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© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

In this paper, we study natural hazards and their potential impacts on productive activities in the Comau Fjord in Chilean Northern Patagonia. We carried out hazard mapping to identify areas with evidence of geomorphological activity on slopes in terms of landslides, river/tsunami flooding, and glacial retreat. The assessment of different geomorphic processes was carried out by both detailed fieldwork and analysis of satellite remote sensing and aerial photography information. We identified terrain units that are subject to multi-hazards overlapping different spatially distributed hazard maps. This information was overlaid with spatial data of economic activities in the area in order to establish the impacts of the natural hazards on the local salmon and mussel farming infrastructure (risk). The results suggest significant exposure levels for these productive activities and potential damage due to the occurrence of natural hazards. The extension of a major highway (CH-7 Austral Highway) on the east coast of the Comau Fjord will be a new incentive for economic development in the area. However, the highway construction sites show a high level of exposure to natural hazards, especially floodings and landslides. Our study highlights that the geohazard potential might have a high negative impact on future productive activity in the fjord as well as on the new highway infrastructure.

Details

Title
Geodynamic ‘Hotspots’ in a Periglacial Landscape: Natural Hazards and Impacts on Productive Activities in Chilean Fjordlands, Northern Patagonia
Author
María-Victoria Soto 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Arriagada-González, Joselyn 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Molina-Benavides, Martina 3 ; Cabello, Misael 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Contreras-Alonso, Miguel 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ibarra, Ignacio 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Guevara, Gabriela 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Sepúlveda, Sergio A 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Maerker, Michael 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Department of Geography, University of Chile, Santiago 8331051, Chile; CITRID, Risk Reduction and Disaster Program, University of Chile, Santiago 8331051, Chile 
 Department of Geography, University of Chile, Santiago 8331051, Chile 
 Physical Geography Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Chile, Santiago 8331051, Chile 
 Postgraduate School, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Chile, Santiago 8331051, Chile 
 CITRID, Risk Reduction and Disaster Program, University of Chile, Santiago 8331051, Chile; Institute of Engineering Sciences, University of O’Higgins, Rancagua 2820000, Chile; Department of Geology, University of Chile, Santiago 8331051, Chile 
 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Working Group on Soil Erosion and Feedbacks, Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany 
First page
209
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20763263
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2843062691
Copyright
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.