Second International Meeting for Applied Geoscience & Energy
The Yacoraite Formation represents a mixed carbonatesiliciclastic succession deposited in the Sal... more The Yacoraite Formation represents a mixed carbonatesiliciclastic succession deposited in the Salta Basin (NW Argentina). In the Tres Cruces sub-basin, the spectacular exposures and lateral continuity of outcrops provide the perfect setting to study and reconstruct the spatial variability and stratigraphic architecture of the facies deposited in this complex setting. In this location facies are represented prevalently by marginal littoral and sub-littoral facies: bioclastic and oolitic grainstones and packstone, shell rudstones and microbial carbonates. The facies analysis and high-resolution stratigraphic analysis allow to reconstruct in detail the paleoenvironmental conditions of the Yacoraite Formation, interpreted as a closed saline lake system characterized by extended marginal littoral areas where prevalently carbonate facies deposited. The evolution of the Yacoraite paleo-lake has also been reconstructed and shows a transition from a relatively stable perennial lake system to a highly fluctuating ephemeral lake systems. The stratigraphic architecture is characterized by a marked cyclicity, at different scales and hierarchies: with long-term, medium, and short-term cyclicity being observed. The shortterm cyclicity is the base of the stratigraphic architecture and is characterized by metric-scale transgressive-regressive cycles (T-R), interpreted as the result of climaticallycontrolled lake expansion and contraction phases.
Los salares de la Puna Argentina son importantes reservorios de salmueras ricas en elementos alca... more Los salares de la Puna Argentina son importantes reservorios de salmueras ricas en elementos alcalinos y alcalinos terreos, entre ellos el litio y potasio. Los estudios relacionados con sus evapofacies y costras superficiales son escasos. Este trabajo presenta las diferentes morfologias de las costras evaporiticas salinas del salar de Pozuelos (Puna Austral, Salta Argentina). Es una depresion salina a ~ 3760 msnm, cuyas coordenadas geograficas aproximadas son 24° 40’S y 66° 45’O. Se elonga en sentido NE-SO, de unos ~ 13 km de largo y ~ 6 km ancho en promedio, con una superficie de ~ 84 km 2 . En este salar se reconocieron y mapearon seis tipos de costras evaporiticas salinas definidas segun su morfologia, estructuras y contenido clastico. Cada una de ellas esta asociada a los cambios de facies laterales dentro del salar, relacionados con las condiciones y posicion respecto al nivel freatico, como asi tambien, con los sistemas fluviales efimeros, con las diferentes zonas en que se en...
RESUMEN. Aproximadamente en el Eoceno medio-Fase Incaica-culminó la acumulación del Grupo Salta (... more RESUMEN. Aproximadamente en el Eoceno medio-Fase Incaica-culminó la acumulación del Grupo Salta (Cretácico-Paleógeno). A continuación y coincidente con el inicio de un ambiente tectónico compresivo en los Andes Centrales comenzó el depósito del Subgrupo Metán (Grupo Orán), constituído por las formaciones Río Seco, Anta y Jesús María. La Formación Anta en río Piedras de 300 m de espesor, consta de arcilitas, calizas oolíticas y tobas acumuladas en un ambiente de lago salino. Se presenta en este trabajo, un análisis palinológico comparativo entre la Formación Anta (Subgrupo Metán) y el Subgrupo Santa Bárbara del Grupo Salta (Paleoceno-Eoceno). Regionalmente el espectro polínico reflejaría la presencia de la foresta subtropical húmeda (Verrustephanoporites simplex), en muy bajo porcentaje con respecto al Subgrupo Santa Bárbara. La relativa mayor representación de Rhoipites sp. A (Rutaceae, cf. Ruta) asociado a Podocarpaceae y Anacardiaceae sugiere una paleocomunidad de mayor altitud (ambiente montano). Basado en estudios palinológicos y sedimentológicos el perfil analizado corresponde a un lago salino. Se registra la primera expansión de la estepa en el NO argentino asociado a condiciones relativamente áridas. Estas evidencias fueron corroboradas mediante el registro de hongos.
Journal of South American Earth Sciences, Jul 1, 2014
ABSTRACT a b s t r a c t The stratigraphic and sedimentological characteristics of the Payogastil... more ABSTRACT a b s t r a c t The stratigraphic and sedimentological characteristics of the Payogastilla Group represent important tectono-sedimentary constraints on the evolution of the Andean foreland basin in northwestern Argentina. This nonmarine unit unconformably rests on top of the post-rift deposits of the middle Eocene Lumbrera Formation of the Santa Bárbara Subgroup (Salta Group). Eocene-Pliocene paleoenvironmental changes are a direct result of the tectonic settings and accommodation space. Sequential stratigraphic analysis of the paleoenvironment of the Los Colorados Formation strata indicates the presence of three third-order sequences. Each sequence comprises a low-accommodation systems tract (LAST) and a high-accommodation systems tract (HAST). Substantial tectonic activity from the middle to upper Miocene is represented by Angastaco Formation strata that contain a shallow, gravel-braided fluvial system asso-ciated with gravity flows, with thicknesses of 4550 m (Calchaquí River) to 1500 m (Tonco). This activity marked the depocenter of the Angastaco basin. The development of a basal unconformity and the erosion of the Los Colorados Formation suggest a renewed uplift of the source area. Changes in the fluvial sys-tems indicate an increase of the accommodation space. To obtain better temporal constraints on the basin evolution, new UePb ages on zircons from five pyroclastic airfall and two sedimentary levels were determined. A substantial environmental change in the upper Miocene (10e5 Ma) is associated with three episodes of tectonic uplift that are reflected in variations in the sedimentation rates of the Palo Pintado Formation. A reactivated Pliocene tectonic uplift is recorded in alluvial fans that originated from the east.
Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, Sep 1, 2018
The Ramadas Volcanic Center on the eastern margin of the central Andean Puna plateau along the Ol... more The Ramadas Volcanic Center on the eastern margin of the central Andean Puna plateau along the Olacapato-El Toro lineament in Argentina erupted a rare strongly peraluminous Mn-rich garnet-bearing rhyolitic tuff in the late Miocene. The voluminous ashes from this eruption, which are distinctive in having euhedral spessartine almandine garnets (Alm 70-72 Sps 22-26 Grs 2-4 Prp 0.5-1) as their only phenocryst, are widely dispersed in the Andean foreland. Among these tuffs are those in the Guanaco Formation foreland basin sediments along the Xibi-Xibi and Los Alisos rivers in the Rio Grande de Jujuy basin and the Metán Valley, some 100-200 km east of the Ramada Volcanic Center. The co-occurrence of tubular to cellular pumice fragments and blocky glass shards in an ash matrix in these tuffs is interpreted as indicating that they erupted in an initial vent-opening event with pulsating pyroclastic surges at the initiation of the strong Plinian eruption of the Ramada Volcanic Center. New Ar/Ar ages from the Guanaco Fm. glass shards agree with fossil ages in placing the eruption at ~6.3±0.3 Ma. A number of distinctive chemical, isotopic and mineralogical features including Mg-rich biotite and Mg-hastingsite xenocrysts of the Guanaco Formation and Ramadas Volcanic Center tuffs are consistent with the melt having been derived by extensive crystallization of a mantle-derived mafic shoshonitic series magma contaminated by
The electrification of our world is driving a strong increase in demand for lithium. Energy stora... more The electrification of our world is driving a strong increase in demand for lithium. Energy storage is paramount in electric and hybrid vehicles, in green but intermittent energy sources, and in smart grids in general. Lithium is a vital raw material for the build-up of both currently available lithium-ion batteries, and prospective next generation batteries such as lithium-air and lithium sulphur. The continued availability of lithium can only rely on a strong increase of mining and ore processing. It would be an inconsistency if the increased production of lithium for a more sustainable society would be associated with non-sustainable mining practices. Currently 2/3 of the world production of lithium is extracted from brines, a practice that evaporates on average half a million litres of brine per ton of lithium carbonate. Furthermore, the extraction is chemical intensive, extremely slow, and delivers large volumes of waste. This technology is heavily dependent on the geological structure of the deposits, brine chemical composition and both climate and weather conditions. Therefore, it is difficult to adapt from one successful exploitation to new deposits. A few years of simulations and piloting are needed before large scale production is achieved. Consequently, this technology is struggling with the current surge in demand. At time of writing, only 5 industrial scale facilities are in operation worldwide, highlighting the shortcomings in this technology. Both mining companies and academics are intensively searching for new technologies for lithium recovery from brines. However, focus on the chemistry of brine processing has left unattended the analysis of the sustainability of the overall process. Here we review both the current available technology and new proposed methodologies. We make a special focus on an overall sustainability analysis, with particular emphasis to the geological characteristics of deposits and water usage in relation to mining processes.
Aconquija, aloja al Complejo Volcánico Farallón Negro (CVFN), que comprende rocas sedimentarias, ... more Aconquija, aloja al Complejo Volcánico Farallón Negro (CVFN), que comprende rocas sedimentarias, volcánicas primarias y reelaboradas, así como intrusivas de edad miocena superior. En este sector, el CVFN se apoya sobre una superficie de discordancia elaborada en las sedimentitas continentales rojizas de la Formación Hualfín (Galli et al. 2012). El CVFN fue eruptado en un lapso corto de tiempo (9-6 Ma; Harris et al. 2006), probablemente durante un episodio diastrófico transtensivo asociado al movimiento transcurrente del lineamiento Tucumán (Seggiaro et al. 2013). Los afloramientos del CVFN en los valles de Cerro Atajo (coordenadas centrales: 27°19'S-66°26'O) y Mina Capillitas (coordenadas centrales: 27°21'S-66°22'O) fueron asignados previamente a una asociación de facies distal dentro del complejo (Llambias 1970; Harris et al. 2006). En ambas localidades existe un predominio de composiciones básicas a intermedias, tanto de unidades ígneas primarias (Caffe et al. 2011...
Se considera, en el presente trabajo, la evolución de la cuenca de antepaís del Terciario en el n... more Se considera, en el presente trabajo, la evolución de la cuenca de antepaís del Terciario en el noroeste argentino, desde los depósitos de la Fo rmación Lumbrera (II) (techo del Subgrupo Santa Bárbara, Grupo Salta) hasta las acumulaciones de la Formación Angastaco (Grupo Payogastilla) y su equivalente temporal el Subgrupo Metán (base del Grupo Orán). El desarrollo de la cuenca
The sedimentological characteristics and fossil vertebrates studies are notoriously increasing in... more The sedimentological characteristics and fossil vertebrates studies are notoriously increasing in the earth sciences field, as a way to infer reliable information about the biota and the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic context. In this framework, we establish relationships among the flora, fauna and the depositional environment during the Late Miocene in Northwestern Argentina. The sedimentology features are described in detail from sediments collected in the Quebrada Salta section, and the Xenarthra Cingulata Kraglievichia paranensis (Pampatheriidae) and Cranithlastus xibiensis (Glyptodontidae) are recorded for the first time in the Palo Pintado Formation (Salta Province, Argentina). The sedimentary observations support the presence of a sinuous sandy-gravel fluvial system with swamps and lacustrine, under a wet tropical climate. In this environment, the vertebrates here described would have inhabited open zones close to these freshwater bodies, predominated by xeric vegetatio...
Evaporitic technology for lithium mining from brines has been questioned for its intensive water ... more Evaporitic technology for lithium mining from brines has been questioned for its intensive water use, protracted duration and exclusive application to continental brines. In this Review, we analyse the environmental impacts of evaporitic and alternative technologies, collectively known as direct lithium extraction (DLE), for lithium mining, focusing on requirements for fresh water, chemicals, energy consumption and waste generation, including spent brines. DLE technologies aim to tackle the environmental and techno-economic shortcomings of current practice by avoiding brine evaporation. A selection of DLE technologies has achieved Li + recovery above 95%, Li + /Mg 2+ separation above 100, and zero chemical approaches. Conversely, only 30% of DLE test experiments were performed on real brines, and thus the effect of multivalent ions or large Na + /Li + concentration differences on performance indicators is often not evaluated. Some DLE technologies involve brine pH changes or brine heating up to 80 o C for improved Li + recovery, which require energy, fresh water and chemicals that must be considered during environmental impact assessments. Future research should focus on performing tests on real brines and achieving competitiveness in several performance indicators simultaneously. The environmental impact of DLE should be assessed from brine pumping to the production of the pure solid lithium product.
Las Sierras Pampeanas septentrionales están integradas por bloques de basamento cristalino bascul... more Las Sierras Pampeanas septentrionales están integradas por bloques de basamento cristalino basculados por fallas de rumbo NE-SO, que forman parte del lineamiento de Aconquija o de Tucumán. Las unidades cenozoicas, dispuestas en los valles intramontanos que separan las sierras de Capillitas, Hualfín y Aconquija, presentan relaciones de inconformidad sobre el basamento y registran cuatro sucesivos eventos deformacionales andinos. El primer evento deformacional presenta estratos de sincrecimiento asociados a fallas normales en la Formación Hualfin. Durante el segundo evento, la Formación Hualfin fue intensamente plegada y erosionada previamente a la depositación del Complejo Volcánico Farallón Negro. El tercer evento, de carácter transtensivo, se registra en el Compelo Volcánico Farallón Negro con fallas normales y discordancias progresivas. Este evento es coincidente con la irrupción del vulcanismo en la cuenca. A los fines de analizar la cinemática de la cuarta y última etapa de defo...
Sedimentologic and geochronologic data record erosion of the eastern margin of the Puna plateau... more Sedimentologic and geochronologic data record erosion of the eastern margin of the Puna plateau Upsection changes in the detrital zircon U-Pb distributions reflect topographic growth of the modern plateau edge The width of Puna plateau increases as its margin migrates eastward
Revista Mexicana De Ciencias Geologicas, Apr 1, 2011
En el presente trabajo se reporta el estudio de los depósitos sedimentarios y fósiles (vegetales,... more En el presente trabajo se reporta el estudio de los depósitos sedimentarios y fósiles (vegetales, bivalvos y vertebrados) de la Formación Palo Pintado (Grupo Payogastilla, Mioceno Superior) que afloran en el sur de la Provincia de Salta, Argentina. La columna estratigráfica consta de 1,387 m de sedimentos fluviales continentales. Se interpreta el paleoambiente sedimentario mediante el análisis de la arquitectura fluvial, con el fin de lograr una reinterpretación del mismo y relacionar estos resultados con las paleocomunidades y las condiciones paleoclimáticas en el que estas últimas se habrían desarrollado. Con base en las características estratigráficas y sedimentológicas analizadas, se brindan nuevas interpretaciones paleoambientales: la secuencia comprende una clase intermedia entre ríos de baja sinuosidad, con canales múltiples y ríos de alta sinuosidad con canal simple conformando un sistema fluvial sinuoso areno-gravoso con desarrollo de lagunas. Las acumulaciones intracanal están conformadas por depósitos de barras gravosas y formas de lecho y los depósitos de overbank están representados por barras de acreción lateral; también se destaca la presencia de canales pequeños identificados como crevasse channel. La llanura de inundación es la zona en donde se pueden reconocer a las lagunas y pantanos que dieron albergue a las comunidades acuáticas y palustres; mientras que si estos depósitos se encuentran asociados a estructuras de desecación y niveles de yeso con canales abandonados, en ellos se habrían desarrollado las sabanas y praderas. Las costas de los lagos y pantanos que se entremezclan con cauces fluviales fueron los lugares donde se desarrolló la comunidad higrófila con bosques de ribera. Las paleocomunidades acuáticas, palustres y los bosques higrófilos fueron estables y se desarrollaron bajo un clima cálido y húmedo, tropical a subtropical, como lo indica, también, el desarrollo de la asociación de minerales de arcillas como illita, esmectita y caolinita. Estas condiciones paleoclimáticas se dieron en una época en que por efecto de cambios en las condiciones climáticas globales, el clima se tornó más seco y la vegetación xérica estuvo plenamente instalada. Las paleocomunidades establecidas para la Formación Palo Pintado contienen integrantes de distintas provincias fitogeográficas actuales, tanto del norte de Argentina como de otras regiones de América del Sur, aunque se considera que las comunidades actuales aún no estaban delimitadas en ese momento, siendo las fósiles antecesoras de las actuales.A study of fossils (plant, bivalves and vertebrates) and sedimentary deposits was undertaken in a section of the Palo Pintado Formation (Payogastilla Group, Upper Miocene), southern Salta Province, Argentina. The section consists of 1,387 m of continental fluvial deposits. On the basis of fluvial architecture analysis, the sedimentary paleoenvironment was reinterpreted and the results were related to the paleocommunities and the paleoclimate conditions in which they may have developed. On the basis of stratigraphic and sedimentological features, we introduce new paleoenvironmental interpretations: the strata are related to an intermediate class between low and high sinuosity rivers forming a wandering sand-gravel fluvial system with small lagoons. Channel and overbank deposits can be distinguished within this river system: Accumulations within channels are composed of gravels bars and sandy bedforms, whereas overbank deposits are represented by crevasse channels, small crevasse channels, and floodplain deposits. In the floodplains, lagoons and marshes can be recognized in which aquatic and marsh communities developed, whereas during the dry season, or during longer dry intervals, suggested by desiccation cracks and thin gypsum beds, savannas and grasslands would had developed. The coasts of the lakes and marshes, which intermingled with fluvial riverbeds, were inhabited by hygrophilous communities and woodland. The aquatic and marsh paleocommunities and the hygrophilic forests were stable and developed under a hot and humid, tropical to subtropical climate, which is also indicated by the development of clay mineral assemblages of illite, smectite and kaolinite. These paleoclimatic conditions occurred at a time when global climatic changes led to drier conditions and to the establishment of xeric vegetation. The paleocommunities defined for the Palo Pintado Formation contain members of various current phytogeographic provinces from northern Argentina and other South American regions, although the modern communities had not been established at that time, and the fossil ones can be considered as their predecessors.Fil: Galli, Claudia Inés. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de…
Revista De La Asociacion Geologica Argentina, Sep 14, 2014
Andean tectonism of the Hualfín, Capillitas and southern Aconquija Ranges, Catamarca Province The... more Andean tectonism of the Hualfín, Capillitas and southern Aconquija Ranges, Catamarca Province The northern Sierras Pampeanas in the Tucumán-Catamarca boundary are mainly composed of crystalline basement rocks, tilted by NE-SW strike faults that form part of the Aconquija and Tucumán lineaments. The Capillitas, Hualfín and Aconquija Ranges are separated by intermountain valleys filled with Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks deposited unconformably over the crystalline basement. These units were affected by four different deformation events during the Andean orogenic cycle. The first one is associated to normal faults that controlled the deposition of the Hualfín Formation, evidenced by development of growth strata. During the second event, the Hualfín Formation was intensively folded and eroded prior to the deposition of the Farallón Negro Volcanic Complex (CVFN). The third event was transtensive and recorded by the Farallón Negro volcanic complex, with the development of normal faults and intraformational progressive uncomformities. This event is concordant with the initial stages of the volcanism in the region. In order to make a strain analysis of the fourth and last deformation event, kynematic indicators were measured on regional and minors faults. Results suggest dextral movements of faults and transpressive conditions. Mountain uplift and intrusion of subvolcanic rocks as well as ore deposition are related to these movements, e.g., in Cerro Atajo, Capillitas and Agua Rica. Transpressive conditions are still active today, as shown by recent debris avalanches and debris flow deposits associated to main faults.
Second International Meeting for Applied Geoscience & Energy
The Yacoraite Formation represents a mixed carbonatesiliciclastic succession deposited in the Sal... more The Yacoraite Formation represents a mixed carbonatesiliciclastic succession deposited in the Salta Basin (NW Argentina). In the Tres Cruces sub-basin, the spectacular exposures and lateral continuity of outcrops provide the perfect setting to study and reconstruct the spatial variability and stratigraphic architecture of the facies deposited in this complex setting. In this location facies are represented prevalently by marginal littoral and sub-littoral facies: bioclastic and oolitic grainstones and packstone, shell rudstones and microbial carbonates. The facies analysis and high-resolution stratigraphic analysis allow to reconstruct in detail the paleoenvironmental conditions of the Yacoraite Formation, interpreted as a closed saline lake system characterized by extended marginal littoral areas where prevalently carbonate facies deposited. The evolution of the Yacoraite paleo-lake has also been reconstructed and shows a transition from a relatively stable perennial lake system to a highly fluctuating ephemeral lake systems. The stratigraphic architecture is characterized by a marked cyclicity, at different scales and hierarchies: with long-term, medium, and short-term cyclicity being observed. The shortterm cyclicity is the base of the stratigraphic architecture and is characterized by metric-scale transgressive-regressive cycles (T-R), interpreted as the result of climaticallycontrolled lake expansion and contraction phases.
Los salares de la Puna Argentina son importantes reservorios de salmueras ricas en elementos alca... more Los salares de la Puna Argentina son importantes reservorios de salmueras ricas en elementos alcalinos y alcalinos terreos, entre ellos el litio y potasio. Los estudios relacionados con sus evapofacies y costras superficiales son escasos. Este trabajo presenta las diferentes morfologias de las costras evaporiticas salinas del salar de Pozuelos (Puna Austral, Salta Argentina). Es una depresion salina a ~ 3760 msnm, cuyas coordenadas geograficas aproximadas son 24° 40’S y 66° 45’O. Se elonga en sentido NE-SO, de unos ~ 13 km de largo y ~ 6 km ancho en promedio, con una superficie de ~ 84 km 2 . En este salar se reconocieron y mapearon seis tipos de costras evaporiticas salinas definidas segun su morfologia, estructuras y contenido clastico. Cada una de ellas esta asociada a los cambios de facies laterales dentro del salar, relacionados con las condiciones y posicion respecto al nivel freatico, como asi tambien, con los sistemas fluviales efimeros, con las diferentes zonas en que se en...
RESUMEN. Aproximadamente en el Eoceno medio-Fase Incaica-culminó la acumulación del Grupo Salta (... more RESUMEN. Aproximadamente en el Eoceno medio-Fase Incaica-culminó la acumulación del Grupo Salta (Cretácico-Paleógeno). A continuación y coincidente con el inicio de un ambiente tectónico compresivo en los Andes Centrales comenzó el depósito del Subgrupo Metán (Grupo Orán), constituído por las formaciones Río Seco, Anta y Jesús María. La Formación Anta en río Piedras de 300 m de espesor, consta de arcilitas, calizas oolíticas y tobas acumuladas en un ambiente de lago salino. Se presenta en este trabajo, un análisis palinológico comparativo entre la Formación Anta (Subgrupo Metán) y el Subgrupo Santa Bárbara del Grupo Salta (Paleoceno-Eoceno). Regionalmente el espectro polínico reflejaría la presencia de la foresta subtropical húmeda (Verrustephanoporites simplex), en muy bajo porcentaje con respecto al Subgrupo Santa Bárbara. La relativa mayor representación de Rhoipites sp. A (Rutaceae, cf. Ruta) asociado a Podocarpaceae y Anacardiaceae sugiere una paleocomunidad de mayor altitud (ambiente montano). Basado en estudios palinológicos y sedimentológicos el perfil analizado corresponde a un lago salino. Se registra la primera expansión de la estepa en el NO argentino asociado a condiciones relativamente áridas. Estas evidencias fueron corroboradas mediante el registro de hongos.
Journal of South American Earth Sciences, Jul 1, 2014
ABSTRACT a b s t r a c t The stratigraphic and sedimentological characteristics of the Payogastil... more ABSTRACT a b s t r a c t The stratigraphic and sedimentological characteristics of the Payogastilla Group represent important tectono-sedimentary constraints on the evolution of the Andean foreland basin in northwestern Argentina. This nonmarine unit unconformably rests on top of the post-rift deposits of the middle Eocene Lumbrera Formation of the Santa Bárbara Subgroup (Salta Group). Eocene-Pliocene paleoenvironmental changes are a direct result of the tectonic settings and accommodation space. Sequential stratigraphic analysis of the paleoenvironment of the Los Colorados Formation strata indicates the presence of three third-order sequences. Each sequence comprises a low-accommodation systems tract (LAST) and a high-accommodation systems tract (HAST). Substantial tectonic activity from the middle to upper Miocene is represented by Angastaco Formation strata that contain a shallow, gravel-braided fluvial system asso-ciated with gravity flows, with thicknesses of 4550 m (Calchaquí River) to 1500 m (Tonco). This activity marked the depocenter of the Angastaco basin. The development of a basal unconformity and the erosion of the Los Colorados Formation suggest a renewed uplift of the source area. Changes in the fluvial sys-tems indicate an increase of the accommodation space. To obtain better temporal constraints on the basin evolution, new UePb ages on zircons from five pyroclastic airfall and two sedimentary levels were determined. A substantial environmental change in the upper Miocene (10e5 Ma) is associated with three episodes of tectonic uplift that are reflected in variations in the sedimentation rates of the Palo Pintado Formation. A reactivated Pliocene tectonic uplift is recorded in alluvial fans that originated from the east.
Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, Sep 1, 2018
The Ramadas Volcanic Center on the eastern margin of the central Andean Puna plateau along the Ol... more The Ramadas Volcanic Center on the eastern margin of the central Andean Puna plateau along the Olacapato-El Toro lineament in Argentina erupted a rare strongly peraluminous Mn-rich garnet-bearing rhyolitic tuff in the late Miocene. The voluminous ashes from this eruption, which are distinctive in having euhedral spessartine almandine garnets (Alm 70-72 Sps 22-26 Grs 2-4 Prp 0.5-1) as their only phenocryst, are widely dispersed in the Andean foreland. Among these tuffs are those in the Guanaco Formation foreland basin sediments along the Xibi-Xibi and Los Alisos rivers in the Rio Grande de Jujuy basin and the Metán Valley, some 100-200 km east of the Ramada Volcanic Center. The co-occurrence of tubular to cellular pumice fragments and blocky glass shards in an ash matrix in these tuffs is interpreted as indicating that they erupted in an initial vent-opening event with pulsating pyroclastic surges at the initiation of the strong Plinian eruption of the Ramada Volcanic Center. New Ar/Ar ages from the Guanaco Fm. glass shards agree with fossil ages in placing the eruption at ~6.3±0.3 Ma. A number of distinctive chemical, isotopic and mineralogical features including Mg-rich biotite and Mg-hastingsite xenocrysts of the Guanaco Formation and Ramadas Volcanic Center tuffs are consistent with the melt having been derived by extensive crystallization of a mantle-derived mafic shoshonitic series magma contaminated by
The electrification of our world is driving a strong increase in demand for lithium. Energy stora... more The electrification of our world is driving a strong increase in demand for lithium. Energy storage is paramount in electric and hybrid vehicles, in green but intermittent energy sources, and in smart grids in general. Lithium is a vital raw material for the build-up of both currently available lithium-ion batteries, and prospective next generation batteries such as lithium-air and lithium sulphur. The continued availability of lithium can only rely on a strong increase of mining and ore processing. It would be an inconsistency if the increased production of lithium for a more sustainable society would be associated with non-sustainable mining practices. Currently 2/3 of the world production of lithium is extracted from brines, a practice that evaporates on average half a million litres of brine per ton of lithium carbonate. Furthermore, the extraction is chemical intensive, extremely slow, and delivers large volumes of waste. This technology is heavily dependent on the geological structure of the deposits, brine chemical composition and both climate and weather conditions. Therefore, it is difficult to adapt from one successful exploitation to new deposits. A few years of simulations and piloting are needed before large scale production is achieved. Consequently, this technology is struggling with the current surge in demand. At time of writing, only 5 industrial scale facilities are in operation worldwide, highlighting the shortcomings in this technology. Both mining companies and academics are intensively searching for new technologies for lithium recovery from brines. However, focus on the chemistry of brine processing has left unattended the analysis of the sustainability of the overall process. Here we review both the current available technology and new proposed methodologies. We make a special focus on an overall sustainability analysis, with particular emphasis to the geological characteristics of deposits and water usage in relation to mining processes.
Aconquija, aloja al Complejo Volcánico Farallón Negro (CVFN), que comprende rocas sedimentarias, ... more Aconquija, aloja al Complejo Volcánico Farallón Negro (CVFN), que comprende rocas sedimentarias, volcánicas primarias y reelaboradas, así como intrusivas de edad miocena superior. En este sector, el CVFN se apoya sobre una superficie de discordancia elaborada en las sedimentitas continentales rojizas de la Formación Hualfín (Galli et al. 2012). El CVFN fue eruptado en un lapso corto de tiempo (9-6 Ma; Harris et al. 2006), probablemente durante un episodio diastrófico transtensivo asociado al movimiento transcurrente del lineamiento Tucumán (Seggiaro et al. 2013). Los afloramientos del CVFN en los valles de Cerro Atajo (coordenadas centrales: 27°19'S-66°26'O) y Mina Capillitas (coordenadas centrales: 27°21'S-66°22'O) fueron asignados previamente a una asociación de facies distal dentro del complejo (Llambias 1970; Harris et al. 2006). En ambas localidades existe un predominio de composiciones básicas a intermedias, tanto de unidades ígneas primarias (Caffe et al. 2011...
Se considera, en el presente trabajo, la evolución de la cuenca de antepaís del Terciario en el n... more Se considera, en el presente trabajo, la evolución de la cuenca de antepaís del Terciario en el noroeste argentino, desde los depósitos de la Fo rmación Lumbrera (II) (techo del Subgrupo Santa Bárbara, Grupo Salta) hasta las acumulaciones de la Formación Angastaco (Grupo Payogastilla) y su equivalente temporal el Subgrupo Metán (base del Grupo Orán). El desarrollo de la cuenca
The sedimentological characteristics and fossil vertebrates studies are notoriously increasing in... more The sedimentological characteristics and fossil vertebrates studies are notoriously increasing in the earth sciences field, as a way to infer reliable information about the biota and the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic context. In this framework, we establish relationships among the flora, fauna and the depositional environment during the Late Miocene in Northwestern Argentina. The sedimentology features are described in detail from sediments collected in the Quebrada Salta section, and the Xenarthra Cingulata Kraglievichia paranensis (Pampatheriidae) and Cranithlastus xibiensis (Glyptodontidae) are recorded for the first time in the Palo Pintado Formation (Salta Province, Argentina). The sedimentary observations support the presence of a sinuous sandy-gravel fluvial system with swamps and lacustrine, under a wet tropical climate. In this environment, the vertebrates here described would have inhabited open zones close to these freshwater bodies, predominated by xeric vegetatio...
Evaporitic technology for lithium mining from brines has been questioned for its intensive water ... more Evaporitic technology for lithium mining from brines has been questioned for its intensive water use, protracted duration and exclusive application to continental brines. In this Review, we analyse the environmental impacts of evaporitic and alternative technologies, collectively known as direct lithium extraction (DLE), for lithium mining, focusing on requirements for fresh water, chemicals, energy consumption and waste generation, including spent brines. DLE technologies aim to tackle the environmental and techno-economic shortcomings of current practice by avoiding brine evaporation. A selection of DLE technologies has achieved Li + recovery above 95%, Li + /Mg 2+ separation above 100, and zero chemical approaches. Conversely, only 30% of DLE test experiments were performed on real brines, and thus the effect of multivalent ions or large Na + /Li + concentration differences on performance indicators is often not evaluated. Some DLE technologies involve brine pH changes or brine heating up to 80 o C for improved Li + recovery, which require energy, fresh water and chemicals that must be considered during environmental impact assessments. Future research should focus on performing tests on real brines and achieving competitiveness in several performance indicators simultaneously. The environmental impact of DLE should be assessed from brine pumping to the production of the pure solid lithium product.
Las Sierras Pampeanas septentrionales están integradas por bloques de basamento cristalino bascul... more Las Sierras Pampeanas septentrionales están integradas por bloques de basamento cristalino basculados por fallas de rumbo NE-SO, que forman parte del lineamiento de Aconquija o de Tucumán. Las unidades cenozoicas, dispuestas en los valles intramontanos que separan las sierras de Capillitas, Hualfín y Aconquija, presentan relaciones de inconformidad sobre el basamento y registran cuatro sucesivos eventos deformacionales andinos. El primer evento deformacional presenta estratos de sincrecimiento asociados a fallas normales en la Formación Hualfin. Durante el segundo evento, la Formación Hualfin fue intensamente plegada y erosionada previamente a la depositación del Complejo Volcánico Farallón Negro. El tercer evento, de carácter transtensivo, se registra en el Compelo Volcánico Farallón Negro con fallas normales y discordancias progresivas. Este evento es coincidente con la irrupción del vulcanismo en la cuenca. A los fines de analizar la cinemática de la cuarta y última etapa de defo...
Sedimentologic and geochronologic data record erosion of the eastern margin of the Puna plateau... more Sedimentologic and geochronologic data record erosion of the eastern margin of the Puna plateau Upsection changes in the detrital zircon U-Pb distributions reflect topographic growth of the modern plateau edge The width of Puna plateau increases as its margin migrates eastward
Revista Mexicana De Ciencias Geologicas, Apr 1, 2011
En el presente trabajo se reporta el estudio de los depósitos sedimentarios y fósiles (vegetales,... more En el presente trabajo se reporta el estudio de los depósitos sedimentarios y fósiles (vegetales, bivalvos y vertebrados) de la Formación Palo Pintado (Grupo Payogastilla, Mioceno Superior) que afloran en el sur de la Provincia de Salta, Argentina. La columna estratigráfica consta de 1,387 m de sedimentos fluviales continentales. Se interpreta el paleoambiente sedimentario mediante el análisis de la arquitectura fluvial, con el fin de lograr una reinterpretación del mismo y relacionar estos resultados con las paleocomunidades y las condiciones paleoclimáticas en el que estas últimas se habrían desarrollado. Con base en las características estratigráficas y sedimentológicas analizadas, se brindan nuevas interpretaciones paleoambientales: la secuencia comprende una clase intermedia entre ríos de baja sinuosidad, con canales múltiples y ríos de alta sinuosidad con canal simple conformando un sistema fluvial sinuoso areno-gravoso con desarrollo de lagunas. Las acumulaciones intracanal están conformadas por depósitos de barras gravosas y formas de lecho y los depósitos de overbank están representados por barras de acreción lateral; también se destaca la presencia de canales pequeños identificados como crevasse channel. La llanura de inundación es la zona en donde se pueden reconocer a las lagunas y pantanos que dieron albergue a las comunidades acuáticas y palustres; mientras que si estos depósitos se encuentran asociados a estructuras de desecación y niveles de yeso con canales abandonados, en ellos se habrían desarrollado las sabanas y praderas. Las costas de los lagos y pantanos que se entremezclan con cauces fluviales fueron los lugares donde se desarrolló la comunidad higrófila con bosques de ribera. Las paleocomunidades acuáticas, palustres y los bosques higrófilos fueron estables y se desarrollaron bajo un clima cálido y húmedo, tropical a subtropical, como lo indica, también, el desarrollo de la asociación de minerales de arcillas como illita, esmectita y caolinita. Estas condiciones paleoclimáticas se dieron en una época en que por efecto de cambios en las condiciones climáticas globales, el clima se tornó más seco y la vegetación xérica estuvo plenamente instalada. Las paleocomunidades establecidas para la Formación Palo Pintado contienen integrantes de distintas provincias fitogeográficas actuales, tanto del norte de Argentina como de otras regiones de América del Sur, aunque se considera que las comunidades actuales aún no estaban delimitadas en ese momento, siendo las fósiles antecesoras de las actuales.A study of fossils (plant, bivalves and vertebrates) and sedimentary deposits was undertaken in a section of the Palo Pintado Formation (Payogastilla Group, Upper Miocene), southern Salta Province, Argentina. The section consists of 1,387 m of continental fluvial deposits. On the basis of fluvial architecture analysis, the sedimentary paleoenvironment was reinterpreted and the results were related to the paleocommunities and the paleoclimate conditions in which they may have developed. On the basis of stratigraphic and sedimentological features, we introduce new paleoenvironmental interpretations: the strata are related to an intermediate class between low and high sinuosity rivers forming a wandering sand-gravel fluvial system with small lagoons. Channel and overbank deposits can be distinguished within this river system: Accumulations within channels are composed of gravels bars and sandy bedforms, whereas overbank deposits are represented by crevasse channels, small crevasse channels, and floodplain deposits. In the floodplains, lagoons and marshes can be recognized in which aquatic and marsh communities developed, whereas during the dry season, or during longer dry intervals, suggested by desiccation cracks and thin gypsum beds, savannas and grasslands would had developed. The coasts of the lakes and marshes, which intermingled with fluvial riverbeds, were inhabited by hygrophilous communities and woodland. The aquatic and marsh paleocommunities and the hygrophilic forests were stable and developed under a hot and humid, tropical to subtropical climate, which is also indicated by the development of clay mineral assemblages of illite, smectite and kaolinite. These paleoclimatic conditions occurred at a time when global climatic changes led to drier conditions and to the establishment of xeric vegetation. The paleocommunities defined for the Palo Pintado Formation contain members of various current phytogeographic provinces from northern Argentina and other South American regions, although the modern communities had not been established at that time, and the fossil ones can be considered as their predecessors.Fil: Galli, Claudia Inés. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de…
Revista De La Asociacion Geologica Argentina, Sep 14, 2014
Andean tectonism of the Hualfín, Capillitas and southern Aconquija Ranges, Catamarca Province The... more Andean tectonism of the Hualfín, Capillitas and southern Aconquija Ranges, Catamarca Province The northern Sierras Pampeanas in the Tucumán-Catamarca boundary are mainly composed of crystalline basement rocks, tilted by NE-SW strike faults that form part of the Aconquija and Tucumán lineaments. The Capillitas, Hualfín and Aconquija Ranges are separated by intermountain valleys filled with Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks deposited unconformably over the crystalline basement. These units were affected by four different deformation events during the Andean orogenic cycle. The first one is associated to normal faults that controlled the deposition of the Hualfín Formation, evidenced by development of growth strata. During the second event, the Hualfín Formation was intensively folded and eroded prior to the deposition of the Farallón Negro Volcanic Complex (CVFN). The third event was transtensive and recorded by the Farallón Negro volcanic complex, with the development of normal faults and intraformational progressive uncomformities. This event is concordant with the initial stages of the volcanism in the region. In order to make a strain analysis of the fourth and last deformation event, kynematic indicators were measured on regional and minors faults. Results suggest dextral movements of faults and transpressive conditions. Mountain uplift and intrusion of subvolcanic rocks as well as ore deposition are related to these movements, e.g., in Cerro Atajo, Capillitas and Agua Rica. Transpressive conditions are still active today, as shown by recent debris avalanches and debris flow deposits associated to main faults.
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