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Abstract
Regional mapping (1:50,000) and U-Pb and K-Ar geochronology in the El Indio region re®nes the knowledge of the
distribution, lithostratigraphy, and age of the sedimentary, volcanic, and intrusive rocks that comprise the regionally extensive
Pastos Blancos Group which is equivalent to the Choiyoi Group of the Argentine Frontal Cordillera. The Pastos Blancos Group
(which we elevate to Group status herein) includes at least two diachronous volcanic±sedimentary sequences: an older felsic
volcanic and volcaniclastic unit, the Guanaco Sonso sequence, that is Permian in age, and a younger bimodal volcanic and
volcaniclastic unit, the Los Tilos sequence that is Middle Triassic to Early Jurassic. Sedimentary rocks of the Los Tilos sequence
are transitional upward into the overlying Early to Middle Jurassic shallow marine limestones of the Lautaro Formation.
Intrusions that make up the regionally extensive Permian to Early Jurassic plutons of the Chollay and Elqui-LimarõÂ batholiths
that were previously mapped as a single plutonic association, the IngaguaÂs Complex, include in the El Indio region at least three
discrete intrusive units. These include: Early Permian (280±270 Ma) biotite granites, Early to Middle Triassic (242±238 Ma)
silica-rich leucocratic granites and rhyolitic porphyries that made up the bulk of the Chollay Batholith, and a younger Late
Triassic±Early Jurassic unit (221±200 Ma) of mainly intrusive rhyolitic porphyries, extrusive domes, and subordinate ma®c
intrusions and both felsic and ma®c dikes, which are coeval with volcanic rocks of the Los Tilos sequence.
Our data show that latest Paleozoic to Early Jurassic intrusive, volcanic, and sedimentary rocks in the El Indio region of the
High Andes of Chile between 29±308S likely formed during extension driven processes after the cessation of Carboniferous±
Early Permian subduction along the western edge of Gondwana. These processes began by Late Permian time, but instead of
recording a single and protracted magmatic event, as has been previously suggested, rocks that belong to the Pastos Blancos
Group and the IngaguaÂs Intrusive Complex record at least three discrete periods of silicic to bimodal magmatism which
occurred during the Middle Permian to Early Jurassic interval. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Resumen
Nuevos antecedentes geoloÂgicos (mapeo regional a escala 1:50.000) y geocronoloÂgicos (U-Pb y K-Ar) de la zona de El Indio,
en los Andes des centro-norte de Chile, han permitido mejorar el conocimiento de la distribucioÂn, litoestratigrafõÂ a y edad de las
rocas sedimentarias, volcaÂnicas e intrusivas que conforman el Grupo Pastos Blancos, equivalente al Grupo Choiyoi de la
Cordillera Frontal argentina. El Grupo Pastos Blancos, elevado al status de Grupo en este trabajo incluye, al menos, dos
secuencias volcano-sedimentarias diacroÂnicas: una unidad volcaÂnica y volcanoclaÂstica peÂrmica (secuencia Guanaco Sonso), y una
unidad volcaÂnica bimodal y volcanoclaÂstica del TriaÂsico Medio a JuraÂsico Inferior (secuencia Los Tilos), la que pasa
transicionalmente a calizas marinas someras de la sobreyacente FormacioÂn Lautaro del JuraÂsico Inferior a Medio.
Junto con ello, se ha reconocido, al menos, tres distintas unidades intrusivas en plutones del PeÂrmico a JuraÂsico Inferior
de los batolitos Chollay y ElquõÂ -LimarõÂ , previamente incluidos dentro del Complejo IngaguaÂs. EÂstas incluyen: granitos de
biotita del PeÂrmico Inferior (280±270 Ma), granitos leucocraÂticos silõÂ ceos y poÂr®dos riolõÂ ticos del TriaÂsico Inferior a Medio
* Present address and Correspondence: Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bldg. 54-
1126, Cambridge, MA 02139.
E-mail address: mwm@mit.edu (M.W. Martin)
0895-9811/99/$ - see front matter # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 8 9 5 - 9 8 1 1 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 0 0 3 - 6
34 M.W. Martin et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 12 (1999) 33±49
(242±238 Ma) que forman gran parte del Batolito Chollay, y una unidad maÂs joven del TriaÂsico Superior-JuraÂsico Inferior
(221±200 Ma) constituida por poÂr®dos riolõ ticos, domos riolõ ticos, intrusivos ma®cos subordinados y diques feÂlsicos y ma®cos,
equivalentes subvolcaÂnicos de las rocas extrusivas de la secuencia Los Tilos.
Estos datos demuestran que las rocas intrusivas, volcaÂnicas y sedimentarias del Paleozoico Superior-JuraÂsico Inferior de la
zona de El Indio en los Andes de Chile entre los 29±308S se formaron a raõÂ z de fenoÂmenos de extensioÂn posteriores al cese de la
subduccioÂn a lo largo del borde occidental de Gondwana en el CarbonõÂ fero-PeÂrmico Inferior. EÂstos comenzaron en el PeÂrmico
Superior, pero en lugar de generar un uÂnico y prolongado evento magmaÂtico, como habõÂ a sido sugerido previamente, las rocas
del Grupo Pastos Blancos y del Complejo Intrusivo IngaguaÂs revelan, al menos, tres distintos perõÂ odos de magmatismo silõÂ ceo a
bimodal ocurridos entre el PeÂrmico Medio y el JuraÂsico Inferior. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Fig. 1. Geologic map of the El Indio belt showing distribution of map units and structures. Geochronologic data are from this study (Fig. 2,
Table 1 and 2) unless outlined by rectangle (Table 2). (z), zircon; (b) biotite; (m) muscovite; (w) whole rock.
36 M.W. Martin et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 12 (1999) 33±49
Fig. 1 (continued)
Table 1
U-Pb radiometric ages from the study areaa
0.10%20.05%/amu. Samples were spiked with a mixed 205 Pb/235 U spike. Errors on 206 Pb/204 Pb were minimized by use of a Daly multiplier and are typically on the order of 1% or less.
Errors for 206 Pb/204 Pb were reduced further on samples spiked with 205 Pb by using a dynamic Daly calibration after the technique of Roddick et al. (1987, p. 115). Common lead corrections
were made using values determined from Stacey and Kramers (1975) for the interpreted crystallization age except where sample name is denoted by (cor) in which case common lead corrections
were made using the measured feldspar lead isotopic values (208:207:206:204) from sample; isotopic compositions have uncertainties of less than 0.1% (2 sigma). IM-113.1 & IM-108.1,
38.516:15.576:18,710; IM-108.2, 38.433:15.601:18.615.
b
Corrected for spike and mass fractionation.
c
Radiogenic component.
d
Numbers in parentheses are analytical errors in percent.
e
Corr. coef. is the correlation coecient between the 206 Pb/238 U and 207 PB/235 U errors. Errors and correlation coecients were computed using technique of Ludwig (1980).
37
38 M.W. Martin et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 12 (1999) 33±49
study, no absolute geochronology was available for the phyry pluton in RõÂ o Turbio near Quebrada El
Pastos Blancos Formation. Colorado, but also includes pink graphic granites, and
The Late Paleozoic±Early Mesozoic intrusive com- is considered the youngest igneous unit of the
plexes themselves were studied and mapped by IngaguaÂs Complex (Nasi et al., 1985, 1990; Mpodozis
Mpodozis and Cornejo (1988), Nasi et al. (1985), and and Kay, 1992). Small outcrops of pyroxene gabbro,
Mpodozis and Kay (1990, 1992) who, based on ®eld which intrude rhyolites included in the Pastos Blancos
relations, texture, composition, and K-Ar and Rb-Sr Formation in RõÂ o La Laguna, belong to the ®fth unit
geochronologic data, grouped the intrusives within two of the IngaguaÂs Complex (La Laguna Gabbros,
``Superunits'' or Complexes: Elqui and IngaguaÂs to Mpodozis and Cornejo, 1988; Mpodozis and Kay,
which they attributed a Late Carboniferous±Early 1992). The few published K-Ar and Rb-Sr ages for the
Permian and a Middle Permian±Early Jurassic age, re- IngaguaÂs Complex range from 276 to 192 Ma (Brook
spectively. et al., 1986; Rex 1987; Mpodozis and Cornejo 1988;
In the Elqui-LimarõÂ batholith, the Elqui Complex is Nasi et al., 1990).
composed of a group of foliated coarse grained, meta- The Elqui Complex (Guanta unit) has been inter-
luminous, hornblende-biotite tonalites (Guanta unit), preted as a relict of Late Carboniferous east-directed
slightly peraluminous two-mica granodiorites subduction below the Paci®c margin of Gondwana
(CochiguaÂs unit), and coarse-grained peraluminous (Mpodozis and Kay, 1992). This was followed by a
granites (El VolcaÂn unit). Published Rb-Sr ages range period of crustal thickening and enhanced lower crust
between 328 to 256 Ma, while K-Ar ages (biotite, mus- melting recorded in the CochiguaÂs and El VolcaÂn
covite and hornblende) range from 301 to 235 Ma Units (Mpodozis and Kay, 1992) as a consequence of
(Parada et al., 1981; Brook et al., 1986; Ribba at al., the Early Permian San Rafael Orogenic Phase which
1988; Mpodozis and Cornejo, 1988; Nasi et al., 1990; has been dated, on stratigraphic grounds between 280
Rex, 1987; Pankhurst et al., 1996); Pankhurst et al., to 260 Ma in the Frontal Cordillera of Argentina
(1996) report one U-Pb zircon age of 285 2 1.5 Ma. (Rapalini, 1989; LlambõÂ as and Sato, 1990, 1995).
Although a de®nitive upper time boundary for the According to Mpodozis and Kay (1990, 1992) the
emplacement of the Elqui Complex has yet to be deter- younger IngaguaÂs Complex intrusives (and the inferred
mined, Nasi et al. (1990) considered K-Ar and Rb-Sr coeval Pastos Blancos Formation) were considered to
ages younger than 266 Ma to re¯ect resetting of both be an association of epizonal, post-orogenic intrusives
isotopic systems during the emplacement of the which include granitoids derived from deep levels in a
younger IngaguaÂs Complex. Two examples where garnet-bearing thickened crust (Los Carricitos) and
apparent thermal resetting has occurred are: 1) the El hypersiliceous, calkalcaline to transitional A-type
TraÂnsito valley (298S) where tonalites of the Guanta intrusives indicating extensive crustal melting of upper,
unit yielded a U-Pb zircon age of 285.5 2 1.7 Ma garnet-free, crust. Melting was favored by the under-
(Pankhurst et al., 1996), and a K-Ar biotite age of 252 plating of ma®c magmas against the base of the crust
26 Ma (Nasi et al., 1985; Ribba et al., 1988), and 2) during a protracted Permian±Triassic period of post
RõÂ o Turbio (308S) where a tonalitic Guanta pluton orogenic extension and uplift.
yielded discordant K-Ar hornblende and biotite ages
of 297 2 9 and 258 2 4 Ma, respectively (Nasi et al.,
1985, 1990). 3. Basement geology of the El Indio Belt
The IngaguaÂs Complex is a suite of epizonal intru-
sives originally considered age equivalent to the Pastos The El Indio Belt is well known for its exposures of
Blancos Formation and is composed of ®ve units: Los Late Oligocene±Miocene volcanic sequences and intru-
Carricitos, Chollay, El LeoÂn, El Colorado, and La sive complexes which host one of the large epithermal
Laguna (Nasi et al., 1985,1990; Mpodozis and precious metals district of the Central Andes (Maksaev
Cornejo, 1988; Mpodozis and Kay, 1992). Los et al., 1984; Kay et al., l987, 1997; Martin et al., 1995,
Carricitos unit consists dominantly of biotite 2 horn- and references therein). The basement to these volcanic
blende-bearing granodiorites. The Chollay unit was units includes a variable suite of Late Paleozoic to
originally de®ned for pink, coarse to very coarse- Early Tertiary rock units. Fig. 1 is a geologic map
grained, biotite-hornblende monzogranites, containing showing the distribution of pre-middle Jurassic units.
sienogranite and granodiorite as subordinate phases, The older rocks exposed in the map area are phyllites
exposed between 288 and 298 (Chollay Batholith, Nasi and pelitic schists probably correlative to the El Cepo
et al., 1990). The El LeoÂn unit was de®ned by Metamorphic Complex. They occur as small outcrops
Mpodozis and Cornejo (1988) for pink medium- unconformably covered by the Pastos Blancos volcanic
grained monzogranites and sienogranites exposed rocks at Estero Los Tilos and RõÂ o Malo (Fig. 1). The
between 298 and 318S. The El Colorado unit was rocks contain quartz porphyroclasts, feldspar and vari-
named for a red to orange granite quartz-feldspar por- able amounts of suboriented muscovite. A pelitic schist
M.W. Martin et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 12 (1999) 33±49 39
(Ma) Error
235.025.0
262.026.0
281.026.0
260.026.0
221.025.0
219.025.0
238.026.0
238.024.0
276.024.0
from this unit collected south of the El Indio mine
(2-sig)
Age
yielded a K-Ar whole rock date of 254.0 2 8.0 Ma
(Table 2, Fig. 1) which we interpret as a minimum age
for this unit. Biotite K-Ar ages of 22425 and 24024
Ma were reported previously for El Cepo schists col-
(Atm.)
%Ar
lected in the IngaguaÂs valley by Mpodozis and
16.0
16.0
5.0
4.0
2.0
4.0
5.0
5.6
5.0
Cornejo (1988) who considered these dates to represent
thermal resetting by the IngaguaÂs Complex intrusives.
%Ar-rad
Small and isolated outcrops of granitic gneisses and
(nl/g)
76.357
74.972
72.572
79.962
50.234
29.036
77.802
migmatites rest as enclaves in the Permian±Triassic
73.97
61.87
Chollay±El LeoÂn granites near the IngaguaÂs Valley in
the southwest part of the area (Fig. 1). These foliated
igneous rocks are similar texturally and composition-
7.592
6.972
6.338
6.669
8.759
5.555
6.251
2.943
%K
6.71
ally to rocks that were included in the Guanta unit by
Mpodozis and Cornejo (1988), and are widely exposed
west and south of the study area in the main body of
Muscovite
Material
the Elqui-LimarõÂ batholith (Nasi et al. 1985; Mpodozis
Biotite
Biotite
Biotite
Biotite
Biotite
Biotite
Biotite
Biotite
and Cornejo, 1988).
The most voluminous basement units in the El Indio
Belt are the Pastos Blancos Formation and intrusives
of the IngaguaÂs Complex (see description below). In
Method
K/Ar
K/Ar
K/Ar
K/Ar
K/Ar
K/Ar
K/Ar
K/Ar
K/Ar
some places, such as the western slopes of Cordillera
de DonÄa Ana, the Pastos Blancos Formation is over-
lain depositionally by the Early±Middle Jurassic
``Peraluminous'' unit
Guanaco Sonso Seq.
Guanaco Sonso Seq.
Guanaco Sonso Seq.
(Sinemurian to Bajocian) marine sediments of the
Formation/Unit
El Colorado unit
Lautaro Formation rests directly upon granitoids of Los Tilos Seq.
El LeoÂn unit
El LeoÂn unit
Chollay unit
the Elqui and IngaguaÂs complexes and older parts of
the Pastos Blancos Formation (von Hillebrandt, 1973;
Reutter, 1974; Nasi et al., 1990; Martin et al., 1995)
Late Jurassic to Eocene sedimentary and volcanic
rocks unconformably rest on the Lautaro Formation
Two-mica Granite
Granite
Granite
Granite
RõÂ o CochiguaÂs
RõÂ o La GlorõÂ a
Colorado
Colorado
IngaguaÂs
RõÂ o Estrecho
6772600-388550
6445000-381500
6445000-403125
Coordinates
IM-77.13
IM-131.3
IM-131.4
IM-136.4
IM-53.2
Table 2
Sample
Fig. 2. U-Pb concordia diagram for samples (a) IJ-108.2, (b) IJ-108.1, (c) IM-113.1, (d) IM-92.6, and (d) IM-83.4.
M.W. Martin et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 12 (1999) 33±49 41
structures in the study area are demonstrably younger unconformably, by the younger Los Tilos sequence.
than Paleocene (Martin et al., 1995, 1997b). The base is not exposed in the map area. Regionally, it
consists of dark brown to red welded ash¯ow tus and
3.1. Pastos Blancos Group lava ¯ows that are rhyolitic to dacitic in composition.
The volcanic rocks are generally interbedded with vol-
The extensive exposure of volcanic and volcaniclas- caniclastic rocks that range from sandstones to con-
tic sequences assigned to the Pastos Blancos glomerates and fanglomerates. Rocks belonging to the
Formation within the El Indio Belt (Fig. 1) previously Guanaco Sonso sequence are typically strongly altered
were considered either ``Permian±Triassic'' (Mpodozis and silici®ed especially near younger intrusions. It
and Cornejo, 1988) or ``Late Paleozoic±Lower should be noted that, fresh or altered, the ash¯ow tus
Triassic'' age (Nasi et al., 1990). In the absence of geo- of this unit are easily confused for tus of the Late
chronological data, these interpretations were based Oligocene Tilito Formation also found in the study
mainly on inconclusive ®eld constraints and regional area (Martin et al., 1995). Although the total thickness
correlations. However, our ®eld studies and new geo- of this unit could not be determined because its base is
chronology indicate that as named, the Pastos Blancos not exposed in the map area, its minimum thickness
Formation contains volcanic and sedimentary rocks varies from 750 to 1000 m.
that yield K-Ar and U-Pb ages that range from Early We report several new ages from rhyolitic to dacitic
Permian to Early Jurassic. Our mapping shows that welded tus from this unit (Tables 1 and 2). Samples
the Pastos Blancos is not a continuous succession of IM-131.3 and IM-131.4, a rhyolite and dacite tu
strata spanning this 070 my. interval, but that these from the Paso Aguas Negras area yielded K-Ar biotite
strata can be grouped in several self-consistent time ages of 281.026.0 and 260.026.0, respectively; sample
stratigraphic units. These ®ndings show that it is not IM-77.13, a dacite tu from the upper reaches of RõÂ o
appropriate for these rocks to be contained within a Seco yielded a K-Ar biotite age of 262.026.0 Ma (Fig.
single formation. Therefore, we suggest that the Pastos 1). In addition, zircons were analyzed by the U-Pb
Blancos name be maintained, but that it be promoted method from sample IJ-108.2, an altered and silici®ed
from Formation to Group status. As such, the Pastos rhyolite tu collected from the Pascua Mine area in
Blancos contains, at least, two distinct stratigraphic the northern part of the map area (Fig. 1). The age of
units. An older, Early Permian unit (Guanaco Sonso this sample is interpreted to be 265.825.6 Ma (Figs. 1
sequence) and a younger Upper Triassic to Lower and 2; Appendix A).
Jurassic unit (Los Tilos sequence). However, we do
not infer that all of the Pastos Blancos should be 3.3. Los Tilos sequence (Middle±Late Triassic±Early
attributed to one of these newly de®ned units. In large Jurassic)
areas of the El Indio Belt we have been unable to
assign the local Pastos Blancos outcrops to either the This rock unit is named for exposures of volcanic
Los Tilos or Guanaco Sonso sequences and sedimentary rocks in the Estero de los Tilos area
(``Undierentiated Pastos Blancos'', Fig. 1). In ad- west of Cerro DonÄa Ana (Fig. 1). Between RõÂ o del
dition, within the map area, at least two separate Medio and RõÂ o Apolinario the sequence rests uncon-
intrusive units that belong to the IngaguaÂs Complex, formably on Guanaco Sonso sequence (Fig. 3). In RõÂ o
the Chollay±El LeoÂn plutonic complex and the El Apolinario, basaltic-andesite ¯ows that belong to the
Colorado plutonic complex, span the same time frame Los Tilos sequence rest depositionally on the Chollay±
as sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Pastos El LeoÂn granites and are overlain unconformably by
Blancos Group. Late Jurassic±Early Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary
In the following section we introduce the lithostrati- strata (Cuartitos sequence). Southward, these lava
graphy of the Pastos Blancos Group and geochronolo- ¯ows rest unconformably on silici®ed welded, rhyolite
gic data which support this nomenclature change and ash¯ow tus and volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks of
which re®ne our understanding of the tectonic develop- the Guanaco Sonso sequence which are intruded by
ment during this interval of time along the southwest the Chollay granitoids. In the upper reaches of Estero
facing Gondwana margin. de los Tilos, southwest of Cerro DonÄa Ana, the Los
Tilos sequence rests discordantly on schists of the El
3.2. Guanaco Sonso sequence (Permian) Cepo Metamorphic Complex.
The contact with the overlying Lautaro Formation
This unit is named for a thick exposure composed is reasonably well exposed in several locations, includ-
dominantly of rhyolitic welded ash¯ow tus located in ing the lower reaches of RõÂ o Potrerillo and RõÂ o
the upper part of RõÂ o Potrerillo, west of Paso Primero and in Estero de los Tilos west of Cerro DonÄa
Guanaco Sonso (Fig. 1). The Guanaco Sonso sequence Ana (Fig. 1). In the RõÂ o Potrerillo drainage, fossilifer-
is intruded by Chollay±El LeoÂn granitoids or covered, ous limestones of the Lautaro Formation rest deposi-
42 M.W. Martin et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 12 (1999) 33±49
Fig. 3. Contact between Chollay granite, Los Tilos and Cuartitos Fig. 4. Concordant depositional contact between Los Tilos sequence
Sequences. Paleotopography on the Chollay granite ®lled in with and the Lautaro Formation in Estero Los Tilos southwest of Cerro
basaltic andesite lava ¯ows and volcanic breccias belonging to the DonÄa Ana (photo taken looking north). Contact runs up quebrada
Los Tilos sequence (dark units dipping moderately to right [south- and separates plant bearing sandstones belonging to the Los Tilos
west]) overlain unconformably by sandstones and conglomerates of sequence (dark east-dipping beds) west of the quebrada from dark
the Cuartitos sequence (horizontal unitÐupper half of photo). Photo (massive) and light colored calcareous clastic rocks and fossiliferous
taken looking southeast across RõÂ o Apolinario showing 200±300 limestones of the Sinemurian±Bajocian Lautaro Formation east of
meters of topographic relief. the quebrada. Massive resistant unit immediately east of quebrada is
approximately 50 m high.
tionally on coarse igneous and volcanic angular-clast ®ne- to coarse-grained sandstones, conglomerates, and
conglomerates and near vent basaltic-andesite lavas of fanglomerates. In the RõÂ o Seco area (Fig. 1) a distinct
the Los Tilos sequence. Bedding in the conglomerate is facies association of megabreccias, sandy limestones,
massive and uncertain, however, bedding in ®ner- and gypsum deposits occur intercalated with volcanic
grained sediments and lava ¯ows beneath the conglom- and volcaniclastic rocks (Fig. 5), which rest on silici-
erates is subparallel to the overlying Lautaro lime- ®ed ash-¯ows tus of the Guanaco Sonso sequence
stones. To the south, limestones of the Lautaro across a contact that is not exposed. In the RõÂ o Seco
Formation are folded into an overturned syncline in area, rocks that we include in the Los Tilos sequence
the footwall of the Cuartitos reverse fault (Fig. 1). On were previously mapped as Estratos de RõÂ o Seco and
the south side of RõÂ o Primero, limestones of the Estratos de Quebrada Tapado, by Maksaev et al.
Lautaro Formation rest in slight discordance on rhyo- (1984); Mpodozis and Cornejo, (1988) and Nasi et al.
lite ¯ows that belong to the Los Tilos sequence (not (1990) who attributed these rocks to the Late Triassic±
shown in Fig. 1 due to scale). Lower Jurassic interval.
Eight to nine kilometers to the south, calcareous Several possible Los Tilos volcanic vents have been
sandstones and limestones rest depositionally on rhyo-
lite ¯ows similar to the previous location. However, in
this area the rhyolites are ¯ow-folded, and therefore it
is dicult to determine the degree of depositional con-
cordancy across this contact. Still farther south (05±
8 km; Fig. 1), ®ne- to medium-grained sandstones
intercalated with rhyolite ¯ows of the Los Tilos
sequence rest concordantly beneath calcareous sand-
stones, and marly limestones of the Lautaro
Formation (Fig. 4). This contact is gradational
upwards from red sandstones to calcareous sandstone
into marly limestone over an interval of 25±50 m. We
have placed the contact between these two units where
the sandstones become calcareous. The sandstones
below the contact contain plant fossils typical of
Triassic ¯ora found in Chile and Argentina. Fig. 5. Gypsiferous volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks (white rocks)
interbedded with calcareous volcaniclastic sandstones and felsic tus
The Los Tilos sequence comprises volcanic and sedi-
(foreground) that belong to the Los Tilos sequence exposed in the
mentary rocks, including bimodal basaltic to rhyolitic upper reaches of RõÂ o Seco. White region along range crest in back-
lava ¯ows and hypabyssal intrusives, domes, near vent ground is zone of Miocene alteration. Photo taken looking south-
epiclastic rocks, rhyodacitic welded ash¯ow tus, and east.
M.W. Martin et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 12 (1999) 33±49 43
identi®ed within the study area (Fig. 1). These are gradational. In RõÂ o del Toro, in the northwestern part
characterized by exposures of rhyolitic and basaltic of the area, and north of RõÂ o Potrerillo, for example,
lava ¯ows interbedded with coarse volcanic breccias numerous intrusive phases are present that contain
that are typically intruded (possibly fed) by mutually mutually cross-cutting relations and textures indicative
cross-cutting rhyolitic and basaltic dikes which suggest of commingled magmas (Fig. 6).
to us a near vent environment. Shallow-level intrusive Three published ages exist for the Chollay and El
bodies of the El Colorado unit (discussed below) are LeoÂn units. The Chollay unit has one reported K-Ar
spatially associated with these vent (?) areas. (biotite) age of 238.026.0 Ma from the northern part
We report two new dates from this unit (Tables 1 of the map area, and the El LeoÂn has two K-Ar (bio-
and 2). A dacitic tu (sample IM-77.6) interbedded tite) ages of 276 2 4.0 and 2382 4.0 Ma both outside
with calcareous volcaniclastic sandstones and gypsifer- the map area to the south (Fig. 1, Table 2; Nasi et al.,
ous sediments in the RõÂ o Seco area, yielded a K-Ar 1985). Here, we report two new U-Pb zircon ages from
biotite age of 235.0 2 5.0 Ma. We have also analyzed the Pascua Mine in the northern part of the map area.
zircons by the U-Pb method from a rhyolite ¯ow col- Sample IJ-108.1 makes up part of the host rock for
lected in RõÂ o Primero (Fig. 1) from a bimodal volcanic the Pascua Mine and is an altered quartz porphyry
and intrusive complex in the Los Tilos sequence that that intrudes the Guanaco Sonso sequence in the area
rests stratigraphically below Lower Jurassic limestones (i.e., sample IJ-108.2). Previous workers in the region
of the Lautaro Formation. The U-Pb data are ambigu- included the intrusive phases near this zone of altera-
ous (Appendix A, Table 1, Fig. 2), however, the scatter tion in both the Chollay and El Colorado Units of the
of the data near concordia between 210±225 Ma is IngaguaÂs Intrusive Complex (Nasi et al., 1990).
consistent with ®eld relations that imply a Middle However, our mapping of the intrusive phases in this
Triassic to Early Jurassic age for the Los Tilos region indicate that all the intrusive phases in this area
sequence. have commingled textural relations with the Chollay
In addition, plant fossils (Pseudoctenis? sp., unit. Sample IJ-108.2 yielded a U-Pb zircon age of
Dicroidium zuberi var. feistmantelii, Dicroidium a. lan- 242.521.5 Ma (Appendix A, Table 1, and Figs. 1 and
cifolium, and Dicroidium sp.) that are indicative of 2). Sample IM-113.1, an altered rhyolitic porphyry,
Triassic ¯ora found in Chile and Argentina were col- which has a gradational contact with sample IJ-108.1
lected from medium- to ®ne-grained sandstones in the and also comprises the host rock for the Pascua Mine,
Estero de los Tilos area, west of Cerro DonÄa Ana yielded an identical U-Pb zircon age of 242.021.5 Ma
(identi®ed by V. Covacevich). South of RõÂ o Seco, uni- (Appendix A, Table 1, Figs. 1 and 2). In the southern
denti®able shelly fossil debris and a reptile (?) bone part of the map area, in RõÂ o Tapado (Fig. 1) we col-
were collected from calcareous volcaniclastic sandstone lected a orange quartz porphyry stock, previously
and limestone, but due to poor preservation neither included in the El Colorado unit (Mpodozis and
could be classi®ed. Cornejo, 1988) which yielded a U-Pb age of 249.723.2
Ma (Fig. 2; Appendix A). These zircon ages are im-
3.4. Intrusive Units of the El Indio Belt
Fig. 7. Mixed magma textures between granitic and dioritic phases in Fig. 9. North-striking feldspar-quartz porphyry dike belonging to El
El Colorado intrusive unit. Note well developed dentritic, cusbate- Colorado intrusive unit intruding Chollay granitoids in Quebrada
lobate texture at contacts between two phases. Mechanical pencil Piuquenes. Note dark margins of dike (see photo 8). Photo taken
[14 cm] for scale). looking southwest showing man on mule in middle ground for scale.
M.W. Martin et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 12 (1999) 33±49 45
LimarõÂ , Chollay, and Montosa-El Potro batholiths Agua Negra Formation) includes a ``lower'' section of
(Nasi et al., 1985, Mpodozis and Kay, 1990) which up to 500 m of andesites which yield a poorly de®ned,
was built mainly on textural and petrographic attri- Lower Permian Rb-Sr error-chron (289 2 19 Ma).
butes and not age, are demonstrated in this study. Andesites are interbedded with continental sediments
Intrusive phases included in any one-map unit based and covered by an ``upper'' thick pile of rhyolitic
on texture and/or composition are not necessarily age ignimbrites, ¯ows and subvolcanic domes. The
equivalent. For example, two-mica granites previously Carboniferous sediments are intruded by a Lower
associated with the CochiguaÂs unit of the Elqui Permian granodiorite pluton with Rb-Sr ages of 272 to
Complex (Nasi et al., 1985) likely are present as 260 Ma (Las Piedritas Granodiorite), compositionally
younger intrusive units in the IngaguaÂs Complex; gran- similar to the lower andesites. Farther to the east, a
ites of the El LeoÂn unit of the IngaguaÂs Complex may string of highly dierentiated biotite, muscovite and
be present in the older Elqui Complex; and similar cordierite bearing granite stocks hosted in the
granite porphyries associated with the El Colorado Carboniferous sediments along the eastern edge of the
unit also exist within and have the same age as gran- Frontal Cordillera in the same region have been dated
ites of the Chollay unit. In light of this, several intru- by Rb-Sr between 257 to 247 Ma (Late Permian±Early
sive events can be identi®ed in the El Indio belt that Triassic).
span the time frame represented by the sedimentary LlambõÂ as and Sato (1995) compare the
and volcanic rocks of the Pastos Blancos Group. Carboniferous Tabaquito granodiorite, which is a
In the El Indio Belt three intrusive events repeat metaluminous, calcalkaline, I-type intrusive, with the
similar ``petrographic-textural'' units. The oldest corre- subduction related (Guanta) tonalites of the Elqui
sponds to the Early Permian ``El LeoÂn'' granitoids in Complex. Younger extrusive-intrusive units are
the La Laguna valley immediately southwest of the thought to be post tectonic to the regionally important
map area (minimum age 276 Ma, K-Ar[biotite], (280±270 Ma?) San Rafael phase/tectonic event. The
Mpodozis and Cornejo, 1988). This age overlaps ages Lower Permian Choiyoi andesites and Las Piedritas
reported for the Carboniferous±Early Permian Elqui granodiorite which may be equivalent to the Guanaco
Complex (Fig. 10, Mpodozis and Cornejo, 1988), even Sonso sequence and the oldest IngaguaÂs intrusives in
though in the existing nomenclature it is the ``oldest'' Chile are considered to represent calc-alkaline melts
unit of the IngaguaÂs Complex. Early±Middle Triassic produced during the waning stages of Gondwana arc
(242±238 Ma) granitoids of the ``Chollay±El LeoÂn'' activity. Finally, LlambõÂ as and Sato (1995) interpret
map unit that comprise the bulk of the batholith in the younger, Late Permian±Early Triassic granites,
the map area intrude the Guanaco Sonso sequence. which include stocks with both S-type and A-type a-
The youngest intrusive event includes Late Triassic to nities as post-orogenic intrusives produced by crustal
Early Jurassic (221±200 Ma) high silica porphyritic melting during a period of regional extension, rifting
leucogranites and dikes, and biotite (+/-hornblende) and uplift, following a line of reasoning that, in gen-
and hornblende granites of the El Colorado unit that eral, ®ts with the models presented by Nasi et al.
have mutual cross-cutting relations with ma®c dike (1985) and Mpodozis and Kay (1992) for the evolution
swarms and gabbro stocks (La Laguna unit) support- of the Elqui-LimarõÂ Batholith. Given the caveats with
ing that they were emplaced during a period of bimo- interpreting the signi®cance of Rb-Sr and K-Ar geo-
dal magmatism. These youngest intrusive phases are chronologic data in long-lived igneous provinces and
spatially and temporally linked with the sedimentary the paucity of the data set available, it is dicult at
and volcanic rocks of the Los Tilos sequence. present to understand what, if any, temporal and/or
spatial distribution exists for ``post San Rafael'' mag-
matism.
The Middle Triassic±Early Jurassic(?) Los Tilos
4.1. Regional correlations sequence is probably correlative with several Late
Triassic±Early Jurassic units that have been described
Age-equivalent units, that compare to the Guanaco along the Chilean coastal ranges between 308 and
Sonso sequence and the ``oldest'' IngaguaÂs intrusives, 338S. These include the Pichidangui Formation, a com-
have been described immediately to the east of El plex of submarine rhyolitic domes and pyroclastic
Indio Belt, in the ColanguÈil and San Guillermo rocks related to basaltic dikes and ¯ows (Vicente,
Ranges (298±318S) in the Argentine Frontal Cordillera 1976; Rivano and SepuÂlveda, 1991, Vergara et al.,
by LlambõÂ as and Sato (1990, 1995). The oldest pluto- 1991), and the bimodal intrusive suite of gabbros to
nic unit there is a granodiorite stock (Tabaquito leucogranites (Tranquilla±Millahue and Puerto Oscuro
Granodiorite, 329±326 Ma, 298S) dated by Rb-Sr. units) described by Gana (1991) and Parada et al.
Farther south, the Choiyoi Group, unconformably (1991). Equivalents of the Los Tilos sequence also
deposited over Late Carboniferous sediments (Cerro occur in the Argentine Frontal Cordillera at 328S
M.W. Martin et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 12 (1999) 33±49 47
(Rancho La Lata Formation, Cristallini et al., 1994). 5. Conclusions: implications for regional tectonics
In addition, correlative age rocks also appear in north-
ern Chile and include: a complex suite of basaltic lavas Previous geochemical studies of Permian to Early
and acid pyroclastic rocks interbedded with ¯uvial- Jurassic intrusive and volcanic rocks from central
lacustrine sediments of La Ternera Formation in the Chile and western Argentina (28±358S) suggest in gen-
Copiapo region (268S; Segerstrom, 1968; Iriarte, 1997); eral that these rocks were emplaced during post-sub-
and the Quebrada del Salitre Formation, between duction, crustal relaxation leading to possible large-
Sierra DonÄa IneÂs Chica and Sierra Vaquillas Altas scale crustal melting and extension, along the west-
(25±268S), contains a late Triassic to Early Jurassic facing Gondwana margin at this time (Nasi et al.,
rift-related, marine to continental, bimodal, volcano- 1985; Kay et al., 1989; LlambõÂ as and Sato, 1990;
sedimentary association that includes submarine rhyo- Parada et al., 1991; Vergara et al., 1991; Mpodozis
litic domes and hyaloclastic breccias associated with and Kay, 1992). These rocks include those that com-
large volumes of basaltic lava which inter®nger with prise the Pastos Blancos Group and the IngaguaÂs
fossil-bearing, quartz-rich sandstones and conglomer- Complex. Field constraints, along with new and exist-
ates (Naranjo and Puig, 1984; Mpodozis and Cornejo, ing geochronology presented here suggest that intru-
1997). sive phases that comprise the IngaguaÂs Complex and
Deposition of the Early to Middle Jurassic marine volcano±sedimentary rocks of the Pastos Blancos
sequences appears to transitionally follow the depo- Group are diachronous. They should be considered the
sition of the synrift deposits in northern Chile product of a series of time discrete magmatic pulses
(Mpodozis and Cornejo, 1997) as also occurs in the rather than the result of continuous and widespread
Copiapo region (Blanco, 1997) and the El Indio Belt. magmatism during protracted extensional tectonism
By Early to Middle Jurassic time the onset of subduc- that appears to have dominated the Permian to
tion had begun farther to the west, as indicated by the Lower-Jurassic evolution of southwestern Gondwana.
plutonic rocks of this age presently exposed all along Further ®eld, geochronologic and isotopic studies are
the coastal Range of north-central Chile (Rivano et clearly warranted to test existing hypotheses.
al., 1985; Gana and Tosdal, 1996).
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