Geological Map of the Tocomar Basin (Puna Plateau, NW Argentina). Implication for the Geothermal System Investigation

FILIPOVICH, RUBÉN EDUARDO; BAEZ, WALTER; GIANLUCA GROPPELLI; AHUMADA MA. FLORENCIA; ALDEGA LUCAS; BECCHIO RAÚL; BERARDI, GABRIELLE; BIGI SABINA; CHIARA CARICCHI; AGOSTINA CHIODI; SVEVA CORRADO; DE ASTIS, GIANFILIPPO; ARALDO DE BENNEDETTI; INVERNIZZI CHIARA; GIANLUCA NORINI; SOLIGO, MICHELE; SARA TAVIANI; J. G. VIRAMONTE; GIORDANO GUIDO

Energies

MPDI

Lugar: Basel; Año: 2020

1996-1073

This paper presents a detailed geological map at the 1:20,000 scale of the Tocomar basinin the Central Puna (north-western Argentina), which extends over an area of about 80 km2 anddisplays the spatial distribution of the Quaternary deposits and the structures that cover theOrdovician basement and the Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic units. The new dataset includeslitho-facies descriptions, stratigraphic and structural data and new 234U/230Th ages for travertinerocks. The new reconstructed stratigraphic framework, along with the structural analysis, hasrevealed the complex evolution of a small extensional basin including a period of prolongedvolcanic activity with different eruptive centres and styles. The geological map improves theknowledge of the geology of the Tocomar basin and the local interplay between orogen-parallelthrusts and orogen-oblique fault systems. This contribution represents a fundamental support forin depth research and also for encouraging geothermal exploration and exploitation in the PunaPlateau region.