Ventana System
Encyclopedia
The Sierra de la Ventana (also Sierras de Ventania) is a mountain range in Buenos Aires Province
, and one of the only two located within the Pampas ecosystem.
to its southwest, the Sierra de la Ventana lies on a precambrian
base formed around 2.2 billion years ago, and is interspersed with granite
, granodiorite
, and amphibole
deposits.
Characterized by its escarpment
s, this orography prevented the deposit of significant amounts of loess
, and make the area the least propicious to agriculture with the pampas; sunflower
fields are common along the foot of the range. Its soils feature a A-AC-C horizonation, not unlike those found along the Appalachian range. Its climate is rather colder and drier than that prevailing in the surrounding Humid Pampas, though the range receives more rainfall than the Semi-arid Pampas
, located to the west. Sizable extensions of lacebark pines
grow along the range, possibly introduced from Asia
.
Peppered by caves and grottoes, the range is relatively modest in height and extension, and exceeds 1000 m (3280 ft) at only six points. These peaks are:
The region's breezes and mild climate made it of tourist interest since the early part of the 20th century, and its principal early promoter was Ernesto Tornquist
, a prominent rancher, banker and developer. The extension of the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway
past the area led to the construction of the Club Hotel de la Ventana
, a luxurious casino and hotel, and the outpost of Villa Ventana, a resort community developed by the Sociedad de Compañías de Tierras y Hoteles de Sierra de la Ventana. The hotel closed after President Hipólito Yrigoyen
's 1918 edict banning gambling
, and development of the area's tourism resources remained below their potential in subsequent decades.
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, and one of the only two located within the Pampas ecosystem.
Overview
Bounded approximately by the Laguna de Guaminí at its northwestern end, and the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to its southwest, the Sierra de la Ventana lies on a precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
base formed around 2.2 billion years ago, and is interspersed with granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, granodiorite
Granodiorite
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase than orthoclase-type feldspar. Officially, it is defined as a phaneritic igneous rock with greater than 20% quartz by volume where at least 65% of the feldspar is plagioclase. It usually contains abundant...
, and amphibole
Amphibole
Amphibole is the name of an important group of generally dark-colored rock-forming inosilicate minerals, composed of double chain tetrahedra, linked at the vertices and generally containing ions of iron and/or magnesium in their structures.-Mineralogy:...
deposits.
Characterized by its escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
s, this orography prevented the deposit of significant amounts of loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
, and make the area the least propicious to agriculture with the pampas; sunflower
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
fields are common along the foot of the range. Its soils feature a A-AC-C horizonation, not unlike those found along the Appalachian range. Its climate is rather colder and drier than that prevailing in the surrounding Humid Pampas, though the range receives more rainfall than the Semi-arid Pampas
Semi-arid Pampas
The Semi-arid Pampas, also known as the Dry Pampas, is a temperate grassland ecoregion of central Argentina.-Setting:The Semi-arid Pampas cover an area of , including western Buenos Aires Province, southern Cordoba and San Luis Provinces and most of La Pampa Province...
, located to the west. Sizable extensions of lacebark pines
Pinus bungeana
Pinus bungeana is a pine tree native to northeastern and central China. It is a slow-growing tree to 15-25 m tall...
grow along the range, possibly introduced from Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Peppered by caves and grottoes, the range is relatively modest in height and extension, and exceeds 1000 m (3280 ft) at only six points. These peaks are:
- Cura Malal Chico (1000 m)
- Cura Malal Grande (1037 m)
- Napostá Grande (1108 m)
- La Ventana (1184 m)
- Destierro Primero (1172 m)
- Tres Picos (1239 m)
The region's breezes and mild climate made it of tourist interest since the early part of the 20th century, and its principal early promoter was Ernesto Tornquist
Ernesto Tornquist
Ernesto Carlos Tornquist is considered to be one of the most important entrepreneurs in Argentina at the end of the 19th century. The diversified business empire he created played a key role in helping to link Argentina with the trading and financial systems of the first world...
, a prominent rancher, banker and developer. The extension of the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway
Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway
The Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway was one of the Big Four broad gauge, , British-owned companies that built and operated railway networks in Argentina...
past the area led to the construction of the Club Hotel de la Ventana
Club Hotel de la Ventana
Club Hotel de la Ventana was a large, luxurious hotel resort, built by the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway and opened in 1911 near Villa Ventana, 17 km from the town of Sierra de La Ventana, in the southeast of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina....
, a luxurious casino and hotel, and the outpost of Villa Ventana, a resort community developed by the Sociedad de Compañías de Tierras y Hoteles de Sierra de la Ventana. The hotel closed after President Hipólito Yrigoyen
Hipólito Yrigoyen
Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Irigoyen Alem was twice President of Argentina . His activism became the prime impetus behind the obtainment of universal suffrage in Argentina in 1912...
's 1918 edict banning gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, and development of the area's tourism resources remained below their potential in subsequent decades.