Salta Basin

Salta Basin or Salta Rift Basin is a sedimentary basin located in the Argentine Northwest.^[1][2] The basin started to accumulate sediments in the Early Cretaceous (Neocomian) and at present it has sedimentary deposits reaching thicknesses of 5,000 metres (16,000 ft). 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.^[1]

Salta Basin
Cuenca Salta
Location of the basin in Argentina
Coordinates	23°40′S 66°07′W
Etymology	Salta Province
Region	Argentine Northwest
Country	Argentina  Bolivia  Chile
State(s)	Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán Potosí Antofagasta
Cities	Salta
Characteristics
On/Offshore	Onshore
Boundaries	Andes
Part of	Andean foreland basins
Geology
Basin type	Foreland-on-rift basin or intracontinental rift basin
Plate	South American
Orogeny	Andean
Age	Neocomian-Neogene
Stratigraphy	Stratigraphy

Description

The basin basement is composed of rocks belonging to the Puncoviscana Formation.^[2] 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.^[1]

The rifts of Salta Basin developed in a time of generalized extensional tectonics along western South America.^[3] It has been proposed that the Salar de Atacama depression in Chile was once a westward rift arm of the Salta Basin.^[4]

Stratigraphy

Age	Group	Subgroup	Formation	Lithologies	Basin stage	Notes
Pliocene	Payogastilla		San Felipe	Conglomerates	Foreland	[5]
Huayquerian		Jujuy	Piquete			[6][7]
Huayquerian			Guanaco Sonso			[8]
Montehermosan			Palo Pintado			[9]
Chasicoan
Laventan			Angastaco			[10][11]
Friasian
Friasian		Metán	Jesús María			[11]
Friasian			Anta			[11]
Early Miocene			Río Seco			[11]
Priabonian			Los Colorados			[11]
Casamayoran			Quebrada de los Colorados			[10]
	Salta	Santa Bárbara	Lumbrera		Late post-rift	[12][13]
Lutetian
Itaboraian			Maíz Gordo			[12][14]
Thanetian
Peligran			Mealla	Sandstones, siltstones, conglomerates, paleosols		[12][15]
Selandian		Balbuena	Tunal		Early post-rift	[12]
Danian			Olmedo			[12]
			Yacoraite	Sandstones, limestones		[12]
Maastrichtian
early Maastrichtian			Lecho	Sandstones		[12]
Campanian		Pirgua	Los Blanquitos	Sandstones	Late synrift	[12]
			Las Curtiembres		Early synrift	[12]
Santonian
Coniacian
Turonian
Cenomanian			Isonza	Basalt		[12]
Albian			La Yesera			[12]
Aptian