Andean structures along west flank of Neuquen basin, Argentina

Conference · Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5701674

Allen, R B; Feehan, J; Gernand, J; Nickelsen, B; Giraut, M

During the Mesozoic, a series of back-arc basins formed along much of western South Africa. The Neuquen basin, an important petroliferous basin in west-central Argentina, is a roughly triangular remnant of this back-arc basin system preserved along the east side of the Andean Cordillera from about 34/sup 0/ to 40/sup 0/S. The west flank of the Neuquen basin is formed by the Late Cretaceous-Tertiary foreland fold and thrust belt of the eastern Andean foothills that trends approximately north-south and crosscuts extensional trends that were active during formation of the Triassic-Early Cretaceous Neuquen basin. Field studies have shown that the style of surface structures varies along the west flank of the Neuquen basin, largely as a result of the changing stratigraphic section in which the structures are developed. In thick sediments of the deeply subsided basin, low-angle thrusting is important, with major decollement in evaporitic and shale intervals. These thrusts show a characteristic ramp and flat geometry. Where the fold and thrust belt crosses a block-faulted Jurassic basin margin, a complex zone of imbricate thrust structures is developed. This structural style is suggested to be due to thrust ramping at the eastern pinch-out of major decollement zones. Where the foothills cross a portion of the eastern platform, the structural style is strongly controlled by sub-Jurassic igneous and metamorphic basement, including compressional reactivation of normal faults formed during Triassic-Jurassic extension. A series of length balanced cross sections shows this variation in structural style.

• Research Organization: Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia
• OSTI ID: 5701674
• Report Number(s): CONF-850322-
• Journal Information: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 69:2; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists annual meeting, New Orleans, LA, USA, 25 Mar 1985
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
ARGENTINA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
JURASSIC PERIOD
TRIASSIC PERIOD
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
LATIN AMERICA
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
RESOURCES
SOUTH AMERICA
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration