Early Paleozoic orogeny in southern South America

Abstract

Abstract In northwest Argentina, weakly metamorphic clastic and calcareous sedimentary rocks of latest Precambrian to Lower Cambrian age (Puncoviscana Formation and related units) contain an abundant ichnofauna of both chronostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental value. In the western and central Sierras Pampeanas, metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks are considered to form part of the same geotectonic unit. This “Pampean orogenic cycle” includes geosynclinal sedimentation of latest Precambrian to Lower Cambrian age, as well as magmatism, metamorphism and deformation of Middle to Upper Cambrian age, documented by an angular unconformity below the Upper Cambrian to Devonian rocks of the “Famatinian orogenic cycle”. In some of the metamorphic rocks of the Pampean Cycle a pre-Ordovician folding is also distinguished from a later tectonic overprinting. Hence, the concept of a Pampean cycle differs from other concepts of late Precambrian orogenic cycles of South America which are only defined by radiometric ages. The Pampean orogenesis may be compared with the Ross orogenesis of the Transantarctic Mts., the Tyennan orogenesis of Australia and some of the deformation phases of the Damara orogen in Namibia.