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The study area is located in the outskirts of Huenchullami River mouth, coast of the VII Region of Chile, between rivers Mataquito in the north and Maule in the south. The zone has easy access by the highroad from Santiago City, 290 kilometers far from it. The nearest populated center is Constitución, located 30 km. to the south. This locality has a basic infrastructure, besides an airport and a port. During the field campaigns the operation camp has been settled in La Trinchera, located 35° 07' latitude south, in Huenchullami river mouth.

 
From a geomorphologic point of view, the area is inside the Coast Cordillera. The main recognized units correspond to the sandy plain with 1000 meters wide that are extended between the beach line and the escarp slab, over this unit runs Huenchullami river.

 

The beach is known by the high exposition to the waves with a strip of surfs of 150 meters wide.........

The slope of the beach is less than 1% with a predominant fluent from south to north that flows in an average speed of 1.8 km/hr which were responsible of the dregs contribution from Maule mouth. The sand is composed by fine grains, selected moderately.
 

 

As much as over sea, inter sea and under sea fauna, present a low wealth of species and population density, being very similar to other sand beaches from south center of Chile

 

The main economic activity of the people in that zone correspond to the agriculture and forest industry

 

Geophysical exploration
The geophysical exploration has for objective the finding of the vessel through the detection, by electronic means, of any element of this same or its shipment.

 

Between the several geophysical methods available currently they choose the Magnetometry, that is a technique used to materials with magnetic properties prospecting, specially iron, because of the plenty presence of this element, as much as in the artillery of the vessel as in its shipment (3,141 hundredweight equal to 144 tons).
 
This technique is base in the measured of magnetic field in ground deformations, product of the existence of ferrous and/or magnetic substances. The used instrument is the magnetometer which consist in a sensor that measure the intensity of the earthly magnetic field and a box that allow to visualize and keep the information

 

The searching area was centered in Huenchullami mouth and it is extended for 8 km. in parallel direction with the coast, from the 10 meters of profundity to 300 meters inside earth. The taking of data is realized with north - south lines to amplify the anomalies and with a density of a 12 meters line.

 

The magnetometric measures were taken in earth walking, in vehicle with animal traction depending on field conditions. In the sea was used an aquatic motorcycle of 120 hp since it is the only ship capable to navigate in that surge conditions.

 

 

 

Finally the obtain data that has been geo referenced in real GPS time, are download in a geographic information system (GIS) to its analysis. This has allowed the detection of several anomalies that could correspond to remains of the Oriflama.