Vol.

54 SUPPLEMENT 2
Bollettino di Geofisica
teorica ed applicata
An International Journal of Earth Sciences
Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia ISSN 0006-6729
e di Geofisica Sperimentale
Guest Editors: Reynaldo Charrier, Francisco Herv, Emanuele Lodolo,
Marco Menichetti, Maria Pia Rodrguez, Alejandro Tassone.
International Geological Congress
on the Southern Hemisphere
Scientific Contributions
of the Geosur2013
25-27 November, 2013
Via del Mar, Chile
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217
SEDIMENTARY PATTERNS IN THE VINCHINA BASIN: INTERPLAY BETWEEN 3-05
COMPRESSIONAL AND TRANSCURRENT TECTONISM DURING THE ANDEAN OROGENY
Ciccioli P.L.*
1-3
, Marenssi S.A.
1-2
, Rossello E.
1
and Limarino C.O.
1-3
(1) Dto. de Cs. Geolgicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabelln 2, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires,
1428 Argentina - CONICET.
(2) Instituto Antrtico Argentino.
(3) IGEBA, Pabelln 2, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires. 1428, Argentina.
* Presenting Authors email: ciccioli@gl.fcen.uba.ar
Introduction
The Nevados del Famatina, located in northwestern Argentina (Fig. 1), is one of the higher non-volcanic
mountains belts in South America reaching up to 6200 m in height. Despite the fact that the uplift of the
Nevados del Famatina was (and is) closely related to the Andean Orogeny, these mountains are located about
400 km from the Chile trench and up to 100 km from the main Andean Cordillera (Cobbold et al., 2007).
The origin of the high and isolated Nevados del Famatina is related to a Neogene tectonic syntaxis due to
the relationship between the left-lateral Valle Frtil wrench fault and the right-lateral Tucuman wrench fault
(Rossello et al., 2011). The Vinchina Basin, a highly subsiding basin that accumulated more than 10,000 m
of continental sediments during the Neogene developed between the magmatic arc, located in the Andean
Cordillera, and the Famatina Mountain. The study of the sedimentary fll of the Vinchina Basin allows
reconstructing not only the evolution of the magmatic arc (and its associated deformation) but also the timing
and effect of the uplift of the Nevados del Famatina.
The stratigraphy of the Vinchina Basin, which very probably represents the northern culmination of the
Bermejo Basin, was studied by several authors. Recently, Ciccioli et al. (2011) divided the Vinchina Basin
Fig. 1 - Location map of the Vinchina Basin (VB). (1, Toro Negro; 2, Umango-Espinal and 3, Maz ranges), LTD, La
Troya depocenter, Tucumn (TL) and Desaguadero-Valle Frtil (D-VFL) lineaments.
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fll into fve stages named: 1. Retroarc, 2. Early transpressive retroarc, 3. Late transpressive retroarc, 4.
Transpressional foreland and 5. Cannibalized foreland. New radiometric ages and stratigraphic evidences
allow the timing of these stages to be refned and to relate them with the uplift of the Nevados del Famatina
and the basement blocks of Sierras Pampeanas Noroccidentales.
Tectosedimentary model for the Vinchina Basin
To understand the stratigraphic record of the Vinchina Basin it is frst necessary to highlight that the evolution
of the basin was strongly infuenced by the continuous interaction between the Andean compression and
northwest-southeast strike-slip structures present in the basement of the basin (Fig. 1). The main effect of this
interaction was the uplift of the Nevados del Famatina and several basement blocks of the Sierras Pampeanas
to the east besides the development of the Precordillera thrust belt to the west.
The tectosedimentary model discussed in this paper and its relation with the one previously postulated by
Ciccioli et al. (2011) is shown in Fig. 2. A brief description for each stage is given below.
Basin stage
Cannibalized
foreland
Late
transpressional
foreland


Early
transpressional
foreland


Late transpressive
retroarc



Early transpressive
retroarc


Retroarc



Sedimentation
Very coarse-grained alluvial
synorogenic sediments (El Corral Fm.)
Coarsening-up sequences from playa lake to
coarse-grained alluvial deposits (Upper
Member of the Toro Negro Fm.).
Progradation of clastic wedge from the eastern
Precordillera.
Underfilled to overfilled conditions
Alternating fluvial and playa lake sediments
with thin intercalation of explosive volcanic
deposits
(Lower Member of the Toro Negro Fm.).
Underfilled to overfilled conditions.
Coarse-grained fluvial sediments (Upper
Member Vinchina Fm.) in separated and
isolated depocenters (Vinchina and La Troya).
Underfilled, filled to overfilled conditions.

Sandy fluvial sediments (lower member of
Vinchina Fm.) in the Vinchina- La Troya area
(underfilled conditions)

Low energy fluvial, lacustrine (Puesto La Flecha
Fm.) and eolian (Vallecito Fm.) sediments
(starved to underfilled conditions)

Tectonic and subsidence
Uplift and erosion of the
previous Tertiary infill
Dominance of the east- vergent
thrusts (Precordillera) over the
local basement blocks under a
transpressive regime.

Initiation of a complex interplay
between basement blocks,
Famatina Range and east vergent
thrusts under a transpressive
regime generating high
subsidence.
Break-up and
compartmentalization of
the retroarc by the Sierra de
Umango-Espinal and Toro Negro
uplift under a transpressive
regime. High subsidence rate.
Initiation of the transpressive
regime and incipient
participation of the basement
blocks generating high
sudsidence rate.
Low subsidence regime and
beginning of high subsidence
regime associated with the
first tectonic movements of the
Andean Orogeny.
The retroarc stage: During the Late Eocene-Oligocene interval the Vinchina Basin was dominated by low-
energy fuvial and lacustrine (playa lake) sedimentation (Puesto La Flecha Fm.) which was in turn replaced
by large eolian felds during the Late Oligocene (and earliest Miocene?, Vallecito Fm.). The Puesto La Flecha
Formation is a red-bed succession composed of sandstones and mudstones ranging in thickness from a few
tens up to 250 m. The eolian deposits of the Vallectito Formation (from 100 up to 1000 m thick) comprise
very fne- to medium-grained cross-bedded sandstones showing frequent giant-scale cross-bedded sets.
Fig. 2.
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219
The differences in thickness maybe refect irregular topography of the basin and the development of small
depocenters probably controlled by northwest-southeast structures present in the basement. Low-energy
fuvial and lacustrine deposits probably refect low-subsidence rates previous to the eastward migration of
the orogenic front from the magmatic arc. The eolian deposits were interpreted as starved to underflled
conditions in the basin which were related to the frst tectonic movements of the Andean Orogeny in the
westernmost area of the basin (Tripaldi and Limarino, 2005; Ciccioli et al., 2011).
Early transpressive retroarc stage: The base of this stage is marked by a low-relief erosive surface of
regional extension that separates the Vallecito Formation below from the Lower Member of the Vinchina
Formation above. Recently, Ciccioli et al. (2012) reported a zircon U-Pb age of 15.6 Ma obtained close
to the Vallecito-Vinchina unconformity which allow us to reasonably date the age of the beginning of
the transpressive regimen probably related to non-orthogonal Andean compression. Probably, strike-slip
displacements of the main structural lineaments (Valle Frtil and Tucumn) promoted the incipient uplift
of intrabasinal basement blocks as for example the Sierra del Toro Negro (Fig. 1). The Lower Member of
the Vinchina Formation is mainly made up of coarse- and medium-grained cross-bedded sandstones and
mudstones deposited in multichannelized (anastomosed) fuvial systems. According to Ciccioli et al. (2011)
the high proportion of foodplain deposits could indicate a high rate of subsidence but the limited supply of
coarse-grained sediments from the orogenic front would suggest underflled conditions during this time.
Late transpressive retroarc stage: An intraformational unconformity of low to moderate relief separates
the Lower and the Upper Member of the Vinchina Formation. This surface is covered by conglomerates and
coarse-grained sandstones indicating out the progradation of fuvial clastic wedges from both, the western
orogenic front and the intrabasinal basement blocks. During this stage, basement shortening of the Sierras
Pampeanas was probably important enough to produce the uplift of the intrabasinal Umango-Espinal block
dividing the early retroarc basin into two depocenters (La Troya and Vinchina, Fig. 1). From a lithological
point of view the Upper Member of the Vinchina Formation comprises conglomerates and coarse-grained
sandstones at the base which are succeeded by sandstones, mudstones and intraformational conglomerates.
These rocks were deposited in different types of fuvial systems, which in broad terms can be described as
braided at the base of the member, meandering and anastomosed with eolian intercalations in the middle
part and sandy-ephemeral succeeded by lacustrine sedimentation at the top of the member. This sedimentary
pattern suggests the evolution from underflled to flled conditions and then overflled stages at the top of the
member.
Early transpressional foreland stage: An important incision surface marks the base of this stage which
was carved into the Upper Member of the Vinchina and covered by coarse-grained conglomerates and
intraformational breccias belonging to the Toro Negro Formation. This erosive surface, in the north of the
study area, delineates a wide paleovalley that shows a west-east strike and paleocurrents fowing to the
east (Limarino et al., 2010). The origin of this incision surface is related to the main phases of uplift of the
western Famatina Range producing accelerated subsidence and increased accommodation in the proximal
area and lowering of the equilibrium fuvial profles (and incision) in the distal areas to the west (Limarino
et al., 2010). The early transpressional foreland stage corresponds to the Lower Member of the Toro Negro
Formation that comprises conglomerates, sandstones and mudstones mainly deposited in multichannelized
fuvial systems and lacustrine environments. The high preservation of muddy foodplains and the recurrent
presence of tuffs suggest high subsidence rates within the basin and coeval explosive volcanism in the
neighboring volcanic arc. The sandstone composition of the Toro Negro Formation indicates a complex
interplay of different source areas, including the volcanic arc, uplifted basement blocks (Toro Negro range)
and sedimentary rock fragments derived from the east-verging thrust belt located to the west (Ciccioli et al.,
2011).
Late transpressional foreland stage: This stage is represented by the Upper Member of the Toro Negro
Formation which is basically composed of coarsening-up sequences formed by muddy playa lake deposits
at the base and coarse-grained conglomerates at the top. These cycles are interpreted as the transition from
underflled to overflled conditions during the evolution of the foreland basin. In this scheme, playa lake
sediments would represent starved conditions in the major part of the basin, when high subsidence rates
were exclusively limited to the front of the Precordillera thrust belt. During tectonic quiescence reduced
accommodation space in the orogenic front favored the progradation of clastic wedges from the eastern
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Precordillera towards the basin.
Cannibalized foreland stage: During the Pliocene the whole succession was uplifted and tilted to the west,
forming narrow intramontane basins where coarse-grained conglomerates and breccias belonging to the El
Corral Formation were deposited. These movements were possibly related to the latest phases of the Nevados
del Famatina uplift which then reached its present-day confguration. The infll of these intramontane basins
basically represented the cannibalization of the previous retroarc and foreland deposits and it is composed of
a group of diachronic synorogenic conglomerates that rest uncomformably on the Tertiary units from where
they were derived.
Conclusions
The new radiometric age, sedimentologic and stratigraphic studies allowed us to divide the Vinchina Basin
fll into six stages: 1. Retroarc, 2. Early transpressive retroarc, 3. Late transpressive retroarc, 4. Early
transpressional foreland, 5. Late transpressional foreland, and 5. Cannibalized foreland. In particular,
the transpressive retroarc stage is related to the beginning of the uplift of part of the Sierras Pampeanas
Noroccidentales during the Middle Miocene, while the transpressional foreland stage may be linked to the
main phase of uplift of the Nevados de Famatina during the Late Miocene.
REFERENCES
Ciccioli, P.L.; Limarino, C.O.; Marenssi, S.A.; Tedesco, A.M., Tripaldi. A. 2011. Tectosedimentary evolution of the La Troya-
Vinchina depocenters (Northern Bermejo Basin Tertiary), La Rioja Province, Argentina. in: Salfty, J.A. and Marquillas, R.A.
(Eds.), Cenozoic Geology of the Central Andes of Argentina: Salta, SCS publisher, 91-110.
Ciccioli, P.L.; Limarino, C.O., Friedman, R. 2012. La edad de la Formacin Vinchina: Su implicancia en la estratigrafa de la Cuenca
de antepas del Bermejo. I Simposio del Mioceno-Pleistoceno del Centro y Norte de Argentina, S.M. del Tucumn, Resmenes
16.
Cobbold, P.R., Rossello, E.A., Roperch, P.C., Arriagada, L.A., Gmez, C. Lima, 2007. Distribution, timing, and causes of Andean
deformation across South America. In: Deformation of the continental crust: The legacy of Mike Coward (Ed. A.C. Ries, R.W. H.
Butler & R.H. Graham), Geological Society of London Special Publications 272: 321-343.
Limarino, C.O.; Ciccioli, P.L., Marenssi, S.A., 2010. Anlisis del contacto entre las Formaciones Vinchina y Toro Negro, sus
implicancias tectnicas (Sierra de Los Colorados, provincia de La Rioja). Latin American Journal of Sedimentology and Basin
Analysis 17(2):113-132.
Rossello, E.A. L.A. Orozco, C. Pomposiello, A. Favetto, J. Osorio, 2011. Anlisis morfoestructural comparativo de los
megafallamientos negenos Valle Frtil (Argentina) y Santa Marta-Bucaramanga (Colombia). XVIII Congreso Geolgico
Argentino, Neuqun, Argentina. Actas, 848-849.
HOLOCENE EVOLUTION AND SEDIMENTARY INFILL OF THE INNER 3-06
RIO DE LA PLATA ESTUARY (ARGENTINA)
Colombo F.
1
*, Serra J.
1
and Rivero L.
2
(1) Departamento de Estratigrafia, Paleontologia y Geociencias Marinas, Facultad de geologia.
Universidad de Barcelona, C/Mart i Franqus s/n, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
(2) Departamento de Geoquimica, Petrologia y Prospeccion Geologica, Facultad de Geologia.
Universidad de Barcelona, C/Mart i Franqus s/n, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
* Presenting Authors email: colombo@ub.edu
Introduction
The funnel-shaped Rio de la Plata Estuary (RPE) which developed during the Holocene transgression
(Violante & Parker, 2004) has complex hydrodynamics marked by large fuvial foods, tides and south-
easterlies that produce up-current surges. Its inner north-western part has been flled by deposits of the
complex prograding system of the Parana River. The distribution of coastal sandy barriers, dunes, beach
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