A history of Proterozoic terranes in southern South America: From Rodinia to Gondwana

The role played by Paleoproterozoic cratons in southern South America from the Mesoproterozoic to the Early Cambrian is reconsidered here. This period involved protracted continental amalgamation that led to formation of the supercontinent Rodinia, followed by Neoproterozoic continental break-up, with the consequent opening of Clymene and Iapetus oceans, and finally continental re-assembly as Gondwana through complex oblique collisions in the Late Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian. The evidence for this is based mainly on a combination of precise U-Pb SHRMP dating and radiogenic isotope data for igneous and metamorphic rocks from a large area extending from the Rio de la Plata craton in the east to the Argentine Precordillera in the west and as far north as Arequipa in Peru. Our interpretation of the paleogeographical and geodynamic evolution invokes a hypothetical Paleoproterozoic block (MARA) embracing basement ultimately older than 1.7 Ga in the Western Sierras Pampeanas (Argentina), the Arequipa block (Peru), the Rio Apa block (Brazil), and probably also the Paraguaia block (Bolivia).Centro de Investigaciones Geológica

Lower Paleozoic Orogenies at the proto-andean margin of South America, Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina

El margen proto-andino de Gondwana ha sido el escenario de al menos dos orogénesis desde el desmembramiento del supercontinente Rodinia al final del Neoprotrozoico, hasta el reagrupamiento de las masas continentales en Pangea al final del Carbonifero. Ambas orogénesis van precedidas de un periodo de apertura oceánica y sedimentación en márgenes pasivos y culminan en subducción oceánica con desarrollo de arcos-magmáticos de tipo cordillerano y colision de tipo continente-continente. La primera, orogénesis Pampeana, tiene lugar en el Cámbrico, en un intervalo de tiempo relativamente pequeño (535-520 Ma: etapas de subducción-arco magmático y colisión), y culmina con la acreción ortogonal de un pequeño terreno continental (terreno Pampeano) de naturaleza semiautóctona. Por el contrario, la orogénesis Famatiniana, tiene lugar en un periodo de tiempo más dilatado, durante el Ordovícico y Silúrico (499-435 Ma). Durante esta orogénesis tuvo lugar la acreción de un terreno exótico a Gondwana, el terreno Precordillera (460 Ma). Este terreno está constituido por un basamento grenvilliano (aprox. 1.1Ga) y una cubierta sedimentaria de plataforma carbonatada de edad Cámbrico-Ordovícico. La acreción al margen de Gondwana fue probablemente oblicua, y el margen oriental del terreno Precordillera fue afectado por fuerte deformación y metamorfismo regional. El basamento de los cinturones andinos del Paleozoico Superior y Mesozoico situados al oeste de la Precordillera, parece estar constituido también por rocas metamórficas grenvillianas; con lo cual, gran parte de los Andes centrales entre los 26ºS y 34ºS se encuentra asentado sobre terrenos alóctonos. En cualquier caso, la paleogeografía de las masas continentales involucradas en la colisión de los terrenos exóticos durante el Paleozoico Inferior no se conoce bien todavía.The proto-Andean margin of Gondwana was the site of at least two orogenies between the break-up of the Rodinia supercontinent, at the end of the Neoproterozoic, and the new continental amalgamation of Pangea at the end of the Carboniferous. Both orogenies were preceded by a period of ocean opening and passive margin sedimentation and ended with ocean subduction, development of cordilleran-type magmatic arcs and continent-continent collision. The Pampean orogeny took place in a relatively short period of time in the early Cambrian (535- 520 Ma; subduction – magmatic arc stage and continental collision), and ended with the orthogonal accretion of a semiautochthonous microcontinental fragment - the Pampean Terrane- to the Gondwana margin. On the other hand, the Famatinian orogeny spanned a longer period of time in the Ordovician and Silurian (499-435 Ma). During this orogeny the exotic Precordillera Terrane was accreted to the margin of Gondwana (460 Ma). This terrane, probably of Laurentian provenance, consists of a Grenvillian basement (1.1 Ga) and a Lower Paleozoic sedimentary cover of the carbonate platform type. Accretion was probably oblique to the Gondwana margin, and the eastern margin of the Precordillera Terrane was thoroughly affected by Famatinian deformation and regional metamorphism. The basement to the Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic Andean belts, situated to the west of the Precordillera, also appears to be formed by Grenvillian metamorphic rocks, so that the greater part of the Central Andes between 26ºS and 34ºS are established upon allocthonous terranes. The Lower Paleozoic paleogeography of continental masses involved in the collision is not still fully understood.Centro de Investigaciones Geológica

A history of Proterozoic terranes in southern South America: From Rodinia to Gondwana

The role played by Paleoproterozoic cratons in southern South America from the Mesoproterozoic to the Early Cambrian is reconsidered here. This period involved protracted continental amalgamation that led to formation of the supercontinent Rodinia, followed by Neoproterozoic continental break-up, with the consequent opening of Clymene and Iapetus oceans, and finally continental re-assembly as Gondwana through complex oblique collisions in the Late Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian. The evidence for this is based mainly on a combination of precise U-Pb SHRMP dating and radiogenic isotope data for igneous and metamorphic rocks from a large area extending from the Rio de la Plata craton in the east to the Argentine Precordillera in the west and as far north as Arequipa in Peru. Our interpretation of the paleogeographical and geodynamic evolution invokes a hypothetical Paleoproterozoic block (MARA) embracing basement ultimately older than 1.7 Ga in the Western Sierras Pampeanas (Argentina), the Arequipa block (Peru), the Rio Apa block (Brazil), and probably also the Paraguaia block (Bolivia).Centro de Investigaciones Geológica

The Western Sierras Pampeanas : protracted Grenville-age history (1330-1030 Ma) of intra-oceanic arcs, subduction-accretion at continental-edge and AMCG intraplate magmatism

New U–Pb SHRIMP zircon ages combined with geochemical and isotope investigation in the Sierra de Maz and Sierra de Pie de Palo and a xenolith of the Precordillera basement (Ullún), provides insight into the identification of major Grenville-age tectonomagmatic events and their timing in the Western Sierras Pampeanas. The study reveals two contrasting scenarios that evolved separately during the 300 Ma long history: Sierra de Maz, which was always part of a continental crust, and the juvenile oceanic arc and back-arc sector of Sierra de Pie de Palo and Ullún. The oldest rocks are the Andino-type granitic orthogneisses of Sierra de Maz (1330–1260 Ma) and associated subalkaline basic rocks, that were part of an active continental margin developed in a Paleoproterozoic crust. Amphibolite facies metamorphism affected the orthogneisses at ca. 1175 Ma, while granulite facies was attained in neighbouring meta-sediments and basic granulites. Interruption of continental-edge magmatism and high-grade metamorphism is interpreted as related to an arc–continental collision dated by zircon overgrowths at 1170–1230 Ma. The next event consisted of massif-type anorthosites and related meta-jotunites, meta-mangerites (1092 ± 6 Ma) and meta-granites (1086 ± 10 Ma) that define an AMCG complex in Sierra de Maz. The emplacement of these mantle-derived magmas during an extensional episode produced a widespread thermal overprint at ca. 1095 Ma in neighbouring country rocks. In constrast, juvenile oceanic arc and back-arc complexes dominated the Sierra de Pie de Palo–Ullún sector, that was fully developed ca. 1200 Ma (1196 ± 8 Ma metagabbro). A new episode of oceanic arc magmatism at 1165 Ma was roughly coeval with the amphibolite high-grade metamorphism of Sierra de Maz, indicating that these two sectors underwent independent geodynamic scenarios at this age. Two more episodes of arc subduction are registered in the Pie de Palo–Ullún sector: (i) 1110 ± 10 Ma orthogneisses and basic amphibolites with geochemical fingerprints of emplacement in a more mature crust, and (ii) a 1027 ± 17 Ma TTG juvenile suite, which is the youngest Grenville-age magmatic event registered in the Western Sierras Pampeanas. The geodynamic history in both study areas reveals a complex orogenic evolution, dominated by convergent tectonics and accretion of juvenile oceanic arcs to the continent

The Gondwana connections of northern Patagonia

A multidisciplinary study (U–Pb sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe geochronology, Hf and O isotopes in zircon, Sr and Nd isotopes in whole-rocks, as well as major and trace element geochemistry) has been carried out on granitoid samples from the area west of Valcheta, North Patagonian Massif, Argentina. These confirm the Cambrian age of the Tardugno Granodiorite (528 ± 4 Ma) and the Late Permian age of granites in the central part of the Yaminué complex (250 Ma). Together with petrological and structural information for the area, we consider a previously suggested idea that the Cambrian and Ordovician granites of northeastern Patagonia represent continuation of the Pampean and Famatinian orogenic belts of the Sierras Pampeanas, respectively. Our interpretation does not support the hypothesis that Patagonia was accreted in Late Palaeozoic times as a far-travelled terrane, originating in the Central Transantarctic Mountains, and the arguments for and against this idea are reviewed. A parautochthonous origin is preferred with no major ocean closure between the North Patagonian Massif and the Sierra de la Ventana fold belt. Supplementary material: U–Pb SHRIMP analytical data, geochemical analyses and sample global positioning system locations are available at www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18722

New SHRIMP U-Pb data from the Famatina Complex : constraining Early-Mid Ordovician Famatinian magmatism in the Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina

New SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages are reported for igneous and sedimentary rocks of the Famatina Complex, constraining the age of the magmatism and the ensialic basins. Together with whole-rock and isotope geochemistry for the igneous rocks from the complex, these ages indicate that the voluminous parental magmas of metaluminous composition were derived by partial melting of an older lithosphere without significant asthenospheric contribution. This magmatism was initiated in the Early Ordovician (481 Ma). During the Mid-Late Ordovician, the magmatism ceased (463 Ma), resulting in a short-lived (no more than ~20 Ma) and relatively narrow (~100-150 km) magmatic belt, in contrast to the long-lived cordilleran magmatism of the Andes. The exhumation rate of the Famatina Complex was considerably high and the erosional stripping and deposition of Ordovician sediments occurred soon after of the emplacement of the igneous source rocks during the Early to mid-Ordovician. During the upper Mid Ordovician the clastic contribution was mainly derived from plutonic rocks. Magmatism was completely extinguished in the Mid Ordovician and the sedimentary basins closed in the early Late Ordovician

A deformed alkaline igneous rock-carbonatite complex from the Western Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina : evidence for Late Neoproterozoic opening of the Clymene Ocean?

A deformed ca. 570 Ma syenite–carbonatite body is reported from a Grenville-age (1.0–1.2 Ga) terrane in the Sierra de Maz, one of the Western Sierras Pampeanas of Argentina. This is the first recognition of such a rock assemblage in the basement of the Central Andes. The two main lithologies are coarse-grained syenite (often nepheline-bearing) and enclave-rich fine-grained foliated biotite–calcite carbonatite. Samples of carbonatite and syenite yield an imprecise whole rock Rb–Sr isochron age of 582 ± 60 Ma (MSWD = 1.8; Sri = 0.7029); SHRIMP U–Pb spot analysis of syenite zircons shows a total range of 206Pb–238U ages between 433 and 612 Ma, with a prominent peak at 560–580 Ma defined by homogeneous zircon areas. Textural interpretation of the zircon data, combined with the constraint of the Rb–Sr data suggest that the carbonatite complex formed at ca. 570 Ma. Further disturbance of the U–Pb system took place at 525 ± 7 Ma (Pampean orogeny) and at ca. 430–440 Ma (Famatinian orogeny) and it is concluded that the Western Sierras Pampeanas basement was joined to Gondwana during both events. Highly unradiogenic 87Sr/86Sr values in calcites (0.70275–0.70305) provide a close estimate for the initial Sr isotope composition of the carbonatite magma. Sm–Nd data yield Nd570values of +3.3 to +4.8. The complex was probably formed during early opening of the Clymene Ocean from depleted mantle with a component from Meso/Neo-proterozoic lower continental crust

A revised age for the granites of the central Somuncura Batholith, North Patagonian Massif

The age of the granites of the La Esperanza region of the Somuncura Batholith, North Patagonian Massif has been revised, based in part on RbSr whole-rock data obtained by reanalyzing samples from a previous study. The new ages are 258 ± 15 Ma for the Prieto Granodiorite and 259 ± 16 Ma for the Donosa Granite, both from the older La Esperanza plutonic complex, and 239 ± 4 Ma for the Calvo Granite, from the younger volcano-plutonic Dos Lomas complex. The initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios are all in the range 0.7070–0.7076. The ages probably correspond stratigraphically to Late Permian and Early Triassic for the two complexes, respectively, consistent with traditional geologic interpretation. Together with recently published Triassic ages from the Batholith of Central Patagonia, it is clear that the acidic volcano-plutonic associations of northern Patagonia are very latest Paleozoic and Mesozoic in age. They are not obviously related to terrane collision but are part of a Permo-Triassic acid magmatic province that extends throughout the central Andes and that preceded, or was associated with, the early rifting of Gondwana

Predicting the Electrochemical Properties of MnO2Nanomaterials Used in Rechargeable Li Batteries: Simulating Nanostructure at the Atomistic Level

Nanoporous ?-MnO2 can act as a host lattice for the insertion and deinsertion of Li with application in rechargeable lithium batteries. We predict that, to maximize its electrochemical properties, the ?-MnO2 host should be symmetrically porous and heavily twinned. In addition, we predict that there exists a “critical (wall) thickness” for MnO2 nanomaterials above which the strain associated with Li insertion is accommodated via a plastic, rather than elastic, deformation of the host lattice leading to property fading upon cycling. We predict that this critical thickness lies between 10 and 100 nm for ?-MnO2 and is greater than 100 nm for ?-MnO2: the latter accommodates 2 × 2 tunnels compared with the smaller 1 × 1 tunnels found in ?-MnO2. This prediction may help explain why certain (nano)forms of MnO2 are electrochemically active, while others are not. Our predictions are based upon atomistic models of ?-MnO2 nanomaterials. In particular, a systematic strategy, analogous to methods widely and routinely used to model crystal structure, was used to generate the nanostructures. Specifically, the (space) symmetry associated with the nanostructure coupled with basis nanoparticles was used to prescribe full atomistic models of nanoparticles (0D), nanorods (1D), nanosheets (2D), and nanoporous (3D) architectures. For the latter, under MD simulation, the amorphous nanoparticles agglomerate together with their periodic neighbors to formulate the walls of the nanomaterial; the particular polymorphic structure was evolved using simulated amorphization and crystallization. We show that our atomistic models are in accord with experiment. Our models reveal that the periodic framework architecture, together with microtwinning, enables insertion of Li anywhere on the (internal) surface and facilitates Li transport in all three spatial directions within the host lattice. Accordingly, the symmetrically porous MnO2 can expand and contract linearly and crucially elastically under charge/discharge. We also suggest tentatively that our predictions for MnO2 are more general in that similar arguments may apply to other nanomaterials, which might expand and contract elastically upon charging/discharging