Cerro Bola Andesite: New unit linked to the Miocene magmatism of the Cordillera de Olivares, San Juan, Argentina (30 ° 35´S; 69 ° 30´W).

Abstract

The study area is located in the region of Tocota Creek, close to the Cordillera Olivares, eastern border of the Frontal Range, San Juan province. In this place, igneous and sedimentary units belonging to the Gondwanic cycle, were recognized. These units were intruded and unconformably covered by subvolcanic and volcanic bodies, which were commonly referred to the Tertiary or Andean cycle. The study of these bodies is the main proposal of this work. These bodies had been mapped in order to characterize them properly in the regional stratigraphic context. The main outcrops were recognized in the Bola Hill and surroundings, where they are irregularly distributed, covering an area greater than 5 km². Dome and lava flow structures are present with the light gray andesite - phenoandesite rock. These outcrops can be correlated with the Pircas volcanic unit (Miocene), to the west, and could be further related to other porphyry bodies of different composition, situated both in Chita Creek and in Divisadero Hill. The extension of the area, lithological uniformity, the low alteration and a K/Ar radiometric age were considered, in order to propose these subvolcanic and volcanic bodies as a new lithostratigraphic unit, Upper Miocene in age, denominated "Cerro Bola Andesite".