Geoheritage of Cajón del Maipo aspiring geopark: inventory, assessment, and opportunities for local development in the Andes of central Chile

Abstract

Cajón del Maipo is a mountainous territory located in the Andes Cordillera of central Chile (c. 5000 km2), 48 km away from Santiago, and is a highly visited tourist destination. It reaches a maximum altitude of 6570 m, and its geology is controlled by the subduction regime between the Nazca and the South American plates. In its rocks, the Andean Tectonic Cycle is recorded, and its geodiversity includes active stratovolcanoes, thermal springs, tectonic structures, glacial and fluvial morphologies, landslides, marine fossils and abandoned mines. The area hosts an important and strained water system, with more than 800 glaciers that supply the city of Santiago with drinking water. This work shows the inventory of geoheritage of Cajon del Maipo, which includes 40 geosites. They were selected and assessed using a quantitative approach in the three main types of use (scientific, educational and touristic), and in their degradation risk. The results are displayed with an innovative synthetic map. Combining statistical quantitative and qualitative analysis, management priorities and opportunities for local development were identified. This inventory must be the framework for developing a geoconservation strategy, and the basis for the application of Cajon del Maipo as a UNESCO Global Geopark.