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This paper explores how significant are the ecological and climatic variables to influence the stable isotopes of guanacos. Lama guanicoe bone collagen carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios are assumed as a macro regional average value in west Argentina, mostly as a baseline to model archaeological human diet. If stable isotopes on mammals reflex ecology and climate, we need to know how those variables influence mammals bone stable isotope ratio. This paper analyses the 13C/12C and 15 N/14N ratio on bone collagen on 122 guanacos from Northwest Patagonia during the Holocene. The results confirm significant variation in both isotopes between Monte and Andean-Patagonian specimens. Guanacos from Monte shows higher δ13C and δ15N than those from Andean-Patagonian. Temporal trends indicate variation through Holocene but this variation is not spatially homogeneous. In this paper we suggest that Medieval Climatic Anomaly had stronger effect in Monte desert than in Patagonia desert, generating driest and/or hottest conditions between 1250 and 600 years BP. Those variations need to be considered to reconstruct human diet at least during the second part of the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The coastal area of Samborombón Bay ends in a short cliff which, during the last decades, has been undergoing an increased retrogression of approximately 8.2m decade−1. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether this accelerated erosion can be related to an apparent wind-wave climate change, which has been recently reported for the Río de la Plata region. A numerical study with SWAN wave model for the period 1971–2005 drives to positive trends in the frequency of occurrence and heights of waves propagating from the E and ESE. Particularly, the number of cases of high waves from those directions displays a significant increment. In addition, previous papers have reported an increment of the frequency, height and duration of the storm surges in the Río de la Plata, so as a rise of the mean sea level in the region. It is concluded that the combination of those three factors acting together constitutes a powerful and effective mechanism which is likely responsible for the observed increasing erosion in Samborombón Bay. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The investigation presented in this paper has three main objectives. The first one is to study, through a case study, if it is possible to acceptably predict the energy consumption of a massive residential free-running building, when the exact behavior of the occupants is unknown or actual indoor conditions are not monitored, assuming standard use and occupation schedules, for the dry climate of the Argentinean Northwest. The second objective of the paper is to detect the possible causes of differences between actual and predicted energy consumption through an exhaustive thermal monitoring and occupant''s behavior, in order to obtain an improved model of the building giving more accurate predictions of the energy consumption. The third objective is to analyze the effect on the annual energy consumption of changing the massive envelope by a lightweight one. The comparison of real and simulated consumptions under comfort conditions defined by ASHRAE Standard 55 shows that simulations overestimated the energy consumption for heating and cooling. The main causes were detected from the experimental monitoring, indicating a lower use of the air conditioning equipment than the supposed initially. Simulations were improved to consider actual use and occupation conditions. Finally, an annual simulation of the improved model performed by changing the envelope material to a lightweight one showed that energy consumption for heating was increased, while energy consumption for cooling was decreased. In an annual balance, the massive walls are preferable over lightweight ones in arid sunny climates as in the Argentinean Northwest, giving energy savings of around 25%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Patagonia features the most extensive glaciers of the Southern Hemisphere, excluding Antarctica, and a vast inventory of glacial landforms, so it is thought to have played a key role in (paleo)glacier studies since the late 19th century. However, no systematic attempts to characterize the specific research trends and the scientific community focused on Patagonian cryosphere have been conducted so far. To fill this gap, we analyzed the metadata associated to 305 articles compiled from the Web of Science database following a bibliometric approach covering the period between 1976 and 2020. Our results point to an irregular but net increase on the number of contributions on Patagonian (paleo)glaciers. Mass balance analyses based on satellite data of present-day glaciers and the reconstruction of past glacier activity by dating glacial landforms formed during the Last Glacial Termination, were the most addressed topics during the analyzed period. Patagonian (paleo)glacier studies are mostly published in generic Earth Sciences publications, followed by Quaternary and glaciological journals. Most of the studies were led by scientists from the United Kingdom, followed by Chile, Argentina and United States. In terms of collaborations, these studies can be divided into two main clusters, one composed by researchers from United States, Chile and Argentina institutions, and another mostly composed by British researchers. So far, the most prolific authors are nearly equally distributed in nationality, yet gender inclusion and international collaborations are still caveats that must be solved. Even though our query on the Web of Science missed highly influential (so-called) grey literature, such as local scientific journals and technical reports, the reviewed scientific literature unambiguously indicates that Patagonia is a privileged location for (paleo)glaciers studies worldwide and that it will continue offering vast opportunities to tackle critical questions related to global cryosphere and past-to-present climate changes. • Patagonia is a privilege site for studying present and past glacier dynamics and the evolution of climate changes at hemispheric and global scale. • Glacier dynamics during the 20th century and and the Last Glacial Termination are the most common topics addressed in past decades in the WOS. • Patagonian (paleo)glacier studies has contributed to the development or improvement of diverse analytical techniques. • United Kingdom, United States, Chile and Argentina produced the largest number of WOS-listed papers on (paleo)glaciers in past decades. • The related scientific community is fairly heterogeneous. Although, inclusion and international collaboration issues still need to improve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Favorable climate and soils for rainfed crop production, together with a relatively low population density, results in 70–90% of Argentina grain production being exported. No assessment to date has tried to estimate the potential for extra grain production for soybean, wheat and maize, which account for 78% of total harvested area, by yield gap closure on existing cropland area and its impact at a global scale. The objectives of this paper are (i) to estimate how much additional grain could be produced without expanding crop area by closing yield gaps in Argentina, (ii) to investigate how this production and yield gaps varies across regions and years, and (iii) to analyze how these inter-annual variations are related to El Niño—Southern Oscillation phenomenon (ENSO). Production increase on existing crop area was assessed for soybean, wheat and maize by quantifying the yield gap (Yg), that is, the difference between water-limited yield potential (Yw) and actual yield (Ya). A bottom-up approach was followed to estimate Yw and Yg, in which these parameters were first estimated for specific locations in major crop producing areas and subsequently up-scaled to country level based on spatial distribution of crop area and climate zones. Locally-calibrated crop simulation models were used to estimate Yw at each selected location based on long-term weather data and dominant soil types and management practices. For the analyzed period, the national level Yg represented 41% of Yw for both wheat and maize and 32% of the Yw for soybean. If farmers had closed Yg from these levels to 20% of Yw, Argentina could have increased soybean, wheat and maize production by a respective 7.4, 5.2, and 9.2 Mt, without expanding cropland area. This additional production would have represented an increase of 9%, 4%, and 9% of soybean, wheat, and maize global exports. This potential grain surplus was, however, highly variable because of the ENSO phenomenon: attainable soybean production was 12 Mt higher in favorable “El Niño” years compared with unfavorable “La Niña” years. Interestingly, Yg tended to be higher in wet years, suggesting that farmers do not take full advantage of years with favorable conditions for rainfed crop production. Regional variation in Yg was found in Argentina highlighting the usefulness of this work as a framework to target research and, ultimately, reduce gaps in areas where current yields are well below their potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first study of nonmarine ostracods recovered from the Danian of the upper Yacoraite Formation (Balbuena IV sequence) Salta Basin. Six species were identified: Ilyocypris triebeli , Ilyocypris argentiniensis , Neuquenocypris (Alleniella)? sp. 1; Neuquenocypris (Alleniella)? sp. 2; Penthesilenula sp. and four indeterminate species. The ostracod fauna shows fluctuations in abundance, diversity, and preservation associated with different phases of the paleolake evolution. This distribution, clearly delineated by the depositional facies, corroborates previous geochemical analyses and high-resolution sequence stratigraphy developed for the section. In general, the most abundant occurrences of ostracods coincide with high-frequency transgressive tracts of the lake system, which form long-term wettest interval of the upper Yacoraite Formation. • First study with ostracods for the Balbuena IV sequence of the Yacoraite Formation, Salta Basin, Argentina. • Six nonmarine ostracods species are identified. • Temporal distribution of ostracods is in agreement with U/Pb radiometric dating. • Ostracod abundance is correlated with the climatic fluctuations of the dry and wet periods of the paleolake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, a land-use modelling framework is presented combining empirical and theory-based modelling approaches to determine economic potential of biofuel production avoiding indirect land-use changes (iLUC) resulting from land competition with other functions. The empirical approach explores future developments in food and feed production to determine land availability and technical potential of biofuel production. The theory-based approach assesses the economic performance of biofuel crops on the surplus land in comparison with other production systems and determines the economic potential of biofuel production. The framework is demonstrated for a case study in Argentina to determine the development of biofuel potential from soy and switchgrass up to 2030. Two scenarios were considered regarding future developments of productivity in agriculture and livestock production. It was found that under a scenario reflecting a continuation of current trends, no surplus land is expected to become available. Nevertheless, the potential for soybean biodiesel is expected to keep increasing up to 103PJ in 2030, due to the existence of a developed agro-industrial sector jointly producing feed and biodiesel. In case large technological developments occur, 32Mha could become available in 2030, which would allow for a technical potential of 472PJ soybean biodiesel and 1445PJ switchgrass bioethanol. According to the economic assessment, an economic potential of 368PJ of soy biodiesel and 1.1EJ switchgrass bioethanol could be attained, at a feedstock production cost of 100–155 US$/ton and 20–45 US$/ton, respectively. The region of southwest Buenos Aires and La Pampa provinces appeared to be particularly promising for switchgrass. The ability of jointly assessing future developments in land availability, technical and economic potential of biofuel production avoiding iLUC and spatial distribution of viable locations for growing biofuel crops means that the proposed framework is a step forward in assessing the potential for biofuel production that is both economically viable and sustainably produced. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Solar radiation is the most important source of renewable energy in the planet; it's important to solar engineers, designers and architects, and it's also fundamental for efficiently determining irrigation water needs and potential yield of crops, among others. Complete and accurate solar radiation data at a specific region are indispensable. For locations where measured values are not available, several models have been developed to estimate solar radiation. The objective of this paper was to calibrate, validate and compare five representative models to predict global solar radiation, adjusting the empirical coefficients to increase the local applicability and to develop a linear model. All models were based on easily available meteorological variables, without sunshine hours as input, and were used to estimate the daily solar radiation at Cañada de Luque (Córdoba, Argentina). As validation, measured and estimated solar radiation data were analyzed using several statistic coefficients. The results showed that all the analyzed models were robust and accurate (R 2 and RMSE values between 0.87 to 0.89 and 2.05 to 2.14, respectively), so global radiation can be estimated properly with easily available meteorological variables when only temperature data are available. Hargreaves-Samani, Allen and Bristow-Campbell models could be used with typical values to estimate solar radiation while Samani and Almorox models should be applied with calibrated coefficients. Although a new linear model presented the smallest R 2 value (R 2 = 0.87), it could be considered useful for its easy application. The daily global solar radiation values produced for these models can be used to estimate missing daily values, when only temperature data are available, and in hydrologic or agricultural applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Tandilia range is a discontinuous series of hills and valleys located at the central area of the Pampean region (Argentina). The process of human settlement reached in this zone the highest population densities and reoccupation levels of Southern South America, developing under the strongly changing climatic conditions that characterized the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. This paper analyzes the geoarchaeological and paleoenvironmental record of the Pleistocene–Holocene transition (c. 9400–10,500 14C BP) recovered from cave and rockshelter sedimentary successions of the Tandilia range. The analysis of several lines of evidence (stratigraphic, geoarchaeological, archaeological, zooarchaeological, and paleobotanical), suggests that a cold arid to semi-arid climate characterized the late Pleistocene (c. 10,500 BP), and changed abruptly to warmer conditions towards the beginning of the Post-Glacial Period. As a consequence of this climatic amelioration, the populations inhabiting the Tandilia range would have been benefited by a higher availability of resources, which could explain the higher levels of site density and reoccupation found in the area during this period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There is a growing perception that science is not responding adequately to the global challenges of the 21st century. Addressing complicated, “wicked” current and future environmental issues requires insights and methods from many disciplines. Furthermore, to reach social robustness in a context of uncertainty and multiple values and objectives, participation of relevant social actors is required. As a consequence, interdisciplinary research teams with stakeholder or practitioner involvement are becoming an emerging pattern for the organization of integrative scientific research or integrated assessments. Nevertheless, still there is need to learn from actual experiences that bring together decision makers and scholars from different disciplines. This paper draws lessons from a self-reflective study of the collaborative process in two interdisciplinary, multi-institutional, multinational research teams addressing linkages between climate variability, human decisions and agricultural ecosystems in the Argentine Pampas. During project design, attention must be placed on team composition, ensuring not only that the needed talents are included, but also recruiting investigators with an open attitude toward interdisciplinary interaction. As the project begins, considerable effort must be dedicated to shared problem definition and development of a common language. Simple conceptual models and considerable redundancy in communication are helpful. As a project evolves, diverging institutional incentives, tensions between academic publication and outreach or policy-relevant outputs, disciplinary biases, and personality issues play increasingly important roles. Finally, toward a project''s end the challenge arises of assessing interdisciplinary, integrative work. The lack of consensus on criteria for assessment of results is often ranked as a major practical difficulty of this kind of research. Despite many efforts to describe and characterize collaborative research on complex problems, conditions for success (including the very definition of “success”) remain to be rigorously grounded on actual cases. Toward this goal, we argue that a self-reflective process to identify and intervene on factors that foster or impede cooperative production of knowledge should be an essential component of integrated assessments involving scientists, practitioners and stakeholders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper contributes to the literature that analyses the determinants and measurement of Technological Capabilities (TCs) with empirical evidence on Argentina, Brazil and Chile. Based on the World Bank''s Investment Climate database, the study covers firms from the manufacturing sector. We first construct a Capability Score to provide a preliminary measure of Technological Capabilities at the firm level. We then test it econometrically to explore the determinants of TCs and exports and evaluate their reciprocal relationship through a Two Stage Probit. Our results show that exports and TCs significantly and positively influence each other in some of these countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present the partial trends of rainy days and total precipitation in Córdoba Province, Argentina, during the period 1960–2010 and the full range of precipitation for the Córdoba Observatory station, which has the longest measurement record in Argentina, 1873–2010, and to show the relationship between these variables and solar activity. A strong association is shown between break points when the trend changes for both the number of rainy days and the total precipitation, and the occurrence of maxima in the sunspot cycle, indicating that these variables are modulated by the solar Hale cycle and probably by the influence of cosmic rays. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Maize responses to individual management factors have been widely investigated but studies of higher-order interactions involving multiple factors are rare. This paper investigates the responses of grain yield and water use efficiency of rainfed maize to sowing date, stubble condition, hybrids of contrasting cycle length, soil depth and their interactions, and how these responses are affected by El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. Grain yield and water balance were modelled with CropSyst using 33 years of weather data for eight locations in an east–west transect in the Southern Pampas of Argentina. Modelled grain yield decreased westward, in parallel with decreasing rainfall. Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) discriminated crop season rainfall and grain yield, with lower rainfall and grain yield for SOI phase Consistently Positive (CP) and higher rainfall and grain yield for SOI phase Consistently Negative (CN). Differences in grain yield between stubble and bare soil were constant across location. High available water, as related to soil depth, increased grain yield across the transect. The effect of sowing date and stubble varied with SOI phase; for CN, highest grain yields were obtained with early sowing whereas for CP grain yield showed no correlation with sowing date. Yield differences between bare soil and stubble conditions were higher under CP than under CN, reflecting the positive effect of stubble in years with rainfall below average. Water use efficiency (WUE=yield per unit evapotranspiration) averaged 19.0kgha−1 mm−1 for soils with stubble and 16.5kgha−1 mm−1 for bare soil. We conclude that SOI provides an agronomically meaningful predictor of seasonal conditions that can be used to estimate crop production and manage risk by adjusting key management practices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper analyzes the spatial organization of two layers corresponding to the first half of the Middle Holocene from the Hornillos 2 rockshelter (Susques, Jujuy Province). Some important issues taken into account are the good preservation of the site and the sedimentary deposition processes which coincide with paleoclimate aspects. Correlation of different archaeological lines of evidence allows interpretation of the connection between several activity areas and their occupational intensity. There is a trash heap related to a short occupation period at the beginning of the Middle Holocene and a main zone of intense activity ca. 6200 yrs BP. These facts are in accordance with the archaeological expectations proposed for certain periods of the Middle Holocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The recently excavated Paso Otero 4 site is located within the Paso Otero archaeological locality (Necochea District, Pampean Region). The site is characterized by the presence of a great variety of archaeological materials and a rich and complex stratigraphic record which allows use of an interdisciplinary approach. The objective of this paper is to present the results of the geoarchaeological, palynological, phytolith, and diatom analyses in order to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental conditions for the final Late Pleistocene through Holocene. These lines of research allow inference of paleoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions on both local and regional scales. At the site, the Río Salado Member (Unit 2), where the archaeological deposit is buried, underwent sudden and fluctuating changes in water availability conditions, although the setting was basically characterized by calm depositional processes within and along the margins of interconnected lagoons. Paleoclimatic reconstructions indicate the existence of abrupt climatic changes throughout the sequence. Early Holocene human occupations took place under regionally temperate-warm climates while the end of the Middle Holocene witnessed cold and arid or cold temperate climates. In general terms, paleoenvironmental conditions inferred for Paso Otero 4 are in accordance with regional reconstructions proposed for the Pampas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: In recent times, significant areas of the Northeastern Argentine (NEA) have been affected by climatic fluctuations which have caused serious damages in ecosystems and people’s livehoods, both by floods and droughts. This has mainly occurred in the Santa Fe Province, having a great impact on the underlying unconfined aquifer. This paper analyzes the relationships between meteorological variability and water table levels in the context of climate variability and climatic change in the lower Carcarañá river experimental basin (about 4700km2), located in the Santa Fe Province. The goal of the study is to obtain long-term (interannual) predictions of water table levels in the region. The methodology used responds to a hypothetical conception of the temporal series having a signal formed by random components with characteristics of white noise. Singular Spectral Analysis (SSA), among other non-parametric techniques were used to identify fluctuations and trend changes in climatic time-series. These characteristics provide valuable information for the evaluation of climatic evolution and for the detection of variations in this evolution, suggesting a climatic change either by natural mechanisms or by anthropogenic impacts. A positive trend in precipitation is found throughout the studied region with water table levels showing a similar spatial–temporal behavior. The SSA gives significant periodicities between 3 and 8years showing a possible link between El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon and precipitation and water table levels. The periodicities linked with ENSO are always present and the structures of the series are similar for the different studied periods. The results obtained, even if they are experimental constitute a first approximation. In general, they are promising, since the generated basis will enable to face further and more complex stages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper evaluates the chronology of the last glacial cycle and deglaciation in the Lago Pueyrredón valley of central Patagonia, 47.5° S, Argentina. The valley was a major outlet of the former Patagonian Ice Sheet and the moraines that record its fluctuations are an important proxy record of climate change in southern South America. Such moraines are well-preserved in the Lago Pueyrredón valley owing in part to the semi-arid environment east of the mountain front. Here, we provide the first direct chronology for the age of the “Rio Blanco” moraine system by utilizing cosmogenic-nuclide surface exposure ages. Boulders on the moraines give 10Be exposure ages that indicate the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) maximum extent occurred by 27–25ka. Subsequent advances occurred at 23–22ka, 20–18ka, and ca. 18–17ka. Initial deglaciation began after ca. 18–17ka and was interrupted as evidenced by the Lago Columna moraines up-valley. Subsequently the outlet glaciers occupying both the Lago Pueyrredón basin (Chilean name: Lago Cochrane) and the Lago Buenos Aires basin (Chilean name: Lago General Carrera) to the north, rapidly retreated more than 80km at around 16.5–15ka. The timing of the LGM maximum extent and the onset of deglaciation occurred broadly synchronously throughout Patagonia. Deglaciation resulted in a series of interconnected glacier-dammed lakes in the region that initially drained toward the Atlantic Ocean and later drained to the Pacific Ocean as a consequence of disintegrating ice in the Andes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Lakes are key sites for studying paleoclimates. Llancanelo Lake (southern Mendoza Province, western Argentina) is an endoreic, highly saline water body located in the southern extreme of a tectonic basin, the Central or Huarpes Depression. The lake is located between the Andean Cordillera, San Rafael Block and Payenia Volcanic Field. The lake evolved as a major regional depocenter during the Pliocene-Quaternary, hence it contains important thicknesses of intra and extra basinal clastic and evaporitic sediments mainly dominated by volcaniclastic products. The main conditioning factors in the lake evolution were arc and back-arc volcanism as well as climatic changes. Geomorphological and sedimentary evidence supports the hypothesis that the lake was in past times larger than in present days. This paper estimates the lake’s former extension on the western lacustrine plain using electromagnetic induction (EMI) and geoelectricity (Multielectrode Resistivity Meter) surveys, as well as shallow wells, along an 8km long transect perpendicular to the lake’s western shoreline. The geophysical and sedimentological information, as well as microfaunal studies, lab analysis and petrographic/EDAX determinations, support the presence, in the subsoil, of a lacustrine sequence at least 30m thick composed mainly of volcaniclastic sediments. Volcanic eruptions and climatic changes influenced the evolution of the lake, producing intercalations in the lacustrine sedimentary sequences of ash layers, evaporites, soils, and eolian and swamp deposits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The main goal of this paper is to highlight regional and temporal variation in the presence and exploitation of faunal resources during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene (ca. 12000–7000 uncalibrated 14CyrBP) in the Pampean region (Argentina, South America). The main issues discussed are a summary of archeological and zooarchaeological evidence (sites, location, chronology, lithic technology, faunal distribution and diversity, etc.) both on regional and areal scales. The topics included in order to characterize subsistence strategies are the climatic changes that operated on and influenced the species, differential species extinction and survival, exploited species diversity, procurement and processing techniques, and intensity of faunal exploitation. It is proposed that the Late Pleistocene–Early Holocene period is characterized by a generalized regional economy, as has also been recently proposed for North America. In general terms, a broad spectrum of resources would have been exploited by humans as suggested by the presence and diversity of consumed species. Given the fluctuating climatic conditions during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, a subsistence pattern composed of a broad diet would have been a suitable strategy to promote in unstable environments. Both taxonomic diversity and richness are greater when compared with the following time period (Middle Holocene), characterized by a specialized regional economy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The apparently regular and favourable climate that characterizes the Holocene as an interglacial period shows, however, important climatic instability well documented in the Northern Hemisphere. These fluctuations from colder to warmer or wetter to drier affected both biodiversity and human societies in the last 12,000 years, although the impact in Southern America is still poorly known. We are here investigating the biodiversity of small mammal faunas, more sensitive to climatic changes than large mammals, combining taphonomic and palaeoecological data in the Argentine Pampas to better understand the global nature and effect of these Holocene climatic fluctuations. This paper is pioneering applying in this region palaeoecological methodologies practised in European sites, such as the chorotype classification and biomes overlap analyses. The Pampean Region is an ecotone with a confluence of three climatic regions where any change in climatic conditions should be easily detected. Our results, based on the palaeoecological requirements of small mammals, do not indicate severe changes, and most of the sites show climatic stability except for one of them, in which a possible trend towards present conditions (temperate/humid) can be inferred. • New palaeoecological methodologies are applied to the Pampean Region. • Microfauna is the best climatic indicator if multiproxy interpretations are considered. • Cave vs. open-air sites influence the composition of fossil small mammal assemblages. • Human activities in the past can distort palaeoecological interpretations. • Noticeable climatic events in the Northern hemisphere are soften/absent in the South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallow lakes are distinctive aquatic ecosystems of the Pampean region. In this paper, climatic, morphometric and chemical-environmental aspects of six lacustrine bodies of the Salado River basin, Buenos Aires, are analyzed. The climatic variability of the region was estimated and linked to the behavior of each water body during the studied period (2017–2018); precipitations displayed deviations from the mean values, with periods of deficit in spring and summer, and excess in autumn. The analysis of satellite images showed a group of lakes with very low variation of the morphometric parameters because they have gates that keep the water level constant. On the contrary, those without anthropic intervention displayed a greater morphometric variability, since the water levels have been directly linked to local weather fluctuations. From a chemical-environmental perspective, changes were observed both at the regional (p = 0.015) and local (p = 0.0014) levels. Differences among sites cannot be characterized by a single variable but by a set of them. The dominant cation in the Pampean shallow lakes is the Na+ coming from the contact of groundwater with loessic sediments. Lakes showed a particular anionic dominance that not following a seasonal but a particular pattern. These are mainly linked to the characteristics of the substrate (presence of marine sediments or gypsum deposits). The great vulnerability of these environments to global and regional climatic changes, anthropic modifications and a large number of shallow lakes in the area, allow finding different scenarios (geomorphological, ecological, hydrogeological, etc.) to assess their vulnerability and predict their behavior against future climate scenarios in an economically important area for Argentine. Image 1 • Shallow lakes morphometric characteristics are related to their geomorphologic context. • Sodium is the main cation, mainly as a result of Pampean loess degradation. • Presence of different anions and water types are conditioned by lake sediments. • Local rainfall determinate water levels in unmodified systems. • In anthropised sites, hydrological and morphological parameters are less variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]