Early Cretaceous Surtseyan volcanoes of the Baño Nuevo Volcanic Complex (Aysén Basin, Eastern Central Patagonian Cordillera, Chile)

Abstract

Tens of Surtseyan tuff cones are exposed in the Río Coichel valley, between Ñireguao and Estancia Baño Nuevo (Southern Chilean Andes). The Early Cretaceous products of the submarine eruptions rest on, or are interbedded with, shallow marine sandstones of the Hauterivian-early Aptian Apeleg Formation. The Early Cretaceous rocks typically contain large amphibole phenocrysts, clinopyroxene and plagioclase, and have compositions that range from relatively primitive basalts to andesites. The basalts are slightly enriched in LREE and incompatible trace elements. They have low Ti-contents and negative anomalies in Nb and Ta, characteristic of subduction-related magmas. Centimetre-sized amphibole megacrysts and an amphibole-bearing clinopyroxenite xenolith have been found in one of the tuff cones located near Estancia Baño Nuevo. The amphibole megacrysts are pargasite (low Si and Ti, high Mg). The xenolith has diopsidic clinopyroxene with abundant inclusions, and pargasite veins enclosing smaller clinopyroxene neoblasts. Geochemical data show that the megacrysts and the xenolith have the same origin and correspond to underplated igneous bodies crystallized at high pressure.