The Neuquén Basin: an overview

Howell, John; Schwarz, Ernesto; Spalletti, Luis Antonio; Veiga, Gonzalo Diego

doi:10.1144/gsl.sp.2005.252.01.01

Cited by 225 publications

(200 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…It covers an area of over 120,000 km 2 and comprises a nearly continuous record of up to 6,000 m of stratigraphic thickness from the Late Triassic to Early Cenozoic (Schwarz, 2012). This sedimentary record includes continental and marine siliciclastics, carbonates and evaporites accumulated under a variety of basin styles, including syn-rift, postrift/sag and foreland phases (Legarreta and Uliana, 1991;Howell et al, 2005). The triangular-shaped basin (Fig.…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bone microstructure and diagenesis of saurischian dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous (Neuquén Group), Argentina

Previtera

2017

andgeo

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ABSTRACT. The Neuquén Basin in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina, holds the most important record of Cretaceous dinosaurs in South America.The Neuquén Group (Upper Cretaceous) is the richest dinosaur-bearing unit of the basin. It comprises the Río Limay, the Río Neuquén and the Río Colorado subgroups. In this study, dinosaur remains from the Río Neuquén and the Río Colorado subgroups outcropping in Mendoza are examined. In this group, isolated, disarticulated or partially articulated sauropods and theropods are abundant. However, little is known about the diagenetic history of fossil assemblages. In southern Mendoza, three fossiliferous sites were found in the areas of Paso de las Bardas (Quebrada Norte) and Cerro Guillermo (CG1, CG2). This study aims to add to the knowledge of diagenetic processes involving dinosaur remains from the Neuquén Group, as well as their relation to the depositional environment. Histologic features and diagenetic processes of dinosaur bones were analyzed through thin sections in order to interpret the degree of taphonomic alteration. The fossil-diagenetic processes inferred include substitution, fracturing, plastic deformation and different permineralization events. Combined analyses through X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and petrographic studies reveal the substitution of hydroxyapatite by francolite. The presence of fluorine -in one of the cases-suggests a link between the elemental composition and depositional environments: floodplain and fluvial channel. Permineralization stages include infilling of vascular canals, trabeculae and fractures with iron oxides and iron carbonate minerals during the burial history. This contribution represents an integral approach to the study of Cretaceous dinosaurs for assessing the diagenetic changes in the bone microstructure and the differential preservation of fossil remains in fluvial environments.

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Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bone microstructure and diagenesis of saurischian dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous (Neuquén Group), Argentina

Previtera

2017

andgeo

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“…Estas evidencias sugieren que durante la etapa de subsidencia termal jurásico-cretácica (e.g., Legarreta y Uliana, 1991;Howell et al, 2005;Ramos y Folguera, 2005;Ramos, 2010) existieron controles tectónicos sobre la evolución de las sucesiones sedimentarias. En este sentido, la facies de brechas intraclásticas que aparece en la base de la Formación Vaca Muerta se relaciona probablemente con la actividad sísmica del margen andino, antes que con factores autocíclicos del propio sistema depositacional.…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

Sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Vaca Muerta Formation in the Cerro Domuyo area, Northern Neuquén, Argentina.

Kietzmann

Vennari

2013

andgeo

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RESUMEN. Los depósitos de la Formación Vaca Muerta en el área del cerro Domuyo muestran una interesante intercalación de depósitos con paleocorrientes opuestas. La unidad está representada por facies de cuenca y rampa externa con dirección de progradación hacia el oeste. Sin embargo, en su parte media se intercalan depósitos de talud, con desarrollo de deslizamientos sinsedimentarios hacia el NE, que pueden asignarse al Miembro Huncal. Este intervalo se compone de facies carbonáticas que probablemente se asocien con el desarrollo de un talud relacionado con una plataforma carbonática o una rampa distalmente profundizada. A partir de la fauna de amonites reconocida, la Formación Vaca Muerta se extiende desde el Tithoniano temprano hasta el Berriasiano tardío, aunque podría alcanzar el Valanginiano temprano. El Miembro Huncal contiene representantes de la Biozona de Substeueroceras koeneni (Tithoniano tardío), por lo que su edad sería más antigua que la propuesta en la localidad tipo y permitiría su correlación con las unidades aflorantes en el territorio chileno. ABSTRACT. Sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Vaca Muerta Formation in the Cerro Domuyo area, Northern Neuquén, Argentina. The Vaca Muerta Formation in the Cerro Domuyo area shows an interesting intercalation of facies with opposite paleocurrents. The unit is represented by outer ramp to basinal facies with a westward direction of progradation. However, in its middle section, slope deposits correlatable with the Huncal Member, are intercalated with slumped strata verging NE. This interval is composed of carbonate facies and it is probably associated with the development of a slope related to a carbonate platform or a distally steepened carbonate ramp. Based on the ammonoid fauna, the age of the Vaca Muerta Formation ranges from the early Tithonian to the late Berriasian, but it could also reach the early Valanginian. The Huncal Member yields representatives of the Substeueroceras koeneni Biozone (late Tithonian), hence its age is older than that proposed in its type locality allowing its correlation with units exposed in the Chilean territory.

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“…East of the volcanic rocks a well-developed, but largely eroded, foredeep basin and easterly vergent fold-thrust belt had developed by the Late Cretaceous (Morabito and Ramos 2012). The belt (Figure 10) is broken into several pieces by younger faults and was eroded during younger exhumation: different sectors have different names such as Malargue, Chos Malal, Agrio, and Aluminé fold-thrust belts (Cobbold and Rossello 2003;Howell et al 2005;Ramos and Folguera 2005;Zapata and Folguera 2006). East of the Neuquén Precordillera, a N-S linear band of late kinematic andesitic to rhyodacitic volcanic rocks and subvolcanic porphyry, collectively known as the Neunauco Belt, were emplaced between 75 ± 3 Ma and about 60 Ma (Morabito and Ramos 2012;Spagnuolo et al 2012).…”

Section: Regional Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arc and Slab-Failure Magmatism in Cordilleran Batholiths I – The Cretaceous Coastal Batholith of Peru and its Role in South American Orogenesis and Hemispheric Subduction Flip

Hildebrand¹,

Whalen

2014

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We examined the temporal and spatial relations of rock units within the Western Cordillera of Peru where two Cretaceous basins, the Huarmey-Cañete and the West Peruvian Trough, were considered by previous workers to represent western and eastern parts respectively of the same marginal basin. The Huarmey-Cañete Trough, which sits on Mesoproterozoic basement of the Arequipa block, was filled with up to 9 km of Tithonian to Albian tholeiitic–calc-alkaline volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. It shoaled to subaerial eastward. At 105–101 Ma the rocks were tightly folded and intruded during and just after the deformation by a suite of 103 ± 2 Ma mafic intrusions, and later in the interval 94–82 Ma by probable subduction-related plutons of the Coastal batholith. The West Peruvian Trough, which sits on Paleozoic metamorphic basement, comprised a west-facing siliciclastic-carbonate platform and adjacent basin filled with up to 5 km of sandstone, shale, marl and thinly bedded limestone deposited continuously throughout the Cretaceous. Rocks of the West Peruvian Trough were detached from their basement, folded and thrust eastward during the Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary. Because the facies and facing directions of the two basins are incompatible, and their development and subjacent basements also distinct, the two basins could not have developed adjacent to one another. Based on thickness, composition and magmatic style, we interpret the magmatism of the Huarmey-Cañete Trough to represent a magmatic arc that shut down at about 105 Ma when the arc collided with an unknown terrane. We relate subsequent magmatism of the early 103 ± 2 Ma syntectonic mafic intrusions and dyke swarms to slab failure. The Huarmey-Cañete-Coastal batholithic block and its Mesoproterozoic basement remained offshore until 77 ± 5 Ma when it collided with, and was emplaced upon, the partially subducted western margin of South America to form the east-vergent Marañon fold–thrust belt. A major pulse of 73–62 Ma plutonism and dyke emplacement followed terminal collision and is interpreted to have been related to slab failure of the west-dipping South American lithosphere. Magmatism, 53 Ma and younger, followed terminal collision and was generated by eastward subduction of Pacific oceanic lithosphere beneath South America. Similar spatial and temporal relations exist over the length of both Americas and represent the terminal collision of an arc-bearing ribbon continent with the Americas during the Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary Laramide event. It thus separated long-standing westward subduction from the younger period of eastward subduction characteristic of today. We speculate that the Cordilleran Ribbon Continent formed during the Mesozoic over a major zone of downwelling between Tuzo and Jason along the boundary of Panthalassic and Pacific oceanic plates.SOMMAIRENous avons étudié les relations spatiales et temporales des unités de roches dans la portion ouest de la Cordillère du Pérou, où deux bassins crétacés, la fosse d’accumulation de Huarmey-Cañete et la fosse d’accumulation péruvienne de l’ouest, ont été perçues par des auteurs précédents comme les portions ouest et est d’un même bassin de marge. La fosse de Huarmey-Cañete, qui repose sur le socle mésoprotérozoïque du bloc d’Arequipa, a été comblée par des couches de roches volcaniques tholéitiques – calco-alcalines de l’Albien au Thithonien atteignant 9 km d’épaisseur. Vers l’est, l’ensemble a fini par former des hauts fonds. Vers 105 à 101 Ma, les roches ont été plissées fortement puis recoupées par une suite d’intrusions vers 103 ± 2 Ma, durant et juste après la déformation, et plus tard dans l’intervalle 94 – 82 Ma, probablement par des plutons de subduction du batholite côtier. Quant à la fosse d’accumulation péruvienne de l’ouest, elle repose sur un socle métamorphique paléozoïque, et elle est constituée d’une plateforme silicoclastique – carbonate à pente ouest et d’un bassin contigu comblé par des grès, des schistes, des marnes et des calcaires finement laminés atteignant 5 km d’épaisseur et qui se sont déposés en continu durant tout le Crétacé. Les roches de la fosse d’accumulation péruvienne de l’ouest ont été décollées de leur socle, plissées et charriées vers l’est durant la fin du Crétacé et le début du Tertiaire. Parce que les facies et les profondeurs de sédimentation de ces deux fosses d’accumulation dont incompatibles, et que leur développement et leur socle sont différents, ces deux fosses ne peuvent pas s’être développées côte à côte. À cause de l’épaisseur accumulée, de sa composition et du style de son magmatisme, nous pensons que la fosse d’accumulation de Huarmey-Cañete représente un arc magmatique qui s’est éteinte vers 105 Ma, lorsque l’arc est entré en collision avec un terrane inconnu. Nous pensons que le magmatisme subséquent aux premières intrusions mafiques syntectoniques et aux réseaux de dykes de 103 ± 2 Ma sont à mettre au compte d’une rupture de plaque. Le bloc Huarmey-Cañete-batholitique côtier et son socle mésoprotérozoïque sont demeurés au large jusqu’à 77 ± 5 Ma, moment où il est entré en collision et a été poussé par-dessus la marge ouest sud-américaine partiellement subduite, pour ainsi former la zone de chevauchement de vergence est de Marañon. Nous croyons que la séquence majeure de plutonisme et d’intrusion de dykes qui a succédé à la collision finale à 73–62 Ma doit être reliée à une rupture de la plaque lithosphérique sud-américaine à pendage ouest. Le magmatisme de 53 Ma et plus récent qui a succédé à la collision finale, a été généré par la subduction vers l’est de la lithosphère océanique du Pacifique sous l’Amérique du Sud. Des relations temporelles et spatiales similaires qui existent tout le long des deux Amériques représentent la collision terminale d’un ruban continental d’arcs avec les Amériques durant la phase tectonique laramienne de la fin du Crétacé–début du Tertiaire. Elle a donc séparé la subduction vers l’ouest de longue date de la période de subduction vers l’est plus jeune caractérisant la situation actuelle. Nous considérons que le ruban continental de la Cordillère s’est constitué durant le Mésozoïque au-dessus d’une zone majeure de convection descendante entre Tuzo et Jason, le long de la limite entre les plaques océaniques Panthalassique et Pacifique.

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The Neuquén Basin: an overview

Cited by 225 publications

References 29 publications

Bone microstructure and diagenesis of saurischian dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous (Neuquén Group), Argentina

Bone microstructure and diagenesis of saurischian dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous (Neuquén Group), Argentina

Sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Vaca Muerta Formation in the Cerro Domuyo area, Northern Neuquén, Argentina.

Arc and Slab-Failure Magmatism in Cordilleran Batholiths I – The Cretaceous Coastal Batholith of Peru and its Role in South American Orogenesis and Hemispheric Subduction Flip

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