Cuyo Basin () is a sedimentary basin in Mendoza Province, western Argentina. The Cuyo Basin has a NNW-SSE elongated shape and is limited to the west by the Sierra Pintada System and to the east by the Pampean pericraton. To the north the basin reaches the area around the city of Mendoza.

Description The Cuyo Basin has an approximate area of .Zencich et al., 2008, p.110 It has two major sub-basins: Cacheuta () in the north and Alvear () in the south. The northern fringes of Cacheuta sub-basin reaches into San Juan Province. The basin existed already during the Triassic but its current shape is derivative of the Andean orogeny.

The basin originated as a rift basin in the context of extensional tectonics and crustal thinning that followed the Paleozoic Gondwanide orogeny.

Stratigraphy The stratigraphy of the Cuyo Basin comprises the following formations:

Age Group Formation Lithologies Depositional environment Notes Pleistocene Tunuyán Yrigoyen, 1993 Mio-PlioceneHuayquerian Huayquerías Mudstones, sandstones, tuff Fluvial Garrido et al, 2017, p.51 Miocene Mogotes Alluvial Zencich et al., 2008, p.112 Miocene La Pilona Shales and sandstones Alluvial Middle MioceneLaventan Mariño Sandstones Alluvial and eolian Late OligoceneDeseadan Early Oligocene Hiatus Priabonian BartonianDivisaderan Divisadero Largo Fluvial Lutetian Papagayos Fluvial Early Eocene Hiatus Paleocene Late Cretaceous Early Cretaceous Punta de las Bardas Basalts Volcanic Late Jurassic Barrancas Sandstones and conglomerates Alluvial to fluvial Rhaetian Uspallata Río Blanco Fluvial-deltaic Spalletti et al., 2008, p.270 Norian Carnian Cacheuta Black shales Lacustrine Potrerillos Tuffs, conglomerates, sandstones, shales Alluvial to fluvial Spalletti et al., 2005 Ladinian Cerro de las Cabras Mudstones and conglomerates Anisian Olenekian Río Mendoza Volcaniclastic conglomerates Spalletti et al., 2008, p.269 Induan Late Permian Choiyoi Group Carboniferous Hiatus Devonian Early Paleozoic Cuyania Finney, 2007Keller et al., 1998

See also

Geological history of the Precordillera terrane Colorado Basin, basin to the southeast of Cuyo Basin Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin, Triassic rift basin to the north of Cuyo Basin Neuquén Basin, Mesozoic rift basin to the south of Cuyo Basin Paraná Basin, basin to the northeast of Cuyo Basin Salta Basin, Mesozoic rift basin to the north of Cuyo Basin

Notes and references Notes

References

Bibliography General

Divisadero Largo Formation

Huayquerías Formation

Mariño Formation

Further reading