South America’s Natural Wonders: Patagonia, Neuquén Basin, Atacama Desert, and Across the Andes

Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction and a Few Words on Traversing South America.
Chapter 1 Patagonia: Torres del Paine, Chile, to Fitz Roy Massif, Argentina and Chile
	Overview
		Itinerary
	A Brief History of the Southern Andes
		Tectonics
		Glaciation
		Human History
	Stop 1 Torres del Paine National Park
		Visit
	Stop 1.1 Lago Nordenskjöld Overlook
	Stop 1.2 Cerro Toro Turbidite Sand Channel
	Stop 1.3 Mirador Salto Grande
	Stop 1.4 Mirador Cuernos
	Stop 1.5 Mirador Condor
	Stop 1.6 Lago Grey
	Stop 1.7 Mirador Río Serrano
	Stop 1.8 Mirador Lago del Toro
	Stop 2 Frontal Folds of Main Ranges
	Stop 3 Cerro Castillo
	Stop 3.1 Deformed Cerro Toro Formation, Cerro Castillo
	Stop 3.2 Cerro Castillo Overview
	Stop 4 Dorotea Formation Cuesta
	Stop 5 Cerro Calafate, Lago Argentino, and the Glaciarium
		Visit
	Stop 6 La Anita Sandstone
	Stop 7 Puerto Bandera
	Stop 8 Los Glaciares National Park, Perito Moreno
	Stop 8.1 Bajo Las Sombras (Below the Shadows)
	Stop 8.2 Bridge Roadcut
	Stop 8.3 Mirador Los Suspiros (The Sighs Lookout)
	Stop 8.4 Mirador Velo de Novia (Lover’s Veil Lookout)
	Stop 8.5 Perito Moreno Glacier Overlook
	Stop 9 Cerro Fortaleza and Mata Amarilla Badlands
	Stop 10 La Anita and Mata Amarilla Formations
	Stop 11 Mount Fitz Roy and Los Glaciares National Park
	Stop 11.1 Mirador Lago Viedma
	Stop 11.2 Outer Fold-Belt Syncline
	Stop 11.3 Kaikén Aike Fold Belt
	Stop 11.4 Río Mayer Formation, Río de las Vueltas Bridge
	Stop 11.5 Park Entrance, Fitz Roy Massif Viewpoint
	Stop 11.6 Visitor Center (Centro de Visitantes)
	Stop 11.7 Recumbent Fold (Pliege Tumbado) in Río Mayer Formation, Valle del Torre
	Stop 11.8 Torre Lagoon, Moraine, and Glacier Torre
	References
Chapter 2 Neuquén Basin and Andean Foothills: Neuquén to Mendoza, Argentina
	Overview
		Itinerary
	A Brief Review of the Neuquén Basin
		Setting
		Basin Development
		Structure
		Stratigraphy
		Volcanics
		Local History
		Neuquén Basin and the Energy Industry
	Stop 1 Carmen Funes Museum, Plaza Huincul
		Visit
	Stop 2 Los Catutos Member, Vaca Muerta Formation
	Stop 3 Arroyo Covunco
	Stop 4 Lotena Formation
	Stop 5 Lajas Formation at km 2457
	Stop 6 Tordillo Hogback and Auquilco Formation
	Stop 7 The Agrio Fold-Thrust Belt
	Stop 7.1 Huitrín and Agrio Formations, Bajada del Agrio
	Stop 7.2 Agrio Formation, Bajada del Agrio
	Stop 8 Agrio Anticline
	Stop 9 Cordón del Salado
	Stop 10 Pampa Salado
	Stop 10.1 Troncoso Sandstone, Pampa Salado
	Stop 10.2 Agrio Formation, Agua de la Mula Member
	Stop 11 Salado Anticline
	Stop 12 Cerro Rayoso Anticline
	Stop 13 Rayoso Formation, Pichi Neuquén Syncline
	Stop 14 La Mula Anticline Overview
	Stop 15 La Mula-Cerro Naunauco Anticline
	Stop 15.1 Agrio-Huitrín Contact, La Mula Anticline
	Stop 15.2 Collipilli Laccolith and Anticlinal Axis
	Stop 15.3 Collipilli Laccolith, Cerro Naunauco
	Stop 16 Agrio Formation, Las Máquinas Anticline
	Side Trip 1 Ruta Provincial 43 along Río Chacal Melehue
	Stop ST 1.1 Agrio Formation, East Flank Chos Malal Anticline
	Stop ST 1.2 Folded Agrio, West Flank Chos Malal Anticline
	Stop ST 1.3 Folded Vaca Muerta Formation
	Stop ST 1.4 Folded and Thrusted Tordillo Formation, Cordillera del Viento
	Stop ST 1.5 Folded and Thrusted Tordillo Sandstone
	Stop ST 1.6 View into Core of the Chos Malal Anticline
	Stop 17 West-Verging Fold, Vaca Muerta
	Stop 18 Tromen Volcano from Laguna Auquincó
	Stop 19 Tromen Thrust
	Stop 19.1 Mulichinco-Lower Agrio Hogback
	Stop 19.2 Tromen Thrust at Pampa Tril
	Stop 20 Las Yeseras Anticline, Auquilco Gypsum, and Tromen Volcano
	Stop 21 Vaca Muerta – Tordillo Contact
	Stop 22 Mulichinco Formation Flatirons
	Stop 23 Tromen Volcano
	Stop 24 Domuyo View
	Stop 25 Cochiquito Volcano
	Stop 26 Cerro Payún View and the Payunia Volcanic Field
	Stop 27 Neuquén Group Redbeds
	Stop 28 Río Grande Gorge
	Stop 29 Bardas Blancas
	Stop 29.1 Mirador Río Grande
	Stop 29.2 Caverna de las Brujas (Witches’ Cave)
		Visit
	Stop 30 Cuesta del Chihuido
	Stop 30.1 Agrio Formation, Dike, and Sill
	Stop 30.2 Chachao Formation Limestone and Dike
	Stop 30.3 Dike and Sill
	Stop 30.4 Vaca Muerta
	Side Trip 2 Castillos Pincheira
		Visit
	Side Trip 3 Río Salado Canyon
	Stop ST 3.1 Puesto Rojas Field and Cañada Ancha Anticline
	Stop ST 3.2 Infiernillo Basalt Flow, Mirador Cañón Río Salado
	Stop ST 3.3 Laguna de la Niña Encantada
	Stop ST 3.4 Pozo de las Ánimas
	Stop 31 Sosneado Thrust View and El Sosneado Field
	Stop 32 Cerro Diamante View
	Stop 33 Lago Salinas del Diamante
	Stop 34 Atuel Canyon
	Stop 34.1 Atuel Canyon Overlook, Cochicó Group
	Stop 34.2 Feeder Dike Intruding El Imperial Formation
	Stop 34.3 Los Elefantes and El Imperial Formation
	Stop 34.4 Devonian-Permian Unconformity
	Stop 34.5 Choiyoi Group Volcanics
	Stop 34.6 Museo de Cera
	Stop 34.7 Embalse Valle Grande
	Stop 35 Pareditas, Valle de Uco, and the Terroir of Mendoza
		Terroir
		History of Wine in Argentina and Mendoza
	References
Chapter 3 From the Sea to the Sky: The Atacama Desert from Antofagasta to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
	Overview
	Itinerary
	The Atacama Desert and Copper Mining
		World-Class Copper Deposits
	Stop 1 La Portada
	Stop 2 Antofagasta
	Stop 3 Atacama Fault
	Mantos Blancos Mine
		Geology
		History
		Production
	Lomas Bayas Mine
		Geology
		Production
	Stop 4 Cordillera Domeyko (Precordillera)
	Stop 5 Cerro Negro, Eastern Cordillera Domeyko
	Stop 6 El Bordo Escarpment and Llanos de la Paciencia
	Stop 7 Cordillera de la Sal
	Stop 8 Cordón de Lila
	Stop 9 Salar de Atacama and Lithium Mines
	Stop 10 Quebrada de Jere
	Side Trip 1 Altiplano – Puna Volcanic Complex
	Stop ST1.1 Volcán Lascar
	Stop ST1.2 Laguna Lejía
	Stop ST1.3 Laguna en Salar de Aguas Calientes
	Stop 11 San Pedro de Atacama and Valle de la Luna
	Stop 11.1 Las Tres Marias
	Stop 11.2 Anfiteatro
	Stop 11.3 Mirador Likan-Antay
	Stop 11.4 Mirador de Kari
	Stop 11.5 Pukara de Quitor
	Side Trip 2 Volcán Licancabur
	Stop 12 The Puna Plateau
	Stop 12.1 Quebrada Escalera
	Stop 12.2 Termas de Puritama
		Visit
	Stop 13 Fractured Ignimbrites
	Stop 14 Vado Putana
	Stop 15 Cerro la Torta
	Side Trip 3 El Tatio
		Geology
		Visit
	Stop 16 Volcano Panorama
	Stop 17 Painted Rocks
	Stop 18 Cerro Paniri View
	Side Trip 4 Volcán San Pedro and Volcán Poruña
		Conchi Viejo and Mina El Abra
		Conchi Viejo
		El Abra
	Stop 19 Pukara de Lasana
	Stop 20 Valle de Lasana and Lasana Formation
	Stop 21 Calama, Mirador DMH, and the Chuquicamata Mine
		Calama
		Mirador DMH (DMH Overlook)
		Chuquicamata
			History
			Geology
			Production, Resources, Reserves
			Visit
	Stop 22 Cerritos Bayos Formation Roadcut
	Stop 23 Cerros de Montecristo Syncline and Quebrada Mala Andesite
	Stop 24 Geoglifos Chug Chug and San Salvador Formation
	Stop 25 Río Loa Nitrates
	Side Trip 5 Balneario Coya Sur
	Balneario Coya Sur
	Stop 26 Quebrada Barriles
	Stop 27 El Panteón, Tocopilla
	Stop 28 Antenna Hill, Tocopilla
	Stop 29 Petroglyphs at Punta Grande
	Carolina de Michilla Stratiform Copper District
	Stop 30 Playa Norte Hornitos
	Stop 30.1 Uplifted Beach Terraces, Playa Norte Hornitos
	Stop 30.2 Beach Section, Playa Norte Hornitos
	Side Trip 6 Mejillones Peninsula
	Stop ST6.1 Mejillones Fault
	Stop ST6.2, Punta Angamos
	Stop ST6.3 Punta Lobería View
	References
	Additional Materials
Chapter 4 Across the Andes in Darwin’s Footsteps: Mendoza, Argentina, to Valparaíso and the Colchagua Wine Region, Chile
	Overview
	Itinerary
	Darwin’s Trek
	Evolution and Tectonics of the Central Andes
	Mendoza, Argentina
	Stop 1 Luján de Cuyo and Volcán Tupungato
	Stop 2 Precordillera and Cordillera Frontal
	Stop 3 Neogene Synorogenic Sediments
	Stop 4 Early-Middle Triassic Continental Units at Potrerillos
	Side Trip 1 Fossil Forest and Darwin Plaque
	Stop 5 Uspallata Group Volcanics and Pediment
	Stop 6 Altered Volcanics near Los Penitentes
	Stop 7 Puente del Inca
	Stop 8 Mirador Aconcagua, Aconcagua Provincial Park
		Visit
	Stop 9 Las Cuevas Slide
	Stop 10 Aduana Chilena and West-Dipping Andesites
	Stop 11 Laguna del Inca
	Stop 12 Curve 17, Los Caracoles
	Stop 13 Salto de Soldado and the Cordillera Principal/Rio Aconcagua Valley
	Stop 14 San Felipe
	Stop 15 Coast Range Granodiorite, Chagres Roadcut
	La Campana National Park
	Stop 16 Roca Oceanica, Granite of the Coast Batholith
	Valparaíso
		History
		Geology
	Stop 17 Sheraton Miramar, Valparaíso Granodiorite and Gneiss
	Stop 18 Mirador Faro Punta Angeles Granodiorite
	Stop 19 Sauce Diorite, Curauma
	Stop 20 Casablanca Valley Vineyards
		Casa Valle Viñamar
		Visit
	Santiago
		History
		Geology
	Stop 21 Cerro Santa Lucía, Santiago
	Stop 22 Cerro San Cristóbal, Santiago
	Stop 23 Maipo Valley and Viña Concha y Toro
		Viña Concha y Toro
		Visit
	Side Trip 2 Maipo Canyon
		Stop ST 2.1 El Toyo Roadcut
		Stop ST 2.2 Paso Angosto El Tinoco
		Stop ST 2.3 Observatorio
		Stop ST 2.4 Tierra Amarilla
		Stop ST 2.5 Mina Lo Valdés
		Stop ST 2.6 Placa Verde
		Stop ST 2.7 Termas Valle de Colina
		Visit
	Stop 24 Diorite, Hotel Monticello Roadcut
	Stop 25 Centinela Roadcut
	Stop 26 Ignimbrite, Río Tinguiririca Roadcut
	Stop 27 Santa Cruz and the Colchagua Valley
		Terroir
	Stop 27.1 Viña Viu Manent
		Visit
	Stop 27.2 The Colchagua Museum
		Visit
	References
Index