In this book, published under the auspices of the 18º Argentine Geological Congress and the Argen... more In this book, published under the auspices of the 18º Argentine Geological Congress and the Argentine Geological Association celebrated in 2011 in the city of Neuquén, the geological knowledge of the Neuquén province is updated, after 33 years of holding the 7º Argentine Geological Congress in the same city in 1978. The book contains 912 full color pages with 76 chapters. The first one is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Pablo Groeber, the most prominent master of the Neuquén geology of the half part of the twentieth century, whereas the second refers to the history of the evolution of geological knowledge of the province. The rest of the chapters cover fields of Geological Sciences as stratigraphy, structure, geomorphology, invertebrate and vertebrate paleontology, volcanism, hydrocarbon resources, mineral resources, non-fuel energy resources, water resources, environmental geology, seismic hazards, soils and sites of geological interest, are treated with extreme scientific rigor. Al...
The southern extremity of the Cordillera del Viento is mainly composed of volcanic sequences, whi... more The southern extremity of the Cordillera del Viento is mainly composed of volcanic sequences, which form the basement of the Neuquén basin. The oldest rocks are the sediments in the Huaraco Formation, Andacollo Group, of Upper Carboniferous age. After being folded by the San Rafael orogenic phase during the Lower Permian, these sediments were intruded by granodioritic and monzogranitic plutons along with dikes and domes of rhyolitic nature. They were then covered in angular unconformity by rhyolitic ignimbrites, which are cogenetic with the intrusives. The resulting volcanic-plutonic complex is suggested to be correlative with the Permian Choiyoi Group exposed in the Cordillera Frontal and the Bloque de San Rafael geological provinces. This volcanic-plutonic complex was subjected to strong erosion during the Early to Middle Triassic. The development of an undulated erosion surface (Huarpican unconformity) resulted in the exposure of the cupolas of the plutons. This surface support t...
The Vaca Muerta Formation (Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous) in the Neuquén Basin.- The analyzed st... more The Vaca Muerta Formation (Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous) in the Neuquén Basin.- The analyzed stratigraphic interval is encompassed between the contact between the Tordillo and the Vaca Muerta Fms. and the Intravalanginian unconformity, ranging in age from the late Early Tithonian to the Early Valanginian. The lower part, which coincides with the Vaca Muerta Fm., surpasses the paleogeographical boundaries of the previous units, displaying a retrograding pattern. In the south-western region of the Neuquén Basin the system tracts are developed at the Late Tithonian in a progradant context of high stand, as a response to an important clastic input coming form the Nordpatagonian Massif. In the eastern domain at the subsurface of the basin, calcareous-evaporitic facies overly the Sierra Pintada Massif and the Pampean Craton which, with a weaker clastic input, cross the Catriel Platform to the Añelo Trough. This number of facies associations is identified in the underground as the Quintu...
Unconformity-bounded stratigraphic units in the Cordillera del Viento and Sierra de Chacaicó depo... more Unconformity-bounded stratigraphic units in the Cordillera del Viento and Sierra de Chacaicó depocenters during the beginning of the Neuquén basin.-The stratigraphy of the Cordillera del Viento and Sierra de Chacaicó areas, with additional observations in the Cerro Atravesada, is summarized in this paper. These regions are related to halfgrabens of variable deepness, which were active between the Middle Triassic to the Early Jurassic (Toarcian/Aalenian boundary). After the San Rafael orogenic phase, of compressive nature, a generalized rifting process begun in both areas, and, as a result of changes in the spreading rate, three main unconformities (d1, d2 y d3) bounding correlative stratigraphic units were recognized. Although probably the filling of the halfgrabens of Cordillera del Viento and Sierra Chacaicó took place by processes not necessarily simultaneous, is demonstrated in this paper that a general pattern of accumulation in both areas existed. It was mainly developed in fo...
RESUMEN Los Sitios de Interés Geológico son áreas que muestran una o varias características consi... more RESUMEN Los Sitios de Interés Geológico son áreas que muestran una o varias características consideradas de importancia en el desarrollo de la historia geológica de una comarca. Su conocimiento aporta información que permite reconocer e interpretar la evolución de los procesos geológicos que, como resultado, han modelado nuestro planeta a lo largo de la historia de la Tierra. Seleccionar estos lugares de interés geológico en territorio neuquino no ha resultado tarea sencilla, ya que cada rincón de la provincia muestra afloramientos de calidad excepcional desde el Proterozoico tardío a través de todo el Fanerozoico, alcanzando el Cuaternario más reciente con todavía actuantes procesos geológicos de envergadura. Por esa razón la provincia del Neuquén se ha convertido en una región predilecta por geocientíficos del país y de todo el mundo, no solamente para la enseñanza e investigación científica, si no también para la búsqueda y evaluación de recursos minerales y energéticos. En base ...
ABSTRACT
The Cuyo Group (Early-Middle Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin .- The Cuyo Group constitute... more ABSTRACT The Cuyo Group (Early-Middle Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin .- The Cuyo Group constitutes the first marine sedimentary cycle which was deposited in the Neuquén Basin in a period of time that spans from the Sinemurian-Hettangian in southern Mendoza and the Pliensbachian-Toarcian in Neuquén, up to the Mid-Callovian. It has a particular importance since it represents the beginning of the basin history as a sedimentary recipient and, on the other hand, it constitutes the interval that was studied successfully on the first drillings searching for hydrocarbons, in what was later to become the major productive region in the country. It is formed by a group of clastic rocks that represent distal marine (Molles Fm.), coastal (Lajas Fm.) and continental environments (Challacó and Punta Rosada Fms.), ending with evaporitic rocks (Tábanos Fm.). It represents a complete transgressive-regressive (second order) cycle that shows minor oscillations of advances and retreats of the shoreline. In turn this allowed its subdivision in seven third order depositional sequences. The influence of the tectonic behavior of the basin borders produced an important progradation that begins in the Aalenian- Bajocian on the southern and southeastern margins, whereas in southern of Mendoza, a transgressive situation continues at least until the Bathonian. It ends with an evaporitic event developed in the inner part of the basin that represents the greatest marine retraction previous to the tectonic reactivation which produces the Intracallovian unconformity. Key words: Cuyano, Cuyo Group, Lower Jurassic, Middle Jurassic, Neuquén Basin
ABSTRACT
The Precuyano Cycle (Late Triassic- Early Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin.- The term Prec... more ABSTRACT The Precuyano Cycle (Late Triassic- Early Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin.- The term Precuyano was defined during the early 80s in order to name a group of piroclastic, volcanic and epiclastic deposits that partly fill the initial stage of the Neuquén Basin. It comprises several litoestratigraphic units formerly defined as Remoredo, Sañico and Piedra del Aguila formations, among others. These deposits, mostly from continental bulk, appear in depocenters limited by extensional faults of mainly NW-SE strike. Their development characterize the initial rift stage and the consequent formation of hemigraben structures. The regional study and further analysis of these deposits of both subsurface and outcrops, enabled a better understanding of the tectonic evolution and the Mesozoic sedimentation of the Neuquén Basin on the one hand, and the differenciation between these units and the ones in the basement on the other. The complexity of the wildly accepted term Precuyano Cycle advices not to use the lithostratigraphy as the only tool for the proper analysis of these deposits. Key words: Precuyano, halfgraben, volcaniclastic deposits, rifting, orogenic collapse, tectosedimentation, Neuquén Basin
In this book, published under the auspices of the 18º Argentine Geological Congress and the Argen... more In this book, published under the auspices of the 18º Argentine Geological Congress and the Argentine Geological Association celebrated in 2011 in the city of Neuquén, the geological knowledge of the Neuquén province is updated, after 33 years of holding the 7º Argentine Geological Congress in the same city in 1978. The book contains 912 full color pages with 76 chapters. The first one is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Pablo Groeber, the most prominent master of the Neuquén geology of the half part of the twentieth century, whereas the second refers to the history of the evolution of geological knowledge of the province. The rest of the chapters cover fields of Geological Sciences as stratigraphy, structure, geomorphology, invertebrate and vertebrate paleontology, volcanism, hydrocarbon resources, mineral resources, non-fuel energy resources, water resources, environmental geology, seismic hazards, soils and sites of geological interest, are treated with extreme scientific rigor. Al...
The southern extremity of the Cordillera del Viento is mainly composed of volcanic sequences, whi... more The southern extremity of the Cordillera del Viento is mainly composed of volcanic sequences, which form the basement of the Neuquén basin. The oldest rocks are the sediments in the Huaraco Formation, Andacollo Group, of Upper Carboniferous age. After being folded by the San Rafael orogenic phase during the Lower Permian, these sediments were intruded by granodioritic and monzogranitic plutons along with dikes and domes of rhyolitic nature. They were then covered in angular unconformity by rhyolitic ignimbrites, which are cogenetic with the intrusives. The resulting volcanic-plutonic complex is suggested to be correlative with the Permian Choiyoi Group exposed in the Cordillera Frontal and the Bloque de San Rafael geological provinces. This volcanic-plutonic complex was subjected to strong erosion during the Early to Middle Triassic. The development of an undulated erosion surface (Huarpican unconformity) resulted in the exposure of the cupolas of the plutons. This surface support t...
The Vaca Muerta Formation (Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous) in the Neuquén Basin.- The analyzed st... more The Vaca Muerta Formation (Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous) in the Neuquén Basin.- The analyzed stratigraphic interval is encompassed between the contact between the Tordillo and the Vaca Muerta Fms. and the Intravalanginian unconformity, ranging in age from the late Early Tithonian to the Early Valanginian. The lower part, which coincides with the Vaca Muerta Fm., surpasses the paleogeographical boundaries of the previous units, displaying a retrograding pattern. In the south-western region of the Neuquén Basin the system tracts are developed at the Late Tithonian in a progradant context of high stand, as a response to an important clastic input coming form the Nordpatagonian Massif. In the eastern domain at the subsurface of the basin, calcareous-evaporitic facies overly the Sierra Pintada Massif and the Pampean Craton which, with a weaker clastic input, cross the Catriel Platform to the Añelo Trough. This number of facies associations is identified in the underground as the Quintu...
Unconformity-bounded stratigraphic units in the Cordillera del Viento and Sierra de Chacaicó depo... more Unconformity-bounded stratigraphic units in the Cordillera del Viento and Sierra de Chacaicó depocenters during the beginning of the Neuquén basin.-The stratigraphy of the Cordillera del Viento and Sierra de Chacaicó areas, with additional observations in the Cerro Atravesada, is summarized in this paper. These regions are related to halfgrabens of variable deepness, which were active between the Middle Triassic to the Early Jurassic (Toarcian/Aalenian boundary). After the San Rafael orogenic phase, of compressive nature, a generalized rifting process begun in both areas, and, as a result of changes in the spreading rate, three main unconformities (d1, d2 y d3) bounding correlative stratigraphic units were recognized. Although probably the filling of the halfgrabens of Cordillera del Viento and Sierra Chacaicó took place by processes not necessarily simultaneous, is demonstrated in this paper that a general pattern of accumulation in both areas existed. It was mainly developed in fo...
RESUMEN Los Sitios de Interés Geológico son áreas que muestran una o varias características consi... more RESUMEN Los Sitios de Interés Geológico son áreas que muestran una o varias características consideradas de importancia en el desarrollo de la historia geológica de una comarca. Su conocimiento aporta información que permite reconocer e interpretar la evolución de los procesos geológicos que, como resultado, han modelado nuestro planeta a lo largo de la historia de la Tierra. Seleccionar estos lugares de interés geológico en territorio neuquino no ha resultado tarea sencilla, ya que cada rincón de la provincia muestra afloramientos de calidad excepcional desde el Proterozoico tardío a través de todo el Fanerozoico, alcanzando el Cuaternario más reciente con todavía actuantes procesos geológicos de envergadura. Por esa razón la provincia del Neuquén se ha convertido en una región predilecta por geocientíficos del país y de todo el mundo, no solamente para la enseñanza e investigación científica, si no también para la búsqueda y evaluación de recursos minerales y energéticos. En base ...
ABSTRACT
The Cuyo Group (Early-Middle Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin .- The Cuyo Group constitute... more ABSTRACT The Cuyo Group (Early-Middle Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin .- The Cuyo Group constitutes the first marine sedimentary cycle which was deposited in the Neuquén Basin in a period of time that spans from the Sinemurian-Hettangian in southern Mendoza and the Pliensbachian-Toarcian in Neuquén, up to the Mid-Callovian. It has a particular importance since it represents the beginning of the basin history as a sedimentary recipient and, on the other hand, it constitutes the interval that was studied successfully on the first drillings searching for hydrocarbons, in what was later to become the major productive region in the country. It is formed by a group of clastic rocks that represent distal marine (Molles Fm.), coastal (Lajas Fm.) and continental environments (Challacó and Punta Rosada Fms.), ending with evaporitic rocks (Tábanos Fm.). It represents a complete transgressive-regressive (second order) cycle that shows minor oscillations of advances and retreats of the shoreline. In turn this allowed its subdivision in seven third order depositional sequences. The influence of the tectonic behavior of the basin borders produced an important progradation that begins in the Aalenian- Bajocian on the southern and southeastern margins, whereas in southern of Mendoza, a transgressive situation continues at least until the Bathonian. It ends with an evaporitic event developed in the inner part of the basin that represents the greatest marine retraction previous to the tectonic reactivation which produces the Intracallovian unconformity. Key words: Cuyano, Cuyo Group, Lower Jurassic, Middle Jurassic, Neuquén Basin
ABSTRACT
The Precuyano Cycle (Late Triassic- Early Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin.- The term Prec... more ABSTRACT The Precuyano Cycle (Late Triassic- Early Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin.- The term Precuyano was defined during the early 80s in order to name a group of piroclastic, volcanic and epiclastic deposits that partly fill the initial stage of the Neuquén Basin. It comprises several litoestratigraphic units formerly defined as Remoredo, Sañico and Piedra del Aguila formations, among others. These deposits, mostly from continental bulk, appear in depocenters limited by extensional faults of mainly NW-SE strike. Their development characterize the initial rift stage and the consequent formation of hemigraben structures. The regional study and further analysis of these deposits of both subsurface and outcrops, enabled a better understanding of the tectonic evolution and the Mesozoic sedimentation of the Neuquén Basin on the one hand, and the differenciation between these units and the ones in the basement on the other. The complexity of the wildly accepted term Precuyano Cycle advices not to use the lithostratigraphy as the only tool for the proper analysis of these deposits. Key words: Precuyano, halfgraben, volcaniclastic deposits, rifting, orogenic collapse, tectosedimentation, Neuquén Basin
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The Cuyo Group (Early-Middle Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin .- The Cuyo Group constitutes the first marine sedimentary cycle which
was deposited in the Neuquén Basin in a period of time that spans from the Sinemurian-Hettangian in southern Mendoza and the
Pliensbachian-Toarcian in Neuquén, up to the Mid-Callovian. It has a particular importance since it represents the beginning of the
basin history as a sedimentary recipient and, on the other hand, it constitutes the interval that was studied successfully on the first
drillings searching for hydrocarbons, in what was later to become the major productive region in the country. It is formed by a group
of clastic rocks that represent distal marine (Molles Fm.), coastal (Lajas Fm.) and continental environments (Challacó and Punta
Rosada Fms.), ending with evaporitic rocks (Tábanos Fm.). It represents a complete transgressive-regressive (second order) cycle that
shows minor oscillations of advances and retreats of the shoreline. In turn this allowed its subdivision in seven third order depositional
sequences. The influence of the tectonic behavior of the basin borders produced an important progradation that begins in the Aalenian-
Bajocian on the southern and southeastern margins, whereas in southern of Mendoza, a transgressive situation continues at least until
the Bathonian. It ends with an evaporitic event developed in the inner part of the basin that represents the greatest marine retraction
previous to the tectonic reactivation which produces the Intracallovian unconformity.
Key words: Cuyano, Cuyo Group, Lower Jurassic, Middle Jurassic, Neuquén Basin
The Precuyano Cycle (Late Triassic- Early Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin.- The term Precuyano was defined during the early 80s in
order to name a group of piroclastic, volcanic and epiclastic deposits that partly fill the initial stage of the Neuquén Basin. It
comprises several litoestratigraphic units formerly defined as Remoredo, Sañico and Piedra del Aguila formations, among others.
These deposits, mostly from continental bulk, appear in depocenters limited by extensional faults of mainly NW-SE strike. Their
development characterize the initial rift stage and the consequent formation of hemigraben structures. The regional study and
further analysis of these deposits of both subsurface and outcrops, enabled a better understanding of the tectonic evolution and the
Mesozoic sedimentation of the Neuquén Basin on the one hand, and the differenciation between these units and the ones in the
basement on the other. The complexity of the wildly accepted term Precuyano Cycle advices not to use the lithostratigraphy as the
only tool for the proper analysis of these deposits.
Key words: Precuyano, halfgraben, volcaniclastic deposits, rifting, orogenic collapse, tectosedimentation, Neuquén Basin
The Cuyo Group (Early-Middle Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin .- The Cuyo Group constitutes the first marine sedimentary cycle which
was deposited in the Neuquén Basin in a period of time that spans from the Sinemurian-Hettangian in southern Mendoza and the
Pliensbachian-Toarcian in Neuquén, up to the Mid-Callovian. It has a particular importance since it represents the beginning of the
basin history as a sedimentary recipient and, on the other hand, it constitutes the interval that was studied successfully on the first
drillings searching for hydrocarbons, in what was later to become the major productive region in the country. It is formed by a group
of clastic rocks that represent distal marine (Molles Fm.), coastal (Lajas Fm.) and continental environments (Challacó and Punta
Rosada Fms.), ending with evaporitic rocks (Tábanos Fm.). It represents a complete transgressive-regressive (second order) cycle that
shows minor oscillations of advances and retreats of the shoreline. In turn this allowed its subdivision in seven third order depositional
sequences. The influence of the tectonic behavior of the basin borders produced an important progradation that begins in the Aalenian-
Bajocian on the southern and southeastern margins, whereas in southern of Mendoza, a transgressive situation continues at least until
the Bathonian. It ends with an evaporitic event developed in the inner part of the basin that represents the greatest marine retraction
previous to the tectonic reactivation which produces the Intracallovian unconformity.
Key words: Cuyano, Cuyo Group, Lower Jurassic, Middle Jurassic, Neuquén Basin
The Precuyano Cycle (Late Triassic- Early Jurassic) in the Neuquén Basin.- The term Precuyano was defined during the early 80s in
order to name a group of piroclastic, volcanic and epiclastic deposits that partly fill the initial stage of the Neuquén Basin. It
comprises several litoestratigraphic units formerly defined as Remoredo, Sañico and Piedra del Aguila formations, among others.
These deposits, mostly from continental bulk, appear in depocenters limited by extensional faults of mainly NW-SE strike. Their
development characterize the initial rift stage and the consequent formation of hemigraben structures. The regional study and
further analysis of these deposits of both subsurface and outcrops, enabled a better understanding of the tectonic evolution and the
Mesozoic sedimentation of the Neuquén Basin on the one hand, and the differenciation between these units and the ones in the
basement on the other. The complexity of the wildly accepted term Precuyano Cycle advices not to use the lithostratigraphy as the
only tool for the proper analysis of these deposits.
Key words: Precuyano, halfgraben, volcaniclastic deposits, rifting, orogenic collapse, tectosedimentation, Neuquén Basin