TAHAMÍ GEOPARK PROJECT
Geology · Culture · Community
1.5 billion years of history in the Central Mountain Range of Colombia
SITE 1. THE ROCK OF THE PEÑOL, GUATAPÉ.
SITE 2. THE MARIAL STONE, PEÑOL.
SITE 3: PEÑOL DAM AND GUATAPÉ.
LOCATION:
SITE 1. LA PIEDRA DEL PEÑOL, Coordinates: 6°13′10″N 75°10′45″W / 6.2194517. Located in the municipality of Guatapé, 75 kilometers from Medellín in the east of the Department of Antioquia.
SITE 2. THE MARIAL STONE , located in the municipality of L PEÑOL.
It is separated by 12 kilometers from the urban area of El Peñol, by the road that leads to the municipality of San Vicente.
From the city of Medellín, it's 80 kilometers, approximately a 1 hour and 56 minute journey. From the municipality of Rionegro, it's 39.5 kilometers.
SITE 3: PEÑOL DAM: In PEÑOL and Guatapé.
GEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION
THE ROCK OF THE ROCK, GUATAPÉ.
taken from https:https://www.tripadvisor.cl/Attraction_Review-g1087551-d596218-Reviews-Piedra_Del_Penol-G
The Peñol rock or Peñol de Guatapé was chosen as one of the 20 most important geotopes in Colombia .
This is done through a process of identifying sites in geodiversity, sites that show special geological features and processes such as volcanoes, caves, mineral deposits, and fossils.
These sites are called geotopes. In Colombia, the SGC has currently identified 249 geotopes. They are selected based on their scientific, educational, and cultural value.
photos taken from https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piedra_del_Pe%C3%B1ol#/media/Archivo:Piedra_y_Embalse_del_Pe%C3%B1ol_ desde_dron_03.jpg
The Rock of Guatapé is one of the most iconic and recognizable natural landmarks in the country.
The Rock of Guatapé is not only a geological wonder but also a popular tourist attraction and a symbol of local pride.
https://es.geologyscience.com/gallery/geological-wonders/el-penon-de-guatape-colombia/
The Rock of Guatapé
ANTIOQUIA BATHOLITH.
The Peñol Rock is a small part of the Antioquia Batholith.
The Antioquia Batholith is a large mass of plutonic igneous rock, covering approximately 8,000 km², composed mainly of quartz diorite, tonalite, and granodiorite. The presence of large calc-alkaline batholiths is one of the most distinctive features of the Andes, especially in Colombia.
(Ordóñez, O., et al 2008).
The origin of the Antioquia batholith is due to four magmatic pulses that occurred over approximately 40 million years, between the Late Cretaceous and the Paleocene (96 to 58 Ma), related to the subduction of the Farallón plate under the South American plate. (Leal-Mejía 2011).
According to some authors, the most recent magmatism was caused by a subduction zone further west, probably due to the subduction of the Caribbean Plateau under accreted terrain during that period. (Bayona et al., 2012)
The Antioquia Batholith is associated with smaller, younger plutonic bodies up to 58 Ma old. These small intrusions produce gold mineralizations such as that of the Gramaloteque gold and silver prospect, located between the municipalities of San Roque and Yolombó. (Bayona et al., 2012)
Rodríguez G. et al., 2012.
(Bayona et al., 2012)
The differential uplift of the Central Cordillera (Page & James, 1981 ) has allowed erosion to act with different intensity on the area of the Antioquian Ballolith, accentuating the local development of certain geoforms; the most noticeable geoforms are the crags.
WHAT IS A BATHOLITH?
In 1885, geologist Edward Suess defined a batholith as a large intrusive body of granitic rock tens of kilometers deep that can reach hundreds of kilometers in length and a hundred or more kilometers in width.
They are formed by prolonged intrusion processes over millions of years and are exposed when erosion has removed the overlying layer. Their origin lies in the cooling of magma from the magma chambers of ancient volcanoes.
GEOLOGY. GEOLOGICAL UNITS OF THE PROPOSED TAHAMÍ GEOPARK.
FORMATION OF A MONOLITH OR INCELBERG
Taken from Londoño, G. 1998. Geoforms associated with the Antioquia Batholith. Colombian Geology. No. 23, p. 133-143.
Specific Case: The Rock of Guatapé.
The Rock is a monolith or inselberg. The following points are noteworthy in its specific formation:
Geological Composition:
Primarily granodiorite, a hard rock resistant to erosion.
Tectonic Movements:
Uplift of the granitic mass due to tectonic activity in the region producing faults and fractures in the rock.
Prolonged Erosion:
The surrounding landscape has been differentially eroded, with the most deformed rocks eroded by natural processes, leaving the granite monolith exposed and isolated. Spheroidal erosion predominates.
Human Interaction:
Today, El Peñón is a major tourist attraction, with a staircase built into a natural crack in the rock, allowing visitors to ascend and enjoy the panoramic views.
The formation of El Peñón de Guatapé is a classic example of how the combination of geological processes such as the formation of igneous rock, tectonic movements and differential erosion over millions of years can result in an impressive monolith.
Spheroidal Weathering
Spheroidal weathering, also known as onion weathering, is a type of physical and chemical weathering that primarily affects igneous rocks.
This process produces the fragmentation of the rock into concentric layers, similar to the layers of an onion, due to differential expansion and contraction caused by changes in temperature and the presence of water.
The Piedra del Peñol is a granite monolith exhibiting spheroidal weathering. This imposing geological formation is approximately 220 meters high and is a remarkable example of how weathering processes can affect large masses of rock over time.
Spheroidal Weathering in
THE ROCK OF EL PEÑOL, GUATAPÉ.
PIEDRA EL MARIAL, El Peñol, Antioquia.
l
It is one of the most impressive natural attractions in the municipality of El Peñol, and it has "The Temple of the Divine Shepherdess", which is a new epicenter of religious tourism in Eastern Antioquia.
This rock has an extraordinary visual effect, as it appears to be suspended, defying gravity to form a large, open space. It consists of two juxtaposed rocks, one resting lightly upon the other, creating a natural chamber. Beautiful natural crags provide a habitat for xerophytic plants.
https://diarioriente.com/embalses/el-marial.html
GEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION
The Marial stone is also part of the great Antioquia Batholith.
The morphological evolution of the Antioquia Batholith leads to the generation of diverse landforms and depends on several agents whose action is manifested in space and time.
Weathering plays an essential role in the disintegration of rocks. Transport agents, such as water currents, shape slopes, facilitating the action of water. Furthermore, erosive agents reshape landscapes, contributing to their formation and transformation. Some of the resulting macro-reliefs and landforms include boulders and other geological structures characteristic of the region.
https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/geocol/article/view/31477/pdf_124
Spheroidal weathering in the Marial stone
AUTOLITES AND XENOLITES
Autoliths and xenoliths are rock fragments embedded in magma masses, but they have key differences in their origin:
Autoliths : These are fragments of the same rock that have broken off and been reincorporated into the magma. They form when parts of the solidified magma break off and are reincorporated by the magmatic flow, without much change to their chemical composition.
In the Antioquia batholith, autoliths would have formed during magmatic pulses when fragments of older rocks from the same magma were dragged along and reincorporated into the melt.
Xenoliths : These are fragments of rock of external origin to the magma, which were trapped within it as it rose. In the Antioquia batholith, xenoliths may have formed when rising magma eroded fragments of the Earth's crust or other surrounding rocks, incorporating them into its interior before solidifying.
Example of the Marial Stone in El Peñol, Antioquia.
At Piedra del Marial, several autoliths are observed embedded within the granite rock. They could be associated with magma mixing processes.
Importance of autoliths and xenoliths.
Both types of inclusions provide information about magmatic processes and the interactions between magma and surrounding rocks during the formation of the Antioquia batholith.
Autoliths would have formed during magmatic pulses when fragments of older rocks from the same magma were dragged along and reincorporated into the melt.
SITIO 3. EL EMBALSE EL PEÑOL-GUATAPÉ.
Es el embalse que más produce energía eléctrica en Colombia. Con la hidroeléctrica de Guatapé, que tardó 9 años en formarse, mientras inundaba el viejo pueblo de El peñol (1970-1979), en Antioquia.
EPM, con sus ocho unidades generadoras de energía que tiene allí, logra generar 4.120 gigavatios cada hora, una producción que hoy está amenazada por el fenómeno del niño que tiene los embalses un poco más vacíos.
Para su construcción fue necesaria la demolición (literalmente) y desplazamiento del casco urbano de El Peñol, así como de diversas viviendas rurales, tanto en El Peñol como en Guatapé;1 de hecho, cubre la cuarta parte del territorio de Guatapé.2 Construido en dos etapas (la primera terminada en 1972 y la segunda en 1979), es el embalse de Colombia con mayor regulación.3 Los deportes náuticos se practican a diario en este lugar, además de paseos en lanchas a motor, motos acuáticas y yates. Es el cuerpo lacustre más extenso de Antioquia y uno de los ecosistemas acuáticos lénticos más grandes de Colombia.
https://www.museohistoricoelpenol.com/el-museo/
SITIO WEB SOBRE HISTORIA DEL EMBALSE.
LEA LA HISTORIA DE LA CONSTRUCCIÓN DE LA HIDROELÉCTRICA AQUÍ:
https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/3290/329027278003.pdf
represa-en-el-penol-y-guatape-en-el-oriente-antioqueno-colombia/
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