Salta Basin or Salta Rift Basin is a sedimentary basin located in the Argentine Northwest. The basin started to accumulate sediments in the Early Cretaceous (Neocomian) and at present it has sedimentary deposits reaching thicknesses of . The basin contains seven sub-basins: Tres Cruces, Lomas de Olmedo, Metán, Alemanía, Salfity, El Rey, Sey and Brealito. The basin environment has variously been described as a "foreland rift" and an "intra-continental rift". The basin developed under conditions of extensional tectonics and rift-associated volcanism.

Description The basin basement is composed of rocks belonging to the Puncoviscana Formation.Grier et al., 1991 The volcanism that began in the Late Jurassic was initially of subalkaline character (low sodium and potassium content), but turned increasingly alkaline in the Early Cretaceous.Marquillas et al., 2005

The rifts of Salta Basin developed in a time of generalized extensional tectonics along western South America.Ramos, 2009 It has been proposed that the Salar de Atacama depression in Chile was once a westward rift arm of the Salta Basin.Reutter et al., 2006

Stratigraphy Age Group Subgroup Formation Lithologies Basin stage Notes Pliocene Payogastilla San Felipe Conglomerates Foreland Galli et al., 2019, p.380 Huayquerian Jujuy Piquete González & Abascal, 2012Galli et al., 2019, p.369 Huayquerian Guanaco Sonso López Rodríguez, 2018 Montehermosan Palo Pintado Galli et al., 2011 Chasicoan Laventan Angastaco Friasian Friasian Metán Jesús María Galli & Hernández, 1999, p.171 Friasian Anta Early Miocene Río Seco Priabonian Los Colorados Casamayoran Quebrada de los Colorados Del Papa et al., 2013 Salta Santa Bárbara Lumbrera Late post-rift Marquillas et al., 2005, p.96Del Papa, 2006 Lutetian Itaboraian Maíz Gordo Narváez, 2009 Thanetian Peligran Mealla Sandstones, siltstones, conglomerates, paleosols Sánchez & Marquillas, 2010 Selandian Balbuena Tunal Early post-rift Danian Olmedo Yacoraite Sandstones, limestones Maastrichtian early Maastrichtian Lecho Sandstones Campanian Pirgua Los Blanquitos Sandstones Late synrift Las Curtiembres Early synrift Santonian Coniacian Turonian Cenomanian Isonza Basalt Albian La Yesera Aptian

References

Bibliography

General

Guanaco Sonso Formation

Lumbrera Formation

Maíz Gordo Formation

Mealla Formation

Palo Pintado Formation

Piquete Formation

Quebrada de Los Colorados Formation

Further reading