Chemostratigraphy and U-Pb age constraints of Mesoproterozoic carbonate successions of the Río de la Plata Craton, Uruguay

Abstract

A belt consisting of volcanosedimentary successions exhibiting greenschist-facies metamorphism is exposed in the Nico Pérez Terrane, eastern Río de la Plata Craton (RPC) in Uruguay. The Parque UTE Group (PUG) con- sists of basic volcanics and gabbros at the base (1492+4 Ma, U-Pb on zircon), carbonates in its middle part, and interbedded carbonates, shales and acid volcanics (1429+21 Ma, U-Pb on zircon) at the top. The overlying Mina Verdún Group (MVG) is made up of rhyolites and acid pyroclastics at its base and top, and Conophyton-bearing limestones and massive dolostones in the middle (Poiré and Gaucher, 2009).