Alkaline Rocks and Carbonatites of the World

Setup during HiTech AlkCarb: an online database of alkaline rock and carbonatite occurrences

Plateau Basalts Of 45-47°S; 68°30'-73°

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Occurrence number: 
008-00-015
Country: 
Argentina
Region: 
Comodoro Rivadavia
Location: 
Longitude: -70.42, Latitude: -46
Carbonatite: 
No

Remnants of the Patagonian basalt plateau between 45°and 47°S extend from the border with Chile eastwards to about 68° 30'W (Baker et al., 1981). The basalts form conspicuous mesetas and in the northeast of the area intrusive alkaline complexes occur around Sarmiento (008-00-014). The lavas range from quartz tholeiites through olivine tholeiites to alkali basalts, basanites and leucite basanites. The basanites and leucite basanites occur as late, post-plateau cones and flows. The basanites contain only normative nepheline but the leucite basanites include modal leucite, which is interstitial and does not form euhedra, with sanidine and nepheline. Rock and some mineral analyses and Sr isotope ratios are available in Baker et al. (1981).

Age: 
Ages of 24 lavas were determined by K-Ar and range from 81 to 0. 2 Ma, the alkaline lavas being mainly less than 4 Ma in age.
References: 

BAKER, P. E., REA, W. J., SKARMETA, J., CAMINOS, R. & REX, D. C. 1981. Igneous history of the Andean Cordillera and Patagonian plateau around latitude 46°S. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society of London, 303A‚ 105-49.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith