Field guide on the ordovician of the Sierra Pintada, San Rafael Block, Mendoza

Abstract

First day: Departure from San Juan City by bus, at 8 AM. Arrival at San Rafael City (about 370 km towards the South) in Mendoza Province at lunch time. During the trip by the plain road we can see the Eastern Precordillera and Frontal Cordillera sides and the Cuyo oil basin. This region is also famous for its vineyards and with a nice production of several wines. After accommodation at the hotel we will depart to Cerro Bola region (about 25 km towards the East of San Rafael City). The stop will be at Baños Cerro Bola (ancient spring baths) to see the more complete section of the siliciclastic sequence know as Pavón Formation. Graptolites from the Lower Caradoc age are common in black shales of this section. We can observe the sedimentary characteristics and structural style of the sequence. At about 7 PM we will return to the hotel at San Rafael City for dinner and sleeping. Second day: Departure from San Rafael City at 8.30 AM (with luggage) and we will go to the South-East side of the San Rafael Block known Ponón Trehue locality (about 70 km). The first stop will be at Ponón Trehue creek, where we can see the Precambrian basement (grenvillian crust) and the contact with Ordovician units from Tremadoc and Arenig carbonate rocks and Llanvirn-Llandeilo to Lower Caradoc clastic-carbonate sediments. The biostratigraphy of these Ordovician outcrops has been based on Conodont assemblages. The sedimentological and stratigraphical studies suggest that these units are megablocks, blocks and megaconglomerates and could be allochtonous deposits associated with an extensional regime well described in the Precordillera Terrane. After a field lunch we will go to the second stop at the Tortuga section, where the outcrops of the Ponón Trehue Formation represent the Pygodus serra Zone, Eoplacognathus robustus subzone and Eoplacognathus linstroemi subzone, and Pygodus anserinus Zone, Sagittodontina kielcensissubzone. We will observe the sedimentological characteristics of the sequences. At 5 PM we will return to Mendoza City. Arrival to Mendoza City at about 8 PM, location at the hotel and dinner. The field trip is finished.