villarosag@comahue-conicet.gob.ar gvillarosa@gmail.com |
Patagonian cordillera (Arg., Chile). Extra-Andean Patagonia (Argentina) Volcanology. Volcano Hazards. Palaeolimnology. Tephrocronology. Neotectonics. |
| Dr. Luis E. Lara | Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería, Santiago CHILE |
lelara@sernageomin.cl | Southern Andes (Chile) Volcanology. Volcano Hazards. Neotectonics. |
| Dr. Marcela Cioccale | Universidad Nacional de Córdoba and CIGeS, Córdoba ARGENTINA |
mcioccale@hotmail.com | Pampa region, Pampean ranges (Argentina) Geomorphology, Stratigraphy, Hydrological variability, Paleoclimatic reconstructions. |
| Dr. Maria Isabel Velez | Dept. of Geology, University of Regina, Regina, Sasktachewan
CANADA |
Maria.Velez@uregina.ca | Central Colombia, Mauritius Island, Guatemala. High resolution climate records recorded by diatoms and sediments Paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions from the tropics. |
| Dr. Marcelo Arnosio | GEONORTE, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de
Salta, Salta ARGENTINA |
chinoarnosio@yahoo.com.ar marnosio@unsa.edu.ar |
Central Andes and Puna plateau (Arg., Chile). Volcanic processes and deposits. Volcanic petrology and geochemistry. Tectonics. |
| Dr. Romina Daga | CONICET- Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA, Bariloche ARGENTINA |
romina@cab.cnea.gov.ar romidaga@gmail.com |
Southern Andes (Arg., Chile), Patagonia (Arg.) Volcanic processes and deposits. Tephrocronology. Palaeolimnology. |
| Dr. Laura Perucca | CONICET & Universidad Nacional de San Juan, San JuanARGENTINA | lperucca@unsj-cuim.edu.ar | Central Andes and Patagonia (Arg.) Neotectonics, Seismicity and Paleoseismicity. Geomorphology |
| Dr. Andres Antico | CONICET & Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe ARGENTINA | andres.antico@gmail.com aantico@santafe-conicet.gov.ar | Rio de la Plata basin (Arg.) Coastal and deltaic processes. Climatic variability. |
