Quaternary tectonic movements in the Argentine Puna, 24/sup 0/ to 27/sup 0/ s latitude
The Puna of NW Argentina, one of the highest plateaus in the world, is the southern continuation of the Andean Altiplano geomorphic province of Peru and Bolivia. The region is not seismically active and reports of neotectonic movements are scarce. However, the areas of Salar de los Pastos Grandes, Salar del Hombre Muerto and Sierra Calalaste clearly have experienced Quaternary tectonic movements. At Salar de los Pastos Grandes, early Pleistocene lake sediments are offset by reverse faulting. At Salar del Hombre Muerto, Quaternary pyroclastic and debris-flow deposits are unconformable over sediments 5.86 m.y. old that were folded during the Pliocene-Pleistocene Diaguita deformation. Within the Quaternary sediments two separate deformational phases with reverse faulting and shallow thrusting are recognized. The timing of movement is well defined since the deformed strata are covered by a basalt flow 0.75 m.y. old. The flow in turn is affected by normal faulting. Similar normal faults associated with basalt flows were found at Sierra Calalaste. These observations are in accord with pronounced extensional movements and basaltic volcanism at the Calama-Olacapato-Toro Lineament (0.2 m.y. old flows) and might document the Quaternary transition from a compressive to an extensional tectonic regime in the southern Puna.
- Research Organization:
- Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6322779
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8510489-
- Journal Information:
- Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States), Vol. 17; Conference: 98. annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Oct 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ARGENTINA
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
TECTONICS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOMORPHOLOGY
LINEAMENTS
QUATERNARY PERIOD
VOLCANISM
CENOZOIC ERA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
LATIN AMERICA
SOUTH AMERICA
580201* - Geophysics- Seismology & Tectonics- (1980-1989)