Landscapes and Geology of Patagonia: An Introduction to the Land of Reptiles

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the geological-geomorphologicalregions of Patagonia with a general characterization of the maingeomorphological units. A review of studies on geology, stratigraphic, main geologiclandmarks, geological history, and geological resources will be brieflydescribed. This review was performed on the base of geological province concept,including a stratigraphic-morphostructural criteria and a description of majorendogenous and exogenous processes responsible for the formation of landscapeunits. In this chapter these geological-geomorphological regions include Chile andArgentina and were grouped as: (1) Coastal Cordillera and Central Valley (Chile),(2) Southern Andes Cordillera, (3) Mountain Sector of the Neuquén Embayment,(4) Northern Patagonian Tablelands, (5) The North Patagonian Broken Foreland andSomún Curá Massif, (6) Central Patagonian Tablelands, (7) Deseado Massif, (8)Southern Patagonian Tableland, and (9) Islas Malvinas Plateau.