Geomorphology of the Guacimal River catchment, Costa Rica

Adolfo Quesada-Román

Article ID: 1673
Vol 5, Issue 2, 2022

VIEWS - 298 (Abstract) 178 (PDF)

Abstract


The Guacimal River catchment has an area of 181 km2 and is located in the NW of Costa Rica, between the coordinates 84.745° W-10.016° N and 84.909° W-10.325° N. In this territory, as in most of the country, detailed geomorphological studies are scarce; therefore, the objective of this paper is to present the geomorphological mapping at a scale of 1:25,000 of the Guacimal River, which allows us to explain the dynamics of the agents involved in the modeling of the catchment. The work methodology consisted of three stages: pre-mapping, field activity and post-mapping, which resulted in a map in which ten relief forms are represented, ordered according to their morphogenesis in endogenous modeled and exogenous (fluvial, gravitational and littoral). This document will be the base line for land use planning, both continental and coastal, and for local risk management.


Keywords


Geomorphology; Dynamics; Morphogenesis; Landforms; Mapping

Full Text:

PDF


References


1. Griffits J. Geomorphological mapping. In: Goudie A (editor). England: Encyclopedia of Geomorphology. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group; 2004.

2. Lugo J. Elements of applied geomorphology (Cartographic methods) (in Spanish). Ciudad de México, México: Instituto de Geografía, UNAM; 1988.

3. Peña-Monné JL. Geomorphological cartography: Fundamentals and applications (in Spanish). Logroño: Geoforma Ediciones; 1997.

4. Gustavsson M, Kolstrup E, Seijmonsbergen AC. A new symbol-and-GIS based detailed geomorphological mapping system: Renewal of a scientific discipline for understanding landscape development. Geomorphology 2006; 77(1–2): 90–111.

5. Bishop MP, James LA, Shroder Jr JF, et al. Geospatial technologies and digital geomorphological mapping: Concepts, issues and research. Geomorphology 2012; 137(1): 5–26.

6. Bishop MP. Remote sensing and GIScience in geomorphology: Introduction and overview. In: Shroder JF (editor). Treatise on geomorphology. USA: Elsevier and Academic Press; 2013.

7. Bergoeing JP, Brenes LG. Geomorphologic map of Costa Rica 1:1,000,000 (in Spanish). San Jose: Instituto Geográfico Nacional; 1978.

8. Bergoeing JP, Brenes LG, Malavassi E. Geomorphology of the North Pacific of Costa Rica. Scale 1:100,000 (in Spanish). Costa Rica: Instituto Geográfico Nacional; 1982.

9. Bergoeing JP, Brenes LG, Salas D. Geomorphologic Atlas of Costa Rica. Scale 1:350,000 (in Spanish). San José: Editorial SIEDIN, Universidad de Costa Rica; 2010.

10. Bergoeing JP, Brenes LG, Protti R. Geomorphological atlas of the Caribbean of Costa Rica. Scale 1:100,000. San José, Costa Rica: Editorial SIEDIN, Universidad de Costa Rica; 2010.

11. Bergoeing JP, Malavassi E. Geomorphologic chart of the Central Valley. Scale 1:50,000 (9 sheets plus text) (in Spanish). Costa Rica: National Geographic Institute; 1981.

12. Bergoeing JP, Brenes LG, Malavassi E. Geomorphology of the Barranca sheet. Scale 1:50,000 (in Spanish). Costa Rica: Instituto Geográfico Nacional; 1982.

13. Quesada-Román A, Zamorano-Orozco JJ. Geomorphology of the upper general river basin, Costa Rica. Journal of Maps 2019; 15(2): 95–101. doi: 10.1080/17445647.2018.1548384.

14. Quesada-Román A, Stoffel M, Ballesteros-Cánovas JA, et al. Glacial geomorphology of the Chirripó National Park, Costa Rica. Journal of Maps 2019; 15(2): 538–545. doi: 10.1080/17445647.2019.1625822.

15. Quesada-Román A, Pérez-Briceño PM. Geomorphology of the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Journal of Maps 2019; 15(2): 363–371. doi: 10.1080/17445647.2019.1600592.

16. Camacho ME, Quesada-Román A, Mata R, et al. Soil-geomorphology relationships of alluvial fans in Costa Rica. Geoderma Regional 2020; 21: e00258. doi: 10.1016/j.geodrs.2020.e00258.

17. Quesada-Román A, Mata-Cambronero E. The geomorphic landscape of the Barva volcano, Costa Rica. Physical Geography 2020; 42(3): 265–282. doi: 10.1080/02723646.2020.1759762.

18. Granados-Bolaños S, Quesada-Román A, Alvarado G. Low-cost UAV applications in dynamic tropical volcanic landforms. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 2021; 410: 107143. doi: 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2020.107143.

19. Quesada-Román A. Landslides and floods zonation using geomorphological analyses in a dynamic catchment of Costa Rica. Revista Cartográfica 2021; 102: 125–138. doi: 10.35424/rcarto.i102.901.

20. Arroyo-Solórzano M, Quesada-Román A, Vargas-Bolaños C. Morphotectonic-volcanic units of the northwest sector of Poás volcano, Costa Rica. Investigaciones Geográficas, Boletín del Instituto de Geografía 2021; 105: e60279. doi: 10.14350/rig.60279.

21. Quesada-Román A, Castro-Chacón JP, Feoli-Boraschi S. Geomorphology, land use, and environmental impacts in a densely populated urban catchment of Costa Rica. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 2021; 112(1): 103560. doi: 10.1016/j.jsames.2021.103560

22. Quesada-Román A. Geomorphological hazards: Floods and slope processes in the upper catchment of the General River, Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica (in Spanish) [MSc thesis]. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; 2016.

23. Alfaro E, Pérez-Briceño PM, Facio R. Analysis of the impact of meteorological phenomena in Costa Rica, Central America, originating in the surrounding seas (in Spanish). Revista de Climatología 2014; 14: 1–11.

24. Quesada-Román A. Implications in disaster and environmental risk management in the Central Valley in the last thirty years (1985–2015) (in Spanish). In: Vigesimoprimer Informe Estado de la Nación en Desarrollo Humano Sostenible. Consejo Nacional de Rectores; 2015.

25. Red De Estudios Sociales En PrevenciÓN De Desastres En AmÉ-Rica Latina (La Red). DesInventar: Costa Rica disaster effects inventory system between 1970 and 2015 (in Spanish). Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá; 2016.

26. Chinchilla-Ramos R. Determination of land use and forest fragmentation in the Pájaro Campana Biological Corridor: Promoting conservation and integrated management strategies (in Spnaish) [BSc thesis]. San José: Escuela de Geografía, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Costa Rica; 2013.

27. Denyer P, Alvarado GE. Geological map of Costa Rica. Scale 1:400,000 (in Spanish). San José: Librería Francesa; 2007.

28. Zácek V, Vorel T, Kycl P, et al. Geology and stratigraphy of sheet 3246-II, Miramar, Costa Rica (in Spanish). Revista Geológica de América Central 2012; (47): 7–54.

29. Kussmaul S. Petrology of the Neogene intrusive rocks of Costa Rica (in Spanish). Revista Geológica de América Central 1987; 7: 83–111.

30. Kussmaul S. Stratigraphy of igneous rocks (in Spanish). In: Denyer P, Kussmaul S (editors). Cartago: Editorial Tecnológica de Costa Rica, Geología de Costa Rica; 2000. p. 63–86.

31. Solano JR, Villalobos R. Physiographic aspects applied to a sketch of Geographical-Climate Regionalization of Costa Rica. Tópicos de Meteorología y Oceanografía 2001; 8: 26–39.

32. Mata R, Sandoval D. Digital soil map of Costa Rica. Scale 1:200,000 (in Spanish). Laboratorio de Recursos Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones Agronómicas. San José: Universidad de Costa Rica; 2013.

33. Bolaños R, Watson VY, Tosi J. Ecological map of Costa Rica (Life Zones), according to the world life zone classification system by L.R. Holdridge). Scale 1:750,000 (in Spanish). San José, Costa Rica: Centro Científico Tropical; 2005.

34. Zamora P. Mangroves (in Spanish). In: Nielsen Muñoz V, Quesada Alpízar M (eds.). San José, Costa Rica: Informe Técnico Žáček: Ambientes Marino Costeros de Costa Rica (Capítulo III); 2006.

35. Cortés J, Wehrtmann IS. Diversity of marine habitats of the Caribbean and Pacific of Costa Rica (in Spanish). Marine Biodiversity of Costa Rica, Central America. Dordrecht: Springer; 2009. p. 1–45.

36. Otto JC, Smith MJ. Geomorphological mapping. In: Clarke L, Nield J (editors). Geomorphological techniques. (Chap. 2, Sec. 6). London: British Society for Geomorphology; 2013.

37. Žáček V, Vorel T, Kycl P, et al. Geological map 1:50,000, Sheet 3246-II Miramar. Transverse Mercator projection (in Spanish). Praga: Servicio Geológico Checo; 2010.

38. Žáček V, Vorel T, Kycl P, et al. Geological map 1:50,000, Sheet 3246-III Chapernal. Transverse Mercator Projection (in Spanish). Praga: Servicio Geológico Checo; 2010.

39. Žáček V, Vorel T, Kycl P, et al. Geological map 1:50,000, Sheet 3246-IV Boards. Transverse Mercator Projection (in Spanish). Praga: Servicio Geológico Checo; 2010.

40. Quesada-Román A, Tefogoum GZ, Pérez-Umaña D. Geomorphosites comparative analysis in Costa Rica and Cameroon volcanoes. Geoheritage 2020; 12(4): 1–14. doi: 10.1007/s12371-020-00515-x.

41. Quesada-Román A. Review of the geomorphological effects of the 1991 Limón earthquake. Revista Geológica de América Central 2021; 65: 1–13. doi: 15517/rgac.v0i65.46697.

42. Quesada-Román A. Landslide risk index map at the municipal scale for Costa Rica. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 2021; 56: 102144. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102144.

43. Quesada-Román A, Villalobos-Portilla E, Campos-Durán D. Hydrometeorological disasters in urban areas of Costa Rica, Central America. Environmental Hazards 2021; 20(3): 264–278. doi: 10.1080/17477891.2020.1791034

44. Acuña-Piedra JF, Quesada-Román A. Multidecadal biogeomorphic dynamics of a deltaic mangrove forest in Costa Rica. Ocean and Coastal Management 2021; 211: 105770. doi: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105770.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jgc.v5i2.1673

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons License

This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.