The lake reached a water level of 3,900 metres (12,800 ft) over the central and northern Altiplano,[1] 90 metres (300 ft) above the current lake levels of
Lake Titicaca.[2] The
Capalla-
Ulloma sill, which separates the Altiplano into a northern and southern basin,[3] did not exist at that time and it did not split up the Cabana lake body. It left deposits reaching thicknesses of 50 metres (160 ft) of thickness;[4] they have been found on the western and eastern sides of the basin.[2] Erosion platforms and terraces covered with gravels[5] and other
wave cut structures are remnants of Lake Cabana.[6]
In 1984, this lake was named by a group of researchers[7] around A. Lavenu.[8] Other ancient lakes on the Altiplano are
Lake Mataro,
Lake Ballivian,
Lake Minchin and
Lake Tauca.[9] An erosion surface at 3,900 metres (12,800 ft) elevation and associated
clays were formerly attributed with Ballivián[10][11] but today shorelines at that elevation are instead associated with Cabana.[1]
The lake existed about 1 million years ago. It was preceded by Lake Mataro and succeeded by
Lake Escara and Lake Ballivian, the latter in the north and the former in the south.[1] The Kaluyo glaciation preceded the formation of Lake Cabana,[4] earlier it was believed that the 3,900 metres (12,800 ft) high formations predated any glaciation.[12] A phase of tectonic extension in the Titicaca basin may have favoured the formation of this lake.[13] The existence of this lake may have facilitated the diversification of Heleobia snails, but increased speciation only occurred during the subsequent Ballivian episode.[14]
^Schäbitz, F.; Liebricht, H. (1999). "Zur Landschaftsgeschichte der Halbinsel Copacabana im peruanisch-bolivianischem Grenzbereich des Titicacagebietes". Beiträge zur quartären Landschaftsentwicklung Südamerikas. Festschrift zum 65. Geburtstag von Professor Dr. Karsten Garleff. Bamberger geographische Schriften (in German).
Bamberg. p. 117.
OCLC602709757.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)
Newell, Norman D. (1949). "Geology of the Lake Titicaca Region, Peru and Bolivia". GSA Memoirs. Geological Society of America Memoirs. Vol. 36. Geological Society of America. pp. 1–124.
doi:
10.1130/mem36-p1.
hdl:
2027/mdp.39015000439300.
Wirrmann, Denis; Ybert, Jean-Pierre; Mourguiart, Philippe; Ybert, J.-P. (1992-01-01). "Paleohydrology". In Dejoux, C.; Iltis, A. (eds.). Lake Titicaca. Monographiae Biologicae. Vol. 68. Springer Netherlands. pp. 40–62.
doi:
10.1007/978-94-011-2406-5_3.
ISBN9789401050616.