US-Colombia Cooperative Research: Geological Evolution of the Amaga Basin, Cauca Valley Colombian Andes

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0003708MacDonaldThis US-Colombia collaborative research project between Dr. William MacDonald, SUNY, Binghampton and Dr. Gloria Maria Sierra, Eafit University, Antioquia, Colombia, proposes to investigate the evolution of the early Cenozoic Amaga Basin at the north end of the Interandean Graben of the northern Andes, with emphasis on magnetic characteristics of the Eocene Amaga formation and their uses in interpreting sedimentary and tectonic processes. The objectives are to improve stratigraphic correlation, to decipher sediment flow directions, and to interpret sources of magnetic components of these clastic continental sediments.In particular, magnetic polarity stratigraphy, variation of magnetic anisotropic susceptibility, and analysis of heavy minerals, will be undertaken from samples from several sections around the basin. These data will be integrated with those from other specialists to interpret sedimentary events in the Amaga Basin that will provide insights into tectonic events in the adjacent Central and Western Cordilleras bounding the basin on either side. They will also be helpful in deciphering movements along the bounding faults along the basin margins. A practical aspect of the study involves the distribution of coal deposits and associated coal-gas: an improved knowledge of the stratigraphy will help in estimating resources and in exploration and recovery of these resources which are important to the local economy.