DIGITAL AND ON-SITE FIELD TRIP GUIDES TO THE CENTRAL ANDEAN PUNA PLATEAU

Leading field trips to remote localities with difficult logistics is a challenging aspect of viewing some of the world’s most spectacular geology. The increase in digital technology including the ability to download and modify PDF images, use satellite imagery including that freely available on Google and other websites and low cost on-line annotated color images has greatly enhanced opportunities for digital field trips that provide an alternative to print field guides. A challenge is to produce versatile field guides that allow access to these areas through digital technology in parallel with print guides to use on site where access to digital technology can be limited or expensive. A challenge in producing digital guides is adapting to constantly changing technology that make those based on free web sites hard to sustain in comparison with print guides that last for decades. In 2008, we attempted such a 7 day guide to the central Andean Puna plateau; which was published along with four others from the 2006 Meeting of the Americas in Argentina in Geological Society of America Field Guide 13. The guide contains a disclaimer that support for vehicles is absent in most of the region, fuel may be unavailable, there are hazards in a high altitude desert at elevations of 3500-4500meters and 4-wheel vehicles with experienced drivers are needed. A road log is not provided; field sites are identified on maps with WSGS84 geographic coordinates. While in a remote region, the trip features some of the world’s largest ignimbrites on the Earth’s second highest and most important volcanic plateau, mafic cinder cones, andesitic to dacitic volcanic centers including the world’s highest active center, internally drained salar and sedimentary basins, well exposed normal, thrust and strike faults, incredible alluvial fans and erosional features on the plateau margins, a complexly deformed pre-Cenozoic basement and breath taking scenery. Enough time has passed to view the guide with hindsight. We don’t know if anyone has attempted the entire trip since the guide was published, but know that parts of the guide have been used. The supporting Google site has changed with improvements in higher resolution images in some areas and deterioration of the larger view in the free version as local images have been added.