QUATERNARY PROPAGATION OF THE WESTERN MOUNTAIN FRONT OF THE BARREAL BLOCK, PRECORDILLERA SUR, ARGENTINA

TERRIZZANO, C. M.; YAMIN, M, G.; CORTÉS, J. M.

Antofagasta

Simposio; 8th International Symposium on Andean Geodynamics; 2012

Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) y Universidad Católica del Norte (Chile)

The N-S trending Barreal block extends ~50 km from Tamberías (to the north) to Del Inca hills (to the south, 31°26´-31°53´ S) in the San Juan province of Argentina. From a structural point of view, it is located in the northwestern edge of the Barreal – Las Peñas belt, which was defined as a neotectonic left-stepping transpressive deformation zone in the Precordillera Sur (Cortés et al. 2005 a y b). Furthermore, the Barreal block is controlled by the Ciénaga del Medio fault to the east and by the Barreal fault to the west. Structural and geomorphological data allow to recognize the Quaternary propagation of this block both northward and southward. With the aim of understanding its Late-Cenozoic behavior, we studied different geological features along the mountainous sector and its adjacent piedmont area.