Journal of South AmericanEarth Sciences, Vol. 7. No. 1. pp. 25-33.

1994

~ ) Pergamon Copyright0~31994 ElsevierScience Ltd & EarthSciences& ResourcesInstitute

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0895-9811(94)E0003-J

Braided Rivers, Lakes and Sabkhas of the Upper Triassic Cifuncho

Formation, Atacama Region, Chile
M. SUAREZ 1 and C.M. BELL2
1 Servicio National de Geologfay Minerfa, Avenida Santa Marfa 0104, Santiago, Chile. FAX: 5602-372026
2 Department of Geography and Geology,Cheltenham and Gloucester Collegeof Higher Education, Cheltenham,
GL50 2RH, U.K. FAX: 0242-532810
(Manuscript received February, 1992; Revision accepted June, 1993)

Abstract - - A 1,000-m-thickness of Upper Triassic (to possibly Hettmlgian) sediments of the Cifuncho Formation are exposed in
the coastal Cordillera of the Atacama Region, Chile. These coarse-grained elastic terrigenous strata are interpreted as the deposits
of braided rivers, ephemeral lakes, sabkhas and volcaniclastic alluvial fans. They include conglomerates, pebbly sandstones, fine
to medium-grained sandstones and thin, finely-laminated limestones. Halite hopper-casts are abundant in sandstones near the top
of the section. Approximately 90% of the elastic detritus was derived from an upper Paleozoic metasedimentary accretionary
complex located to the west. Andesitie debris flow and pyroclastic flow deposits occur near the base of the sequence. Isolated tuff
intercalations and an ignimbritic lava flow occur higher in the section. The great thickness of coarse-grained and ill-sorted elastic
sediments suggests deposition in an actively subsiding basin, probably a graben, adjacent to rising highlands. Overlying Hettan-
gian-Sinemurian marine sediments were deposited by a transgression which occurred during a world-wide lowstand. This sug-
gests that thermal subsidence followed the Triassic rifling.

Resumen--Estratos continentales predominantemente formados de aproximadamente I000 m de rocas cl~isticas de grano grueso
de la Formaci6n Cifuncho del Tri~sico Superior (a posiblemente Hettangiano) se exponen en la Cordillera de la Costa de la
Regi6n de Ataeama, Chile. Estas sedimentitas representan los dep6sitos de rids trenzados, lagos efimeros, sabkhas y conos aluvi-
ales volcaniel~isticos. Los sedimentos incluyen conglomerados, areniscas de guijarros, areniscas de grano fino a medic (en la
mitad superior contienen moldes de halita), y delgadas intercalaeiones de caliza. Aproximademente el 90% de los detritos provi-
enen de la erosi6n de rocas metasedlrnentarias del Paleozoico Superior ubicadas hacia el oeste. Rocas voleaniclasticas en la mitad
inferior incluyen flujos de detritos andesiticos y flujos piroclastiees. Intercalaciones aisladas de tubas ocurren esporadicamente en
otros seetores de la seeuencia. E1 gran espesor de sedimentos clasticos mat seleceionados sugieren acumulaci6n en un graben sub-
sidente. Las eapas marinas hettangianas-sinemurianas que la sobreyacea sugieren que una transgresi6n marina ocurri6 durante un
periodo de bajo nivel mundial del mar, lo cual senala qne subsidencia terrnal continu6.

INTRODUCTION We report here the results of a sedimentological study

TRIASSIC ROCKS in northern Chile include continental
and marine sedimentary deposits, associated with basalts,
andesites and felsites (cf. Charrier, 1979; Su~rez et al.,
1985). Five main depositional basins have been identified
by Sufirez and Bell (1993) in the area between 240 and 30°
S. Marine sediments in these basins include the coarse-
grained mass-flow deposits of submarine fan-deltas. Con-
tinental sediments include lacustrine fan-delta, open-lake,
fluvial, alluvial fan and sabkha deposits. The widespread
occurrence of fan delta systems, together with abrupt lat-
eral and vertical facies discontinuities, large-scale deposi-
tional cycles, and abundant volcanic rocks are indicative
of rift-controlled sedimentation associated with the devel-
opment of a volcanic arc (Suftrez and Bell, 1993; Uliana
and Biddle, 1988).
of part of the Cifuncho Formation, the fill of one of these
Triassic basins, exposed in the Coastal Cordillera, south of
the coastal town of Taltal (latitude 25* 24' S; Fig. 1). The
Cifuncho Formation comprises 1,000 m of predominantly
coarse-grained clastic continental sediments (Naranjo and
Puig, 1984). The strata include conglomerates, sandstones,
volcanic breccias, lavas and a few thin limestones (Garcia,
1967; Naranjo and Puig, 1984; Suftrez et al., 1985; Sufu'ez
and Bell, 1991). These rocks unconformably overlie the
metasediments of the upper Paleozoic Las T6rtolas For-
mation, interpreted as an accretionary complex (Bell,
1984; 1987). The Cifuncho Formation is conformably
overlain by marine limestones of the Hettangian-Sine-
murian Pan de Az~car Formation. This contact, inter-
preted as an abrupt change from a coastal saline sandflat
(Cifuncho Formation) to an offshore marine environment

Adress all correspondence and reprint reque,,;tsto C. M. Bell, Fax: 02A2-532810

25
26 M. SUfid/F.7 ,and C.M. BELL

I I
70o40'W 70o35'W
Quaternary

Upper Jurassic
Volcanic, volcaniclastic
and sedimentary rocks

Hettangian-Lower
~ Sinemurian.Marine
0 5 sedimentary and
I I
km
volcaniclastic rocks,
Pan de Azucar
/ Formation

Upper Triassic
!:ililii!i!iii!iiiiili Cifuncho and Agua
- 25o35.S Chica Formations

L
Pacific
Ocean Jurassic / Cretaceous
Granitoids

Cifuncho Formation i

Paleozoic Granitoids

:.:.:.:.:.:.1.".1.:.1.:.:...
. . . . . .::,
Las Tortolas Formation
Upper Paleozoic

de los
Faults

1":-:';':.:-:.',
a ~ Measured semions

iill ¸ ?~ii
Agua ChicaFormaUon

KLS/93

Fig. 1. Geological map of the Coastal Cordillera south of Taltal (after Naranjo and Puig, 1984).

(Fan de Azticar Formation), suggests a depositional hiatus.
The marine sediments were the product of a regionally
widespread diachronous Late Triassic to Early Liassic
marine transgression (Su~rez and Bell, 1993).
Exposures of the Cifuncho Formation cover an area of
approximately 12 km 2 in the Quebrada Cifuncho area
(Fig. 1). The beds have a regional dip of 45 ° E. They are
only slightly deformed and show no evidence of metamor-
phism.
A Late Triassic age for the formation is indicated by
its stratigraphic position beneath Hettangian and Sine-
murian strata of the Pan de Azticar Formation (Naranjo
and Puig, 1984). The fossil flora is similar to that of the
Upper Triassic La Temera Formation (Naranjo and Puig,
1984).
Other Upper Triassic strata in the area include the
A ~ a Chica Formation 50 km to the south (Fig. 1) and the
Quebrada del Salitre Formation 125 km to the east. The
Agua Chica Formation includes approximately 500 m of
andesitic volcaniclastic rocks and lavas (Mercado, 1980).
The Quebrada del Salitre Formation consists of shallow
marine and terrigenous deposits with andesitic and basaltic
intercalations (Naranjo and Puig, 1984). It is separated
fl'ont the Cifuncho Formation by the Atacama strike-slip
fault system. The Quebrada del Salitre marine basin
extends further south to Quebrada Dotla In~s Chica (lat.
26 ° 06' S; long. 69 ° 20' W), where a coastal fluvial and
marine shelf succession has been recognized (Bell and
Sultrez, 1991). Possible terrain displacements (Su¢trez and
Bell, 1993) mean that the present day geographical loca-
 Braided rivers, lakes and sablthas of the Upper Triassic Cifuncho Formation, Atacama Region. Chile 27

tion of Triassic outcrops must be taken as only an approxi-
mation of their original positions.
Previous brief reports on the Cifuncho Formation
were presented by Naranjo and Puig (1984) and Sufh-ez et
al. (1985). The objective of the present study was to add to
this earlier work by carrying OUta detailed investigation of
depositional facies and environments. The results of a
reconnaissance survey of the entire formation are pre-
seated in Fig. 2. Detailed stratigraphic colnmn~ were mea-
sured through 130 m near the base (Section A, Fig. 3) and
208 m at the top of the formation (Section B, Fig. 4).
sediments, predominantly conglomerates and sandstones,
which are interpreted as the deposits of braided rivers. The
second facies association consists of sandstones with
halite casts (facies 4), sandstones with stromatolites
(facies 5) and laminated limestones (facies 6), which are
interpreted as ephemeral saline lake and sabkha (saline
sandfla0 deposits. The third facies association comprises
lavas and volcanic breccias together with volcaniclastic
sandstones.
Facies 1: Conglomerate and sandstone

SEDIMENTARY FACIES OF THE CIFUNCHO Facies 1 consists of conglomerates and pebbly sand-
FORMATION stones with medium to coarse-grained sandstone leases.
The facies comprises 25% of section A and 14% of section
The sedimentary, volcaniclastic and volcanic rocks of B. Beds vary from 10 cm to 10 m in thickness, with an
the Cifuncho Formation have been subdivided into seven average of about 50 cm. Conglomerate clasts range from
facies comprising three facies associations (Table 1). The granule to pebble grade with most less than 5 cm in diame-
first facies association (facies 1, 2 and 3) comprises clastic ter. The largest clasts recorded (with the exception of
Large scale
fining-up Facies
z cycles association Interpretation
w~ 0
z ~<
Marine shelf
t~

I(3(30
2 Saline lake and sabkha
Section i " " .l
B o.io..+:%.,., ;~
Fig. 4 1 Braided rivers

2 Saline lake and sabkha

z
0 1 Braided rivers

2 Saline lake and sabkha

0
im i, : o'..°'.'= : o" .o'.'c
ow .0..-o:.,. 0-.'o:~.
0 /.,: o'.-o'.'o : o ' "e'.'¢

o 1 Braided rivers
: ~o' .,o.'c; : ~o" ,'o'.'®
z • o-.'o:-~, o'.'o: .o.

i. o ' . o : q;, 0 . ' o ; .=.

W_

o : "o" .'o'.'=; : "o" "o'.'©

v v v vv v
Section v v v vv
Volcaniclastic
A v v vv v
3 alluvial fan
Fig. 3 t k ".. : k ".m~:" "I
2 Saline lake
o.=.o.o.o o-.
.'o:% .o~'b: .;.°:°

"~;..'~~%o.'%~ 1 Braided rivers

'.'o .'¢;. : "o" "o'.'~. : ~o
0 " ''+~.__.
r~oZ
<0
m

O0 - - Marine limestone
Halite casts
Sandstones

Conglomerate and sandstone

K L S t 93

Fig. 2. Generalized stratigraphic column of the Cifuncho Formation showing facies and deposifionalenvironments.
28 M. SUAREZ and C.M. BELL

Facies Interpretation consists of poorly defined horizontal beds or low-angle

1 cross stratification.
2+3
Conglomerates of facies 1 are found throughout the
a*.: o¢,o,.o,i:
~ o:. *.g a.,..* 1
Braided river system
2+3
formation, with concentrations near the base of the four
major fining-upward successions shown on Fig. 2.
° , , ° ' * : ° ' o * "* °
v v v v V v
The conglomerate and sandstone facies closely resem-
v v
v v
v
v
v
v
v v
v
bles facies Gt and Gm of MiaU (1977). The sediments are
100 v
v v
v v
v
v
v v v
vv
interpreted as stream flow, in-channel gravel bar deposits
v
v
v
v
v
V
v
v
v
V
of ephemeral braided rivers.
v v v v v

I alVollucviani
alclastic
v v v v v

fan
v v v v v

v v v v Facies 2: Sandstone and pebbly sandstone

v v v v
v v v v v v
v v v v v Facies 2 comprises red and green-colored coarse to
v v v v v
medium-grained sandstone and pebbly sandstone together
v v v v v i

! . v . . v. . .v I[
with some fine-grained sandstone and conglomerate. The
v v
v v v V v v l
i
sandstones are interbedded with, and in places grade into,
3 facies 1. The sandstones contain irregularly distributed
6 Playa lake and
50 7 3
patches, bands and lenses of clast and matrix-supported
, 1 6 3 lake shore streams pebble conglomerate, up to 50 cm thick and several meters
3
1 Braided river and in lateral extent.
i 3*-5 saline lake shore
1
Facies 2 comprises about 35% of the total volume of
I 2+3 Lacustrine braid delta sediment. The sandstones and pebbly sandstones are
,c ~ • o .o~ ° J
' ~ :~I'B :i°:o
"., on
o
~o ".,i
poorly to very poorly sorted, most clasts being angular to
o ." 0-',o:;~" - o I
--r) o
o
o
"~:o 0'.0"
o0 .o.o
I subrounded. The clasts consist of sandstone and metasand-
c o. ~ o o.' ~

Braided river system

stone, together with some vein quartz and rare acidic vol-
,*" 0 ~ o:~ °o '~ canics and granitoids.
,. ~ ° ¢ . ° .... I Beds range from 2 to 50 cm in thickness and average
; 0 - . ~ : o ' 0 - oo

~o:° .o.o! 20 cm. The discontinuous and lens-shaped beds fill shal-
low, irregular and, in places, steep-sided channels less than
50 cm deep and up to 5 m in lateral extent. Beds are com-
Laminated limestone
monly internally structureless but some show poorly-
Volcanic breccia and ,'olcaniclastlc sandstone defined parallel, horizontal bedding and low-angle,
Sandstone asymptotic trough cross bedding. Both fining and coarsen-
ing-upwards trends were observed in individual beds, but
Conglomerate and sanostone KLS, 93
neither are common. Some channels exhibit poorly-
Fig. 3. Stratigraphic section A through 130 m near the base of the defined basal lags. many of the finer-grained sandstones
Cifuncho Formation (see location on Fig. 1). show mottling and bioturbation. Fossils include the
impressions of small plant roots and stems. No plant mate-
rial has been preserved.
locally-derived boulders in a deep channel cut through an Facies 2 resembles facies St (with minor Sr) of Miall
ignimbrite at 156 m in section B) have a diameter of 18 (1977). The sex!imentsare interpreted as stream flow chan-
era. The conglomerates have a medium to coarse-grained nel deposits of the active non-vegetated tracts of braided
sand matrix. They are laterally and vertically variable, streams.
grading over a few centimeters into pebbly sandstones and
sandstones. Most clasts are angular to subrounded, with
less than 5% rounded to well rounded. The conglomerates Facies 3: Sandstone and siltstone
are poorly sorted and most are clast supported. Most of the Facies 3 consists of very poorly sorted medium to
clasts are metasediments (predominantly arkosic sand- very fine-grained sandstone and coarse siltstone. The
stones) with a similar composition to the underlying Las facies comprises about 50% of the total volume of sedi-
T6rtolas Formation. A minor proportion are granitoids and ment. The sandstones contain scattered granules and peb-
volcanic rocks. bles and rare thin, irregular lenses of pebbly sandstone.
Bedding is predominantly parallel and lenticular. The sediments are pale red in color with light green, yel-
Internally the beds tend to be structureless, chaotic and low and brown patches. Liesegang rings are common. The
disorganized. Clasts are locally imbricated. The base of rocks are less resistant to weathering than those of facies 1
most beds and sets of beds is eroded and cbannelized, with and 2, so exposures are less continuous.
channels commonly up to 1 m and rarely as much as 6 m Most of the sediment is mottled and structureless.
deep. Most sequences show repeated internal channeliza- The poorly defined and discontinuous beds are between 5
Lion. The base of some thick conglomerates exhibits load and 30 cm in width and average about 10 cm. Few small-
casts. Channel lags and distinct fining or coarsening scale sedimentary structures are apparent, but in some
upwards of beds axe rare. Stratification is either absent or places indistinct fine parallel bedding and ripple cross-
 ~ ~ ~ ,~ ~ -- ~ Facies
Q I
Conglomerate- • ~ e/
O'o
w
F," I~ o .o
J I • . I ~ r /I / ~. , i, ~ .
" ' / / f 4 , t ,,/ ,117~\o,4l
t~
,1>~o
O~
D"
Oo
¢3
0
J
I//~'././~, . , ' - - . . ? . ' . : ¢ ~ , ' . r ' ~ <'~'" ~',:
~ ¢ ,," #" :
o
"11
, L, , u
2~
6~: al.nlD ' u o . ~ eure:~3 V 'oo~m.~.4 o q o ~ . : 3 ~!~se.ui JmclD ~ ~o seq'4qes poe s~le I -sJ~^.u F-~p!~JH
 Table 1: Facies associations of the Cifuncho Formation

Proportion
Facies of
Association Facies Lithology formation Sedimentary structure Fossils Interpretation

Granule to pebble conglomer-

ale with medium to coarse
sandstone. Poorly sorted, Bedding parallel to lenticu- Stream flow, in-channel
1. Conglomerate and sand- angular clasts. Metasedimen- lar. Beds internally structure- gravel bars of ephemeral
stone tary provenance. 15% less. Abundant channels. None braided rivers

Coarse to medium sandstone Bedding parallel to lentieu- Stream flow channel deposits
2. Sandstone and pebbly and pebbly sandstone. Poorly lar. Beds internally structure- Plant roots and of active non-vegetated tracts
sandstone soaed, angular elasts. 35% less. Channels stems of braided rivers.

Bioturbation com-
mon. Abundant ca.
Poorly defined parallel bed- roots, plant frag- t'3
Medium to very fine sand- ding. Structureless and mot- ments including Inactive vegetated Interehan-
stone and coarse siltstone. fled. Ripples. Shallow Calamites, Esthe- nel islands of a braided fluvial
1 3. Sandstone and siltstone Poorly sorted. 50% channels. ria. system.

Parallel bedding, ripples, Ephemeral streams on saline

4. Sandstone with halite casts Medium to fine sandstone 1% halite casts. None sandflat or sabkha.

5. Sandstone with stromato- Stromatolites Shoreline of an ephemeral

lites Fine to medium sandstone <1% Parallel bedding, ripples enerusting wood saline lake.

Peloids, onc-
Fine parallel laminations, olites, ostraceds Algal blooms in ephemeral
2 6. Laminated limestone Mierite and silt <1% small ripples and plant stems playa lakes

Lava, volcanic breccia,

lapilli tuff, volcaniclastic Volcaniclastic debris flow,
3 7. Volcanic sandstone 5% Parallel bedding None high density turbidity flows
 Braided rivers, lakes and sabldaas of the Upper Triassic Cifuncho Formatkm, Atacama Region, Chile
bedding are preserved. Bedding planes show lunate ripples
and rib and furrow structures. Some ripples are overlain by
thin silt drapes. Some normally graded sandstones, in beds
up to 10 cm thick, were recorded in section A. In places
the beds are incised by channels, between 1 and 2.5 m
deep, which are infilled with conglomerate and pebbly
sandstone of facies 1 and 2. Channel infill structures
include ripples and small dunes.
Most of the sandstones comprise metasedimentary
and quartz fragments. A compositional change occurs at
about 55 m in section A, where volcanic fragments
become abundant.
Bioturbation is very common. Some is in the form of
burrows, but most was apparently produced by small root
systems. The masking of small-scale sedimentary struc-
tures by mottling and bioturbation becomes less common
towards the top of Section B. Impressions of plant frag-
ments, together with a few small flakes of carbon, were
recorded at several places in the succession. An 8-m-thick
sandstone sequence at 55 m in section A contains Estheria
(fresh-water crustaceans) and fossil plants including
Calamites (V. Covacevich, Servicio National de G-eologfa
y Mineria, pers. comm., 1990).
The sandstones and siltstones of facies 3 are equiva-
lent to Sr (with minor Sh) of Miall (1977). They are inter-
preted as the deposits of the inactive vegetated
interchannel islands of a braided fluvial system.
Fades 4: Sandstone with halite casts
Facies 4 comprises medium to fine-grained sandstone
with ripple cross laminations and halite casts (Smirez and
Bell, 1991). The facies occurs in the top 20 m of section B,
in sequences up to 10 cm thick. The sediments closely
resemble those of facies 3 in lithology and sedimentary
structures. The main differences are the presence of halite
casts and the scarcity of mottling and bioturbation. The
halite casts are commonly developed within beds of rip-
pied fine sandstone. They have produced little disruption
of the stratification. The casts axe concentrated along indi-
vidual bedding planes, where they occur both as isolated
crystals and as patches of crystals. The casts are skeletal
cubic hoppers, commonly less than 1 cm but occasionally
up to 15 cm in diameter.
Facies 4 is interpreted as the deposits of ephemeral
streams on a saline sandflat or sabkha. The halite crystals
grew displacively within the sediment (Gornitz and
Schreiber, 1981).
Facies 5: Sandstone with stromatolites
Facies 5 comprises a 130-cm-thick bed of fine to
medium-grained sandstone within a 12-m succession of
facies 3 sandstones, at about 45 m in section A. This sand-
stone encloses upward-branching cylindrical stromatolitic
structures. These structures are concentrated in the lower
26 cm of the bed, where they form sub-horizontal inter-
connecting tubes with an elliptical cross-section (major
axis up to 11 cm and minor axis 4 to 5 cm). The tubes
exhibit a darker core. A small piece of wood found inside
SAMES 7 / 1 ~
31
one suggests that they originated by algal encrustation of
wood fragments (V. Covacevich, pers. comm., 1990).
Facies 5 probably represents the shoreline sediments
of an ephemeral saline lake (West, 1975).
Facies 6: Laminated limestone
Finely laminated limestones were recorded in both
measauvA sections. They form thin beds interstratitied with
pale-green colored fine-grained sandstones of facies 3 and
4. Two units, 170 and 40 cm thick, were recorded in sec-
tion A (Fig. 3), and five beds between 3 and 28 cm thick in
section B (Fig. 4). The limestones are dark grey, but most
are iron stained to a dark red-brown color. Some are
recrystallized. Thin sections show that the limestones con-
sist of micrite with a small proportion of silt-grade elastic
debris. The micrite comprises indistinct small peloids.
Articulated ostracod shells, oncolites and impressions of
plant debris were observed in hand specimens. The lime-
stones show fine thin laminations, and some are slightly
nodular. Laminations are either straight and parallel or
wavy, some exhibiting small ripples. A few beds in section
A are distorted by small irregular folds and brecciation.
Limestone near the top of section B contains halite casts
and anhydrite.
The limestones of facies 6 probably represent the
deposits of algal blooms in ephemeral playa lakes, which
were at times supersaline. Distortion of some layers could
have resulted from the growth and dissolution of evaporite
minerals.
Facies 7: Lava, volcanic breccia and volcaniclastic
sandstone
The deposition of the sediments of the Cifuncho For-
mation was accompanied by volcanic activity. Volcanic
rocks and volcaniclastic secliments comprise about 40% of
section A, in successions up to 38 m thick (Fig. 3). A 7-m-
thick ignimbrite was recorded in section B, and isolated
tuff horizons were observed elsewhere in the formation.
Four subfacies were identified in section A.
Matrix-supported volcanic breccias consisting of
angular fragments of andesite, rhyodacite and very rare
metasediment. The breccias form structureless beds rang-
ing from 3 to 7 m in thickness. They are interpreted as vol-
caniclastic debris flow deposits.
Pyroclasac breccias consist of angular andesitic
clasts and flattened pumice fragments. The breccias form
beds up to 5 m thick which are interstratified with the
matrix-supported volcanic breccias. They are interpreted
as pyroclastic flow deposits.
Accretionary iapiUi tuff forms a 50-era-thick bed at
57 m in section A.
Volcaniclastic sandstone forms a 3- to 5-m-thick
intercalation between the volcanic breccias at about 100 m
in section A. The fine to coarse-grained sandstone forms
beds up to 30 cm thick. Angular volcanic pebbles up to 2
cm in diameter are concentrated at the base of some beds.
A few larger clasts up to 30 cm in diameter were recorded.
Normal grading from coarse to fine sand is common.
32 M. SUAREZ and C.M. BELL
Some beds are very heterogeneous, the same bed showing
well-developed normal grading in one place, inverse (in
the lower 5 cm) to normal grading at another, and cross-
bedding above the normal grading. Some beds show chan-
nelization and amalgamation. These sandstones are inter-
preted as the deposits of high density turbulent flows.
PALEOCURRENTS
Among structures regarded as paleocurrent indicators,
including ripple and dune cross-bedding, asymmetrical
ripple, and fib-and-furrow structures, 51 were recorded in
facies 1 and 2 and 3 were recorded in section B. They
show a broad unimodal pattern, indicating flow towards
the SE (Fig. 4). Forsythe et al. (1987) recorded paleomag-
netic data which suggested a 30* clockwise rotation for the
crustal block which contains these strata. This suggests
that the paleocurrents flowed from the west towards the
east.
INTERPRETATION OF THE MEASURED
SECTIONS
The basal part of Section A (Fig. 3) is interpreted as
braided river deposits (facies 1) overlain by lacustrine sed-
iments (facies 3, 5 and 6). The upper parts of the conglom-
eratic succession may therefore represent a lacustrine
braid-delta (cf. McPherson et al., 1987; 1988). The upper
part of the section is dominated by volcaniclastic alluvial
fan deposits. The clastic debris in this part of the succes-
sion was derived from metasedimentary and volcanic
source areas. The metasedimentary source was the Las
T6rtolas Formation located to the west. The location of the
active volcanic source could not be determined with preci-
sion because of the paucity of paleocurrent data. However,
the presence of abundant volcanic rocks in the contempo-
raneous Agua Chica Formation 50 km to the south (Mer-
cado, 1980) suggests that the volcanoes may have lain to
the south.
Facies 1 and 2 of Section B (Fig. 4) are interpreted as
stream-flow cbannel deposits, in the active, non-vegetated
tracts of ephemeral braided streams (Rust, 1972; Miall,
1977). The conglomerates and sandstones were deposited
in a criss-crossing maze of small, shallow but steep-sided
channels. Most deposition was by vertical aggradation of
bars in channels, from waning stream floods during the
late stages of flood events (Picard and High, 1973). Thick
conglomerate successions probably represent longitudinal
bars in a major channel system (Miall, 1977). Although
the coarse-grained and ill-sorted sediments are suggestive
of an alluvial fan, the absence of mass-flow deposits
makes this an unlikely depositional environment (Bull,
1964).
Facies 3 represents the deposits of the inactive vege-
tated interchannel islands of the braided alluvial system
(Rust, 1972). Most of the sediment was deposited as small
current ripples and upper flow regime flat beds. Bioturba-
tion and mottling was produced by the root systems of an
abundant vegetation of small plants. Repeated rec,oloniza-
tion by vegetation following flood events led to the verti-
cal accumulation of thick successions.
Decreasing bioturbation towards the top of Section B
coincides with the appearance of halite casts. This sug-
gests that saline groundwaters in a coastal saline sandflat
or sabkha produced an environment hostile to vegetation.
The halite grew displacively within unconsolidated cur-
rent-rippled sandstones. The hopper crystals developed in
supersaturated solutions drawn up towards the surface by
evaporitic pumping of the ground water (Gornitz and
Schreiber, 1981). Ephemeral playa lakes occupied parts of
the coastal sabldaas.
FACIES SEQUENCES AND CYCLES
Three scales of cyclic events are apparent in the flu-
vial sediments of the Cifuncho Formation. At the smallest
scale (centimeters to meters) are beds of pebbly sandstone
and conglomerate, representing the deposits of individual
flood events.
Medium-scale fining-upwards cycles range from less
than 1 m to more than 20 m in thickness (Fig. 4) and repre-
sent the infilling of braided channel systems and the devel-
opment of vegetationally stabilized islands. The channels
were eroded, then intilled by vertical aggradation, during
cbannelized flood events. Sedimentation on the vegetated
islands trocurred only during major floods.
Four large-scale fining-upwards cycles, between 200
mad 300 m thick, are recorded in Fig. 2. These cycles were
produced by the building out of braidplains over saline
sandflats and playas. Cycles on this scale probably reflect
tectonic control, possibly related to uplift of fault-bounded
margins of the basin (Uliana and Biddle, 1988).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
The Upper Triassic (to possibly Hettangian) Cifuncho
Formation in the Quebrada Cifuacho area (Fig. 1) consists
of 1,000 m of predominantly coarse-grained clastic terrig-
enous sediments (Naranjo and Puig, 1984). These sedi-
ments represent the deposits of braided rivers, lakes, playa
lakes, coastal sabkhas and volcaniclastic alluvial fans. The
great thickness of iU-sorted clastic debris suggests deposi-
tion in an actively subsiding graben or half graben.
Regional marine flooding during the I-Iettangian to Sine-
murian is indicative of a diachronous transgression
(Naranjo and Puig, 1984). This Lower Lias transgression,
during a period of worldwide lowstand of sea-level (I-Iaq
er al., 1987), suggests that thermal subsidence followed
the uplift associated with graben formation.
Most of the clastic debris is metasedimentary in ori-
gin, derived from an upper Paleozoic accretionary com-
plex located to the west. The present-day location of this
source area is offshore, suggesting that the western part of
the continent at this latitude is missing, probably as the
result of strike-slip faulting. Strike-slip faulting may also
explain the clockwise rotation recorded by Forsythe et al.
(1987).
Interbedded andesitic volcanic and volcaniclastic
rocks suggest that deposition was associated with calc-
 Braided rivers, lakes and sabldaas of the Upper Triassic Ciftmcho Formation, Atacama Region, Chile
alkaline volcanism related to subduction (Su~rez and Ver-
gara, in preparation).
Acknowledgements--This research was supported by project 90-511 of
FONDECYT, and the Servicio Naeional de Geolog[a y Miner[a. We are
grateful to Patricia Anguito for fleld support and Vladimir Covacevich
for fossil identification.
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