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Relations between plutonism in the back-arc region in southern Patagonia

and Chile Rise subduction: A geochronological review

Conference Paper · September 2008

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7th International Symposium on Andean Geodynamics (ISAG 2008, Nice), Extended Abstracts: 485-488

Relations between plutonism in the back-arc region in southern

Patagonia and Chile Rise subduction: A geochronological review
Alejandro Sánchez1, Francisco Hervé1, & Michel de Saint-Blanquat2
1
Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Chile, casilla 13518 correo 21, Santiago, Chile
(alsanche@cec.uchile.cl)
2
CNRS-LMTG/Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Université de Toulouse, 14 av. Edouard-Belin, 31400 Toulouse,
France (michel@lmtg.obs-mip.fr)

KEYWORDS : plutonism, geochronology, Patagonia

Introduction
Southern Patagonia is constituted by 3 main tectono-stratigraphic units, from west to east: the Permo-Triassic
deformed basement, the Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous extensional basins, and the Late Cretaceous to
Cenozoic compressional Magallanes foreland basin (MFB). There are also two intrusive and two extrusive
magmatic belts: the Southern Patagonian Batholith (SPB) (Mesozoic-Cenozoic), which intrudes the basement,
and the back-arc region plutons (Neogene) which intrude the MFB and the extensional basins, specially in the
northern area. The extrusive units are the Miocene-Pleistocene basaltic plateau lavas, mainly in Argentina, and
lastly the active volcanic arc located at the western
margin of South America.
The back-arc region plutons (figure 1), are mainly
miocene isolated granites to diorites bodies. Michel
(1983) had been the first in considerate it as a north-
south magmatic lineament in the back-arc region, and
furthermore he linked this magmatic lineament with
the Chile Rise (CR) subduction, which started 15-14
Ma at 55º lat.S and since that time the triple joint has
migrated to the north until their actual position
(~46º30' lat. S) (Cande and Leslie, 1986).
Nevertheless, there is not a good correlation between
Triple Joint migration and magmatism occurrence.
The latter is widespread in Neogene times (figure 1),
including several 15-25 Ma plutons in the SPB
(Hervé et al., 2007); the basaltic plateau lavas, which
are Pliocene to mid-Miocene (~14 Ma) (Guivel et al.,
2006); also there is several adakite type intrusives
miocene in age in the back-arc region (Ramos et al.,
Figure 1: Magmatic map of southern Patagonia. After Michel,
2004). 1983.

The aim of this contribution, is to help to solve the following questions: Is this north to south miocene
lineament a real lineament? And: are this igneous bodies related to CR subduction?

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7th International Symposium on Andean Geodynamics (ISAG 2008, Nice), Extended Abstracts: 485-488

In this way we present a geochronologic compilation of cenozoic intrusive bodies in the back-arc region of
Patagonia together with preliminary new age data of plutons that have been include in this “lineament” (Sánchez
et al., in prep.). The main goal of this contribution is that age data of the back-arc plutons reveals that most of
them are older than the CR subduction and a direct relation between plutonism and slab windows is still unclear.

Geochronology
A compilation of available geochronologic data of intrusives rocks in southern Patagonia is presented in Table
1 and illustrated in Fig. 2. Its include the different type of rocks mentioned above, together with the age and
location of Chile rise segments collision (accord to Cande & Leslie, 1986). This compilation is only of
radiometric dating methods. Even K/Ar method may reflect younger ages than plutons crystallization ages, is
include because many plutons are only dated by this methodology. Even the database includes diverse
radiometric methods, some general observations can be made:
In all the region, the age data for the back-arc plutons
is mainly concentrated between 9 and 18 Ma
(exceptions are Las Nieves granite and San Lorenzo
granite). In most cases these age are older than Chile
Rise collision age. Only few temporal coincidence
between magmatism and Chile rise subduction exist.
The most remarkable are Cerro Pampa adakite, San
Lorenzo granite and Torres del Paine granite.
In the arc region (SPB), there are plutons which range
in age between 15 and 25 Ma (Hervé et al., 2007).
There is only one Pliocene pluton of 4 Ma and this is Figure 2. Southern Patagonian back-arc plutons ages
diagram. Crosses represents ages of plutons of SPB (Hervé
the only dated pluton of the SPB in this area, younger et al., 2007). horizontal bars represent location and age of
than CR collision. collision of CR segments (from Cande & Leslie).LL: Las
Llaves, LN: Las Nieves, CN: Cerro Negro del Ghío, CI:
In Fig. 2, also can be noted that the original plutons Cerro Indio, SL: San Lorenzo, CP: Cerro Pampa, PN: Puesto
Nuevo, FR: Fitz-Roy, Ch: Chalten, CM: Cerro Moyano, TP:
in the lineament (enclosed by circles), do not show a Torres del Paine, CD: Cerro Donoso, CB: Cerro Balmaceda
pattern of been younger northward as the CR collision
age.

Discussion
The geochronology used should be more representative of crystallization ages for allow good comparison of
emplacement times of the plutons. So U/Pb zircon dating is being carried out by the authors to avoid bad
interpretations, as can occur here comparing pluton ages obtained by differents radiometric methods.
Nevertheless, it seems to be clear that most plutonism in both, arc and back-arc regions, is previous to CR
collision. This underestimate astenospheric windows source for these plutons. And it can be related to previous
buoyancy of the subducted slab related magmatism as is suggest by Espinoza (2007).
Among the back-arc plutons, there are several complex which includes Miocene, Oligocene and/or Cretaceous
plutons (e.g. San Lorenzo and Puesto Nuevo) the coincidence in the back-arc region location of these, may

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7th International Symposium on Andean Geodynamics (ISAG 2008, Nice), Extended Abstracts: 485-488

reflect ancient discontinuities in the patagonian continental crust This mechanism should allow magmas to reach
upper levels of the crust in high magmatic periods, as may be miocene times.

Table 1. Localities and dating methods of the plutons ages plotted in Fig.2. 1: Pankhurst et al. (1999); 2: Petford & Turner
(1996); 3: Suarez & de la Cruz (2001); 4: Morata et al. (2002); 5: Ramos (2002); 6: Welkner (1999); 7: Welkner (2000); 8:
Fanning, pers.com.; 9: Pino (1976); 10 Ramos & Palma (1981); 11: Pankhurst, com.pers to Giacosa Franchi; 12: Ramos et
al. (1991); 13: Ramos et al. (2004); 14: Motoki et al. (2003); 15: Nullo et al. (1978); 16: Linares & Gonzales (1990); 17:
Halpern, 1973; 18: Sánchez et al. (2006); 19: Altenberger et al. (2003); 20: Sánchez et al., in prep.; 21: in Skarmeta &
Castelli (1997)
Pluton Lat.S Lon.W Dating method Age (Ma) Error (Ma) Material
Paso de las llaves1 46°40' 72°15' Rb/Sr 10.3 0.4 WR-KFd Bt (isochron)
Paso de las llaves2 46°40' 72°15' Ar-Ar isochron 9.6 0.5 Biotite
Paso de las llaves2 46°40' 72°15' Ar-Ar 9.6 0.4 Biotite
Paso de las llaves3 46°40' 72°15' K/Ar 10 1.1 Biotite
Aviles3 46°45' 72°15' K/Ar 9.6 0.6 Biotite
Rio de las Nieves4 46°41' 72°06' K/Ar 3.2 0.4 Biotite
Cerro Indio5 47º6 71º53' K/Ar 13.2 0.9 WR
Cerro Negro del Ghío5 47º7' 71º52' K/Ar 18.1 1.2 WR
5
Cerro Negro del Ghío 47º7' 71º52' K/Ar 15.8 0.7 WR
Cerro Negro del Ghío5 47º7' 71º52' K/Ar 15.8 0.6 Hornblende
Co Sn Lorenzo3 47°35’ 72°20’ K/Ar 6.6 0.5 Biotite
Co Sn Lorenzo6 47°35’ 72°20’ K/Ar 6.4 0.4 Biotite
Co Sn Lorenzo7 47°35’ 72°20’ WMPA Ar/Ar 5.76 0.18 K-feld
7
Co Sn Lorenzo 47°35’ 72°20’ WMPA Ar/Ar 6.2 0.12 Biotite
Co Sn Lorenzo8 47°35’ 72°20’ SHRIMP U/Pb 6.44 0.28 circon
Co Sn Lorenzo9 47°35’ 72°20’ K/Ar 8.8 6.1 Not published
Co Sn Lorenzo10 47°35’ 72°20’ K/Ar 8 1 Not published
Co Sn Lorenzo11 ~47º40' ~72º15 Rb/Sr 9.2 1.6 Not published
12
Cerro Pampa 47º54' 71º20' K/Ar 12.1 0.7 Not published
Cerro Pampa12 47º54' 71º20' K/Ar 12 0.7 Not published
Cerro Pampa13 47º54' 71º20' WMPA Ar/Ar 11.39 0.61 Hornblende
Cerro Pampa13 47º54' 71º20' WMPA Ar/Ar 12.87 0.24 WR
Puesto Nuevo13 48º56' 72º12,5' WMPA Ar/Ar 13.12 0.55 Hb
Puesto Nuevo13 48º56' 72º12,5' WMPA Ar/Ar 13.29 3.97 WR
14
Puesto Nuevo 48º56' 72º12,5' U/Pb 14.1 3.6
Fitz Roy15 49°15' 73° K/Ar 18 3 WR
Chalten13 49°25,5' 72º59,5' WMPA Ar/Ar 14.5 0.29 Amphibole
Cerro Moyano16 50º27,2 72º23,7' K/Ar 16 1 WR
Paine17 51° 73° Rb/Sr 12 2 Bt
17
Paine 51° 73° K/Ar 13 1 Bt
Paine18 51° 73° SHRIMP U/Pb 12.65 0.13 circon
Paine (external gabro)19 51° 73° K/Ar 29.4 0.8 Biotite
Co Donoso20 51º13,3 73º9.5' SHRIMP U/Pb ~26 Circon
Co Balmaceda21 51°25' 73°11' K/Ar ? 28 Not published
20
Co Balmaceda 51°25' 73°11' SHRIMP U/Pb ~15 Circon

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7th International Symposium on Andean Geodynamics (ISAG 2008, Nice), Extended Abstracts: 485-488

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