Abstract

DIAZ DIAZ, Jorge Luis et al. Determination of landform dynamics in mountainous land: a new environmental geomorphic approach in the Sierra de Trinidad, Central Cuba. Invest. Geog [online]. 2002, n.48, pp.24-43. ISSN 2448-7279.

Environmental problems can emerge in any kind of territory, landscape, geosystem or ecosystem. However, in geomorphic terms mountains are amongst the most fragüe, impacted and modified units, as a result of their physico-geographical characteristics -mostly geomorphic- and of the diversity of their natural resources. Human impacts take place on a physical-geographical framework in which landforms play both an active and a passive role. This research aims to present the main geomorphic criteria for environmental analysis, in the form of elements and attributes, taking a Cuban mountainous area with a moderate landform energy as an example. A procedure to determine the extent of landform stability by defining a unit, namely the morphotectonic block, is hereby proposed. This would allow to perform a comprehensive assessment of the geomorphic factor by using endogenous variables (blocks and faults with recent rapid or slow vertical tectonic activity; maximum uplifting of each block; maximum displacement between contiguous blocks; upper category for the morpho-tectonic limit; and length and density of morpho-alignments) and exogenous variables (slope angle and aspect, vertical and horizontal stream erosion, relief, morpho-lithologic complexes). Factor analysis, cluster analysis and histograms are used to determine the relative weight of each variable and to quantify the geomorphic dynamics. The scope of this work cannot be considered solely as an environmental geomorphology subject, but is rather an attempt to apply geomorphic knowledge to environmental analysis. The final result are maps showing types of blocks classified according to their endogenous, exogenous and general dynamics.

Keywords : Environmental geomorphology; geodynamics; geostatistics.

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