Geology and Rb-Sr geochronology of granitoids of Sierra Grande, province of Río Negro

Abstract

To the east of Sierra Grande, the oldest unit is the El Jagüelito Ectinite mainly composed of meta-greywackes and slates, and cut by Ordovician granitoids (Rb-Sr whole rock 467 ± 16 Ma; U-Pb zircon 476 ± 4 Ma). Ectinites and granitoids are covered in unconformity by fossiliferous siliciclastic sedimentary rocks of Sierra Grande Formation of Silurian age. All together, these units are folded and thrust. To the south of Sierra Grande, at Hiparsa Mine, the outcrops of El Jagüelito Ectinite, Sierra Grande Formation and granitoids are strongly deformed. It has been discussed since the middle of the last century whether the granitoids constitute the basement of the Sierra Grande Formation or they are intrusive in this unit. The Sierra Grande Formation is affected by thermal metamorphism. Previous radiometric data of granitoids are discordant (Rb-Sr whole rock 252 ± 5 Ma, 363 ± 57 Ma and 318 ± 28 Ma; U-Pb SHRIMP zircon 476 ± 6 Ma). New Rb-Sr whole rock and mineral analyses were carried out on granitoids from Hiparsa Mine. The new data are indicative of two granitic units. To the northwest of the mine, at Mina Hiparsa Granite, two isochron ages were obtained (262 ± 6 Ma, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (i) = 0.7162 ± 0.0003 and 263 ± 9 Ma, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (i) = 0.7149 ± 0.0009). To the west of Hiparsa Mine, at Laguna Medina Granodiorite, just one isochron was obtained (260 ± 3 Ma, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (i) = 0.7078 ± 0.0012). The studied rocks are the products of Early Ordovician and Early to Late Permian plutonism. Although the three whole rock-minerals isochrons are of Permian age, two of them represent metamorphism and overprint of Ordovician rocks (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (i) ~ 0.7150) and the remaining one represents igneous crystallization (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (i) ~ 0.7080).