GIS-based methodology for mapping and modeling microbialite deposits in high mountain lakes and wetlands of Central Andes (Catamarca, Northwestern Argentina)

Modern microbialites in Argentina’s Puna (Central Andes) are considered a reliable tool for understanding the evolution of early life on our planet and developing strategies fordetecting life on Mars. The morphological, structural and geochemical variations in these deposits, together with their dis...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Villafañe, Patricio Guillermo, Cónsole Gonella, Carlos Alfredo, Farias, Maria Eugenia, Ahumada, Luis Gabriel, Ruiz Sánchez, Francisco Javier
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:Argentina
Recursos:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/231053
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/231053
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:GIS
MICROBIALITES
MAPPING AND MODELING
CENTRAL ANDES
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descrição
Resumo:Modern microbialites in Argentina’s Puna (Central Andes) are considered a reliable tool for understanding the evolution of early life on our planet and developing strategies fordetecting life on Mars. The morphological, structural and geochemical variations in these deposits, together with their distribution and architecture, are some of the most important parameters for understanding and characterising them. However, the lack of appropriate cartography and/or thehigh price to access it, added to the complex geological and geomorphological context in this region, complicate a traditional mapping on a good scale of detail. This paper presents a GIS-based methodology for a detailed mapping and architectural modeling of Las Quínoas microbialiticdeposit (Holocene). To meet this objective, the geoprocessing of the information obtained from drone surveys, fieldwork and laboratory work, is carried out using ArcGIS software. The result is a high-resolution reconstruction of the deposit architecture, together with several thematic mapsthat represent the variation of the morphological, structural and geochemical characteristics of the oncoids (microbialites) with respect to depth and their position in the water body. From an integral point of view, this work provides a new methodological approach for microbialites mapping and improves the survey strategies in Central Andes.