Tag along to visit a few of Ecuador's geological wonders with geology professor, Karen Bridges, through her recent trip to research soils of different climatic zones. Let's go!
My colleague, geology professor Karen Bridges (Howard Community College) recently traveled to Ecuador to research soils of different climatic zones. This week, we’ll tag along with her!
Sharon Lyon
Editor, GeoLifestyle
Chugchilán, Ecuador
Hiking Edmundo’s Famous Skywalk, near Chugchilán, Ecuador/Courtesy of Karen Bridges
Chugchilán is located approximately 120 miles south-southwest of Quito, about a 3-hour drive. The town lies at an elevation of about 10,400 feet, in the County of Sigchos, Province of Cotopaxi.
Geology: The area is within the active Northern Volcanic Zone of the Andes Mountains, where the Nazca Plate is subducting beneath the South American Plate.
Chugchilán is close to the Quilotoa caldera, a large collapsed volcanic crater now filled with a lake.
The rocks are dominated by andesitic and dacitic volcanic rocks, with layers of pyroclastics, lava flows, and volcanic ash.
There is a high earthquake risk due to tectonic compression and faulting.
The steep terrain and frequent rains increase the chance of slope instability and landslides in the area.
Karen comments: “Once out of the city of Quito, the roads weaved through rural communities, some nestled within steep mountainsides. The views were exquisite. I was in awe by how the Ecuadorians used the land for agriculture; the steepest of hillsides were cultivated, growing crops like potatoes, beans, and corn. ‘Rocks’ on the side of the road were actually unconsolidated volcanic sediments.”
Home Base: Karen stayed at the Black Sheep Inn, an ecological hotel, nestled in a hillside north of Chugchilán.
The inn owners “aim to provide a comfortable, educational experience for guests, teaching about the local area, customs, and permaculture.” All meals are vegetarian. They provide a yoga studio, and wood-fired hot tub and sauna.
Hiking:
Karen says: “On day one, I explored the Black Sheep Inn and environs to acclimate to the high elevation. I learned that what locals call an ‘easy’ hike is anything but to a sea-level-loving American. A simple hike around the Inn was an excursion that demonstrated the necessity of taking things slowly.”
“After five days in the area, I undertook the locally dubbed Edmundo’s Famous Skywalk, a rigorous two-hour-plus hike. Descending into a steep valley, the trek eventually climbed to the top of nearby mountains, with only a narrow path along the top. From there, the hike weaved towards a plateau, where farming was prevalent and unsecured guard dogs were the norm. I passed by indigenous huts and marveled at their construction and observed locals working the land.”
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The Quilotoa caldera is 2 miles in diameter and 6 miles in circumference. It formed during a cataclysmic phreatic eruption around 1280 CE.
The eruption produced ignimbrites and ash fall deposits. Pyroclastic flows and lahars reached the Pacific Ocean.
The rocks include andesite, dacite, rhyolite, and volcaniclastic breccias.
The crater is now filled with an emerald green lake, 820 feet in depth. No swimming is allowed in the lake due to its depth and extreme cold temperature of the water.
The lake floor hosts fumaroles. Hot springs occur on the eastern flank.
Travertine deposits can be found along the lake shore.
Karen says: “With a hired guide, I headed to Quilotoa…In addition to seeing andesite and porphyritic rhyolite (a volcanic rock with a high silica content) in the precise location they formed, I learned that the unique greenish color of the water in the crater was due to the dissolved minerals present.”
Use of local stone: On her return trip to Quito, Karen noted that at the Cathedral of Quito, which began construction in 1562, she found the material from which it had been built – a porphyritic andesite – to be similar to ones she observed near Quilotoa. The Cathedral has been damaged several times by a volcanic eruption and multiple earthquakes.
The Páramo and the Iliniza Cloud Forest Ecological Zones
Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock
The Iliniza Ecological Reserve covers 357,600 acres, and includes volcanoes, streams, springs, rivers and a deep canyon. Although it is technically a protected wilderness, few efforts are in place to maintain it. The reserve meets the criteria as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance. At least five endangered bird species live within the reserve.
Ecological Zones: The Ecological Reserve contains both the Páramo and the Cloud Forest ecological zones.
The páramo is an alpine tundra ecosystem located in the Andes Mountains. It exists above the timberline but below the permanent snowline. The climate is cold and humid, with daily freeze-thaw cycles. Orographic uplift along the Andes generates the continuous moisture.
The cloud forest is a high-altitude rain forest, situated in elevation just belowthe páramo. It is the habitat of a wide variety of epiphytes such as orchids, ferns, and bromeliads.
Karen’s experience: “I visited two climate zones, the páramo (high elevation, no trees, plateau) and the cloud forest at just a slightly lower elevation. My local guide’s family owned part of the cloud forest visited, and the richness of his childhood stories, and the history of his family, added an unexpected dimension to the visit.
Prior to walking across the páramo on the way to the cloud forest, I visited a local cheese factory.
The history of the factory was intriguing, including deception, stealing, and even a kidnapping!
Currently, the factory buys milk from the indigenous peoples and sells cheese both locally and globally.”
Many thanks to Karen Bridges for her insights on her trip!
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