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1. Economic Botany of the Central Andes:
Geological Aspects
Jaime Argollo
Revista Épsilon No 6: 29-44 / Enero - junio
de 2006

2. Abstract
The Andean Cordillera is located in the occidental border of South
America, and it constitutes one of the widest mountain range in the planet
as a consequence of the subduction of the Nazca plate under the south
American plate. Central Andes extends from 5-33o lat S, and presents an
arched shape (Orocline boliviano), has three important segments: Peru
Central, Altiplano - puna and the sierras pampeanas, these segments are
defined by the subduction angle of the oceanic plate of Nazca under the
south American plate. The present landscape evolved through the
interaction between tectonics processes and denudation of these
structured segments by over 160 Ma.

3. Introduction
South America is the most developed land mass in the Southern
Hemisphere, with an area of over 18. The most recent orogenic cycle,
during the Meso-Cenozoic, is characterized by the subduction of the
Farallon-Nazca oceanic plate beneath the South American continental
plate. The convergence between the Nazca and South American plates is
currently occurring at a direction of N75-80 E, with a velocity ranging from
78 to 84 mm/year. The topography of South America varies from lowlands
to the east to the towering heights of the Andes, which reach over 6,000
m above sea level.

4. Estructura, geologia y topografia

5. Andes Norte
La Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, desde una perspectiva
geológica, es una formación montañosa que se
encuentra en la región nororiental de los Andes en
Colombia. Esta cadena montañosa se caracteriza
por su compleja geología, que abarca desde rocas
sedimentarias hasta formaciones ígneas.
Sierra nevada del Cocuy, Boyacá
Principales
fallas
Geológicas
de Colombia

6. Andes Centrales
Jaime argollo. 2006. Aspectos Geológicos. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz

7. Andes Centrales
https://highsummitperu.com/es/cordillera-blanca/
Cordillera blanca Altiplano - Puna
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-the-Puna-Altiplano-region-of-the-
Central-Andes-modifi-ed-from-Allmendinger-et-al_fig1_281642229

8. Tectónicas del cuaternario y glaciación
Glaciación cuaternaria Actividad tectónica durante el
cuaternario

9. Conclusions
Geological Structure and Evolution of South America
• South America, with an area of more than 18.6 million km2, is the most developed land mass in the Southern
Hemisphere.
• The Andes, a non-collisional orogen, have experienced a complex history since the late Proterozoic.
• The last orogenic cycle, during the Meso-Cenozoic, is characterized by the subduction of the Farallon-Nazca oceanic
plate beneath the South American continental plate, giving rise to a compressional tectonic regime and arc
magmatism.
Segmentation of the Andes
• The Andes are divided into three main segments: the Northern, Central and Southern Andes, each with geological
and topographical characteristics.