Identification and Enhacement of Geological, Geomorphological and Geographic elements for a Geopark proposal in the Quebrada de Humahuaca (Northwest Argentina).

MEDINA, W. AND ACEÑOLAZA, G.

Oxford

Conferencia; OXFORD GEOHERITAGE ​VIRTUAL CONFERENCE; 2020

Universidad de Oxford

The Quebrada de Humahuaca has a long geological history. Its wide variety of rocks and geoformsis the result of a plurality of geological processes, which took place at different periods in itsevolutionary history, and can be evidenced in the selected Geological Interest Sites (GIS). The sitesare as follows: Las Ondulitas, (550 Ma.) Discordance Tilcárica, (550 Ma.) The Fossils of Salto Alto,(500 Ma.) The Dinosaur Footprints, Paseo de los Colorados, La Casata, (65 Ma.), La Garganta delDiablo, El Espejo de Falla, El Cabalgamiento, La Paleta del Pintor, (50 Ma.) Cerro de Siete Colores,El Cone de Volcán, (2.5 Ma.) Los Badlands, and Meteorite Impact (Recently). The SIG?s faithfullyrepresent the geological characteristics of the Quebrada and achieve an importantrepresentativeness of the processes that occurred in it throughout its geological history, allowingto identify the presence in the area of ​​geodiversity elements that illustrate a remarkable geologicalvariety. GISs are heterogeneous in time and in geological processes involved. Regarding itsfrequency, there is no repetition between the sites. Thus, each GIS is the result of uniquephenomena, it reveals a different development either in geological time, lithological origin or inthe processes that originated them. The geoheritage of the area has a high singularity and theintegration in the environmental interpretation of the landscape of the geological andgeomorphological characteristics will be doubly perceived, under the structure of a Geopark,which also guides actions towards consistency with the service to visitors. The cultural history ofthe Quebrada de Humahuaca and which justifies its two UNESCO declarations in 2003 as a WorldCultural Heritage Site and in 2014 as a section of the Qhapaq Ñan Cultural Itinerary, it is proposedto add these fourteen GIS for the reconstruction of its geological history, giving account of thecommitment to the enhancement of the geological processes and the landscape of Quebrada,product of these geological processes and the presence of man some 10,000 years ago. Giveneverything said so far, added to the connectivity of the area with respect to the GIS and the socio-economic structure based on cultural tourism, a geopark in the Quebrada would contribute to theconservation of the memory of the Earth.