Geomorphology and Morphometric Aspects of the Upper Region of the Barva Volcano, Costa Rica

The Barva volcanoBarva volcano consists of a volcanic stratigraphic sequence dating from the middle Pleistocene and extending to the present. The stratigraphy consists of the Colima, Tiribí, and Barva Formations. These formations are in a tropical environment, making them susceptible to landslide processes. Slope instability was evaluated by studying its geology, morphometry, and geomorphology. The use of LiDAR data was important for the acquisition of high-quality topographic databases to support the fieldwork. The application of LiDAR and field work allowed the establishment of detailed geomorphological cartography that classified the morphologies into two genetic groups, endogenous and exogenous. Map algebra made it possible to define that the Northwest and Central territory of the region presents the highest degree of susceptibility to mass movements, as well as the highest number of this type of events, verified using an inventory of mass removal processes. It was determined that the morphologies associated with the Early Lavas and Guararí Lavas and Fluvial Valleys are the geoforms that concentrate most of the slope instability, accounting for about 68% of the total number of events inventoried.