Quebrada de las Conchas Nature Reserve

December 02, 2021

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Photographer: Carlos Di Nallo

Summary Author: Carlos Di Nallo; Cadan Cummings

The photo above features the Quebrada de las Conchas- also called the Quebrada de Cafayate- nature reserve located in the province of Salta in Argentina. The roughly 96 square mile (25,000 hectare) reserve within the Calchaquíes Valleys is important to the fields of geology and paleontology as some of its features date back to the Cretaceous period. The ravine shown in the foreground of the photo is a landscape produced by tectonic activity that took place in the last two million years. The geology of the region was also largely shaped by tectonics combined with subsequent weathering and erosion. Numerous fossils continue to be discovered within the reserve including fossilized frogs, fish, and stromatolites. A recent discovery that adds to the cultural and archaeological significance of the area was the Inca Trail passed near to what is now Route 68 in the nature reserve.


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