Ordovician
Magmatism in the Sierras Pampeanas of Córdoba
Tomado de
Aldo
BONALUMI and Edgardo BALDO
Introduction
The
Sierras Pampeanas of Córdoba (SPC) has a complex tectonothermic and magmatic
history initiated in the lower Cambrian – Upper Proterozoic, with the
formation of a calc-alkaline magmatic arc, emplaced on continental crust and
followed by a cortical thickening with development of a high grade metamorphism
and anatexis, that formed migmatitic complexes with Cdr + Grt + Sil + Kfs
(minerals symbols after Kretz, 1983) and “S-type” granites of 520 Ma.
(Rapela et al., 1998, Sims et al., 1998 and references therein).
This evolution is assigned to the Pampean Orogenic Cycle proposed by Aceñolaza
and Toselli, (1972) and in the south-east sector is characterized by a short
life ( 25-35 Ma) and fast exhumation of the metamorphic complex (Baldo et al.,
1999).
In
the lower to middle Ordovician period, the Cambrian basement of the SPC has been
the foreland of a new orogenic cycle (Famatinian Orogenic) and the magmatic
activity is manifested in the development of small and isolated plutons,
distributed in the Sierra Chica, Sierra Grande and Sierra Norte (Fig. 1).
Seventeen main plutons are adscript to the famatinian magmatic event, which have
been studied by several authors and with different degree of detail and that are
assigned to the Ordovician magmatism through geochronologic dating or
geochemical correlation. These plutons are generally of reduced dimensions (3 to
10 km of diameter) and its composition is mainly trondhjemitic – granodioritic
for the ones located in the oriental sector of the SPC, granodioritic in the
central sector and granitic – granodioritic in the occidental sector. In the
central and northern sector of the Sierra Chica and in the Sierra of Cuniputo,
swarms of tonalitic dikes are observed, with N-S directions and subvertical dip
(>70°). On the other hand, in the Sierra Norte of Córdoba the plutons and
subvolcanic rocks are of granitic and rhyolitic composition.
The
main tectonometamorphic event assigned to the Ordovician of Córdoba is the
formation of important milonitic belts in the Green schists facies, with N-S
directions and high grade dip to the east, that represents inverses faults with
top to the west (Martino et al., 1993 a-b, Simpson et al., 2001).
The age of this deformation is not well constrained and the location in the
Ordovician time is on accounts of cut relations with the plutonic events and in
general restricted to the upper Ordovician, which allows primary to correlate it
with the Ocloyic tectonic phase of the Famatinian cycle.
The
Tres Arboles shear belt, in the southwestern of Córdoba, is a main milonitic
shear zone of SPC and probably represent the principal tectonic contact between
Pampean and Famatinian Orogenic Belt (Whitmeyer and Simpson, in press). Recent
observations carried on by Fagiano et al. (2002), in the milonitic belt
Guacha Corral, state that the dominating planar fabric occur after the thermal
peak and is determined by two retrograde associations, one in amphibolites
facies (Bt + Sil) and the otherone
in green schists facies (Chl+ Ms + Ser). These events would have been produced
during the Famatinian Cycle. However, Martino et al., (2002) propose an Upper
Cambrian ages for the milonitic belt of Los Túneles, in the west sector of SPC.
This
paper is a review and a compilation of the petrographic, geochemical and
geochronological data of the main plutons and dikes assigned to the Ordovician
in the Sierras of Córdoba, and its integration in the regional context is
discussed.
Figura
1. Geological map of the Sierras de Córdoba. Locations
and outcrop.
Location,
petrographic and geochronological data
I-
Sierra Chica Sector
1.
Güiraldes Trondhjemite: (30°57.5’ LS - 64°27.1’LW). This
pluton is located to the northern sector of Sierra Chica (Fig.1) and it was
described by Perez et al., (1996 a and b), Lyons et al. (1997) and
Rapela et al. (1998). It has a roughly elliptic shape of about 10 km of
length, it is lengthened in NW direction and intruded in a discordant way to the
metamorphic basement, It carry xenoliths of schist, amphibolites and marbles,
producing on the latter an epidotic skarn. It has also microgranular enclaves
with Pl + Qtz + Bt + Ms (tonalitic) and enclaves of dioritic rocks with Pl + Hbl
(>50%). It has a rough foliation, but penetrative, which accentuates towards
the pluton’s margins. Is a semibritlle deformation that produce the
orientation of the muscovite and quartz crystals, which anastomosely surround
the euhedric crystals of plagioclase, the foliation has an average direction of
N 310°/ 65 E.
The
magmatic texture is granular and is composed by 40-45% of Pl (An 20-25) + 35-40%
Qtz + 10% Ms ± Bt ± Kfs, as accessories Ep, Zr, Ap, Mnz and Chl + Ep2 as Bt
alteration, the color index is < than 8, which allows to be classified as
trondhjemite.
Rapela et al., 1998 obtained for this magmatic unit an age of 499 ± 5Ma (U-Pb
SHRIMP in magmatic zircon), an age of 496 ± 2 Ma (U-Pb traditional in zircon)
and an age of 438 ± 9 Ma (UPb SHRIMP in monazite).The firsts represent a
crystallization ages and is the most ancient registered for this type of
magmatic unit in the SPC. The age of 438 ± 9 Ma in monazite could represent the
postcrystalline deformational event that affected the Güiraldes trondhjemite.
2.
San Agustín Trondhjemite: (31° 58’38’’LS - 64° 23’57’’LW). Located
in the southern sector of the Sierra Chica, it is the minor of a group of
similar bodies of this sector and it is constituted by discontinuous and
elliptic outcroppings with a inner deformation of fragile type, that produces a
very pronounced foliation of NNW direction. It is a white grayish rock, of thick
granular texture and compound by Pl (andesine) + Qtz + Bt + Ms and ± Kfs.
Rapela et al., (1998) characterize it geochemically and define it as a
very characteristic trondhjemite, fact through which the authors infer an
Ordovician age.
3.
Calmayo Trondhjemite: (32° 01’46’’LS - 64° 27’29’’LW). The
Calmayo pluton, located to the south of the previous body, is one of the most
representative, it presents an approximately circular shape and it has about 3.5
km of diameter. The petrological features were described by Martino and Fagiano
(1982) and Martino et al., (1995). Has been emplaced discordantly in the
metamorfic complex of the southern Sierra Chica, it has altered xenoliths of
mafic rocks, gneisses and marbles, with a metasomatic alteration on the latter.
It is also observed a marked development of fractures produced by an overimposed
brittle deformation event. It is a leucotonalite with >> Pl (An 20) + Qtz
+ Bt ± Ms ± Kfs, as main accessories Ap, Zr and Ep and sericite as subsolid
alteration products. Sinmagmatic aplitic intrusives and variation of the grain
size towards the contacts are distinguished inside the pluton.
San
Agustín trondhjemite as well as the Calmayo one do not present isotopic dating,
nevertheless the composition and the field relations allow that these are
incorporate in to the magmatic event of Ordovician age.
4.
El Hongo Trondhjemite:
(32° 11’48’’LS - 64° 23’21’’LW). El Hongo pluton is located in the
environs of the locality of Embalse de Rio Tercero. It is emplaced, as well as
the Calmayo pluton, in the Metamorphic Complex of south of Sierra Chica. It
presents a slightly rectangular shape of about 4 km of length and it is oriented
in ENE-WSW direction. It was described by Martino and Fagiano, (1982) and more
recently by D’Eramo et al., (1999).
The
contacts with the country metamorphic rocks is tectonic and the pluton is
densely cracked, mainly in the oriental sector where the rock presents an
evident cataclastic deformations with development of tectonics breccia.
The
tonalite presents a light gray color, in part whitish, it has medium to coarse
grain and it is composed by >> Pl (An 21-24) + Qtz + < 10% Bt ± Kfs.
The texture is granular hypidiomorphic with the plagioclase in irregular
crystals and with notably concentric zoned texture. In the central sector of the
pluton, it has a more basic facies with Hb (D’Eramo et al., 1999). The
same authors cited an age of 434 ± 22 Ma (K-Ar in biotite). Considering that
the Bt is a little stable mineral for the K-Ar system and that its closing
temperature is relatively low, it is probable that it does not reflect the age
of crystallization, but the age of cooling or of some other posterior tectonic
event. These biotite K-Ar age is very similar to the monazite age of 438 ± 9 Ma
in the Güiraldes pluton.
5.
Tonalitic dikes:
In the central part of Sierra Chica and specially along the Quebrada del Río
Suquía, it is possible to observe outcroppings of little tabular bodies that
have variable thickness from only 0.5 m to 40 m as maximum, which form swarms of
parallel dikes. These intrusive were firstly described by Gordillo, (1958) and
Gordillo and Lencinas (1979) and more recently by Toselli (1999).
The
dikes have a very regular directions almost N-S and subvertical dipping, they
cut with low angle the metamorphic foliation S2 of general directions 320º/60E.
They always present a sharp contact with the country rock, they can show a
chilled margins and angular metamorphic xenoliths are common in the next to the
contact. These dikes are late in correlation with the other intrusive rocks of
the same area, they are only cut by the granitic pegmatites, of probable
affinity with the Achala magmatism (Upper Devonian).
Gordillo,
(1958) defined three main types:
a)
Biotitic Tonalites:
45-48 % Pl (An 25-30) + 25-30 % Qtz +15-20 % Bt ± Kfs ± Hbl (Ttn + Ap + Mag +
Zrn). They have a fine to medium granular or porphyritic texture with phenocryst
of euhedric plagioclase and frequently with oscillatory concentric zoning and a
thin external zone of albitization (less than 0.01 mm). The biotite is the only
mafic mineral present and it is generally abundant, with zircon inclusions and
pleochroic halos. This type forms the most wide dikes.
b)
Hornblendic Tonalites:
Pl + Qtz + Hbl ± Bt (Ttn +Ap + Ep). This rocks are textural and chemically very
different to the previous ones, they do not have porphyric texture and they are
of fine grain (0.1 to 0.2 mm) and the biotite is substitutes by hornblende.
c)
Tonalitic Porphyries:
Compositionally are similar to the previous ones, but they present a well marked
porphyric texture with aphanitic matrix. It has two generations of plagioclase,
one it is a basic oligoclase with concentric zonal structure and that forms
euhedral phenocrysts, and the other, it is of less size and more albitic. The
quartz is totally in the fine matrix. The mafic mineral can be Bt as well as Ho.
Ep, Ap, Py and Ti in less proportion complete the minerology. In general, these
are dikes of small thickness.
A
Trondhjemitic variety of these dikes is recognizes by Toselli (1999) and it has
light gray color, with granular or porphyric textures with 60% of Pl + 34% Qtz +
6% of Bt ± Ms and Ap, Zr and Op as accessories. They have fluidal textures and
an important postcrystalline deformation.
The
textural and field evidences suggest a lower emplacement of these intrusives
rocks, which would have emplaced in a relatively could and rigid basement. The
age of the tonalitic dikes is not well known in the Quebrada del Rio Suquia,
nevertheless, On the similar dike of Las Tunas (environs of Cosquín city),
Gromet (com. Pers.) obtained an age U-Pb in zircon of 460 ± 7 Ma (upper
intersection of the concord over three points). If this represents a
crystallization age, these intrusives would represent the closing of the
Famatinean magmatic event in the SPC. The cooling age of 428 ± 12 Ma (40Ar -
39Ar in Bt) for pseudotachylytes in the Rio Suquía sections (Northrup et al.,
1998) probably marc the upper limit for the ductile deformation and for the
emplacement of these intrusives rocks.
6.
Piedra Grande Tonalite:
(31° 05’23’’ LS - 64°31’56’’LW). In the place Alto de la Piedra
Grande, located in the eastern sector of the “El Perchel- Pampa de Olaen block¨,
outcrop intrusives rocks of tonalitic to granodioritic composition, associated
with aplitics and pegmatitics.
The
Piedra Grande Tonalite is the most representative pluton, it has 1,200 m of
length by 500 m of wide (Pastore, 1932; Gomez, 1983) and it has a NNE-SSW
directions, intrudes in a subconcordant way to La Falda metamorphic complex and
carry xenoliths of this late of centrimetrical sizes. A little marked foliation
is recognized. It is classified as a Tonalite of dark gray color, composed
essentially by Qtz + Pl + Bt and scarce Kfs and Ms, the texture is granular with
fine to medium grain and change to porphyric in the marginal facies with
phenocrysts of plagioclase. Though there are not precise dating of these rocks,
this type of bodies, not very deformed, post metamorphic and of tonalitic
composition, are similar to the bodies of the Ordovician age of the region.
The
only geochronological information that is disposed of this unit it is an age of
377 ± 15 Ma (K – Ar in Bt, Linares and Gonzalez 1990) and it probably
represents a late deformation stage.
7.
Granitic Pluton of Loma Ancha: The
next of La Calera city, in the Quebrada del Río Suquía, outcrop a little
pluton with aproximately elliptic shape of about 500 m long by 350 m wide and
lengthened in NNO-SSE direction. It intrudes the cordieritic migmatites of La
Calera and the high temperature milonites of La Estanzuela shears belt, it is
affected by a brittle deformation that deforms the quartz crystals and produces
“kink band” micro folds in the muscovite. This granite is intruded by the
tonalitic dikes previously described.
It
has a granular texture of coarse grain with big flakes of secondary muscovite
(5-7 mm), the modal composition is: 35% Qtz + 21% Kfs + 37% Pl + 5-15% Ms Bt and
Ap, Zr and Grt as accessories (Gordillo, 1958, Toselli, G.1999).
The
only age of this ganite is a K-Ar age in Ms ( 447 ± 15 Ma, Linares and Gonzalez
1990) and probably it represent the stage of the blastesis of the secondary
muscovite. The granite cut de migmatic fabrics of the cordieritic migmatite with
a metamorphism age of 522 ± 8 Ma (U-Pb in monazite, Rapela et al.,
1998), and is intruded by the tonalitic dikes of 460 Ma for which its age would
be between these two events.
II-
Sierra de Cuniputo - San Marcos and Ascochinga Sector
8.
Cruz del Eje Granodiorite:
This outcropping is a small lightly circular stock of granodioritic composition
which dimensions do not overcome the 200 m of diameter. It outcrops in the
environs of the Cruz del Eje dyke’s wall, its color is white grayish with dark
spots as a consequence of the presence of biotite. It presents a granular
holocrystalline of medium grain texture. Its mineralogy is represented by
lightly zoned plagioclase, microcline, with a great development and poiquilitic
texture, that includes almost all the mineralogy, the quartz presents a light
wavy extintion, but neigther deformation nor pulverization are observed, the
biotite and muscovite complete the mineralogy.
Though
there are no specific geochronological data about this rock, this type of
no-deformed bodies present compositional particularities, geomorphologicaly and
structurally much alike to the ones attributed to the Famatinian magmatic cycle.
9.
La Fronda Trondhjemite: (30°52’03’’LS - 64°38’18’’LW). This
magmatic unit was described by Massabie, (1982), Caffe (1993), Caffe and Baldo,
(1994) and Lyons et al., (1997) and geochemically characterized by Rapela et al., (1998). It outcrops to the south of the Quilpo quarry and to the
west of Rio Pintos (Fig.1). This is a ovoidal pluton of 6 km of length by 4 km
of wide, it is elongated in the same directions to the foliation of the
metamorphic country rocks and partly interdigitated with this, but its relation
is clearly discordant in the north and south contact. It intrudes gneisses,
schists and amphibolites of the Cruz del Eje-La Falda Metamorphic Complex,
remaining these as xenoliths and pendants inside the pluton. In the North
contact, it intrudes the marbles of the Quilpo Formation, developing skarns of
Grt-Wo. It has a penetrating foliation in the border of the body which
diminishes towards the core, the foliation is given by the orientation of the
secondary muscovite and biotitic schlieren.
It
is a leucotonalite with granodioritic and granitic facies, has a light gray
color, equigranular texture of coarse grain (2 to 10 mm), formed by 30-40 % Qtz
+ 35-50 % Pl + 2-4 % Kfs + 5-16 % Ms (primary and secondary) + 3-6 % Bt, as
accessories Ap, Zr, Mnz, Op and also Ep secondary, Chl as alteration
assemblages.
The
first ages for this intrusive body were published by Massabie (1982), who
obtains an age of 455 Ma ± 15 (K-Ar in Bt). More recently, Rapela et al.,
(1998) define a Rb-Sr isochrone of 474 ± 6 Ma (MSWD = 4.3).
10.
Granitic Pegmatites:
In different sectors of the Sierras de Córdoba swarms of pegmatitic that
intrude the metamorphic basement are distinguished. These pegmatites has a
similar features that in the rest of the Sierras Pampeanas. They are very rich
in potassium feldspar and muscovite and they are concentrated in sectors which
seems to indicate a deformational control in its emplacement. In the
Ascochinga-Carape area and in the Sierra de Cunuputo with ages of 435±7 Ma and
447±7 Ma (K-Ar in Ms) were cited and these ones can represent the intrusion or
deformation age (Rapela et al., 1998).
III-
Sierra Norte sector
11.
Oncan Rhyolites:
Located in the northern extreme of the Sierra Norte of Córdoba and south of
Santiago del Estero, they are a subvolcanic dikes that have up to 40 m of thick
and they can reach 5 km of legth (Bonalumi, 1988). In the environs of Oncan, in
Santiago del Estero province, they outcrops as extrusive rhyolitic bodies. They
intrude the granodiorites and granites with Hbl + Bt of the magmatic arc of the
lower Cambrian and they are rocks of pale pink color, of fine to very fine
granulometry with porphyric texture in the hypabyssal bodies to microporphyric
in the rhyolites themselves. The most abundant mineral is the quartz, that is
observed very clean and not pressed (the rock reaches up to 78% of SiO2 in the
most evolving terms), the potassium feldspar and the plagioclase, that is An
(8-10), complete the minerology. The rock can be classified as leucorhyolite,
the only mafic minerals are the scarce laminas of microcrystalline biotite, this
fact is geochemically corroborated, since the FeO values do not overlap the
0.85% on these rocks an age of 494 ± 11 Ma was observed (Rb-Sr Isochrone,
MSWD=2.2, Rapela et al., 1991) locating it in the Lower Ordovician
(Tremadocian-Arenig).
12.
El Cerro de Tulumba Granite: (30°23’66’’LS - 64°05’44’’LW). In
the austral sector of Sierra
Norte
of Córdoba, at 3 km to the east of the locality of Villa Tulumba, there
outcrops a small subcircular pluton of 1.5 km of diameter denominated El Cerro
granite (Mazzieri and Baldo 1994; Baldo et al., 1999). It intrudes to a
deformed porphyritic granite, belonging to the magmatic serie of the Lower
Cambrian, showing a sharp contact that interrupts the foliation of the porphyric
granite.
In
the El Cerro granite neither enclaves or metamorphic xenoliths are observed,
either a postcrystalline deformation is identified, which is very evident in the
other granitic units of the sector, allowing to infer a late emplacement and
genetically unbound of the main magmatic Cambrian event.
The
composition of the pluton is homogeneous and it is a leucocratic monzogranite,
with granular texture and medium grain size, composed by 34-38% Qtz + 23-34% Pl
(albitic) + 23-30% Kfs (microcline perthitic) + 5-12% Ms and as accessory Ap, Zr
and small garnet crystals. An isochron Rb-Sr suggest an age of 434 ± 39 Ma
(MSWD = 0.2, Baldo et al., 1998), that would locate this granite in the Upper
Ordovician.
13.
Villa Albertina Granite: (30°41’33’’LS – 64°17’59’’LW). It
outcrops to the north and to the south of Villa Albertina and it is a N-S
elongated pluton that has up to 8 km of length by an average wide of 2.5 km. It
was described by Gordillo et al., (1997) as a monzogranitic pluton (Qtz + Pl +
Kfs + Ms + Bt), with granular texture an medium grain, which presents scarce
deformation and it intrude the Ischilín mylonitic belt, including xenoliths of
this one. It is important to highlight that the Sierra de Ischilín, where this
granitoid is emplaced, occupies the meridional extreme of the Sierra Norte and
it is essentially constituted by metaluminous granodiorites with Hbl + Bt + Ttn
+ Ep.
Even
though there are not absolute ages about this granite, this type of non-deformed
plutons, that cut of ductil shear zone, can be compared with the other
Ordovician granites.
IV
Sierra Grande Sector
14.
Paso del Carmen Tonalite: (31°04’31’’LS – 64°55’01’’LW). In
the north of the Sierra Grande, near to Paso del Carmen locality, it outcrops an
important intrusive defined by Olsacher (1960) as “Paso del Carmen
granodiorite”, and later investigated by Caminos and Cucchi (1990) and Lyons, et
al. (1997). It is a body of lightly triangular shape oriented in E-W
direction, of about 6.5 km of length by 2.5 km of wide. It intrudes discordantly
cutting almost perpendicularly the NNW foliation of the country gneiss, which
does not suffer any type of deviation in the proximities of the contact (Gromet
and Simpson 1998). Internally it does not register foliation by deformation and
it presents an isotropic texture, granular hypidiomorphic of medium to coarse
granulometry. The mineralogic composition is: Qtz + Pl + Bt + Ep + Hbl + Ttn. It
has an important kaolinic and sericitic alteration of the plagioclases and the
chloritization and epidotization of the ferromagnesians minerals.
Compositional
variations and minor syn-magmatic intrusive dikes are distinguished, specially
in the southeast border of the pluton, where the dikes of porphyric tonalities,
microdiorites of 2- 3 m of wide, and pegmatitic veins are frequent.
Gromet
and Simpson, (1998) define an U-Pb zircon age of 474±5 Ma (upper interception
of the concordia with MSWD = 1.6) indicating for this non-deformed pluton an
emplacement in the Lower to Middle Ordovician.
V
Sierra de Guasapampa Sector
15.
Charquina Granodiorite: (30°40’13”LS - 65°53’50’’LW). In
the northwestern border of the SPC, to the west of the La Playa, it outcrops a
pluton of ovoidal shape with its major axis northsouth direction and of about 8
km of length by 3.5 km of wide. The country rocks, are gneisses and migmatites
of the San Carlos Massif in the eastern sector and milonites and gneisses in the
western sector. The pluton cut the milonitic foliation of the Los Túneles shear
zone that has a direction of N 320° / 45° NE (Martino et al., 2002).
Gomez
and Lira (1998) recognize for this pluton two main facies, the one of lesser
development is a biotitic monzogranite of medium grain, outcropping in the
eastern border and central part of the body, constituted by 36% Qtz + 32% Pl (An
08), 24% Mic. + 7% Ms + <1% Bt, as accessories Ap,Zr, Rt, Grt, Ep and as
alteration Chl, Ms, Ep, Op and carbonates. The facies that occupy the greater
part of the pluton is a biotitic muscovitic granodiorite of uniform medium grain
(1 to 2 mm). The mineralogical composition is: 35% Qtz + 36% Pl (An 17) + 12%
Mic + 8% Bt + 4% Ms, besides of Ap, Ep and Zr as accessories and Chl, Ep2, Ms
and Ttn as alteration. It also presents numerous syn-magmatic apilitic and
pegmatitic intrusions N-S and E-W oriented.
Pankhurst et al., (2002) report an age of crystallization of 478 ± 8 Ma for the
granodioritic facies of the pluton La Playa (age U-Pb zircon SHRIMP) confirming
the age Rb-Sr obtained by Rapela et al., (1998).
16.
Cuesta de los Romeros Tonalite: (31°04’35’’LS - 65°18’07’’LW). This intrusive body is
emplaced inside the San Carlos metamorphic-anatectic massif, more precisely in
the western side of the Sierra del Coro (Bonalumi, et al. in press). It is an
intrusive of tonalitic composition lightly elongated with NW direction and it
has 6 km of length and 2.5 km of wide. The tonalite is of gray color with black
spots of biotitic composition with granular xenomorphic texture. The primary
mineralogy is represented by: Qtz-Pl-Bt-Ti-Ap-Zr-Ep1. A strong sericitation of
the plagioclases is observed, while the chloritization of the ferromagnesian is
incipient. The Ep2 is a secondary replaces of Pl, Bt and Ti. The pluton present
a marked deformation of their primary mineralogy, the Qtz show strain shadows,
the Bt has “kink” folds and the Pl has an incipient deformation.
Fernandez
(1989), makes a detailed description of its emplacement and observes a
concordant position with a deformation cycle of NNW-SSE direction, with
gradational passages to the country rock, which are as well cut by pegmatites
bound with the Mesa del Coro granite (see the next), those same pegmatites cut
the tonalite, so Fernandez (1989) suggests an older age for the Cuesta de Los
Romeros tonalite, in regards to Mesa del Coro granite (471 ± 58 Ma using K/Ar
in Bt), for which it could be located in the Famatinian cycle.
17.
Mesa del Coro Granite:
(31°05’12.2’’LS - 65°17’44’’LW) this granite outcrops 2 km south
of the locality of Cienaga del Coro and very near to the eastern extreme of the
Cuesta de Los Romeros tonalite. Its main outcropping (Fernandez, 1989) is
lengthen with NNW-SSE bearing, direction in which it has 2 km by a variable wide
between 0.9 km in the south half and 0.5 km in the north. The contacts are
generally pure. It is a rock of pink color with light gray tonalites, it
presents a midium granulometry being its main mineral components: Qtz + Kfs + Pl
+ Ms + Bt(scarce), while the accessories that integrate it are: Grt, Crd, Ap,
Zrn, Tur, Toz, Fl, which is indicating its strong peraluminous tendency and an
interesting grade of specialization. Locally and near the pegmatites important
Tur crystals. It is important to highlight that in some localized sectors (on
calc-silicatic rocks) it has been produced a thermic metamorphism with hornfels
formation. Petrographically it is a muscovite granite with hydrothermal
overimpossed alteration. Geochemically it is located inside the peraluminous
subalkaline granites. This type of body is considered an specialized granite,
with abnormal values in W and Sn (average 10 ppm and 29 ppm respectively: n=11).
It was dated in 471 ± 58 Ma., using K/Ar in biotites, (Fernandez, 1989).
Geochemical
Characterization
The
main feature of the Ordovician magmatism of the SPC is the association of
trondhjemitetonalite- granodiorite, (TTG magmatism of Rapela et al.,
1998) which develops preferably in the Sierra Chica, Sierra de Cuniputo – San
Marcos and some isolated plutons in the north of Sierra Grande and Sierra de
Guasapampa (Fig.2). The only granitic pluton in the Sierra Chica could be the
Loma Ancha granite, which has been tentatively included together with the others
Famatinean plutons.
The
TTG magmatism is of slight to moderately peraluminous tendency and enriched in
Na2O, with values upper than 3% and in some cases close to 6% (Fig.3), it is
also rich in CaO and Sr, specially in the tonalitics and trondhjemitics
varieties and comparatively depleted in K2O (0.65 – 2.02%), FeOt, Cs (0.2 –
2.3 ppm) and other incompatible elements, being also specially low the relations
Rb/Sr and the total Rare Earths contents (Fig.3).
Rapela et al., (1998) and Pankhurst et al., 2000 also indicate, for the
TTG group, a positive or absent Eu-anomaly, relations [La/Yb]n of 2 –55,
initial 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios relatively low (0.705 – 0.707) and values of the eNd
between + 1.5 a – 4.8. these features are specially evident in the
trondhjemitic units as the ones from Güiraldes and San Agustin, suggesting, at
least for these ones, a deep and basic magmatic source probably of astenospheric
mantle source.
In
the Sierra Norte of Córdoba some notable differences in regards to the rest of
the SPC are observed. The rhyolitic intrusives are varieties of high silica
(> 75% of SiO2) moderately peraluminous, rich in K2O (4.5 - 5.8% K2O) and
high relations of Rb/Sr (Fig.3). they have a strong negative Eu-anomaly (Table
1) and high initial relations of 87Sr / 86Sr (0.80 – 0.89 ), which suggests an
important cortical participation in its genesis. (Rapela et al.,
1994).
El
Cerro Granite shows some geochemical similitudes with the rhyolitic porphyry,
specially its high tenor in SiO2 (75 to 77%), its low peraluminosity, relatively
high relations Rb/Sr (> 40) and a strong negative Eu-anomaly (Table 1).
However, the relation [La/Y]n of 12-26, and eNd of –1.9 would be evidences of
a more deep source for this granite (Baldo et al., 1998).
Final
Remarks
The
magmatism of lower to middle Ordovician age of the SPC is characterized mainly
by the generation of small plutons, tabular dikes and subvolcanic
manifestations. These ones have discordantly emplaced in the Lower Cambrian
metamorphic or igneous basement, cutting the metamorphic foliations and carry
small and angular xenoliths or blocks than these ones, they can also generate a
metasomatism effect in contact with marbles and calc-schists. They never show a
high temperature ductile milonitization and the only postmagmatic deformation
that they register is of semi-fragile to fragile type. From this it is deduced
that its emplacement has been at relatively low deep and in a previous rigid
basement. The tabular dikes has porphyric texture and an aphanitic matrix, which
also indicates a shallow emplacement.
According
to the nowadays available geocronological information (see plutons’
description), the trondhjemites are the most ancient units, with a maximun age
of 499 ± 5 Ma (Güiraldes trondhjemite), they are followed by the granodioritic
units with ages of 474 – 478 Ma (La Fronda, La Playa and Paso del Carmen) and
finally, the tonalitic dikes ( 460 ± 6 Ma).
The
distribution of the different plutons, (Fig. 1) suggest same compositional
control for the emplacement of this plutons, the trondhjemite + tonalite ±
granodiorites plutons (TTG group) are located preferable to the east of the SPC,
while the granodioritic and granitic are located to the west.
The
Ordovician magmatism of the Sierra Norte de Córdoba has a similar aspect with
respect to the levels of emplacement, but show important geochemical differences
that suggest a greater cortical participation in the genesis of these ones.
In
the context of Sierras Pampeanas, the Ordovician magmatic event of the SPC is
coeval with the early “I” type metaluminous and calcic suite magmatism,
located farther west and that forms a big batholitic unites of granodiorites
with Hbl + Bt, these are representatives of the main subductions magmatic arc of
the Famatinean Orogen (Pankhurst et al., 2000). In this context the TTG of the
SPC would represent an inner magmatic arc, emplaced on the pampean foreland of
the western margin of Gondwana.
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