Descripción: This paper describes for the first time in the study area the lithology, structure and different metamorphic events that have affected the basement in the eastern margin of Brazo Huemul of Nahuel Huapi Lake. These rocks have been classified as protomilonitic paragneisses and they were correlated to the Colohuincul Complex. A brittle - ductile shear zone with an orientation of N14°W (similar to the regional trend) has been interpreted as a deep angle reverse fault (74°SW), that put metamorphic basement rocks in tectonic contact with volcanic/ volcaniclastic rocks from Ventana Formation. In agreement with the mineral assemblages observed (quartz - chlorite - biotite - garnet (almandine) - albite) it was possible to determine a sedimentary pelitic protolith that was affected by regional metamorphism under high temperature green schist facies (biotite - garnet zone) conditions. © 2006 Asociación Geológica Argentina.

Descripción: A major and trace element based characterization of the metasedimentary protoliths of three metamorphic units of Sierra de San Luis (Pringles Metamorphic Complex, San Luis Formation and Conlara Metamorphic Complex) is presented. Geochemistry indicates a dominance of shales in the protoliths of San Luis Formation, whereas greywackes and shales made up the Conlara Metamorphic complex and mainly greywackes, the Pringles Metamorphic Complex. Both major element data and trace element ratios (i.e. Th/Sc, Th/U,) indicate a source with an average upper crustal composition for the protoliths of the Pringles Metamorphic Complex, the San Luis Formation and the shales of the Conlara Metamorphic complex. A component with less evolved signature may be inferred for the metagreywackes of the Conlara metamorphic Complex. Mixed sourced detritus are indicated for the three units with clastic material resulting mainly from both andesitic and acidic/recycled detritus. The overall data consistently suggest a continental island arc and/or active margin setting as the more probable geodynamic scenario for the deposition of the sedimentary precursors of the studied units. In this context, a back-arc setting can account for the mixed nature of the inferred source areas with uplifted old basement and arc-related detritus as the end members of the mixtures. The inferred back-arc basin would have evolved through the Cambrian receiving the sediments derived from the Pampean Orogen to the east combined with probably some old crust exposures and to the west the source might have been controlled by the active continental margin. © 2003 Asociación Geológica Argentina.

Descripción: The study of mineral assemblages and metamorphic facies in rocks exposed on the eastern margin of Brazo Huemul, Nahuel Huapi Lake, allowed the reconsideration of the temporal succession of units whose outcrops are isolated and difficult to locate due to the exuberant forest that covers the southestern part of Neuquén province. The rocks exposed in the study area are mainly of tonalitic composition and have been correlated with the Subcordilleran Patagonian Batholith because they are crosscut by two different types of dikes. One group of dikes shows an albite -chlorite - epidote - cummingtonite/grunerite -hornblende mineral assemblage as a consequence of a thermal metamorphic event transitional between albite - epidote hornfels facies and hornblende hornfels conditions. This process has been attributed to the emplacement of the Cordilleran Patagonian Batholith of Cretaceous age. Because of this, the hornfels dikes were correlated with Montes de Oca Formation. The other group of dikes shows a chlorite + pumpellyite + kumontite + chlorite/esmectite + iron oxides assemblage indicating metamorphism in zeolite facies of high temperature or, sometimes shows propilitic alteration and these dikes have been correlated with the Ventana Formation. The differences between these two types of dikes allow the discussion of the relative age of the tonalitic rocks that host them. In this paper it is proposed that this tonalitic body is of Low to Middle Jurassic age. © 2006 Asociación Geológica Argentina.

Descripción: A sequence of plutonic mafic rocks inter-stratified with both mafic- and metasedimentary-derived migmatites is found along the San Juan valley in the center of the Sierra de Valle Fértil. This natural example shows the transition from igneous to metamorphic petrologic processes which occurred during the crystallization of mafic magmas and the subsequent partial melting of crystallized gabbroic rocks. This work studies the mineralogical changes associate to this petrologic transition. Thermobarometric estimates based on amphibole-plagioclase indicate that the mafic magmas crystallized at around 1100°C and 5 ± 0.5 kbar. The conditions under which gabbroic rocks were partially melted are estimated using two pyroxenes ther-mometry and amphibole-plagioclase thermobarometry. Similar physical conditions in the range between 740 and 840°C and 5 to 6.5 kbar are recovery from mineral assemblages in the mesosomes and leucosomes of mafic migmatites. The main mineral compositional changes that accompanied the partial process of the gabbroic rocks are: 1) depletion of aluminium content and Mg# ratio in pyroxenes; 2) depletion of anorthite mole fraction of the plagioclases; and 3) depletion of the Mg# ratio in amphiboles. These mineral compositional variations are consistent with those found by experimentally melting mafic protoliths. Experimental results showed that the temperature for promoting amphibole-dehydration melting in mafic proto-liths is of around 850°C, whereas the addition of an aqueous fluid would lower the melting temperature to around 800°C. Combining field relationships, textural features, mineral compositional variations and thermo-barometric estimates with experimental results, we demonstrated that the transition from igneous mafic rocks to mafic migmatites was due to isobaric cooling. Moreover, repetitive intrusion of mafic magmas sustained the sequence at granulite-facies conditions, so avoiding rapid cooling. The natural case from the centre of the Sierra de Valle Fértil is interpreted to expose an example of the plutonic-me-tamorphic core of the Famatinian magmatic arc, where the abnormally high metamorphic gradient provide evidence that large volume of mafic magmas reached and emplaced at paleodepths of between 16 and 20 kilometres.

Descripción: Samples obtained from four wells located at Bancalari, Buenos Aires Province, have been analysed in order to define textural parameters, petrofacies, palaeoenvironments and palaeoclimate evolution. The samples were obtained from the upper part of the Puelches Formation and from the Pampean and Postpampean sediments; in particular this paper highlights the informally named Preensenadense interval. Six textural groups (I to VI) and two petrofacies (A and B) have been recognised. Groups I to III represent fluvial sands (I), gradually overlain by backswamp and lake deposits (II -III), generated on very low slope and well-drained floodplains, with oxidizing conditions. Groups II and III are assigned to Preensenadense interval. The three groups are included in petrofacies A (Qt:F:L = 43:49:8), of sedimentary and basement provenance, which has an igneous metamorphic heavy suite, scarce hornblende and dominance of smectite over illite. By contrast the upper groups (IV to VI) show more varied depositional settings, including aeolian, fluvial and marine environments. Group IV is loessic and corresponds to the Ensenada Formation. Group V, the Lujan Formation (Río Salado Member), is composed of fluvial plain deposits deposited during a wet and temperate climate. Marine silts and clays (group VI) represent a transgression over terrestrial environments and record of the so-called Querandino event. The three upper groups are included in petrofacies B (12:56:32), and have a magmatic arc provenance, with plagioclase dominance and contributions of volcaniclastic and vitroclastic material. It contains a heavy-mineral suite mainly composed of hornblende and it has more illite than smectite. © 2005 Asociación Geológica Argentina.