Geomorphological Inventory of glacial, periglacial and paraglacial landforms of the Northern Patagonian Andes

The cold climate events of the Upper Cenozoic greatly modified the landscape of the Northern Patagonian Andes (NPA), where a large number of glacial, periglacial and paraglacial landforms are preserved. A detailed geomorphological inventory of glacial, periglacial and paraglacial landforms described from seven mountain range of the NPA is here presented. The analysis of satellite images and digital elevation model, fieldwork research and its integration in a Geographical Information System were used to recognize erosive landforms (glacial cirques, glacial valleys, nivation hollows), depositional landforms (moraines, rock glacial, solifluction lobes, nivation crests) and mass wasting landforms (debris slopes, debris cones, debris flow, and others). More than 550 active and relict morphosedimentary units were identified inside glacial valleys. The geomorphological analysis and the corresponding cartographic elaboration carried on in a large number of mountain valleys, were allowed to define for each studied valley, a local temporal-spatial sequence. Four cold climate stabilization were interpreted from the regional analisys, being the event "A" the oldest, and "D" the last cold climate event before the present climate conditions.