A deformed alkaline igneous rock–carbonatite complex from the Western Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina: Evidence for late Neoproterozoic opening of the Clymene Ocean?

A deformed ca. 570 Ma syenite–carbonatite body is reported from a Grenville-age (1.0–1.2 Ga) terrane in the Sierra de Maz, one of the Western Sierras Pampeanas of Argentina. This is the first recognition of such a rock assemblage in the basement of the Central Andes. The two main lithologies are coarse-grained syenite (often nepheline-bearing) and enclave-rich fine-grained foliated biotite–calcite carbonatite. Samples of carbonatite and syenite yield an imprecise whole rock Rb–Sr isochron age of 582 ± 60 Ma (MSWD = 1.8; Sri = 0.7029); SHRIMP U–Pb spot analysis of syenite zircons shows a total range of 206Pb–238U ages between 433 and 612 Ma, with a prominent peak at 560–580 Ma defined by homogeneous zircon areas. Textural interpretation of the zircon data, combined with the constraint of the Rb–Sr data suggest that the carbonatite complex formed at ca. 570 Ma. Further disturbance of the U–Pb system took place at 525 ± 7 Ma (Pampean orogeny) and at ca. 430–440 Ma (Famatinian orogeny) and it is concluded that the Western Sierras Pampeanas basement was joined to Gondwana during both events. Highly unradiogenic 87Sr/86Sr values in calcites (0.70275–0.70305) provide a close estimate for the initial Sr isotope composition of the carbonatite magma. Sm–Nd data yield ɛNd570 values of +3.3 to +4.8. The complex was probably formed during early opening of the Clymene Ocean from depleted mantle with a component from Meso/Neo-proterozoic lower continental crust.