A note on “Origin of components in Chilean thermal waters” by

Risacher et al. (2011) have presented voluminous data on thermal waters of Chile that is quite appreciable; however, their work still falls short on several counts. The most notable shortcoming of the work is the presentation and treatment of data. The interpretations are based on questionable premises (viz., extent of seawater intrusion) and considerations (viz., using average chemical composition of rock types for geochemical modeling, considering volcanic rocks as the only rock type in contact with the geothermal fluids) and assumptions not always substantiated by facts (with proper references) could have been corroborated. Use of Cl/Br ratio for discrimination purpose is unconvincing, considering the uncertainty in the measurement of low (<1 mg/L) Br concentration.     

南美安第斯地区成矿区带划分探讨

南美安第斯成矿带是世界上最著名的Cu、Au、多金属巨型成矿带,产有一系列大型-超大型Cu、Au、多金属矿床,是目前世界上最重要的找矿投资热点地区之一。文章在系统收集资料和综合研究的基础上,依据安第斯成矿带的基底组成、构造_岩浆演化、板块俯冲形式、成矿作用以及主要成矿类型的差异,将安第斯地区自北而南划分为3个Ⅱ级成矿省和14个Ⅲ级成矿带,并对各成矿区带的地质与成矿特征进行了概要阐述,为安第斯地区区域成矿规律研究提供了基础,也为中国企业在该地区的矿产勘查、开发投资提供了指导信息。     

Lateglacial and Holocene cosmogenic surface exposure age glacial chronology and geomorphological evidence for the presence of cold‐based glaciers at Nevado Sajama,Bolivia

Comparisons of palaeo‐equilibrium line altitudes between the Western and Eastern Cordilleras in the Central Andes are commonly based on the assumption that the tall outermost moraines visible in remotely sensed images of the Western Cordillera date to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, field investigation and geomorphic mapping at Nevado Sajama, Bolivia, indicates the tall moraines are relic features with shorter moraines overlying and in some cases extending beyond them. ³⁶Cl exposure ages from the shorter moraines suggest that they date to Lateglacial times ca. 16.9–10.2 ka. Although Lateglacial deposits have been found throughout the Central Andes, the extent of these deposits relative to LGM deposits varies both between the Western and Eastern Cordilleras and north‐to‐south along the Western Cordillera. In the Western Cordillera in the zone of easterly winds, the Lateglacial appears to be the most extensive glacial advance of the last glacial cycle. Geomorphic evidence also suggests that some Lateglacial moraines were deposited by cold‐based ice, a previously unreported finding in the tropical Andes. Retreat from other glacial features occurred at about 7.0–4.4 ka and 4.7–3.3 ka. These are the first directly dated Holocene glacial deposits in the Western Cordillera of Bolivia, and their presence suggests that the mid Holocene may not have been as warm and dry as previously thought. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Crustal make-up of the northern Andes: evidence based on deep crustal xenolith suites, Mercaderes, SW Colombia

Samples of the deep crust and upper mantle in the Northern Andes occur as abundant xenoliths in the Granatífera Tuff, a late Cenozoic vent in the Mercaderes area of SW Colombia. The lower crustal assemblage includes granulites, hornblendites, pyribolites, pyroxenites and gneisses; mafic rocks predominate, but felsic material is also common. P–T conditions for the pyribolite assemblages (i.e. Hbl+Fs/Scp+Grt+Cpx+Qtz±Bt), which are the best constrained, are 720–850 °C and 10–14 kbar, consistent with a deep-to-lower crustal origin. A notable feature of this xenolith suite is that it is dominated by hornblende. However, mineral reactions within the suite show that there is a transition from amphibolite to granulite facies, and there is a probable restite–melt relationship represented within the suite. However, the latter appears to be dominated by hornblende and garnet.The mafic rocks mostly lack the high Cr and Ni that would be expected of cumulates. Neither do they possess the positive Sr and Eu anomalies that would be consistent with resite or cumulate models for the lower crust. They bear greatest similarity to oceanic basalts (s.l.). The Rb contents of the xenoliths, whether mafic or silicic, are very low, and the more silicic members of the suite tend to have small positive Sr and Eu anomalies, which are transitional to adakitic compositions. The Sr isotopic compositions of the xenoliths lie between 0.704 and 0.705; however, the Nd isotopic compositions are much more variable, indicating considerable long-term heterogeneity. Few of the xenoliths can be compositionally recognised as metasedimentary; however, a sedimentary component is evident in the Pb isotopic compositions. Within these constraints, our favoured model is a deep crust formed by basaltic components (subduction–accretion?), and minor sediment, which is subject to an increase in thermal gradient to produce the granulites, any melting being dominated by hornblende-out reactions involving garnet. However, there is no evidence of any pervasive crustal melting, leading to the conclusion that the voluminous Andean magmatism arises from the mantle wedge.     

Environmental factors controlling spatial variation in sediment yield in a central Andean mountain area

A large spatial variability in sediment yield was observed from small streams in the Ecuadorian Andes. The objective of this study was to analyze the environmental factors controlling these variations in sediment yield in the Paute basin, Ecuador. Sediment yield data were calculated based on sediment volumes accumulated behind checkdams for 37 small catchments. Mean annual specific sediment yield (SSY) shows a large spatial variability and ranges between 26 and 15,100 Mg km^− 2 year^− 1. Mean vegetation cover (C, fraction) in the catchment, i.e. the plant cover at or near the surface, exerts a first order control on sediment yield. The fractional vegetation cover alone explains 57% of the observed variance in ln(SSY). The negative exponential relation (SSY = a × e^{−b C}) which was found between vegetation cover and sediment yield at the catchment scale (10³–10⁹ m²), is very similar to the equations derived from splash, interrill and rill erosion experiments at the plot scale (1–10³ m²). This affirms the general character of an exponential decrease of sediment yield with increasing vegetation cover at a wide range of spatial scales, provided the distribution of cover can be considered to be essentially random. Lithology also significantly affects the sediment yield, and explains an additional 23% of the observed variance in ln(SSY). Based on these two catchment parameters, a multiple regression model was built. This empirical regression model already explains more than 75% of the total variance in the mean annual sediment yield. These results highlight the large potential of revegetation programs for controlling sediment yield. They show that a slight increase in the overall fractional vegetation cover of degraded land is likely to have a large effect on sediment production and delivery. Moreover, they point to the importance of detailed surface vegetation data for predicting and modeling sediment production rates.     

Post-fire recovery of Puya raimondii,vegetation and birds in the puna of Huascarán National Park,Perú

A large fire of 233 ha in Huascarán National Park in Peru provided an opportunity to compare plant and bird responses in burned and nearby unburned zones of the puna. Heights and live diameters of flagship Puya raimondii rosettes(assigned to four broad developmental phases), plant communities(66 species in 24 families and nine growth forms) and bird communities(77 species in six trophic guilds) were monitored after the fire. Although no mortality was observed, Puya raimondii plants were affected...     

Magnetic characterization of a retroarc extensional basin: The Loncopué Trough

The Loncopué Trough is a Pliocene to Quaternary extensional basin developed over the hinterland area of the Southern Central Andes. This basin is bounded by two neotectonic extensional fault systems delimiting a narrow topographic low. Previous studies have mostly focused on structural and geochemical aspects of this feature. However, geophysical surveys, aimed to unravel deep structure beneath a thick-younger than 5 My volcanic coverage, are scarce and based their interpretations on low resolution data sets. In this study, we collected new aeromagnetic data with the objective of characterizing the magnetic properties of the crust in the Loncopué Through and nearby zones. Additionally, we analyze the spatial relation between geological structures, volcanic fields and magnetic data. In order to highlight the boundaries of the magnetic sources and calculate the basement depth, we applied derivative techniques and the source parameter imaging. Also, we estimated an effective susceptibility model using the Magnetization Vector Inversion method, which takes into account the combined effects of remanence and induced magnetization. To determine the thermal structure of the area, we calculated the Curie depth points through the spectral analysis technique. From the analysis of magnetic data we were able to characterize the main structures and lineaments associated with this retroarc extensional trough. Notably, only the Loncopué eastern fault system seems to be a crustal-scale tectonic feature, while E-W-, ENE- and ESE-trending lineaments are interpreted as relatively minor structures segmenting the basement. Finally, our susceptibility model, together with the analysis of the Curie point, revealed potential magmatic/hydrothermal reservoirs in the Copahue volcano, and the Codihue and Cajón de Almanza regions that could be connected at depth forming a regional magmatic body.     

Does hillslope trenching enhance groundwater recharge and baseflow in the Peruvian Andes?

As Andean glaciers rapidly retreat due to climate change, the balance of groundwater and glacial meltwater contributions to stream discharge in tropical, proglacial watersheds will change, potentially increasing vulnerability of water resources. The Shullcas River Watershed, near Huancayo, Peru, is fed only partly by the rapidly receding Huaytapallana glaciers (<20% of dry season flow). To potentially increase recharge and therefore increase groundwater derived baseflow, the government and not‐for‐profit organizations have installed trenches along large swaths of hillslope in the Shullcas Watershed. Our study focuses on a nonglacierized subcatchment of the Shullcas River Watershed and has 2 objectives: (a) create a model of the Shullcas groundwater system and assess the controls on stream discharge and (b) investigate the impact of the infiltration trenches on recharge and baseflow. We first collected hydrologic data from the field including a year‐long hydrograph (2015–2016), meteorological data (2011–2016), and infiltration measurements. We use a recharge model to evaluate the impact of trenched hillslopes on infiltration and runoff processes. Finally, we use a 3‐dimensional groundwater model, calibrated to the measured dry season baseflow, to determine the impact of trenching on the catchment. Simulations show that trenched hillslopes receive approximately 3.5% more recharge, relative to precipitation, compared with unaltered hillslopes. The groundwater model indicates that because the groundwater flow system is fast and shallow, incorporating trenched hillslopes (~2% of study subcatchment area) only slightly increases baseflow in the dry season. Furthermore, the location of trenching is an important consideration: Trenching higher in the catchment (further from the river) and in flatter terrain provides more baseflow during the dry season. The results of this study may have important implications for Andean landscape management and water resources.