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A collection of photos by Dr. R. Esperante, showing the terrain and some geological and paleontological features from his research study area in the Pisco Basin, in the coastal desert of southern Perú.
All photos in this gallery are the property of the Geoscience Research Institute, and copyright rules apply. Noncommercial use is authorized with attribution as follows:
“Image copyright © Geoscience Research Institute, www.grisda.org. Used with permission."
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Cerro-Blanco
Cerro Blanco seen from the outskirts of the town of Ocucaje, Peru. These hills consist of layers of sandy, clay and diatomaceous sediments that contain fossils of marine vertebrates.
Panorama-Amara
Amara Valley with Yesmara de Amara Hill on the right and Submarino and Buque hills on the left. Fossil cetaceans and evidence of storms in the past have been discovered in this valley.
Desert
The arid landscape that characterizes the coastal desert of southern Peru favors excellent outcrop exposure.
North-Hueco-la-Zorra-from-South-Cerro-Blanco
View of Cerro Hueco la Zorra, which consists mostly of layers of sandstone and silstone rocks.
Panorama-Zamaca
General view of the Zamaca area, south of the town of Ocucaje, Peru. This arid region is of great geological interest because it records several marine regressions and transgressions during which the layers that are now exposed in the desert were deposited.
Gramadal-canyon
Gramadal canyon. The morphology of this canyon suggests that it formed in one or more rapid catastrophic discharges of water, which excavated the substrate.
Panorama-whale
Specimen of partially excavated fossil mysticete whale, in which excellent preservation and articulation is observed.
Tinajones
View looking south from Cerro Tinajones. The layers of sandstone and siltstone have been eroded, leaving small conical or elongated hills with a steep slope.
Tinajones
View of one of the many hills in the Amara Valley where the layers of yellow and orange sandstone are well exposed. These layers contain fossils of invertebrates and cetaceans.
Whale-CBL-10
Mysticete fossil whale complete and well articulated. Bones show excellent preservation. Note the flipper bones in the lower central part of the photograph.