THE CRETACEOUS OF ARGENTINA, CHILE, PARAGUAY AND URUGUAY N.MALUMIAN, F.E, NULLO and V.A. RAMOS. INTRODUCTION Geological investigation of the Cretaceous of southern South America, and in the Andean Cordil- Jera and Neuquén Embayment in particular, dates back to the late 19th century with the work of Bo- denbender (1889), Steinmann in 1902 and 1903, Beherendsen (1891-1892) and Haupt (1907). The modern phase began with the establishment by Groe- ber (1929 and subsequent papers) of a series of Juras- ic-Cretaceous sedimentary cycles in the Central Andes (Table 1). He showed that the classic European, boundaries cannot be readily determined since nei- ther the upper nor lower Cretaceous boundary coin- cides with a disstrophic episode, although through the work of Weaver (1927, 1931) equivalence could be established with the European standards. It is un- fortunate that the Magallanes or Austral Basin with its nearly complete Cretaceous sequence is not better known. Systematic work in this complex basin and its relationship with the Antarctic Cordillera began rela- tively late (Cecioni, 1955; Katz, 1963; Leanza, 1967a; and others) after the pioneering work of Hatcher (1897-1900), Bonarelli and Nagera (1921) and Feruglio (1931). Subsequently the development of local stage names (Natland et 2l., 1974) and zonation (Malu- mign, 1968; Malumidn and Masiuk, 1975; and oth- ers) based upon foraminifers has permitted strati- graphic correlation between the basins of southern South America as well as tentative correlation with European stages. To this must be added the initial palynological works of Archangelsky and Gamerro (1965-1967) and micropaleontological studies of Martinez, Pardo (1965) and Bertels (1969). The latter defined the Cretaceous—Tertiary boundary in north- em Patagonia. Orogenic and epeirogenic Cretaceous phases In general during the Mesozoic, as in the Cenozoic, it is possible to generalize by saying that the western margin behaved as an orogenic belt, while the eastern was affected by the opening of the Southern Atlantic with the differentiation of a number of discrete ba- sins lying between relatively positive “mesocratonic” areas; their distribution is shown in Fig. 1. There is a remarkable synchronism between coastal fluctuation in the east and tectogenic phases in the Chilean— Argentinian Cordillera during the Andean orogenic cycle, with epeirogenic phases coinciding with periods of compression separated by periods of extension (Charrier and Malumisn, 1975). The principal tec- tonic work was carried out by Stipanicic and Rodrigo (1970), Aubouin and Borrello (1966, 1970), Borello (1969), Vicente (1970) and Charrier and Vicente (1972); the relation of tectonic events to faunal change and events in the South Atlantic was pointed out by Malumién and Béez (1976). TABLE! Jurassic—Cretaceous sedimentary cycles after Groeber, 1929) Tertiary ‘Malathueyan (marine) subeyele Riograndico cycle ‘Neuquenian (continental) subeyele Cretaceous Huitrinian—Diamantian (continental) subeycle Andean cycle ‘Mendocian (marine) Jurassic subeycleFig 1 Morphostructural units. In southern South America a series of morphostructural units cach with a distinctive geologic evolution and a tectonic framework can be distinguished. Some of these units acted as the foreland of the Cretaceous Andean ‘transgression from the Pacific Ocean. Others have been activated during the formation of the Atlantic Ocean as continental basins. ‘These differences in evolution and in the distribution of the pre-Mesozoic eratonic areas are responsible for the morphostructural ‘pattern of the region. From the Pacific coast to the east there are the following units. (1) Cordillera de ta Costa (Coastal Range). An Upper Paleozoic positive axis, upon the eastern slopes of which a thick marine and volcanic Mesozoic series of the Andean cycle accumulated. (2) Valle Central (Central Valley). A central N-S depression which separates the Andean Cordillera from the Coastal Range ‘mainly filled with clastic Cenozoic sediments. (3) Andes Principales (Main Andean Cordillera). The main Cenozoic cordilleran belt which contains the Mesozoic geosynctinal deposits uplifted during the Late Tertiary Andean orogeny. (4) Andes Patagonicos (Patagonian Andean Cordillera). South of 39°S the evolution of the Andean belt is strikingly ifferent having a greater oceanic participation particularly marked in the Cretaceous evolution of the Andes. ‘The austral geosynclinal sector contrasts with the rectilinear structures of the central sector. Three main morphostructural units are distinguishable: (a) the Patagonian Archipelago, which includes Paleozoic goosynclinal deposits; (b) Patagonian Range, constituted by (i) an occidental strip with cugeosynclinal sediments (Upper Jurassic-Mid-Cretaceoas) ‘waywackos and siltstones with radiolarite intercalations and some flyschvlike sediments, and ({i) an oriental strip with Paleozoic ‘metamorphic rocks (S) Puna. The southern extension of the ‘Altiplano’, « high plain up to 4,000 m above sea level, which acted as a mobile teit uring Early Paleozoic time and was epeirogenically depressed at the end of the Cretaceous, then elevated, uplifted at the end of the Tertiary (6) Andes Orientales (Eastern Andes). A portion of the Paleozoic mobile belt uplifted and thrust to the east by the rigid Puna blocks during the Andean orogeny. Complex imbricate structures characterize the tectonic style (7) Sierras Subandinas (Subandean belt). A folded belt of Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic sediments covered by thick Tertiary sequerices which form several continental basins. (8) Sierras Pampeanas (Pampean Ranges). This is a foreland of the Paleozoic geosynclinal evolution. (9) Llanuras Preandinas (Pre-Andean Plains), These plains cover a complex set of continental basins and positive blocks which Ihave been the shore line of the marine Cretaceous ingressions from the Pacific Ocean. (10) Engoifamiento Neuguino (Neuquén Embayment). An important embayment of the Cretaceous sea over the stable shelf, ‘conspicuous Neocomian deposits are preserved under Upper Cretaceous continental sequences. It is also known as Neuquén Precambrian basement, with a block structure, which constituted the whe Basin, (11) “Macizo” de Somuncura (Somuncura “Massif"). Widespread Precambrian basement complex remobilized during the ‘Triassic—Jurassic times covering this area with acid volcanic sequence. It acted as a stable rigid block during the Andean orogeny. (12) “Macizo” del Deseado (Deseado “Massif”). A similar but slightly older reactivation during the Variscan orogeny charac- torizes this “Massif, which had cratonic behavior daring the Andean evolution. : (13) Patagonia Extre-Andina (Extra-Andean Patagonia). The basaltic plains of this region are structurally interrupted by’ the Deseado “Massif”. The northern area underwent active continental subsidence during the Middle Cretaceous (San Jorge Basin); while the southern area was invaded by the Cretaceous seas (Austral or Magallanes Basin, (14) Lianura Chacopampeana (Chacopampean plains). A cratonic Late Cenozoic plain which covers the isolated continental Salado and Colorado basins. (15) Macizo del Paraguay (Paraguayan Massif). This is an Early Paleozoic area which has been fractured during Late Mesorolc times, It is bounded by the Late Paleozoic Parané Basin. (16) Mesopotamia. This cratonie region is tectonically bounded by a set of Andean fractures which partially uplifted a continental clastic voleanic sequences of Early Cretaceous age. (17) Escudo Uruguayo (Uruguayan Shield). This Precambrian basement (1,800 to 2,000 may.) was tectonically active during the Atlantic opening. It s bounded by several Cretaceous continental basins, (18) Sistema de Tandilia (Tandilia System). A set of ranges which emerge from the Pampean Plains as a faulted patt of the Precambrian basement of the Uruguayan Shield. 29) Sistema de Ventania (Ventania System). This isa typical aulacogen controlled by a triplejunction pattern whose western ‘branch was highly mobilized during Paleozoic times. A set of northwestern ranges are interrupted by the Atlantic coast.