Control of Mesozoic extensional structures on the Andean deformation in the northern Malargüe fold and thrust belt, Mendoza, Argentina

BECHIS, F.; GIAMBIAGI, L. B.; YAGUPSKY, D.; CRISTALLINI, E.; GARCÍA, V.; MESCUA, J. F.

Niza, Francia

Simposio; International Sympsium on Andean Geodynamics (ISAG); 2008

IRD

ABSTRACT   The study area is located in the northern sector of the Malargüe fold and thrust belt, in the Central Andes of central-western Argentina. In this sector of the belt, Andean deformation inverted a Late Triassic to Early Jurassic extensional depocentre of the Neuquén basin. The main goal of this contribution is to identify the principal controls exerted by the extensional structures over the Andean deformation in the northern sector of the Malargüe fold and thrust belt. Our study is based on data obtained from detailed structural and geological field mapping, integrated with subsurface information. The orientation, timing and structural style of the Andean structures were compared with the extensional architecture of the Atuel depocentre. In addition, the mapped structures were compared with the results obtained from scaled sandbox analogue models simulating the deformation of a half-graben oblique to the shortening direction during the evolution of a fold and thrust belt.