Precordillera - West-Central Argentina

The region between the thin-skinned Precordillera, the foothills of the Andes in west-central Argentina, and the thick-skinned Sierras Pampeanas structural domain is among the most active zones of thrust tectonics in the world. Our project investigated the tectonics of this region using geologic data (seismic lines, dated stratigraphy, structural cross-sections) and geomorphic data (deformed and dated terraces and windgaps, drainage patterns, t-LiDAR), to investigate the structural transition from thin- to thick-skinned tectonics, and associated hazards. We have systematically mapped and dated structures along the length of this interface, including from south to north, the Barrancas Anticline, the Las Peñas thrust, the Montecito anticline (subject of Wendy Bohon’s MSc thesis), and the Cerro Salinas thrust. Another of my students also completed a study of incipient deformation in the region (Peter Enderlin, MSc thesis).