Estudios preliminares del agua, nieve y hielo en la cuenca del río Vallecitos, Mendoza, Argentina

Abstract

“Preliminary studies of water, snow and ice in the Vallecitos river basin, Mendoza, Argentina”. The study area is located between 69 º 19’ and 69 º 26’ W and 32 º 55’ and 32 º 59’ S, in the Cordon del Plata mountains, Cordillera Frontal, Mendoza, Argen- tina. The highest peaks in this region, reach heights of approximately 6000 m above sea level, some of them included in the study area. Vallecitos River sub- basin, a tributary of the White River basin, lies at altitudes ranging from 2,200 m at its lowest point, to almost 5,500 meters at the summit of Cerro Vallecitos. This paper details the beginning of the project «Study of the hydro-geochemical behavior of groundwater and surface water related to glaciers, covered glaciers and rock glaciers in the Vallecitos River basin, Front Range, Mendoza», which aims to characterize different water origins and the hydrogeochemical com- position of a typical cryogenic environment as Vallecitos River basin, with covered and uncov- ered glaciers, rock glaciers, in situ permafrost and patches of temporary and permanent snow. It also seeks to understand the dynamics of water within the cryogenic system, in par- ticular inside rock glaciers, to determine potential reservoirs of fresh water for the local pop- ulation. A network of surface water sampling has been implemented where the main points correspond to springs, streams and Vallecitos River, together with sampling points for sea- sonal snow patches and ice. Moreover a rain collector sampled by events has been installed, to construct a local meteoric water line. The first results reveal several differences between the three main sub- basins that make up the Vallecitos River basin. Different water sources and circulation patterns can be identified which are reflected in the hydrogeochemical and iso- topic results.