Salta Basin

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Salta Basin
Cuenca Salta
Map showing the location of Salta Basin
Map showing the location of Salta Basin
Location of the basin in Argentina
Coordinates23°40′S 66°07′W / 23.667°S 66.117°W / -23.667; -66.117
EtymologySalta Province
RegionArgentine Northwest
Country Argentina
 Bolivia
 Chile
State(s)Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán
Potosí
Antofagasta
CitiesSalta
Characteristics
On/OffshoreOnshore
BoundariesAndes
Part ofAndean foreland basins
Geology
Basin typeForeland-on-rift basin or
intracontinental rift basin
PlateSouth American
OrogenyAndean
AgeNeocomian-Neogene
StratigraphyStratigraphy

Salta Basin or Salta Rift Basin is a sedimentary basin located in the Argentine Northwest.[1][2] The basin started to accumulate sediments in the Early Cretaceous (Neocomian) and at present it has sedimentary deposits reaching thicknesses of 5,000 metres (16,000 ft). The basin contains seven sub-basins: Tres Cruces, Lomas de Olmedo, Metán, Alemanía, Salfity, El Rey, Sey and Brealito. The basin environment has variously been described as a "foreland rift" and an "intra-continental rift". The basin developed under conditions of extensional tectonics and rift-associated volcanism.[1]

Description[edit]

The basin basement is composed of rocks belonging to the Puncoviscana Formation.[2] The volcanism that began in the Late Jurassic was initially of subalkaline character (low sodium and potassium content), but turned increasingly alkaline in the Early Cretaceous.[1]

The rifts of Salta Basin developed in a time of generalized extensional tectonics along western South America.[3] It has been proposed that the Salar de Atacama depression in Chile was once a westward rift arm of the Salta Basin.[4]

Stratigraphy[edit]

Age Group Subgroup Formation Lithologies Basin stage Notes
Pliocene Payogastilla San Felipe Conglomerates Foreland [5]
Huayquerian Jujuy Piquete [6][7]
Huayquerian Guanaco Sonso [8]
Montehermosan Palo Pintado [9]
Chasicoan
Laventan Angastaco [10][11]
Friasian
Friasian Metán Jesús María [11]
Friasian Anta [11]
Early Miocene Río Seco [11]
Priabonian Los Colorados [11]
Casamayoran Quebrada de los Colorados [10]
Salta Santa Bárbara Lumbrera Late post-rift [12][13]
Lutetian
Itaboraian Maíz Gordo [12][14]
Thanetian
Peligran Mealla Sandstones, siltstones, conglomerates, paleosols [12][15]
Selandian Balbuena Tunal Early post-rift [12]
Danian Olmedo [12]
Yacoraite Sandstones, limestones [12]
Maastrichtian
early Maastrichtian Lecho Sandstones [12]
Campanian Pirgua Los Blanquitos Sandstones Late synrift [12]
Las Curtiembres Early synrift [12]
Santonian
Coniacian
Turonian
Cenomanian Isonza Basalt [12]
Albian La Yesera [12]
Aptian

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Marquillas et al., 2005
  2. ^ a b Grier et al., 1991
  3. ^ Ramos, 2009
  4. ^ Reutter et al., 2006
  5. ^ Galli et al., 2019, p.380
  6. ^ González & Abascal, 2012
  7. ^ Galli et al., 2019, p.369
  8. ^ López Rodríguez, 2018
  9. ^ Galli et al., 2011
  10. ^ a b Del Papa et al., 2013
  11. ^ a b c d e Galli & Hernández, 1999, p.171
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Marquillas et al., 2005, p.96
  13. ^ Del Papa, 2006
  14. ^ Narváez, 2009
  15. ^ Sánchez & Marquillas, 2010

Bibliography[edit]

General
  • Galli, Claudia I.; Ricardo N. Alonso; Beatriz L. Coira; Patricio Herrera Oviedo; Ornela E. Constantini; Andrea Barrientos Gines, and Juan Pablo Villalba Ulberich. 2019. Estratigrafía y paleoambientes de los depósitos del Plioceno de la Cordillera Oriental argentina. Opera Lilloana 52. 367–388. Accessed 2020-07-31.
  • Ramos, Víctor A. 2009. Anatomy and global context of the Andes: Main geologic features and the Andean orogenic cycle. Geological Society of America Memoirs 204(). 31–65. Accessed 2015-12-15. doi:10.1144/SP327.3
  • Reutter, Klaus-J.; Charrier, Reynaldo; Götze, Hans-J.; Schurr, Bernd; Wigger, Peter; Scheuber, Ekkehard; Giese, Peter; Reuther, Claus-Dieter; Schmidt, Sabine; Rietbrock, Andreas; Chong, Guillermo; Belmonte-Pool, Arturo (2006). "The Salar de Atacama Basin: a Subsiding Block within the Western Edge of the Altiplano-Puna Plateau". In Oncken, Onno; Chong, Guillermo; Franz, Gerhard; Giese, Peter; Götze, Hans-Jürgen; Ramos, Víctor A.; Strecker, Manfred R.; Wigger, Peter (eds.). The Andes: Active Subduction Orogeny. Springer. pp. 303–325. ISBN 978-3-540-24329-8.
  • Marquillas, Rosa A.; Cecilia del Papa, and Ignacio F. Sabino. 2005. Sedimentary aspects and paleoenvironmental evolution of a rift basin: Salta Group (Cretaceous–Paleogene), northwestern Argentina. International Journal of Earth Sciences 94(1). 94–113. Accessed 2015-12-12. doi:10.1007/s00531-004-0443-2 Bibcode:2005IJEaS..94...94M
  • Galli, C.I., and R.M. Hernández. 1999. Evolución de la Cuenca de Antepaís desde la zona de la Cumbre Calchaquí hasta la Sierra de Santa Bárbara, Eoceno inferior-Mioceno medio, provincia de Salta, Argentina. Acta Geológica Hispánica 34. 167–184. Accessed 2020-07-31.
  • Grier, M.E.; J.A. Salfity, and R.W. Allmendingern. 1991. Andean reactivation of the Cretaceous Salta rift, northwestern Argentina. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 4(4). 351–372. . doi:10.1016/0895-9811(91)90007-8 Bibcode:1991JSAES...4..351G
Guanaco Sonso Formation
Lumbrera Formation
Maíz Gordo Formation
Mealla Formation
Palo Pintado Formation
Piquete Formation
Quebrada de Los Colorados Formation

Further reading[edit]