Volcanic Landscapes and Associated Wetlands of Lowland Patagonia (The Latin American Studies Book Series)

This book presents the most relevant basaltic plateau exposures in the provinces of Neuquén (northern Patagonia) and Santa Cruz (southern Patagonia), and analyzes their geomorphological and morphometric characteristics. The existence of wetland ecosystems near the volcanic plateaus is quantified, thus providing indexes that describe the quantitative relationships between these landscape features. These indexes also make it possible to estimate the development of these wetlands in non-surveyed areas, opening the door for studying remote, isolated areas by means of remote sensing images. In turn, the book proposes a numerical classification system for this type of landscape that summarizes the main geomorphological and hydrological characteristics.teristics. Front Matter ....Pages i-viii Introduction: Patagonia Basalt Tablelands (“Escoriales”) and Their Significance in the Genesis of Wetlands (Elizabeth Mazzoni, Jorge Rabassa)....Pages 1-29 Patagonian Cenozoic Magmatic Activity (Emilia Aguilera, Elizabeth Mazzoni, Jorge Rabassa)....Pages 31-67 Geomorphology of the Patagonian Volcanic Landscapes: Provinces of Neuquén (Northern Patagonia) and Santa Cruz (Southern Patagonia) (Elizabeth Mazzoni, Jorge Rabassa)....Pages 69-121 Basaltic “Escoriales” of the Provinces of Neuquén and Santa Cruz, Argentina. Quantitative Analysis (Dora Silvia Maglione, José Luis Sáenz, Elizabeth Mazzoni)....Pages 123-153 An Evolutionary Model of Volcanic Landscapes (Elizabeth Mazzoni, Jorge Rabassa)....Pages 155-176 Wetlands Associated with Basaltic Plateaus and Their Identification by Means of Remote Sensing Techniques (Elizabeth Mazzoni, Jorge Rabassa)....Pages 177-198 Wetlands Associated to the Basaltic Plateaus: Range of Influence of the “Escoriales” and Wet Meadows Indexes (Elizabeth Mazzoni, Jorge Rabassa)....Pages 199-208 Wetlands Associated to the Basaltic Plateaus: Typology and Morphometry (Elizabeth Mazzoni, Jorge Rabassa)....Pages 209-230 Wetlands Associated to the Basaltic Plateaus: Spatial Heterogeneity and Internal Variability of Wetlands. Case Study: Mallín Tropezón (Elizabeth Mazzoni, Jorge Rabassa)....Pages 231-270 The Environmental Value of Volcanic Landscapes and Wetlands of Lowland Patagonia and Their State of Conservation (Elizabeth Mazzoni, Jorge Rabassa)....Pages 271-295 This book presents the most relevant basaltic plateau exposures in the provinces of Neuqu鮠(northern Patagonia) and Santa Cruz (southern Patagonia), and analyzes their geomorphological and morphometric characteristics. The existence of wetland ecosystems near the volcanic plateaus is quantified, thus providing indexes that describe the quantitative relationships between these landscape features. These indexes also make it possible to estimate the development of these wetlands in non-surveyed areas, opening the door for studying remote, isolated areas by means of remote sensing images. In turn, the book proposes a numerical classification system for this type of landscape that summarizes the main geomorphological and hydrological characteristics This book presents the most relevant basaltic plateau exposures in the provinces of Neuquen (northern Patagonia) and Santa Cruz (southern Patagonia), and analyzes their geomorphological and morphometric characteristics.