Internally vergent Andean foreland structures, Neuquen Basin, Argentina

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:6876523

Feehan, J G; Allen, R B

The west flank of the Neuquen Basin of Argentina, between 37/sup 0/ and 38/sup 0/S latitude, can be divided into three distinct zones on the basis of structural style and exposure level: an elevated western zone of moderately folded Jurassic rocks, a central zone of tightly folded and faulted Lower Cretaceous rocks and an eastern zone of gently folded Upper Cretaceous rocks. These zones are separated from each other by large north-south trending monoclinal flexures which are the major structural elements of the area. Although these monoclinal flexure are clearly east-vergent many of the structures within the central zone verge to the west, toward the internal region of the orogen. Balanced cross sections based on field work and limited subsurface data suggest that a model of basin inversion may account for the structural style of this area. According to this model zones of west dipping normal faults which have been reactivated as east-vergent reverse faults are responsible for the different exposure levels observed as well as for the large monoclinal flexures. The internal vergence of structures within the central zone may result from the termination of a low angle detachment beneath the undeformed foreland and appears to depend on the relative competency of the deformed units.

• Research Organization: Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6876523
• Report Number(s): CONF-8510489-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580100* -- Geology & Hydrology-- (-1989)
580201 -- Geophysics-- Seismology & Tectonics-- (1980-1989)
ARGENTINA
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
GEOMORPHOLOGY
JURASSIC PERIOD
LATIN AMERICA
MESOZOIC ERA
OROGENESIS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SOUTH AMERICA
TECTONICS