Zircon U–Pb geochronology of granitic rocks of the Cordón de Lila and Sierra de Almeida ranges, northern Chile: 30 m.y. of Ordovician plutonism on the western border of Gondwana
In this paper we determined the chronology of Lower Paleozoic arc-related granitic rocks in the Cordón de Lila and Sierra de Almeida ranges, northern Chile, based on new U–Pb ages obtained by Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) on single zircons. Plutonism lasted ∼30 m.y., spanning from 490 to 460 Ma (Lower to Mid Ordovician). The obtained ages correspond to the plutonic units' crystallization ages and fit well with the observed contact relationships with their country rocks and mutual intrusion relationships, and also with biostratigraphical data from the sedimentary country rocks. Our geochronological results on the granitic rocks of Cordón de Lila and Sierra de Almeida ranges broadly agree with the known ages of the plutonic rocks in the Argentinian Puna, strengthening the idea that they formed part of the same magmatic arc in the western border of west Gondwana during the Early to Middle Ordovician.
Funding
Australian Research Council
AMIRA International Ltd
ARC C of E Industry Partner $ to be allocated
Anglo American Exploration Philippines Inc
AngloGold Ashanti Australia Limited
Australian National University
BHP Billiton Ltd
Barrick (Australia Pacific) PTY Limited
CSIRO Earth Science & Resource Engineering
Mineral Resources Tasmania
Minerals Council of Australia
Newcrest Mining Limited
Newmont Australia Ltd
Oz Minerals Australia Limited
Rio Tinto Exploration
St Barbara Limited
Teck Cominco Limited
University of Melbourne
University of Queensland
Zinifex Australia Ltd
History
Publication title
Journal of South American Earth Sciences
Volume
56
Pagination
228-241
ISSN
0895-9811
Department/School
School of Natural Sciences
Publisher
Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd
Place of publication
The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, England, Ox5 1Gb