La Meseta de Somún Curá: Los sonidos de la piedra

Abstract

Capítulo del libro Sitios de Interés Geológico editado por SEGEMAR.El paisaje más descollante del sur de las provincias de Río negro y Chubut, es al mesta de Somún Curá. La meseta está constituida por extensos mantos de lavas basáltica sue se derramaron durante el Cenozoico, sobre un terreno parcticamente llano.Se describe la constitución, evolución geológica y geomorfológica de esta unidad.The most outstanding landscape in the south of the province of Rio Negro and the north of the province of Chubut is the Meseta de Somún Curá. Difficult to access, few people have walked on this plateau, and up to now, very few have been lucky to get into it and visit all of it. It appears like a complete desert and it is inhabited by less than 500 people, which is a small number considering its 25,000 square kilometres of extent, comparable in size to some European countries. The plateau is formed by extensive layers of basalt lavas erupted during the Cenozoic, on an almost flat land, formed mostly of easily erodable rocks. Due to this, the areas that were not covered by the harder lava became eroded more quickly, thus forming the present landscape, a rather regular surface which is topographically high compared to the neighbouring areas, and from which it is separated by steep margins. In general, the plateau relief is interrupted only by long ravines, closed shallow basins´, large erosional sculptures, and «the hills», centres that emitted lavas of mainly trachytic composition, which rise above the plateau, to heights of 1,500 – 2,000 metres above sea level.