Abstract

CICCIOLI, Patricia L; GOMEZ O'CONNELL, Mariana; LIMARINO, Carlos O  and  MARENSSI, Sergio A. La sucesión terciaria de la quebrada de Los Pozuelos (cuenca de Vinchina): su importancia estratigráfica y paleogeográfica para el antepaís andino. Rev. Asoc. Geol. Argent. [online]. 2013, vol.70, n.4, pp.451-464. ISSN 0004-4822.

The description and interpretation of a thick Tertiary sedimentary succession cropping out along the Los Pozuelos creek, northern part of the Vinchina basin is presented here. The sedimentary column was divided into eight stratigraphic sections (SE), including the Vallecito Formation (SE1, aeolian; SE2, fluvial-aeolian interaction), the lower member of the Vinchina Formation (SE3, ephemeral sandy fluvial systems; SE4, braided to anastomosed fluvial systems), the upper member of the Vinchina Formation (SE5 and SE6, amalgamated sandy-gravel braided and high sinuosity fluvial systems) and the lower member of the Toro Negro Formation (SE7, confined gravelly to sandy braid plain; SE8, gravelly to sandy anastomosing fluvial systems). The unconformity between the Vallecito and Vinchina formations represents a major change in the evolution of the Andean foreland basin. SE3 and SE4 deposits (early transpressive retroarc stage) are continuous and homogeneous along strike, while SE5 and SE6 deposits (late transpressive retroarc stage) are not; indicating that uplifted basement blocks partitioned the foreland into isolated depocenters (broken-foreland basin). Rocks belonging to SE7 and SE8 show the complex relationship between the fold and thrust belt and the basement blocks. Facies changes and decreasing grain-size in a North to South direction recorded in the upper member of the Vinchina Formation when comparing the northern exposures (Los Pozuelos creek) and the central section along the La Troya River indicate that the Toro Negro Range acted as a local positive element since the early Miocene.

Keywords : Stratigraphy; Broken-foreland; Andean orogeny; La Rioja.

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