Ordovician accretion of the Argentine Precordillera terrane to Gondwana: a review

Abstract

The Precordillera terrane of Argentina was rifted as a lithospheric block from the Ouachita embayment of southeastern Laurentia and accreted to western Gondwana. In various interpretations, the time of rifting of the Precordillera terrane from Laurentia ranges from Early Cambrian to Late Ordovician, and the time of accretion to Gondwana ranges from Middle–Late Ordovician to Silurian–Devonian. This review of available data and previous interpretations, leads to the conclusion that rifting from the Ouachita embayment of Laurentia occurred in the Early Cambrian, and collision with the Famatina arc on the western margin of Gondwana occurred in the Middle–Late Ordovician. In that context, Silurian–Devonian deformation reflects the accretion of the Chilenia terrane on the outboard side of the Precordillera terrane.