geology of pacific south america and the andean region by: becky baker, marissa bond, collin...
TRANSCRIPT
Geology of Pacific South America and the Andean Region
By: Becky Baker, Marissa Bond,
Collin Whelley, Jackie Nagel
November 17, 2004
Introduction
Four Themes Formation of the
Andes Atacama Desert
Geology Galapagos Islands Amazon River Basin
CW
What is the “Andean Region”
The Andes Mountain Range Second highest range in the
world
The areas of geography on either side
The indigenous peoples “ of Andean decent”
CW
Formation
Nazca and South American Plate Boundaries South American plate is moving westward while
the Nazca plate is moving eastward. Subduction Zone The Rise: late Tertiary period
(40 million years ago) Volcanic Process
Magma cools in magma chambers creating extreme pressure and violent eruptions
CW
Nazca Plate vs. South American Plate
CW
The Subduction Zone
CW
Mountain Effects
Ecology People
Industry and agriculture
Earth quakes and active volcanoes
Climate effects continued
CW
The Atacama Desert
Location and Description Northern region of Chile Known as the “most arid desert in the
world” High altitude and cold temperatures Series of dry salt flanks Absence of rain and precipitation Wealth of desert based on mining
Saltpeter and other fundamental natural resources
MB
The Desert’s Aridity is explained by:
Global and local climate aspects Geography and oceanography
factors The high mountains in the
Andes The flowing of the Humboldt
current
The result of these factors is:
Large barren landscapes
Variations of earthly colors
MB
The Geology of the Atacama Desert:
Volcanic and erosive forces Volcanoes dominate the terrain Altiplano (high plane) Salt flats, multicolored lakes and hot springs Wind eroded hills and rock formations
Valle de la Luna
(Moon Valley)
Fantastic lunar landscapes
Most inhospitable place on the planet
MB
Geological Landscapes:
El Tatio Geysers Highest geysers in the
world Strange mineral
formations 86 degree Fahrenheit
hot springs Fumaroles and
mountains
MB
Geological Landscapes (cont.)
Salar de Atacama
(Salt Lake) Chile’s largest salt flat Extraordinarily dry air World’s largest lithium deposits
MB
Geological Formations:
Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Hills) Horizontal rock and sediment layers
Tertiary periods (ca. 23 millions years ago)
Wind and rain erosion sculpt formations Gypsum creates salt-sprinkled look
Left: red salt water due to algae Right: thick layer of salt encrusts soilMB
Chilean Volcanoes:
Lascar: (Right)
Active stratovolcano Erupted in 1993 and
2000 Most active volcano in
the central AndesLicancabur: (Left)
Stratovolcano
Summit lake is one of highest in the world:
low oxygen, low atmostpheric-pressure and high UV radiation
MB
The Galapagos Islands
Overview
Off the West coast of Ecuador in South
America
Hot spot volcanoes
Belong to Ecuador (1832)
BB
The Galapagos Islands
“Islas de Galapagos”
Charles Darwin (1835)
Five year expedition
National Park
BB
The Galapagos Islands
Geology Hot spot volcanoes like Hawaii Shield Volcanoes
Composed of Basalt Non-explosive eruptions
16 Islands formed in Cenozoic Era: Pliocene Epoch (5.1 to 2 million years ago)
BB
The Galapagos Islands
Geology (continued)
One of most active oceanic volcano areas on Earth
Igneous Islands Very young and still forming
BB
The Galapagos Islands
Volcanoes 6 shield volcanoes
come together to form the largest island, Isabela
Steeper than Hawaiian Islands with barren hardened lava areas
Cliffs form jagged points along the coast
BB
The Galapagos Islands
Volcanoes (continued)
Calderas/Cones (several thousand)
Unusual landforms produce a lunar-like landscape
BB
The Galapagos Islands
Islands (Major of 16) Isabela
Dry climate Largest Island 70 miles long, covering half the land area of all
the islands put together Fernandina
West of Isabela Home of rare tortoises
BB
The Galapagos Islands
Islands (continued) Santiago
Northeast of Isabela Santa Cruz
Charles Darwin Research Station (1964) San Cristobol
Farthest east Seat of government
BB
The Amazon River Basin
Introduction: Second longest in
length in the world It is estimated that the
Amazon discharges between 9 million and 32 million gallons of water per second
Accounts for one- fifth of the world's liquid fresh water
The largest and wettest tropical plain in the world.
JN
Geology of the Amazon River
Giant river valley bordered to the north and south by the Guiana and Brazilian shields Comprised of hard Precambrian rock
Pacific marine like animals Water levels within the Amazon basin changed with
the sea level huge lakes formed in the valley
JN
Location of the Amazon River
Starts in Brazil and flows to Ecuador over 200 tributaries in
Brazil alone Mouth of the river is in
Brazil Bordered by Guiana
and Brazilian shields Previously opened into
the Pacific ocean
JN
Features of the Amazon River
Headstreams are found in the heights of the Andes Average depth of the river 150 miles wide at Atlantic estuary Rate of the flow Bed of the river World’s largest tropical
rain forest
(40% of South America’s
landmass)
JN
Effects on the Amazonian Rainforest
Watershed and a wet tropical plain
Flooding of thousands of square miles of forest
Determinants of fish distribution, behavior and diversity within the floodplain Habitats for animals
JN
Animal Life of the Amazon
over 2,000 types of fish are in the Amazon River Piranhas, 200 lb.
Catfish Arapaima- largest
freshwater fish Freshwater stingrays Anaconda Cuban Crocodile
JN
Supporting Life in the Amazon River Basin
The forest shelters the largest biodiversity of the planet
It helps to regulate regional hydrology and climate, protects the soil, ameliorate floods, and supports indigenous communities Great diversity of
indigenous languages and cultures
With nearly 400 different ethnic groups, 1-1.5 million indigenous people
JN
Questions Regarding the Geology of Pacific South America and the Andean Region:
What are the two major plates that were and are involved in the formation of the Andes Mountain range? -CW
What does the Andean region include?-CW
What fundamental mineral was at one time the leading export of Chile?-MB
What mineral creates the salt-sprinkled look of the salt flats in the Atacama Desert?-MB
What type of volcanoes make up the Galapagos Islands? Describe them.-BB
How were the islands formed?
Were they on tectonic plate lines? geographic location? hot spot?
-BB
How much of the worlds fresh water is found in the Amazon River Basin? -JN
The mouth/inlet of the river is located in what country, while its outlet is located in the Pacific country of Ecuador?-JN
MB
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