Descripción: Drill samples from the Carrizal uranium ore deposit located in Western Precordillera, Province of San Juan, Argentina, were studied by petrography, ore microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive electron microscope and microprobe methods. A mesothermal ore paragenesis composed of arsenic-nickel-cobalt-uranium-bismuth minerals was identified. The established paragenetic sequence is pyrite-bismuthinite; nickeline-gersdorffite-rammelsbergite-pechblende, in an assemblage hosted by lithic breccia. A second mineralization stage produced a porphyry copper deposit, spatially but not genetically associated with the above described assemblage. © 1997 Asociación Geológica Argentina.

Descripción: The finding of peperite breccias on Marambio Island allows to confirm the existence of at least two different pulses in the instrusion of basaltic dykes within the James Ross Island Volcanic Group. Two important bodies of peperites were recognized at Filo Negro and Geoantar hill. They were formed by the intrusion of basaltic dykes in the unconsolidated Paleogene sediments of Sobral Formation. The breccias are composed of vesicular glassy fragments, and volcanic and sedimentary lithic constituents in a sand matrix. The intrusions were probably emplaced at very shallow depth and are possibly related to a younger volcanic pulse, dated at 1.3 Ma. © 1997 Asociaciôn Geolôgica Argentina.

Descripción: The study of the carbonate-ramp deposits of La Manga Formation has allowed us to recognize three facies associations. The lithofacies association A is composed by five lithofacies (A1-A5). This association represents part of the transgressive systems tract. It corresponds to external ramp deposits, accumulated below the storm-wave base. The A facies association appears in cycles of centimetric to decimetric thickness and belong to a retrograding parasequence set of 5th order. The lithofacies B association starts after an abrupt facies contact. It is characterized by six lithofacies (B1-B6). They are coarsening upward beds that form metric-scale cycles. These are interpreted as middle-ramp deposits dominated by storms. It corresponds to 4th order sequences. The lithofacies C includes three lithofacies (C1-C3). The small scale cycles were controlled by storm events, while the medium and large scale ones were likely originated by eustasy. The studied stratigraphic sections of La Manga Formation are included in two depostitional sequences SD-2 and SD-3. An abrupt discontinuity marks the beginning of the depositional sequence SD-2, which constitutes a transgressive system-tract, composed by a coarsening upward parasequence stacking set. Above a maximum flooding surface, manifested by a drastic change of facies, a low rate accommodation space period and a sea-level fall (characterized by a lowstand systems tract) are evidenced. The third depositional sequence SD-3 is composed by lagoon deposits. It starts after a paleokarstic surface, characterized by the development of a sheet-cake breccia and an intense vadose diagenesis.

Descripción: The Arroyo La Chilca-Zanjón del Buitre alteration zone, San Rafael Massif, Mendoza. The Arroyo La Chilca-Zanjón del Buitre alteration zone is located in the San Rafael Massif (35°24'8" S; 68°19'25,8" W), Mendoza. Previous works defined preliminary this deposit as a porphyry copper system genetically linked to the gondwanan magmatism. This alteration zone is hosted by a sequence composed of ignimbritic breccias and ignimbrites of trachyandesitic composition with interbedded tuffaceous sandstones and andesitic lavas flows intruded by trachyandesitic-dacitic and andesitic hypabyssal bodies. The lithology and geochemistry of the volcanic sequence confirm the link with the Choiyoi Magmatic Cycle lower section (Lower Permian). The alteration zone consists of a potassic halo with a parageneses of K-feldspar-quartzmagnetite overprinted by phyllic alteration with an assemblage of quartz-muscovite-pyrite-(rutile) and quartz -pyrite veins. A late carbonatization process overprints both the potassic and phyllic alteration. Outside the alteration zone pyrite-chalcopyrite- galena-sphalerite veins with quartz gangue crop out. Metals geochemistry shows moderate Ag and Au anomalies and little Cu, Mo, Pb and Zn anomalies. Statistical analyses allow defining one Cu-Mo mineralizing stage and another Mo mineralizing stage only recognized in Zanjón del Buitre. Moreover, two Zn mineralizing stages, one of them probably genetically related to the Cu stage, were also recognized.

Descripción: Magmatism related to the growth and migration of the Andean arc was developed from the 36°40'S to the 38°20'S latitude, in the northwestern sector of the Neuquén Province, by the end of the Mesozoic. Hypabyssal and extrusive facies, which outcrop in the Pichaihue area, were described based on petrologic studies. The first ones are composed of andesites that are emplaced as lacoliths, dikes or sills intruding the Mesozoic sedimentary sequences. In addition, basalts outcrops were recognized. The extrusive facies consist of breccia or massive lavas and little domes. The geochemistry reveals an arc-like calc-alkaline signature with a normal crust and trace-element patterns which suggest a similar source. Based on regional knowledge, three groups are proposed: Cerro Mocho dikes with Ti anomalies and higher Sm/Yb; extrusive facies of the Upper Cretaceous- Paleocene (Rivera Andesite); and the hypabyssal facies of thr Eocene (Colipilli Dikes). Finally, the occurrences of these rocks in this segment of the Andes indicate an important shift to the East of the Upper Cretaceous-Eocene volcanic arc that reveals its easternmost position.

Descripción: Quartzitic sandstones of the sierras Bayas Group in Sierras Septentrionales of Buenos Aires are studied. Outcrops of these deformed rocks are observed at sierras Bayas and Barker localities, where quartzitic sandstones from Precambrian units are present. These rocks are compared with similar fault breccias in Sierras Australes of Buenos Aires, which were develop in quartzitic rocks of several Paleozoic units of this region. At both regions, fault zones are subvertical layers with acute contacts on the wall rocks. An original sedimentary protolith is recognized in textures and structures preserved in all samples of Sierras Bayas. Sedimentary textures at Sierras Australes are obliterated by penetrative deformation in greenschists facies methamorphism and also show a metaquartzitic protolith. In both analyzed regions, similar cataclastic textures are observed. All these breccias and microbreccias would be associated with a major extensional tectonic event of Jurassic - Cretaceous age, which could be related to the origin of Colorado and Salado extensional basins during the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean.

Descripción: This paper deals with the sedimentological characteristics of piedmont deposits exposed in intramontane basins of the Precordillera. Detailed studies carried out along the upper Jáchal river and in the Gualilán area allowed identifying and characterizing six major types of piedmont accumulations: 1) talus, 2) colluvial fans dominated by gravity flows, 3) colluvial fans dominated by fluid flows, 4) collector-conoid fluvial system, 5) piedmonts dominated by channalized flows and 6) alluvial fans. The talus deposits are characterized by the dominance of clast-supported breccias (bearing minimum matrix amounts) that commonly exhibit massive bedding, planar or high angle imbricated clasts fabric. Colluvial fans dominated by gravity flows are formed by massive matrix-supported breccias with minor percentages of clast-supported breccias. On the contrary, colluvial fans dominated by fluid flows are composed of amalgamated channels infilled by both clast- and matrix-supported breccias together with intercalation of graded breccias. Accumulations of the collector-conoid fluvial systems are the most diverse in composition, including from massive matrix-supported breccias to cross-bedded conglomerates and scarce mudstones. In relation to the piedmont dominated by channalized flows, they comprise massive clast-supported breccias and less amounts of imbricated or cross-bedded ones. The alluvial fan deposits are mostly composed of cross-bedded clast-supported conglomerates, though matrix-supported conglomerates and breccias also appear as proximal deposits. Different from the previously mentioned deposits, the clast of alluvial fan accumulations shows more varied lithologic composition. The comparative analysis of the piedmonts found in the studied valleys permits to propone a conceptual model for classification of piedmont, on the basis of the extension of the basins and vertical space of accommodation.