South America: Los Katíos National Park, Colombia

Team 9 (Team 9 Degrees)

Los Katíos National Park in Turbo, Antioquia, Colombia

"Extending over 72,000 ha in north-western Colombia, Los Katíos National Park comprises low hills, forests and humid plains. An exceptional biological diversity is found in the park, which is home to many threatened animal species, as well as many endemic plants." - UNESCO

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Los+Katios+National+Park/@8.4933702,-85.0859373,5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x8e502605e8d84299:0x24850a46fa7f3b1!8m2!3d7.6667003!4d-76.9999998

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http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/711/gallery/

Climate Type

Los Katíos National Park in the northwestern portion of Colombia is located within a tropical savanna climate zone. This climate type is recognized by the abbreviation Aw in the Köppen-Geiger-Pohl system.

The rainfall over the year consistently follows a seasonal change, with marked wet and dry seasons. Temperatures are warm throughout the year in this sort of climate.

Annual Temperature Range (Fahrenheit)

High: 84 degrees

Low: 77 degrees

Average: 81 degrees

Precipitation

There is an estimated 59.4 to 74.11 inches of rainfall per year in this region of Colombia. The months receiving the most rain are May and September-October. May tends to be the rainiest month, averaging 8.67 inches while January tends to be the least rainy, averaging 1.77 inches. The rainfall over the year consistently follows a seasonal change. Being so close to the equator it sees many days of rainfall throughout the year, some months seeing precipitation almost every day.

Temperature/Precipitation Regime

Humidity Ranges, Incidence of Fog

Avg. morning humidity: 93%

Avg. evening humidity: 75%

Incidence of fog: Fog rises from the moist, humid lowlands into more elevated forests, thus helping them receive precipitation through mist.

Predominant Wind Direction(s) and Influential Wind Patterns

This location is at a latitude of 7.75 degrees N and a longitude of 77.25 degrees W. The predominant wind direction blows from the northeast to the southwest, so the wind pattern that most influences the region is the pattern of the Tropical Easterlies also known as the Northeast Trade Winds. The Intertropical Convergence Zone winds, which exist due to the convergence of trade winds from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, also affect this location.

Air Masses and Their Effects

The region is singularly affected by maritime equatorial air masses that come off the equatorial waters. These air masses affect the location by causing rainy, wet summers. The dry season lasts from December-March and from April-November there is typically heavy rainfall and hot summers due to maritime equatorial air masses. These types of air patterns are found almost exclusively over ocean surfaces in close proximity to the equator and are more humid than the air patterns formed over land surfaces.

Weather Systems

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Colombia is third in terms of countries most affected by severe weather according to a 2010 European study. The tropical climate and equatorial location make way for many floods, severe thunderstorms, landslides, droughts and heatwaves. Also, wet season rains have left millions without homes.

Ecoregion, Biome, and Threats to Them

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The ecoregion category for the national park is Neotropical and the biome is tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. Due to the uprising of the highly volcanic Central Cordillera, the soils found within the area are rich and diverse– they help complex forests grow in the region.

The wet-equatorial climate contributes to Los Katíos being one of the world’s most species rich areas of moist lowland and highland forests. The rainforest starts at sea level and extends to nearby hills, allowing it to contain a very particular and diverse set of environments.

The rugged terrain of the Andes has typically conditioned human settlement and farming efforts. The soils are varied and diverse, reflecting the various climatic and topographical conditions. The many rivers and streams that serve as tributaries are also where one can find two thirds of the nation’s socio-economic activity.

Some factors that influence the wildlife are overfishing, agriculture and cattle raising, intentional forest fires, pollution to wetlands and water bodies, and the possible extension of the Pan American Highway.

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Although Los Katíos National Park has been removed from the ‘in danger” list, it is still affected by threats to its environment. These threats consist of deforestation, unauthorized settlements, and poaching of the animals within the park. The Colombian government has worked to limit these threats by implementing surveillance and monitoring programs. This effort has lead to Los Katíos being removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Geologic History and Internal Processes

Tectonic and volcanic forces have helped shape Colombia’s present-day geology. Part of the northern area of the country is characterized by its wavy plains that formed during the Tertiary period, mostly in a cover of sand, clay, and rivers contributing sedimentary elements during following years.

Most of the land in the park is composed of folded stratified rocks over a core of crystalline. Types of rocks found within the park are metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous. Sedimentary rocks are typically found in large layers and granite masses are also present, the latter being igneous. Mountainous areas contain exposed crystalline rocks. Sandstones and shales of the Paleogene and Neogene periods from nearly 65-2.6 million years ago are covered by ash and lava from relatively nearby volcanoes of the Quaternary Period, which comprises of the past 2.6 million years. The volcanoes, some of which are located in Antioquia, have scattered deeply weathered, granitic batholith, which is an exposed granitic intrusion. The batholith contains gold-bearing quartz veins.

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Colombia is located at the junction of the Caribbean, Panama, and Nazca tectonic plates. The Caribbean plate and the Nazca plate meet as subduction zones sliding under the South American continent, however, the Panama plate is colliding with Colombia as a thick stack of volcanoes. This thick plate is creating a break in the oceanic crust, which is reflected in Colombia’s landscape.

The cordillera in the northwestern portion of the country has been thrust up through the subduction of the eastern edge of the Nazca plate and to the north, the Caribbean plate under the lighter South American plate. The South American plate has moved westward as a result of the spreading of the Atlantic sea floor. Throughout history, these tectonic plate movements have caused constant earthquakes their surrounding regions. To this day, they can be felt intensely in Los Katíos National Park due to its proximity to multiple plate boundaries. The Antioquia department of Colombia, which is home to the park, experienced a magnitude 6 earthquake early this year.

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Mountains form where tectonic plates move towards one another. In places like these, the Earth's crust experiences immense forces. Given the location and geographic characteristics of Los Katíos National Park, it is no surprise that vast mountains have formed in its surrounding area. Much of this region is also comprised of low rolling hills due to plate boundaries colliding and sediment building up as a result of these collisions.

Impact of Glaciers

There is little to no information on the impact of glaciers on Los Katíos National Park– this may be due to the geographical location of the park as it may have been left untouched by glaciers.

Liquid Water

Ciénagas de Tumaradó

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The park is one of the world's most species rich places of moist lowland and highland rainforest. It has significant wetlands– the Ciénagas de Tumaradó, for example. The abundant and fast flowing Atrato River also flows through across Los Katíos and creates a wide range of floodplains and swamps. The mountainous areas of the park are home to various waterfalls and cascades. One specific waterfall is the Tulipo, which is a 100 meter waterfall that is considered sacred by one of the indigenous tribes in the area. Water is abundant in Los Katíos, where 59.4 to 74.11 inches of rain fall per year.

The Atrato River

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Weathering and Erosion

Erosion affects rivers through the deterioration of river banks while wind and rain have the capacity to erode the land at the edge of rivers. This often results in crumbling river banks, thus causing sediment to deposit into rivers. The Atrato River is certainly no exception to these effects of erosion.

Over the past 30 years, increased tourism in and around Los Katíos has escalated coastal erosion that has already occurred. The erosion can also be attributed to a variance of factors such as sedimentary imbalance, extreme waves, ecosystem destruction, and sea level rise. These processes are often enhanced by human activities such as the building of unnecessary coastal infrastructures, illegal sand mining and the destruction of mangroves. These effects can not only lead to beach destruction but also can hurt beach quality. The Colombian government has taken legal action in order to protect and preserve the natural wonders of Los Katíos by limiting commercial interests within the park.

References

Los Katios National Park, a wildlife sanctuary, http://www.colombia.co/en/visit-colombia/unique-places/los-katios-national-park/, 02/17/17

Los Katíos National Park, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/711, 03/07/17

Darién, https://www.britannica.com/place/Darien-region-Panama#ref633396, 02/20/17

Turbo, Colombia, http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=26008&cityname=Turbo%2C+Antioquia%2C+Colombia&units, 03/02/17

Turbo, Antioquia, Monthly Climate Average, Colombia; https://www.worldweatheronline.com/turbo-weather-averages/antioquia/co.aspx; 03/02/17

Colombia Reports, http://colombiareports.com/colombia-tops-list-of-countries-affected-by-severe-weather/, 03/02/17

Global Wind Patterns, http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/wwhlpr/hurricane_globalwinds.rxm, 03/07/17

Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tropics/itcz.html, 03/07/17

Equatorial Air Mass Characteristics, http://sciencing.com/equatorial-air-mass-characteristics-17044.html, 03/07/17

Air Mass Classification, http://meteorologytraining.tpub.com/14312/css/14312_90.htm, 03/07/17

Air Masses, https://scied.ucar.edu/shortcontent/air-masses, 03/07/17

Climate Turbo, https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/forecast/modelclimate/turbo_colombia_3666570, 03/07/17

Types of Rainforests, http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0103.htm, 03/07/17

Colombia's Katios National Park Removed from List of Heritage in Danger, http://en.unesco.org/news/colombia-s-katios-national-park-removed-list-heritage-danger, 06/30/15

Los Katios National Park http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/711

http://www.worldwildlife.org/science/wildfinder/

Los Katios National Park, a wildlife sanctuary http://www.colombia.co/en/visit-colombia/unique-places/los-katios-national-park/, 05/22/14

Earthquakes in Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia http://earthquaketrack.com/co-02-mutata/recent, 05/01/17

Mountain Formation, http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/earth/surface_and_interior/mountain_formation

Colombia, https://www.britannica.com/place/Colombia, 04/26/17

Plate Boundaries, https://maxwatsongeography.wordpress.com/section-a/hazardous-environments/fault-linesplate-boundaries/

Coastal erosion along the Caribbean Coast of Colombia: Magnitudes, causes, and management, https://www.openchannels.org/literature/10150, 03/23/17

Side-Impact Tectonics Created Colombia's Strange Geology. http://www.livescience.com/37384-colombia-complex-tectonics-earthquakes.html, 06/12/13

River Erosion: What It Is & How It Happens, https://creeklife.com/blog/how-erosion-affects-rivers