Abstract
The pre-Carboniferous evolution of the San Rafael Block is described in different stages. The first one is referred to the Mesoproterozoic basement derived from a complex plutonic and volcanic protolith of Cerro La Ventana Formation. The signature of this basement indicates a common origin with the present eastern part of Laurentia. The carbonate platform of Cuyania terrane has been drifted away during Early Cambrian to Early Ordovician times. The Ordovician silico-carbonate sequences of the San Rafael Block are unconformably deposited over the basement near the present eastern slope of the Cuyania terrane. Detrital zircon ages show a provenance derived from Mesoproterozoic source. The El Nihuil dolerites with a tholeiitic ocean floor signature considered the southern end of the Famatinian ophiolites were interpreted as a Late Ordovician–Early Silurian extensional event. The collision of Cuyania produced a new west polarity subduction and a magmatic arc, represented by the Devonian Rodeo de la Bordalesa tonalite and the granitoids of the “Agua Escondida Mining District”. The Late Silurian–Early Devonian sequences of La Horqueta and Río Seco de los Castaños formations were deformed during the collision and accretion of the Chilenia terrane against the proto-Andean margin, and recorded an east vergent cleavage developed on the previous deformed rocks. This collision produced the strong angular unconformity between the La Horqueta/Río Seco de los Castaños Formations and the El Imperial Formation (Upper Paleozoic). The new subduction with east polarity characterized the beginning of the Gondwanian cycle. The new magmatic arc was interrupted by the intense Lower Permian deformation of the San Rafael tectonic phase.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abbruzzi JM, Kay SM, Bickford ME (1993) Implications for the nature of the Precordilleran basement from the geochemistry and age of Precambrian xenoliths in Miocene volcanic rocks, San Juan province. XII Congreso Geológico Argentino, Actas 3:331–339
Abre P, Cingolani CA, Zimmermann U, Cairncross B (2009) Detrital chromian spinels from Upper Ordovician deposits in the Precordillera terrane, Argentina: a mafic crust input. J S Am Earth Sci 28:407–418
Abre P, Cingolani CA, Zimmermann U, Cairncross B, Chemale F Jr (2011) Provenance of Ordovician clastic sequences of the San Rafael Block (Central Argentina), with emphasis on the Ponón Trehué formation. Gondwana Res 19(1):275–290
Abre P, Cingolani C, Cairncross B, F Chemale Jr (2012) Siliciclastic Ordovician to Silurian units of the Argentine Precordillera: constraints on provenance and tectonic setting in the proto-Andean margin of Gondwana. J S Am Earth Sci 40:1–22
Abre P, Cingolani CA, Uriz NJ, Siccardi A (this volume) Sedimentary provenance analysis of the Ordovician Ponón Trehué Formation, San Rafael Block, Mendoza-Argentina. In: Cingolani C (ed) Pre-Carboniferous evolution of the San Rafael Block, Argentina. Implications in the SW Gondwana margin. Springer, Berlin
Astini RA, Thomas WA (1999) Origin and evolution of the Precordillera terrane of western Argentina: a drifted Laurentian orphan. In: Ramos VA, Keppie JD (eds) Laurentia-Gondwana connections before Pangea. Geol Soc Am Spec Paper 336:1–20
Astini R, Benedetto JL, Vaccari NE (1995) The early Paleozoic evolution of the Argentina Precordillera as a Laurentian rifted, drifted, and collided terrane: a geodynamic model. Geol Soc Am Bull 107:253–273
Bordonaro O (2003) Evolución paleoambiental y paleogeográfica de la cuenca cámbrica de la Precordillera argentina. Rev Asoc Geol Argentina 58(3):329–346 (Buenos Aires)
Borrello AV (1971) The Cambrian of the South America. In: Holland CH (ed) Cambrian of the new world. Lower Paleozoic rocks of the world 1, Wiley Interscience, New York, pp 385–438
Chernicoff CJ, Zappettini EO, Santos JOS, Beyer E, McNaughton NJ (2008) Foreland basin deposits associated with Cuyania terrane accretion in La Pampa province, Argentina. Gondwana Res 13(2):189–203
Chernicoff CJ, Zappettini EO, Santos JOS, Allchurch S, McNaughton NJ (2010) The southern segment of the Famatinian magmatic arc, La Pampa province, Argentina. Gondwana Res 17:662–675
Cingolani CA, Varela R (1999) The San Rafael block, Mendoza (Argentina): Rb–Sr isotopic age of basement rocks. II South American Symposium on Isotope Geology, SEGEMAR Anales, vol 24:23–26 (Córdoba)
Cingolani CA, Varela R (2008) The Rb–Sr low-grade metamorphism age of the Paleozoic Río Seco de los Castaños Formation, San Rafael block, Mendoza, Argentina. In: South American Symposium on Isotope Geology, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, pp 1–4
Cingolani CA, Llambías EJ, Ortiz LR (2000) Magmatismo básico pre-Carbónico del Nihuil, Bloque de San Rafael, Provincia de Mendoza, Argentina. IX Congr Geol Chileno, Puerto Varas 2:717–721
Cingolani CA, Manassero M, Abre P (2003a). Composition, provenance and tectonic setting of Ordovician siliciclastic rocks in the San Rafael Block: Southern extension of the Precordillera crustal fragment, Argentina. J South Am Ear Sci 16:91–106
Cingolani CA, Basei MAS, Llambías EJ, Varela R, Chemale JrF, Siga JrO, Abre P (2003b) The Rodeo Bordalesa Tonalite, San Rafael Block (Argentina): Geochemical and isotopic age constraints. 10° Congr Geol Chileno, Concepción, Octubre 2003. 10 p. Versión CD Rom
Cingolani CA, Llambías EJ, Basei MAS, Varela R, Chemale F Jr, Abre P (2005). Grenvillian and Famatinian-age igneous events in the San Rafael Block, Mendoza Province, Argentina: geochemical and isotopic constrains: In: Pankhurst RJ, Veiga GD (eds) Gondwna 12. Academia Nacional de Ciencias, Mendoza, p 103
Cingolani CA, Tickyj H, Chemale Jr F (2008) Procedencia sedimentaria de la Formación La Horqueta, Bloque de San Rafael, Mendoza (Argentina): primeras edades U–Pb en circones detríticos. XVII Congr Geol Argent, Actas, Tomo III, San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina, pp 998–999
Cingolani C, Uriz N, Marques J, Pimentel M (2012) The Mesoproterozoic U–Pb (LA-ICP-MS) age of the Loma Alta Gneissic rocks: basement remnant of the San Rafael Block, Cuyania Terrane, Argentina. In: Proceedings of 8° South American Symposium on Isotope Geology. CD-ROM version. Medellín, Colombia. Abstract, p. 140
Cingolani CA, Manassero MJ, Uriz NJ, Basei MAS (2014a). Provenance insights of the Silurian-Devonian Rio Seco de los Castaños unit, San Rafael Block, Mendoza: U–Pb zircon ages. XIV Congreso Geológico Argentino, CD-ROM, 2 p. Córdoba
Cingolani CA, Uriz NJ, Manassero MJ, Bassei MAS (2014b) La Formación Cerro Las Pacas al Sur del Cerro Nevado, Mendoza: Basamento Precámbrico o parte de la cuenca devónica de San Rafael? XIV Congreso Geológico Argentino, CD-ROM, S21–11, 2p. Córdoba
Criado Roqué P, Ibañez G (1979). Provincia geológica Sanrafaelino-Pampeana. In: Turner JC (ed) Segundo Simposio de Geología Regional Argentina. Academia Nacional de Ciencias, Córdoba, I:837–869
Cuerda AJ, Cingolani CA (1998) El Ordovícico de la región del Cerro Bola en el Bloque de San Rafael, Mendoza: Sus faunas graptolíticas. Ameghiniana 35(4):427–448
Dessanti R (1945) Informe geológico preliminar sobre la Sierra Pintada, Departamento San Rafael, provincia de Mendoza. Direcc Nac Geol y Min. Carpeta 28, Buenos Aires
Dessanti R (1956) Descripción geológica de la Hoja 27c, Cerro Diamante (provincia de Mendoza). Dirección Nacional de Minería, Boletín 85:1–79 (Buenos Aires)
González Díaz EF (1972) Descripción geológica de la Hoja 27d-San Rafael, provincia de Mendoza. Servicio Nacional Minero Geológico, Boletín 132:1–127 (Buenos Aires)
González Díaz EF (1981) Nuevos argumentos a favor del desdoblamiento de la denominada “Serie de la Horqueta”, del Bloque de San Rafael, provincia de Mendoza. Actas 8° Congreso Geológico Argentino 3:241–256 (San Luis)
Haller MJ, Ramos VA (1993) Las ofiolitas y otras rocas afines. In: Ramos VA (ed) Geología y Recursos Naturales de Mendoza, Relatorio 12° Congreso Geológico Argentino, pp. 31–39
Henry LC, Isbell JL, Limarino CO (2014) The late Paleozoic El imperial formation, western Argentina: glacial to post-glacial transition and stratigraphic correlations with arc-related basins in southwestern Gondwana. Gondwana Res 25(2014):1380–1395
Heredia S (2006) Revisión estratigráfica de la Formación Ponón Trehué (Ordovícico), Bloque de San Rafael, Mendoza. INSUGEO Serie Correlación Geológica 21:59–74
Heredia S, Mestre A (this volume) Ordovician conodont biostratigraphy of the Ponón-Trehué formation, San Rafael Block, Mendoza, Argentina
Holmberg E (1973) Descripción Geológica de la Hoja 29d, Cerro Nevado. Servicio Geológico-Minero Argentino, Boletín 144, Buenos Aires, pp 71
Keller M (1999) In: The Argentine Precordillera-sedimentary and plate tectonic history of a Laurentian crustal fragment in South America, vol 341. Geological Society of America, Special Publication, 239 p
Mahlburg Kay S, Orrell S, Abbruzzi JM (1996) Zircon and whole rock Nd–Pb isotopic evidence for a Grenville age and a Laurentian origin for the basement of the Precordillera in Argentina. J Geol 104:637–648
Manassero MJ, Cingolani CA, Abre P (2009) A Silurian-Devonian marine platform-deltaic system in the San Rafael Block, Argentine Precordillera-Cuyania terrane: lithofacies and provenance. In: Königshof P (ed) Devonian change: case studies in palaeogeography and palaeoecology, vol 314. Geological Socity of London (Special Publications), pp 215–240
Mescua JF, Naipauer M, Tapia F, Farias M, Giambiagi L, Ramos VA (2015) Edad U/Pb y correlaciones del Paleozoico de las nacientes del río Salado, y la ocurrencia de la fase Sanrafaélica en la Cordillera Principal de Mendoza. 16° Reunión de Tectónica, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Resúmenes: 48–49. General Roca
Mosher, S (1993) Exposed Proterozoic rocks of Texas (part of Proterozoic rocks east and southeast of the Grenville Front). In: Reed JC et al (eds) Precambrian: Counterminous U.S., vol C-2. Geological Socity of America, The Geology of North America, pp 366–378
Nelis MK, Mosher S, Carlson WD (1989) Grenville-age orogeny in the Llano uplift of central Texas: deformation and metamorphism of the Rough Ridge Formation. Geol Soc Am Bull 96:746–754
Nuñez E (1962) Sobre la presencia del Paleozoico inferior fosilífero en el Bloque de San Rafael. Primeras Jornadas Geológicas Argentinas, II:185–189 (Buenos Aires)
Nuñez E (1976) Descripción geológica de la Hoja 28-C “Nihuil”, Provincia de Mendoza. Servicio Geológico Nacional. Buenos Aires (unpublished report)
Nuñez E (1979) Descripción geológica de la Hoja 28d, Estación Soitué, Provincia de Mendoza. Servicio Geológico Nacional, Boletín 166:1–67
Pankhurst RJ, Rapela CW, Saavedra J, Baldo E, Dahlquist J, Pascua I (1998) The Famatinian magmatic arc in the central Sierras Pampeanas: an Early to Mid-Ordovician continental arc on the Gondwana margin. In: Pankhurst RJ, Rapela CW (eds) The proto-Andean margin of Gondwana, vol 142. Geological Society of London (Special Publications), pp 343–368
Ramos VA (2004) Cuyania, an exotic block to Gondwana: review of a historical success and the present problems. Gondwana Res 7:1009–1026
Ramos VA, Folguera, A (2009) Andean flat slab subduction through time. In: Murphy B (ed) Ancient orogens and modern analogues, vol 327. Geological Society (Special Publication), London, pp 31–54
Ramos VA, Jordan T, Allmendinger R, Mpodozis C, Kay S, Cortés J, Palma M (1986) Paleozoic terranes of the central Argentine-Chilean Andes. Tectonics 5:855–888
Ramos VA, Litvak V, Folguera A, Spagnuolo M (2014) An Andean tectonic cycle: from crustal thickening to extension in a thin crust (34°–37°SL). Geosci Front 5:351–367
Rapalini AE, Cingolani CA (2004) First Late Ordovician Paleomagnetic pole for the Cuyania (Precordillera) terrane of western Argentina: a microcontinent or a Laurentian plateau? Gondwana Res 7:1089–1104
Rapela CW, Pankhurst RJ, Casquet C, Baldo EG, Galindo C, Fanning CM, Dahlquist J (2010) The Western Sierras Pampeanas: protracted Grenville-age history (1330–1030 Ma) of intra-oceanic arcs, subduction-accretion at continental edge and AMCG intraplate magmatism. J S Am Earth Sci 29:105–127
Rocha Campos AC, Basei MAS, Nutman AP, Kleiman LE, Varela R, Llambías EJ, Canile FM, Da Rosa OCR (2011) 30 Million years of Permian volcanism recorded in the Choiyoi igneous province (W Argentina) and their source for younger ash fall deposits in the Paraná Basin: SHRIMP U–Pb zircon geochronology evidence. Gondwana Res 19(2011):509–523
Sato AM, Tickyj H, Llambías EJ, Sato K (2000) The Las Matras tonalitic-trondhjemitic pluton, Central Argentina: Grenvillian age constraints, geochemical characteristics, and regional implications. J South Am Earth Sci 13:587–610
Thomas WA, Astini RA (1999) Simple-shear conjugate rift margins of the Argentine Precordillera and the Ouachita embayment of Laurentia. Geol Soc Am Bull 111:1069–1079
Tickyj H, Cingolani CA (2000) Metamorfismo de muy bajo grado de la Formación La Horqueta (Proterozoico-Paleozoico Inferior), Bloque de San Rafael (Mendoza), Argentina. IX Congreso Geológico Chileno, Actas 2:539–544 (Pucón, Chile)
Tickyj H, Cingolani CA, Varela R, Chemale F Jr (2001) Rb–Sr ages from La Horqueta Formation, San Rafael Block, Argentina. In: III South American Symposium on Isotope Geology. Extended Abstracts, pp 628–631. Pucón. Chile
Tickyj H, Tomezzoli RN, Basei MA, Fernández MA, Blatter JM, Rodriguez N, Gallo LC (2015) Geología de la Formación Piedras de Afilar, basamento granítico del Distrito Minero Agua Escondida, Mendoza. III Simposio Petrología y Metalogénesis Asociada, General Roca, Río Negro, Abstract. 2p
Tickyj H, Cingolani CA, Varela R, Chemale F Jr (this volume) Low-grade metamorphic conditions and isotopic age constraints of the La Horqueta pre-Carboniferous sequence, Argentinian San Rafael Block. In: Cingolani C (ed) Pre-Carboniferous evolution of the San Rafael Block, Argentina. Implications in the SW Gondwana margin. Springer, Berlin
Varela R, Basei MAS, González PD, Sato AM, Naipauer M, Campos Neto M, Cingolani CA, Meira VT (2011) Accretion of Grenvillian terranes to the southwestern border of the Río de la Plata craton, western Argentina. Int J Ear Sci 100:243–272
Walker N (1992) Middle Proterozoic geologic evolution of El Llano uplift, Texas: evidence form U-Pb zircon geochronometry. Geol Soc Am Bull 104:494–504
Willner AP, Gerdes A, Massonne HJ (2008) History of crustal growth and recycling at the Pacific convergent margin of South America at latitudes 29°–36°S revealed by a U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotope study of detrital zircon from late Paleozoic accretionary systems. Chem Geol 253:114–129
Willner AP, Gerdes A, Massonne HJ, Schmidt A, Sudo M, Thomson SN, Vujovich G (2011) The geodynamics of collision of a microplate (Chilenia) in Devonian times deduced by the pressure-temperature-time evolution within part of a collisional belt (Guarguaraz Complex, W-Argentina). Contrib Miner Petrol 162(2):303–327
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by CONICET (grants PIPs 647, 199 and International Cooperation CONICET-FAPESP). We are grateful to Mario Campaña and Norberto Uriz for drafting the figures. We thank to P. Farias and J. García-Sansegundo (University of Oviedo, Spain) for comments and field discussions.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Cingolani, C.A., Ramos, V.A. (2017). Pre-Carboniferous Tectonic Evolution of the San Rafael Block, Mendoza Province. In: Cingolani, C. (eds) Pre-carboniferous Evolution of the San Rafael Block, Argentina. Springer Earth System Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50153-6_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50153-6_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-50151-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-50153-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)