Neogene constructional stage of the North Patagonian Andes at 42º S

ORTS, D.; ENCINAS, A.; ROJAS VERA, E.A.; TOBAL, J.; RAMOS, M.; FOLGUERA, A.; RAMOS, V. A.

Antofagasta

Simposio; VIII ISAG; 2012

The North Patagonian Andes are ascribed to different deformational stages in the last 100 Ma (Feruglio, 1947; Ramos and Cortés, 1984; Giacosa and Heredia, 1999). A Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic fold and thrust belt is recorded mainly at the eastern slope of the North Patagonian Andes in the retroarc area (Figure 1) as a direct consequence of shortening. This work focuses on this area, where the fold and thrust belt has the particularity to have advanced differentially in comparison to northern and southern sections (Feruglio, 1947; Coira et al., 1975; Nullo, 1978; Peroni et al., 1995; Fígari, 2005; Giacosa et al., 2010) (Figure 1). The reason for this contrasting behavior is not clear and requires integrated structural and tectonic studies in order to unravel potential processes that could associate magmatism, sedimentation and deformation through time.