Geomorphology, morphodynamic, and surficial material of the Orosi Valley, Costa Rica
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59236/geomorphica.v1i1.31Keywords:
geomorphological mapping, soil analysis, geology, disaster risk reduction, land-use planningAbstract
The Orosi Valley in Costa Rica holds significant geomorphological importance due to its diverse landscapes shaped by tectonic activity, river systems, erosion processes, and rich biodiversity. Moreover, this valley is important for agriculture, tourism, water reservoirs, and hydroelectricity production. This study presents a comprehensive geomorphological mapping of the Orosi Valley in Costa Rica. Six distinct geomorphological units have been identified and classified through a combination of field surveys, topographic data analysis, and remote sensing techniques. These units include hillslopes, alluvial fans, terraces at the valley margins, volcanic landforms, colluvial deposits, landslide scars, and fluvial landforms. The results provide valuable insights into the geomorphological processes and landform evolution within the Orosi Valley, contributing to scientific knowledge, land use planning, natural hazard assessment, and environmental management in the region. This study holds global importance by deepening the understanding of how geomorphology, disaster risk, and socio-economic development are interconnected. It informs worldwide initiatives to create resilient communities in response to evolving environmental hazards.
References
Al-Awadhi, T., Abdullah, M., Al-Ali, Z., & others. (2024). Navigating Cyclone Threats: A Forecast Approach Using Water Streams’ Physical Characteristics as an Indicator to Predict High Risk Potential Areas in the Sultanate of Oman. Earth Syst Environ. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-024-00392-2
Alcántara, I., & Goudie, A. S. (2010). Geomorphological hazards and disaster prevention. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511807527
Alvarado, A., Mata, R., & Kappelle, M. (2016). Soils of Costa Rica: an agroecological approach. In M. Kappelle (Ed.), Costa Rican Ecosystems (pp. 64–93). University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226121642.003.0004
Alvarado, G. E., & Cárdenes, G. (2016). Geology, Tectonics, and Geomorphology of Costa Rica: A Natural History Approach. In M. Kappelle (Ed.), Costa Rican Ecosystems (1st ed., pp. 30–63). University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226121642.003.0003
Alvarado, G., & Pérez, W. (1998). The Doán formation (Pliocene) of Costa Rica: an overview on its description, origin, lateral, equivalents, and further implications on the closing of the Central America seaway. In S. Nishimura & R. Tsuchi (Eds.), Sixth International Congress on Pacific (pp. 150–167). Kyoto Institute of Nature History.
Alvarez-Vargas, L. E., & Cortés-Granados, V. (2022). Ocurrencia de deslizamientos y procesos de remoción en masa correlacionados en la microcuenca del río Naranjo, Cachí, Paraíso, Costa Rica. GEOTemas, 12, e02204. https://doi.org/10.33237/geotemas.v12i0.3921
Arias, O., & Denyer, P. (1991). Aspectos geotectónicos y geológicos de Puriscal y alrededores, Costa Rica. Revista Geológica de América Central, 12, 83–95.
Arroyo-Solórzano, M., Quesada-Román, A., & Barrantes-Castillo, G. (2022). Seismic and geomorphic assessment for coseismic landslides zonation in tropical volcanic contexts. Natural Hazards, 114(3), 2811–2837. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05492-8
Barros, J. L., Tavares, A. O., & Santos, P. P. (2021). Land use and land cover dynamics in Leiria City: relation between peri-urbanization processes and hydro-geomorphologic disasters. Natural Hazards, 106, 757–784. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-020-04490-y
Bergoeing, J., & Malavassi, E. (1982). Geomofología del Valle Central de Costa Rica (Explicación del mapa geomorfológico 1:50000) (p. 50). Instituto Geográfico Nacional – Departamento de Geografía, Universidad de Costa Rica.
Bergoeing, J. P. (2017). Geomorphology and volcanology of Costa Rica. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812067-5.00001-0
Bocco, G., Mendoza, M., & Velázquez, A. (2001). Remote sensing and GIS-based regional geomorphological mapping—a tool for land use planning in developing countries. Geomorphology, 39(3–4), 211–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(01)00027-7
Camacho, M. E., Quesada-Román, A., Mata, R., & Alvarado, A. (2020). Soil-geomorphology relationships of alluvial fans in Costa Rica. Geoderma Regional, 21, e00258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geodrs.2020.e00258
Campos, N., Quesada-Román, A., & Granados-Bolaños, S. (2022). Mapping Mountain Landforms and Its Dynamics: Study Cases in Tropical Environments. Applied Sciences, 12(21), 10843. https://doi.org/10.3390/app122110843
Cortés Granados, V. M. (2010a). Agroecología del agroecosistema café (Coffea arabiga) y su relación con la erodabilidad de laderas en el Valle de Orosi, Cartago, Costa Rica. Anuario De Estudios Centroamericanos, 37(1–2), 271–305.
Cortés Granados, V. M. (2010b). Mecanismos de disparo de los procesos de remoción en masa en el valle de Orosi. Reflexiones, 89(1), 9–28.
Cortés-Granados, V. M. (2008). Discrepancias entre uso actual y potencial de las laderas del Valle de Orosi. Reflexiones, 87(2), 4.
Cortés-Granados, V. M. (2020). Socialized geomorphology through photography traditional: examples in the Valley of Orosi-Ujarrás, Costa Rica. Mercator-Revista de Geografia Da UFC, 19(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.4215/rm2020.e19009
de Moraes, O. L. L. (2023). Proposing a metric to evaluate early warning system applicable to hydrometeorological disasters in Brazil. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 87, 103579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103579
Denyer, P., & Alvarado, G. E. (2007). Mapa geológico de Costa Rica. Librería Francesa.
Denyer, P., Montero, W., & Alvarado, G. (2003). Atlas Tectónico de Costa Rica (2nd ed.). Editorial Universidad de Costa Rica.
Dramis, F., Guida, D., & Cestari, A. (2011). Nature and aims of geomorphological mapping (Vol. 15, pp. 39–73). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374739-5.00016-6
Franch-Pardo, I., Napoletano, B. M., Bocco, G., Barrasa, S., & Cancer-Pomar, L. (2017). The role of geographical landscape studies for sustainable territorial planning. Sustainability, 9(11), 2123. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9112123
García-Soriano, D., Quesada-Román, A., & Zamorano-Orozco, J. J. (2020). Geomorphological hazards susceptibility in high-density urban areas: A case study of Mexico City. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 102, 102667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2020.102667
Garro-Quesada, M. D. M., Vargas-Leiva, M., Girot, P. O., & Quesada-Román, A. (2023). Climate risk analysis using a high-resolution spatial model in Costa Rica. Climate, 11(6), 127. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11060127
Ghosh, S., Sarkar, B., Islam, A., Shit, P. K., Quesada-Román, A., & Gazi, H. A. R. (2022). Surface water and groundwater suitability for irrigation based on hydrochemical analysis in the lower Mayurakshi River Basin, India. Geosciences, 12(11), 415. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12110415
Hidalgo, H. G., Alfaro, E. J., & Quesada-Román, A. (2024). Flood projections for selected Costa Rican main basins using CMIP6 climate models downscaled output in the HBV hydrological model for scenario SSP5-8.5. Hydrological Research Letters, 18(1), 35–42. https://doi.org/10.3178/hrl.18.35
Imperiale, A. J., & Vanclay, F. (2021). Conceptualizing community resilience and the social dimensions of risk to overcome barriers to disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. Sustainable Development, 29(5), 891–905. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2182
Kaiser, M. S. (2020). Are bottom-up approaches in development more effective than top-down approaches? Journal of Asian Social Science Research, 2(1), 91–109. https://doi.org/0.15575/jassr.v2i1.20
Kariminejad, N., Mohsen, J., Domazetović, F., & Quesada-Román, A. (2024). An Overview of the Importance of DEM Resolution in Soil Erosion Assessment. Papers in Applied Geography. https://doi.org/10.1080/23754931.2024.2341165
Montero, W. (2001). Neotectónica de la región central de Costa Rica: Frontera oeste de la Microplaca de Panamá. Revista Geológica de América Central, 24, 29–56.
Mora, R. (2014). Contribución del laboratorio de geomecánica de la ECG-UCR al estudio de los deslizamientos en Costa Rica: los últimos 25 años. Revista Geológica de América Central, 39–4.
Mora-Alvarado, D., & Portuguez, C. F. (2010). Evolución de las coberturas y calidad del agua para consumo humano y disposición de aguas residuales domésticas en Costa Rica al año 2009 [Techreport]. Laboratorio Nacional de Aguas, Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados.
Orimoloye, I. R., Belle, J. A., & Ololade, O. O. (2021). Exploring the emerging evolution trends of disaster risk reduction research: a global scenario. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 18, 673–690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-02847-1
Otto, J. C., & Smith, M. J. (2013). Geomorphological mapping. In L. Clarke & J. Nield (Eds.), Geomorphological Techniques. British Society for Geomorphology.
Parra-Pichardo, Y. K. (2004). Análisis de vulnerabilidad a deslizamientos en el distrito de Orosi, Provincia de Cartago, Costa Rica (p. 155). CATIE.
Pérez-Umaña, D., Quesada-Román, A., & Tefogoum, G. Z. (2020). Geomorphological heritage inventory of Irazú volcano, Costa Rica. International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks, 8(1), 31–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgeop.2019.12.001
Quesada-Román, A. (2021). Landslides and floods zonation using geomorphological analyses in a dynamic catchment of Costa Rica. Revista Cartográfica, 102, 125–138. https://doi.org/10.35424/rcarto.i102.901
Quesada-Román, A. (2022a). Disaster risk assessment of informal settlements in the Global South. Sustainability, 14(16), 10261. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610261
Quesada-Román, A. (2022b). Flood risk index development at the municipal level in Costa Rica: A methodological framework. Environmental Science and Policy, 133, 98–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2022.03.012
Quesada-Román, A. (2022c). Geomorphology of the Guacimal river catchment, Costa Rica. Journal of Geography and Cartography, 5(2), 58–67. https://doi.org/10.24294/jgc.v5i2.1673
Quesada-Román, A. (2023). Priorities for natural disaster risk reduction in Central America. PLOS Climate, 2(3), e0000168. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000168
Quesada-Román, A. (2024). Geomorphological Effects of Tropical Cyclones in Costa Rica, Central America. In A. Coronato & G. B. Alves (Eds.), Latin American Geomorphology (pp. 101–116). Springer Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55178-9_6
Quesada-Román, A., Ballesteros-Cánovas, J. A., Guillet, S., Madrigal-González, J., & Stoffel, M. (2020). Neotropical Hypericum irazuense shrubs reveal recent ENSO variability in Costa Rican páramo. Dendrochronologia, 61, 125704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dendro.2020.125704
Quesada-Román, A., & Barrantes-Castillo, G. (2016). Procesos de ladera cosísmicos del terremoto de Cinchona (Costa Rica) del 8 de enero de 2009 (Ms= 6, 2). Cuadernos de Geografía: Revista Colombiana de Geografía, 25(1), 217–232.
Quesada-Román, A., & Campos-Durán, D. (2023). Natural disaster risk inequalities in Central America. Papers in Applied Geography, 9(1), 36–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/23754931.2022.2081814
Quesada-Román, A., Castro-Chacón, J. P., & Boraschi, S. F. (2021). Geomorphology, land use, and environmental impacts in a densely populated urban catchment of Costa Rica. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 112, 103560.
Quesada-Román, A., & Mata-Cambronero, E. (2021). The geomorphic landscape of the Barva volcano, Costa Rica. Physical Geography, 42(3), 265–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723646.2020.1759762
Quesada-Román, A., & Peralta-Reyes, M. (2023). Geomorphological Mapping Global Trends and Applications. Geographies, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/geographies3030032
Quesada-Román, A., Quirós-Arias, L., & Zamora-Pereira, J. C. (2022). Interactions between geomorphology and production chain of high-quality coffee in Costa Rica. Sustainability, 14(9), 5265. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095265
Quesada-Román, A., Rivera-Solís, J., & Picado-Monge, A. (2024). Occurrence, impacts, and future challenges of disaster risk in Panama. Georisk: Assessment and Management of Risk for Engineered Systems and Geohazards, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55178-9_6
Quesada-Román, A., Torres-Bernhard, L., Hernández, K., & Martínez-Rojas, N. (2024). Historical trends and future implications of disasters in Honduras. Natural Hazards, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-024-06686-y
Quesada-Román, A., Umaña-Ortíz, J., Zumbado-Solano, M., Islam, A., Abioui, M., Tefogoum, G. Z., Kariminejad, N., Mutaqin, B. W., & Pupim, F. (2023). Geomorphological regional mapping for environmental planning in developing countries. Environmental Development, 48, 100935. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2023.100935
Quesada-Román, A., & Zamorano Orozco, J. J. (2019). Zonificación de procesos de ladera e inundaciones a partir de un análisis morfométrico en la cuenca alta del río General, Costa Rica. Investigaciones Geográficas, 99, e59843.
Reddy, G. O. (2018). Remote sensing and GIS for geomorphological mapping. In Geospatial Technologies in Land Resources Mapping, Monitoring and Management (Vol. 21, pp. 223–252). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78711-4_12
Rojas Herrera, V. (2010). Caracterización de la geología superficial y subterránea, del área de las estaciones acelerográficas RALT, CSLG, CCDN, CPAR, CCCH, sector central de la. https://lis.ucr.ac.cr/clase_index/tv/investigacion/publicaciones/16.pdf
Salazar, G., Obando, L., & Mora, R. (1992). Acueducto metropolitano, tramo Embalse el Llano – Río Navarro (Costa Rica): Un sitio bajo amenaza. Rev. Geológica de América Central, 14, 85–96.
Salgado, D. (2009). Inundaciones y Gestión Del Riesgo de Desastres. Retos Para Su Reducción y Mitigación. Ambientico, 7–11.
Sanabria-Coto, I. J., Bonilla-Hidalgo, M. A., & Quesada-Román, A. (2022). Historical and geospatial reconstruction of a sector of the alternative route of the railway to the Atlantic (years 1871-1873), called: “Fajardo line”, in a geographical area associated with the valleys of Orosi and Ujarrás, Cartago, Costa Rica. Revista Geográfica de América Central, 69, 75–154. https://doi.org/10.15359/rgac.69-2.4
Sejati, A. W., Waskitaningsih, N., Sukmawati, D. P., Buchori, I., Putri, S. N., Muzaki, A. J., & Sugiyantoro, Y. (2024). More developed means dangerous: spatial evidence of multi-decadal urbanising watershed and its impact to flash flood in metropolitan Semarang-Indonesia. Environmental Hazards, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/17477891.2024.2341720
Slaymaker, O., Spencer, T., & Embleton-Hamann, C. (2021). Recasting geomorphology as a landscape science. Geomorphology, 384, 107723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107723
Smith, M. J., & Pain, C. F. (2011). Geomorphological mapping. In The SAGE Handbook of Geomorphology (pp. 142–153). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.15517/rgac.v0i56.29238
Sojo, D., Denyer, P., Gazel, E., & Alvarado, G. E. (2017). Geología del cuadrante Tapantí (1:50 000), Costa Rica. Revista Geológica de América Central, 56(56), 83–116.
Soto, D., & Alvarado, G. E. (2012). Peperitas en Costa Rica. Revista Geológica de América Central, 47, 55–68. https://doi.org/10.15517/RGAC.V0I47.6486
Tan, K. H. (2005). Soil sampling, preparation, and analysis. CRC press.
Vahrson, W. G., Herrera, N. C., & Casanova, O. P. (1992). Las avalanchas e inundaciones de julio de 1987 en las cuencas del río grande de Orosi y río Pejibaye: Un estudio de caso. Revista Geográfica de América Central, 1(25–26), 323–340.
Verstappen, H. T. (2011). Old and new trends in geomorphological and landform mapping (Vol. 15, pp. 13–38). Elsevier.
Zinck, J. A. (2023). The geopedologic approach. In J. A. Zinck, M. G., del Valle H. F., & A. M. (Eds.), Geopedology: An Integration of Geomorphology and Pedology for Soil and Landscape Studies (pp. 35–67). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20667-2_4
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Publication Type
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Víctor Cortés-Granados, Adolfo Quesada-Román, David Young-Fuentes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Funding data
-
Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Universidad de Costa Rica
Grant numbers C4106;C4114