Salt rims and blisters : peculiar and ephemeral formations in the Atacama Desert (Chile)

Pure and applied karst geomorphology

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

DE WAELE, J.

Ist. Italiano di Speleologia, Dip. di Scienze della terra e Geologico Ambientali, Bologna, Italie

FORTI, P.

Ist. Italiano di Speleologia, Dip. di Scienze della terra e Geologico Ambientali, Bologna, Italie

DE WAELE, J.

Dep. of Earth Sciences and Environmental Geology, Italian Inst. of Speleology, Univ., Bologna, Italie

FILIPPONI, M.

Swiss Federal Inst of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Suisse

GUTIÉRREZ, F.

Dep. of Earth Sciences, Univ., Zaragoza, Espagne

PARISE, M.

National Research Council - Inst. of Research for the Hydrogeological Protection, Italie

PLAN, L.

Natural History Museum, Karst and Cave, Vienna, Autriche

Description :
This paper presents a geomorphological analysis of some very peculiar microforms, named salt rims and blisters, found in a flat area of the Cordillera de la Sal with the aim of understanding the mechanisms involved in their formation and evolution. These features are composed entirely of pure white salt and have been encountered in a limited area on the salt crust floor in the famous Valle de la Luna (moon valley). The salt blisters and rims are very similar to homonymous (sam-name) speleothems and form by condensation-evaporation processes after very sporadic rainy episodes.

Type de document :
Article de monographie

Source :
Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, issn : 0372-8854, 2010, vol. 54, n°. 2, Special issue, p. 51-67, nombre de pages : 17, Références bibliographiques : 16 ref.

Date :
2010

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Stuttgart, Gebruder Borntraeger

Langue :
Anglais