Geomorphology of the Cobre river basin, Malargüe, Mendoza (35°S): a contribution to the understanding of slope instability.

ESPOSITO M.A.; MORERIAS S.M.; CORREAS GONZALEZ M.

Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina

Asociación Geológica Argentina

Año: 2023 vol. 80 p. 240 - 255

1853-7138

The geomorphological study of the del Cobre river basin (35°S, 70°15´W), allowed knowing the environmental dynamics of a sector of the Cordillera Principal in the south of the province of Mendoza, constituting the first detailed geomorphological investigation of the region (scale 1:10,000). Both the hydrology and the geology of the del Cobre river sub-basin have only been the subject of scant research, so the results of this work, which include a general geomorphological map of the basin (scale 1:75,000), detailed geomorphological maps of the sub-basins (1:25,000), a general hydrological map (1:125,000) and a general geological map (1:120,000), represent a significant contribution to the knowledge of the area. The inventory of the present geoforms made it possible to recognize, characterize and analyze their distribution, placing special emphasis on the identification of mass removal processes and their relationships with the stratigraphy of the sector. The geoforms were classified according to their genesis, differentiating four classes: a) of glacial and periglacial origin, b) of fluvial origin, c) of karstic origin, and d) of mass removals. The spatial analysis of the statistical data determined that the most favorable lithologies for the development of landslides are the evaporite rocks assigned to the Auquilco Formation (50%) and, to a lesser degree, the volcanites of the Rio Damas Formation (17%). Finally, from the point of view of hazard, it is noted that at least 25% of the surface of the basin presents processes linked to the instability of slopes, either due to landslides or karst collapses.