Silurian-Devonian deposits of central western Argentina contain one of the most diverse Palaeozoi... more Silurian-Devonian deposits of central western Argentina contain one of the most diverse Palaeozoic records of Nereites in Gondwana. Nereites cf. cambrensis, Nereites irregularis?, Nereites jacksoni, Nereites macleayii, Nereites missouriensis and Nereites pugnus are documented in a turbidite-like succession of the San Rafael Block (Río Seco de los Castaños Formation). The succession, historically assumed as deep-sea deposits or interpreted as a deltaic system, also contains abundant microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) such as wrinkle marks. Glossy surfaces indicate abundant biofilms, where the fossil record comprises N. macleayii, N. missouriensis, scarce arthropod trackways (Diplichnites?) and undermat-miner structures. Nereites, the pioneer colonizer, is in some cases cross-cut by Dictyodora, while undermat miners are the late bioturbators. The succession is dominated by gravity flow deposits, including storm related, turbidite-like deposits and abundant wrinkle marks. These suggest deposition on the shelf rather than the deep sea. This study shows that microbial mats were not restricted to marginal marine environments during the mid Palaeozoic, and documents one of the most diverse Palaeozoic records of Nereites in western Gondwana. It also contributes to the record of Nereites, Dictyodora, and Zoophycos found, for first time, in association with microbial mat structures in the late Silurian−earliest Devonian, the Nereites ichnofacies together with abundant wrinkle marks.
The association of trace fossils from the Late Silurian Río Seco de los Castaños Formation in cen... more The association of trace fossils from the Late Silurian Río Seco de los Castaños Formation in central-western Argentina (San Rafael Block) is mainly composed of Dictyodora, including D. scotica, D. tenuis and a new ichnospecies named D. atuelica. The latter shows a tendency to migrate to a deeper levelanalogous to D. liebeana'swhich reflects more sophisticated behavioural patterns. The Dictyodora ichnospecies (one of the most diverse assemblages in Gondwana) coexists with Nereites. SEM observations and EDS analyses suggest that the wall structure of Dictyodora could be the result of an activity other than the traditional suggestion of respiration, e.g., feeding. The succession, including some of the levels containing Dictyodora, presents microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) that would indicate a photic zone. This discovery favours previous deltaic interpretations instead of the deep-sea fan deposits traditionally suggested for the Siluro-Devonian greywackes of the Cuyania terrane, and particularly for this unit. The abundant Dictyodora, Nereites, Zoophycos and undermat miners ichnofossils, as well as the scarce arthropod trackways, resemble older records in Europe and North America. The studied section is very well ageconstrained, and the autochthonous Gondwana ichnofauna permits to cast doubt on previous interpretations, suggesting that after the Ordovician, microbial mats retreated to marginal marine environments and then spread later in the Carboniferous. More importantly, the occurrence of Dictyodora and Nereites in beds that bear abundant wrinkle structures or records of biofilms in some places is challenging with regard to deep-sea interpretations. Dictyodora is probably not a good stratigraphic indicator, and the provincialism suggested for this ichnogenus may be an artefact of the lack of more complete records in Gondwana.
La composición y textura de las epiclastitas y la micromorfología de los paleosuelos de la Formac... more La composición y textura de las epiclastitas y la micromorfología de los paleosuelos de la Formación Mercedes, aflorante en el oeste y sur de Uruguay, permitieron determinar áreas de procedencia, marco tectónico de las zonas de aporte, procesos diagenéticos y variaciones paleoclimáticas en el Cretácico Superior de la cuenca de Paraná. La composición de las epiclastitas define dos sectores de distinta procedencia, con límite transicional; en el norte dominan clastos de la Formación Arapey (volcanitas), con menor aporte de la Formación Guichón (areniscas) y del basamento precámbrico (metamorfitas y plutonitas). En el centro-sur dominan los últimos, son escasos los de la Formación Arapey y no hay participación de la Formación Guichón. El marco tectónico del área de aporte es cratónico, variando entre interior cratónico y continental transicional. El predominio de granos estables sobre metaestables e inestables, indica que las epiclastitas se depositaron bajo un clima cálido y húmedo. El aumento de clastos metaestables alterados en la zona centro-sur, sugiere mayor proximidad al área fuente. Los procesos diagenéticos no han actuado uniformemente, por lo que la porosidad de las rocas es variable, con predominio de la de tipo secundario por disolución. Los más importantes son: iluviación de arcillas y óxidos de hierro, recristalización y neoformación de arcillas, precipitación de carbonato de calcio, sílice y disolución. En el tope de la unidad se desarrollan paleosuelos, vinculados a la colmatación de la cuenca y a estabilidad tectónica, que permiten inferir un cambio climático, ya que la presencia de palygorskita y de arcillas iluviales indican clima cálido subárido, pero con marcados cambios estacionales de humedad.
A sedimentary succession included in the lower section of the Playa Hermosa Formation from the Pl... more A sedimentary succession included in the lower section of the Playa Hermosa Formation from the Playa Verde Basin, Uruguay, is described. Two facies associations, one mainly coarse-to medium-grained and other one fine-grained, have been defined (FA 1-11). In the first one, breccias, conglomerates, sandstones and minor mudstones were deposited in a subaqueous depositional setting (proximal) suggesting slope instability and resedimentation processes. The second one contains diamictites, rhythmites, sandstones and mudstones and presents abundant evidence of soft-deformation, also interpreted to be deposited in a subaqueous environment (distal). Dropstones, clast layers, diamictites, rhythmites and varve-like deposits are interpreted as ice rafting processes generated during a glacial episode. This glacial-related succession constitutes the first record from the Varanger glaciation at the Rio de la Plata Craton of the late Neoproterozoic age and also represents one of the oldest sedimentary records after the collision of the Rio de la Plata and Kalahari Cratons. A combined interaction of extensional faulting and glaciation in a tectonically active basin with locally high subsidence rates, resulted in high rates of sedimentation and resedimentation processes. As a whole, the sedimentary succession sets a relevant datum to be used in future paleogeographic reconstructions of the Vendian glacial record in southern South America.
The discovery of marine to brackish and freshwater carbonates in the inner Agrio fold-and-thrust ... more The discovery of marine to brackish and freshwater carbonates in the inner Agrio fold-and-thrust belt at Pichaihue, Neuquén, Argentina, located to the west of the Andean orogenic front, imposes important constraints on the paleogeography of the first Atlantic transgression in the Neuquén Basin related to the break-up of Western Gondwana. The constraints on the timing and areal extent of these deposits shed light on the early uplift history of the southern Andes. These limestones are part of the Maastrichtian-Danian Malargüe Group, which was previously only known from its exposures in the extra-Andean area, representing foreland basin deposits. The presence of stromatolites, oncoids, serpulids, bivalves and gastropods as well as silicified stems of macrophytes indicates a shallow marine, partially brackish environment associated with non-marine deposits. These strata are interfingered with and overlie distal tuffs and proximal pyroclastic flows, whose geochemical characteristics point to a magmatic arc source. SHRIMP U-Pb dating of volcanic zircons of these tuffs yielded an age of 64.3 ± 0.9 Ma that confirms the correlation to the Maastrichtian-Paleocene marine transgression from the Atlantic Ocean. The change in the paleoslope of the basin from Pacific Ocean transgressions to this Atlantic transgression is related to the uplift and deformation of the Agrio fold-and-thrust belt. The Pichaihue Limestone is unconformably deposited on volcanic agglomerates which in turn unconformably overlie Early Cretaceous deposits. Based on these data, it is confirmed that the Cretaceous uplift of the Andes was episodic at these latitudes, with a first pulse in the Cenomanian and a second one in pre-Maastrichtian times. The episodic uplift is also related to an eastward migration of the thrust front and the volcanic arc, related to a previously proposed shallowing of the subduction zone. These episodes were controlled by the Western Gondwana break-up and the beginning of absolute motion of South America toward the west.
The U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses of the different sedimentary sequences of the Ventania Syste... more The U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses of the different sedimentary sequences of the Ventania System, an old Paleozoic orogenic belt exposed in the southern region of the Río de la Plata Craton in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, provide new evidence for the understanding of the tectonic evolution of the western sector of the Gondwanides mountain belt. These ranges formed as result of the late Paleozoic collision of the Patagonia terrane against the continental margin of Gondwana. The provenance analysis together with the sedimentary paleocurrents confirm a dominant source from the Tandilia System, a Paleoproterozoic mountain belt formed during the amalgamation of the Río de la Plata Craton at about 1,800-2,200 Ma, and incorporated to Western Gondwana during the Brasiliano Orogeny at 550-530 Ma. The local dominant source at the base of the early Paleozoic changed to more distant supplies toward the top of the sequences, when is recorded an increasing participation of detritus from first, Cambrian (560-520 Ma) zircons from the Pampean Orogen, and later on Ordovician (480-460 Ma) zircons from the Famatinian Orogen. The detrital zircon patterns and the maximum age of the units shed light on some previous discrepancies in the early Paleozoic stratigraphy. The Balcarce Formation, an early Paleozoic sedimentary cover of the Tandilia metamorphic and igneous basement, shows striking differences when compared with the new data from the Ventania System. The two data-sets reveal different sources for the two regions. The late Paleozoic foreland basin deposits mark an abrupt change of 180º in the paleocurrent directions, in the petrographic composition of the sediments, and in the provenance of detrital zircons. These data indicate a southern provenance with the first evidence of Carboniferous and Permian magmatic zircons. The oldest Archean zircons together with the finding of clasts with archeocyathids support the provenance from Patagonia, which was derived from Eastern Gondwana. The U-Pb ages of the ash-fall tuffs in the Tunas Formation confirm the Early Permian age of the Eurydesma
Volcanic rocks in southern Uruguay are linked to an extensional tectonic regime related to the po... more Volcanic rocks in southern Uruguay are linked to an extensional tectonic regime related to the postcollisional Brasiliano-Pan African orogenic cycle. The ca 580 Ma magmatic event is recorded in the Playa Hermosa Formation. In the upper section of this formation several units were defined. The basal unit is a quartz-syenite brecciated deposit, interpreted as the result of explosive episodes of shallow plutonic quartzsyenite intrusion with signs of hydrothermal alteration. Sedimentary and basaltic lithoclasts are occasionally present in the breccia, implying the emplacement of basalts before of that magmatic event. The middle unit is composed of trachytic hyaloclastites. Local distribution and textural evidence indicate that trachytic volcanic pulses have been followed by an explosive event that produced brecciated deposits. The upper unit of the studied sequence is composed of basalts with thin sedimentary intercalations. Most of the outcropping basalts display the typical micro-and macro-features of hyaloclastites; distinctive of extrusions occurred in wet sediments previous to lithification. Basaltic feeder dikes are common in the lower unit. The study of flow structures in the quartz-syenite brecciated deposits led to the recognition of two basaltic inputs. Such differences are related to the intensity of chloritic alteration, which would be related to water contamination. Basaltic peperites are one of the most impressive features of the Playa Hermosa Formation. Hyaloclastites and peperites largely represented among the studied volcanic rocks, and devitrification textures are all evidences of magma/seawater interactions. In the basaltic fragments of the peperites well preserved orange palagonite appears, while the sandstone fractions have lithic clasts of felsic volcanic rocks, such as rhyolitic lavas with perlitic cracks and lithophysae-like structures. Palagonite chemical analyses suggest marine environment and, at the same time, it proves that the studied section lacks of regional metamorphism. The felsic volcanic lithoclasts contained in sandstones could be related to the felsic volcanic lobes intercalations. The studied magmatic event is important in order to formulate correlations with other Neoproterozoic units distributed around the Dom Feliciano belt, like Camaquã and Campo Alegre basins (Brazil), and in the Kaoko belt (NW Namibia) in Africa. Also, Playa Hermosa Formation presents glacigenic features that are well documented, and reinforce the volcanism around 580 Ma in the Rio de la Plata Craton.
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2008
Neoproterozoic glacial successions have been described in South America, but the glacial deposits... more Neoproterozoic glacial successions have been described in South America, but the glacial deposits of the Río de la Plata Craton have been neglected in previous studies addressing the global distribution of glacially influenced successions. The Río de la Plata Craton contains Neoproterozoic glacial deposits in the Sierra del Volcán Formation (Tandilia System, Argentina), glacial influenced deposits in the Playa Hermosa and Zanja del Tigre formations (Dom Feliciano Belt, Uruguay) and suspected glacially influenced deposits in Passo da Areia (São Gabriel block, Brazil). The Tandilia System glacial record includes diamictites, dropstones and rhythmites deposited in glaciomarine conditions in a tectonically stable depositional setting. The Dom Feliciano Belt includes a thin section with ice-rafted clasts in carbonates and a thicker section containing diamictites, rhythmites, outsized clasts and deformed beds in a volcano-sedimentary succession. The São Gabriel block occurrence deserves m...
The Playa Hermosa Formation (Fm.) (Playa Verde Basin) is a volcano-sedimentary unit that crops ou... more The Playa Hermosa Formation (Fm.) (Playa Verde Basin) is a volcano-sedimentary unit that crops out in the extreme south of the Dom Feliciano Belt in Uruguay. This formation has traditionally been interpreted as non-glacial in origin, but recently it has been suggested that the lower part at least may be glacially influenced. The stratigraphic position of the Playa Hermosa Fm. and its correlation with other Neoproterozoic units of Uruguay, Argentina and southern Brazil remains in dispute. An age ofc.580 Ma is indicated by a hornblende39Ar/40Ar age on magmatism regarded as coeval with syn-sedimentary volcanism. Preliminary palaeomagnetic data suggest a primary remanence and a mean geomagnetic pole consistent with the proposed apparent polar wander path for the Río de La Plata craton. In combination, these data suggest mid-Ediacaran glacial sedimentation in low to intermediate latitudes on the Río de la Plata craton. However, this conclusion needs to be reinforced by more thorough stud...
The discovery of marine to brackish and fresh-water carbonates in the inner Agrio fold-and-thrust... more The discovery of marine to brackish and fresh-water carbonates in the inner Agrio fold-and-thrust belt at Pichaihue, Neuquén, Argentina, located to the west of the Andean orogenic front, imposes important constraints on the paleogeography of the first Atlantic transgression in the Neuquén Basin related to the break-up of Western Gondwana. The constraints on the timing and areal extent of these deposits shed light on the early uplift history of the southern Andes. These limestones are part of the Maastrichtian-Danian Malargüe Group, which was previously only known from its exposures in the extra-Andean area, representing foreland basin deposits. The presence of stromatolites, oncoids, serpulids, bivalves and gastropods as well as silicified stems of macrophytes indicates a shallow marine, partially brackish environment associated with non-marine deposits. These strata are interfingered with and overlie distal tuffs and proximal pyroclastic flows, whose geochemical characteristics point to a magmatic arc source. SHRIMP U-Pb dating of volcanic zircons of these tuffs yielded an age of 64.3 ± 0.9 Ma that confirms the correlation to the Maastrichtian-Paleocene marine transgression from the Atlantic Ocean. The change in the paleoslope of the basin from Pacific Ocean transgressions to this Atlantic transgression is related to the uplift and deformation of the Agrio fold-and-thrust belt. The Pichaihue Limestone is unconformably deposited on volcanic agglomerates which in turn unconformably overlie Early Cretaceous deposits. Based on these data, it is confirmed that the Cretaceous uplift of the Andes was episodic at these latitudes, with a first pulse in the Cenomanian and a second one in pre-Maastrichtian times. The episodic uplift is also related to an eastward migration of the thrust front and the volcanic arc, related to a previously proposed shallowing of the subduction zone. These episodes were controlled by the Western Gondwana break-up and the beginning of absolute motion of South America toward the west.
This paper reports the first ichnologic investigation in the San Rafael Basin, carried out in the... more This paper reports the first ichnologic investigation in the San Rafael Basin, carried out in the glacial to postglacial transition, recorded in the El Imperial Formation at the Rio Atuel canyon. Following previous published stratigraphic schemes, three units were recognized in the field, but the upper one is ichnologically sterile and not studied in this paper. The lower unit shows evidence of glacial influence but lacks marine indicators and was deposited in a shallow paleovalley. Almost exclusively, the ichnofossils include locomotion traces produced by arthropods (Diplichnites and Diplopodichnus) or molluscs (Archaeonassa). Palynomorphs are terrestrial and show evidence of intense transport and deterioration. The middle unit contains a more varied range of ethologic categories: pascichnia (e.g., Mermia, Gordia, Cochlichnus), repichnia (e.g., Paganzichnus, Diplopodichnus, Didymaulichnus, Diplichnites, Undichna), and fodinichnia (e.g., Treptichnus) documented in transgressive deposits that record the glacial retreat and early postglacial interval. Many previous detailed studies carried out in contemporary successions of the basins of western Argentina have been the object of intense debate about the marine or nonmarine nature of these successions. In the middle unit, ichnofossils occur together with palynomorphs that show degradation and pyritization and contain scarce acritarchs suggesting brackish-water rather than fresh-water conditions in a fjord depositional system. Sediment-Organism Interactions: A Multifaceted Ichnology SEPM Special Publication No. 88,
Silurian-Devonian deposits of central western Argentina contain one of the most diverse Palaeozoi... more Silurian-Devonian deposits of central western Argentina contain one of the most diverse Palaeozoic records of Nereites in Gondwana. Nereites cf. cambrensis, Nereites irregularis?, Nereites jacksoni, Nereites macleayii, Nereites missouriensis and Nereites pugnus are documented in a turbidite-like succession of the San Rafael Block (Río Seco de los Castaños Formation). The succession, historically assumed as deep-sea deposits or interpreted as a deltaic system, also contains abundant microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) such as wrinkle marks. Glossy surfaces indicate abundant biofilms, where the fossil record comprises N. macleayii, N. missouriensis, scarce arthropod trackways (Diplichnites?) and undermat-miner structures. Nereites, the pioneer colonizer, is in some cases cross-cut by Dictyodora, while undermat miners are the late bioturbators. The succession is dominated by gravity flow deposits, including storm related, turbidite-like deposits and abundant wrinkle marks. These suggest deposition on the shelf rather than the deep sea. This study shows that microbial mats were not restricted to marginal marine environments during the mid Palaeozoic, and documents one of the most diverse Palaeozoic records of Nereites in western Gondwana. It also contributes to the record of Nereites, Dictyodora, and Zoophycos found, for first time, in association with microbial mat structures in the late Silurian−earliest Devonian, the Nereites ichnofacies together with abundant wrinkle marks.
The association of trace fossils from the Late Silurian Río Seco de los Castaños Formation in cen... more The association of trace fossils from the Late Silurian Río Seco de los Castaños Formation in central-western Argentina (San Rafael Block) is mainly composed of Dictyodora, including D. scotica, D. tenuis and a new ichnospecies named D. atuelica. The latter shows a tendency to migrate to a deeper levelanalogous to D. liebeana'swhich reflects more sophisticated behavioural patterns. The Dictyodora ichnospecies (one of the most diverse assemblages in Gondwana) coexists with Nereites. SEM observations and EDS analyses suggest that the wall structure of Dictyodora could be the result of an activity other than the traditional suggestion of respiration, e.g., feeding. The succession, including some of the levels containing Dictyodora, presents microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) that would indicate a photic zone. This discovery favours previous deltaic interpretations instead of the deep-sea fan deposits traditionally suggested for the Siluro-Devonian greywackes of the Cuyania terrane, and particularly for this unit. The abundant Dictyodora, Nereites, Zoophycos and undermat miners ichnofossils, as well as the scarce arthropod trackways, resemble older records in Europe and North America. The studied section is very well ageconstrained, and the autochthonous Gondwana ichnofauna permits to cast doubt on previous interpretations, suggesting that after the Ordovician, microbial mats retreated to marginal marine environments and then spread later in the Carboniferous. More importantly, the occurrence of Dictyodora and Nereites in beds that bear abundant wrinkle structures or records of biofilms in some places is challenging with regard to deep-sea interpretations. Dictyodora is probably not a good stratigraphic indicator, and the provincialism suggested for this ichnogenus may be an artefact of the lack of more complete records in Gondwana.
La composición y textura de las epiclastitas y la micromorfología de los paleosuelos de la Formac... more La composición y textura de las epiclastitas y la micromorfología de los paleosuelos de la Formación Mercedes, aflorante en el oeste y sur de Uruguay, permitieron determinar áreas de procedencia, marco tectónico de las zonas de aporte, procesos diagenéticos y variaciones paleoclimáticas en el Cretácico Superior de la cuenca de Paraná. La composición de las epiclastitas define dos sectores de distinta procedencia, con límite transicional; en el norte dominan clastos de la Formación Arapey (volcanitas), con menor aporte de la Formación Guichón (areniscas) y del basamento precámbrico (metamorfitas y plutonitas). En el centro-sur dominan los últimos, son escasos los de la Formación Arapey y no hay participación de la Formación Guichón. El marco tectónico del área de aporte es cratónico, variando entre interior cratónico y continental transicional. El predominio de granos estables sobre metaestables e inestables, indica que las epiclastitas se depositaron bajo un clima cálido y húmedo. El aumento de clastos metaestables alterados en la zona centro-sur, sugiere mayor proximidad al área fuente. Los procesos diagenéticos no han actuado uniformemente, por lo que la porosidad de las rocas es variable, con predominio de la de tipo secundario por disolución. Los más importantes son: iluviación de arcillas y óxidos de hierro, recristalización y neoformación de arcillas, precipitación de carbonato de calcio, sílice y disolución. En el tope de la unidad se desarrollan paleosuelos, vinculados a la colmatación de la cuenca y a estabilidad tectónica, que permiten inferir un cambio climático, ya que la presencia de palygorskita y de arcillas iluviales indican clima cálido subárido, pero con marcados cambios estacionales de humedad.
A sedimentary succession included in the lower section of the Playa Hermosa Formation from the Pl... more A sedimentary succession included in the lower section of the Playa Hermosa Formation from the Playa Verde Basin, Uruguay, is described. Two facies associations, one mainly coarse-to medium-grained and other one fine-grained, have been defined (FA 1-11). In the first one, breccias, conglomerates, sandstones and minor mudstones were deposited in a subaqueous depositional setting (proximal) suggesting slope instability and resedimentation processes. The second one contains diamictites, rhythmites, sandstones and mudstones and presents abundant evidence of soft-deformation, also interpreted to be deposited in a subaqueous environment (distal). Dropstones, clast layers, diamictites, rhythmites and varve-like deposits are interpreted as ice rafting processes generated during a glacial episode. This glacial-related succession constitutes the first record from the Varanger glaciation at the Rio de la Plata Craton of the late Neoproterozoic age and also represents one of the oldest sedimentary records after the collision of the Rio de la Plata and Kalahari Cratons. A combined interaction of extensional faulting and glaciation in a tectonically active basin with locally high subsidence rates, resulted in high rates of sedimentation and resedimentation processes. As a whole, the sedimentary succession sets a relevant datum to be used in future paleogeographic reconstructions of the Vendian glacial record in southern South America.
The discovery of marine to brackish and freshwater carbonates in the inner Agrio fold-and-thrust ... more The discovery of marine to brackish and freshwater carbonates in the inner Agrio fold-and-thrust belt at Pichaihue, Neuquén, Argentina, located to the west of the Andean orogenic front, imposes important constraints on the paleogeography of the first Atlantic transgression in the Neuquén Basin related to the break-up of Western Gondwana. The constraints on the timing and areal extent of these deposits shed light on the early uplift history of the southern Andes. These limestones are part of the Maastrichtian-Danian Malargüe Group, which was previously only known from its exposures in the extra-Andean area, representing foreland basin deposits. The presence of stromatolites, oncoids, serpulids, bivalves and gastropods as well as silicified stems of macrophytes indicates a shallow marine, partially brackish environment associated with non-marine deposits. These strata are interfingered with and overlie distal tuffs and proximal pyroclastic flows, whose geochemical characteristics point to a magmatic arc source. SHRIMP U-Pb dating of volcanic zircons of these tuffs yielded an age of 64.3 ± 0.9 Ma that confirms the correlation to the Maastrichtian-Paleocene marine transgression from the Atlantic Ocean. The change in the paleoslope of the basin from Pacific Ocean transgressions to this Atlantic transgression is related to the uplift and deformation of the Agrio fold-and-thrust belt. The Pichaihue Limestone is unconformably deposited on volcanic agglomerates which in turn unconformably overlie Early Cretaceous deposits. Based on these data, it is confirmed that the Cretaceous uplift of the Andes was episodic at these latitudes, with a first pulse in the Cenomanian and a second one in pre-Maastrichtian times. The episodic uplift is also related to an eastward migration of the thrust front and the volcanic arc, related to a previously proposed shallowing of the subduction zone. These episodes were controlled by the Western Gondwana break-up and the beginning of absolute motion of South America toward the west.
The U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses of the different sedimentary sequences of the Ventania Syste... more The U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses of the different sedimentary sequences of the Ventania System, an old Paleozoic orogenic belt exposed in the southern region of the Río de la Plata Craton in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, provide new evidence for the understanding of the tectonic evolution of the western sector of the Gondwanides mountain belt. These ranges formed as result of the late Paleozoic collision of the Patagonia terrane against the continental margin of Gondwana. The provenance analysis together with the sedimentary paleocurrents confirm a dominant source from the Tandilia System, a Paleoproterozoic mountain belt formed during the amalgamation of the Río de la Plata Craton at about 1,800-2,200 Ma, and incorporated to Western Gondwana during the Brasiliano Orogeny at 550-530 Ma. The local dominant source at the base of the early Paleozoic changed to more distant supplies toward the top of the sequences, when is recorded an increasing participation of detritus from first, Cambrian (560-520 Ma) zircons from the Pampean Orogen, and later on Ordovician (480-460 Ma) zircons from the Famatinian Orogen. The detrital zircon patterns and the maximum age of the units shed light on some previous discrepancies in the early Paleozoic stratigraphy. The Balcarce Formation, an early Paleozoic sedimentary cover of the Tandilia metamorphic and igneous basement, shows striking differences when compared with the new data from the Ventania System. The two data-sets reveal different sources for the two regions. The late Paleozoic foreland basin deposits mark an abrupt change of 180º in the paleocurrent directions, in the petrographic composition of the sediments, and in the provenance of detrital zircons. These data indicate a southern provenance with the first evidence of Carboniferous and Permian magmatic zircons. The oldest Archean zircons together with the finding of clasts with archeocyathids support the provenance from Patagonia, which was derived from Eastern Gondwana. The U-Pb ages of the ash-fall tuffs in the Tunas Formation confirm the Early Permian age of the Eurydesma
Volcanic rocks in southern Uruguay are linked to an extensional tectonic regime related to the po... more Volcanic rocks in southern Uruguay are linked to an extensional tectonic regime related to the postcollisional Brasiliano-Pan African orogenic cycle. The ca 580 Ma magmatic event is recorded in the Playa Hermosa Formation. In the upper section of this formation several units were defined. The basal unit is a quartz-syenite brecciated deposit, interpreted as the result of explosive episodes of shallow plutonic quartzsyenite intrusion with signs of hydrothermal alteration. Sedimentary and basaltic lithoclasts are occasionally present in the breccia, implying the emplacement of basalts before of that magmatic event. The middle unit is composed of trachytic hyaloclastites. Local distribution and textural evidence indicate that trachytic volcanic pulses have been followed by an explosive event that produced brecciated deposits. The upper unit of the studied sequence is composed of basalts with thin sedimentary intercalations. Most of the outcropping basalts display the typical micro-and macro-features of hyaloclastites; distinctive of extrusions occurred in wet sediments previous to lithification. Basaltic feeder dikes are common in the lower unit. The study of flow structures in the quartz-syenite brecciated deposits led to the recognition of two basaltic inputs. Such differences are related to the intensity of chloritic alteration, which would be related to water contamination. Basaltic peperites are one of the most impressive features of the Playa Hermosa Formation. Hyaloclastites and peperites largely represented among the studied volcanic rocks, and devitrification textures are all evidences of magma/seawater interactions. In the basaltic fragments of the peperites well preserved orange palagonite appears, while the sandstone fractions have lithic clasts of felsic volcanic rocks, such as rhyolitic lavas with perlitic cracks and lithophysae-like structures. Palagonite chemical analyses suggest marine environment and, at the same time, it proves that the studied section lacks of regional metamorphism. The felsic volcanic lithoclasts contained in sandstones could be related to the felsic volcanic lobes intercalations. The studied magmatic event is important in order to formulate correlations with other Neoproterozoic units distributed around the Dom Feliciano belt, like Camaquã and Campo Alegre basins (Brazil), and in the Kaoko belt (NW Namibia) in Africa. Also, Playa Hermosa Formation presents glacigenic features that are well documented, and reinforce the volcanism around 580 Ma in the Rio de la Plata Craton.
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2008
Neoproterozoic glacial successions have been described in South America, but the glacial deposits... more Neoproterozoic glacial successions have been described in South America, but the glacial deposits of the Río de la Plata Craton have been neglected in previous studies addressing the global distribution of glacially influenced successions. The Río de la Plata Craton contains Neoproterozoic glacial deposits in the Sierra del Volcán Formation (Tandilia System, Argentina), glacial influenced deposits in the Playa Hermosa and Zanja del Tigre formations (Dom Feliciano Belt, Uruguay) and suspected glacially influenced deposits in Passo da Areia (São Gabriel block, Brazil). The Tandilia System glacial record includes diamictites, dropstones and rhythmites deposited in glaciomarine conditions in a tectonically stable depositional setting. The Dom Feliciano Belt includes a thin section with ice-rafted clasts in carbonates and a thicker section containing diamictites, rhythmites, outsized clasts and deformed beds in a volcano-sedimentary succession. The São Gabriel block occurrence deserves m...
The Playa Hermosa Formation (Fm.) (Playa Verde Basin) is a volcano-sedimentary unit that crops ou... more The Playa Hermosa Formation (Fm.) (Playa Verde Basin) is a volcano-sedimentary unit that crops out in the extreme south of the Dom Feliciano Belt in Uruguay. This formation has traditionally been interpreted as non-glacial in origin, but recently it has been suggested that the lower part at least may be glacially influenced. The stratigraphic position of the Playa Hermosa Fm. and its correlation with other Neoproterozoic units of Uruguay, Argentina and southern Brazil remains in dispute. An age ofc.580 Ma is indicated by a hornblende39Ar/40Ar age on magmatism regarded as coeval with syn-sedimentary volcanism. Preliminary palaeomagnetic data suggest a primary remanence and a mean geomagnetic pole consistent with the proposed apparent polar wander path for the Río de La Plata craton. In combination, these data suggest mid-Ediacaran glacial sedimentation in low to intermediate latitudes on the Río de la Plata craton. However, this conclusion needs to be reinforced by more thorough stud...
The discovery of marine to brackish and fresh-water carbonates in the inner Agrio fold-and-thrust... more The discovery of marine to brackish and fresh-water carbonates in the inner Agrio fold-and-thrust belt at Pichaihue, Neuquén, Argentina, located to the west of the Andean orogenic front, imposes important constraints on the paleogeography of the first Atlantic transgression in the Neuquén Basin related to the break-up of Western Gondwana. The constraints on the timing and areal extent of these deposits shed light on the early uplift history of the southern Andes. These limestones are part of the Maastrichtian-Danian Malargüe Group, which was previously only known from its exposures in the extra-Andean area, representing foreland basin deposits. The presence of stromatolites, oncoids, serpulids, bivalves and gastropods as well as silicified stems of macrophytes indicates a shallow marine, partially brackish environment associated with non-marine deposits. These strata are interfingered with and overlie distal tuffs and proximal pyroclastic flows, whose geochemical characteristics point to a magmatic arc source. SHRIMP U-Pb dating of volcanic zircons of these tuffs yielded an age of 64.3 ± 0.9 Ma that confirms the correlation to the Maastrichtian-Paleocene marine transgression from the Atlantic Ocean. The change in the paleoslope of the basin from Pacific Ocean transgressions to this Atlantic transgression is related to the uplift and deformation of the Agrio fold-and-thrust belt. The Pichaihue Limestone is unconformably deposited on volcanic agglomerates which in turn unconformably overlie Early Cretaceous deposits. Based on these data, it is confirmed that the Cretaceous uplift of the Andes was episodic at these latitudes, with a first pulse in the Cenomanian and a second one in pre-Maastrichtian times. The episodic uplift is also related to an eastward migration of the thrust front and the volcanic arc, related to a previously proposed shallowing of the subduction zone. These episodes were controlled by the Western Gondwana break-up and the beginning of absolute motion of South America toward the west.
This paper reports the first ichnologic investigation in the San Rafael Basin, carried out in the... more This paper reports the first ichnologic investigation in the San Rafael Basin, carried out in the glacial to postglacial transition, recorded in the El Imperial Formation at the Rio Atuel canyon. Following previous published stratigraphic schemes, three units were recognized in the field, but the upper one is ichnologically sterile and not studied in this paper. The lower unit shows evidence of glacial influence but lacks marine indicators and was deposited in a shallow paleovalley. Almost exclusively, the ichnofossils include locomotion traces produced by arthropods (Diplichnites and Diplopodichnus) or molluscs (Archaeonassa). Palynomorphs are terrestrial and show evidence of intense transport and deterioration. The middle unit contains a more varied range of ethologic categories: pascichnia (e.g., Mermia, Gordia, Cochlichnus), repichnia (e.g., Paganzichnus, Diplopodichnus, Didymaulichnus, Diplichnites, Undichna), and fodinichnia (e.g., Treptichnus) documented in transgressive deposits that record the glacial retreat and early postglacial interval. Many previous detailed studies carried out in contemporary successions of the basins of western Argentina have been the object of intense debate about the marine or nonmarine nature of these successions. In the middle unit, ichnofossils occur together with palynomorphs that show degradation and pyritization and contain scarce acritarchs suggesting brackish-water rather than fresh-water conditions in a fjord depositional system. Sediment-Organism Interactions: A Multifaceted Ichnology SEPM Special Publication No. 88,
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