Journal of South American Earth Sciences, Vol. 6, No. 1/2, pp.

77-96, 1992 Pergamon Press Ltd

Printed in Great Britain & Earth Sciences & Resources Institute

New geochronological control for the tectono-magmatic

evolution of the metamorphic basement,
Cordillera Real and E! Ore Province of Ecuador
J. A. ASPDEN I, S. H. HARRISON2, and C. C. RUNDLE3

1Misi6n Briffmica/ODA, FCO (Quite), King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH, UK 268 Gaim Terrace,
Aberdeen AB1 6AT, UK; 3NERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratory, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, U K
(Received May 1992; Revision Accepted July 1992)

Abstract--Some 150 new isotopic age determinations on metamorphic rocks from the Cordillera Real and parts of E1 Ore Pro-
vinee in Ecuador, using K-At, Rb-Sr, and Sm-Nd methods, help to clarify a complex succession of magmatic and tectonic events.
The earliest regional metamorphic/plutonic event recognized, from the Tahuin Group in El O1"o,is dated as between ca. 220 and
200 Ma (Late Triassic-Early Jurassic). Similar but less well constrained ages were also obtained from orthogneiases of the
Sabanilla and Tres Lagtmas subdivisions in the Cordillera Real. Major eale-alkaline granitdids were emplaeed ca. 190-150 Ma
(Middle-Late Jurassic) in the eastern part of the Cordillera Real, to the north of 2"S, and throughout the sub-Andean zone.
Between ca. 140 and 120 Ma (Early Cretaceous), the Oriente region was uplifted and eroded and the Cordillera was affected by an
important shearing (dynamothermai) event which resulted in the resetting of older plutonic ages. From ca. 120 to 85 Ma, condi-
tions were relatively stable, but during ca. 85 to 65 Ma (Late Cretaceous), the Cordillera and Oriente were again uplifted. This
uplift corresponds to a second widespread thermal overprinting, which produced a regional disturbance in the K-Ar isotopic sys-
tems. Throughout the Cordillera, a number of generally small, undeformed, dominantly lower Tertiary plutons are also present. A
few older (i.e., pre-Mesozoic) dates have been obtained but their interpretation remains uncertain.

R e s u m e n - - U n a s 150 nuevas determinaciones de edades isot6picas de rocas metam6rflcas de la Cordillera Real y parte de la pro-
vincia de E1 Ore en el Ecuador, usando los m~todos K-Ar, Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, ayudan en clarificar una sucosi6n eompleja de eventos
magrn~lticos y tect6nicos. El evento metam6rfico/plut6nico regional m ~ temprano reconocido, es el del grupo Tahufn en E1 Ore;
est~ entre ca. 220 y 200 Ma (TriMico tardfo-JurMico temprano). Edades similares, pete menos definidas, fueron tambi6n obteni-
das de los ortogneises de Sabanilla y Tros Lagunas en la Cordillera Real. Los mayores granitoides ealco-alcalinos fueron
emplazados ca. 190-150 Ma (Jur~sico medic a tard(o), en la parte oriental de la Cordillera Real, al norte de 2" de latitud S, yen
toda la zuna subandina. Entre ca. 140 y 120 Ma (CrelAcicotemprano) la regi6n Oriental fue levantada y erosionada; y la cordillera
rue afectada per un evento de cizallamiento muy importante (dinamotermal), que result6 en el reajuste de 1as antiguas edades
plut6nicas. Desde ca. 120-85 Ma las condiciones fueron relativamente estables, pete durante ca. 85-65 Ma (Cretatcico tardfo) la
cordillera y el Oriente fueron de nuevo levantadas. Este levantamiento corresponde a una segunda sobre impresi6n termal que
produjo una perturbaci6n regional en los sistemas isot6picos K-At. Per toda la cordillera est,Lnpresentes un ndmero de plutones
generalmente pequetlos, no deformados; dominantemente del Tereiario temprano. Hart side obtenidas pocas edades antiguas (Pre-
mesozoicas), pete la interpertaci6n de 6stes permaneee todavfa incierta.

INRODUCTION

T H E C O R D I L L E R A R E A L R e s e a r c h Project is a j o i n t T e c h -
nical C o o p e r a t i o n P r o g r A m m e undertaken by the Overseas
D e v e l o p m e n t A d m i n i s t r a t i o n ( O D A ) o f Great Britain
through the British G e o l o g i c a l S u r v e y ( B G S ) in c o n j u n c -
\
tion w i t h the C o r p o r a c i 6 n de D e s a r r o l l o e l n v e s t i g a c i 6 n
G e o l o g i c o - M i m r o M e t a l u r g i c a ( C O D I G E M ) in Ecuador.
/
/
' S i n c e the start o f the project in 1986, advances h a v e /
b e e n m a d e in the understandin~ o f the stratigraphy and
structural e l e m e n t s in the Cordillera R e a l and parts o f E l
0 r e P r o v i n c e in s o u t h w e s t E c u a d o r (Fig. 1). S o m e o f these
f i n d i n g s h a v e already b e e n p r e s e n t e d ( e . g . , Litherland e t
lib.

Fig. 1. Principal geomorphologieal/geologieal zones of Ecuador.

Dot pattern indicates metamorphic reeks of the pre-Cretaceous
basement.

Address all correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. John A. Aspdea at BGS International Division, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12
5GG, UK: telephone[44](602) 363100; fax [44] (602) 363-200; relent378173 B G S K E Y G.
©1992 Crown Copyright 77
78 J.A. ASPDEN,S. H. HARRISON,and C. C. RUNDLE
al., 1990; Aspdon and Litherland, 1992). In this contribu-
tion we concentrate solely on documenting the geochrono-
logical data that have been obtained. The isotopic analyses
were carried out at the Natural Environment Research
Council's Isotope Geology Centre in London - - now re-
named the National Isotope G-eosciences Laboratory
(NIGL) and relocated at Keyworth, Nottingham.
Geographical Setting
The Cordillera Real is the eastern of two parallel moun-
tain chains that define the Ecuadorian Andes. In the north,
the Western Cordillera is separated from the Cordillera
Real by a prominent structural valley, the Inter-Andean
Depression, but in the south the Andes are represented by a
single cordillera. To the east of the Ecuadorian Andes lies
the sub-Andean zone and the Oriente, which form part of
the upper reaches of the Amazon Basin. To the west lies the
flat, low coastal region of the Costa (Fig. 1).
Geological Background
North of Guayaquil, the Costa comprises Upper Creta-
ceous to Cenozoic fore-arc sedimentary rocks floored by
Lower Cretaceous oceanic basalts of the Piflon Formation
(Baldock. 1982; Goossens and Rose. 1973). There is no
evidence of continentalcrust below these rocks (Feininger
and Seguin, 1983). This part of Ecuador is thus thought to
represent oceanic crust that was accreted to the South
American plate in the Late Cretaceous or Paleocene (Bour-
gois et al., 1990; Daly, 1989). In contrast, south of Guaya-
quil, the rocks of El 0ro Province (Fig. 1) consist mainly of
granitic plutons and metamorphic rocks, which include am-
phibolites, schism, and gneisses. The Western Cordillera
comprises a NNF_,-trevdinS belt of Cretaceous to lower Ter-
tiary volcanic, volcaniclastic and sedimentary rocks that
have been reported on by Van Thoumout and Quevedo
(1990). Lebrat et al.. (1985), and Henderson (1979).
The inhospitable nature of the CcediUera Real, with its
high altitude and abundant rainfall, together with limited
road access, has hindered study of the geology of thisre-
gion of Ecuador. The Cordillera Real forms a continuous
belt of variably deformed and metamorphosed rocks that
extends the length of the Ecuadorian Andes and COnSiStsof
schists, quartzites,calc-schists,marbles, and ortho- and
paragneisses (Aspden and Litherland, 1992). A number of
late,undeformed plutons cut the metamorphic rocks, and a
series of major Plio-Pleistocene stratovolcanoes dot the
Cordillera.
Overlying the basement of the Oriente,which comprises
rocks belonging to the Amazmic cratou (Almeida et aI.,
1981), are epi-platform Paleozoic and lower Mesozoic
sedimentary strata. These are overlain by Upper Jurassic
volc~n~ and Upper Cretaceous marine miogeosynclinal
sedlmantary rOCks. Following the Andean uplift, back-arc
sedimantation occurred during the Cenozoic (Jalliard et al.,
1990; Baldock, 1982; Tschopp, 1953).
PREVIOUS GEOCHRONOLOGICAL STUDIES
The apparent correlation of the predominantly Paleo-
zoic metamorphic rocks of the Cordillera Central of south-
ern Colombia with those of the Cordillera Real has
persjaded some to suggest a similar age for the latter (e.g.,
BaldocL 1982). Equally, in the south, the CordilleraReal
metamorphic belt has been correlated lithologically with
the basement rocks of northern Peru (Kennerly. 1980).
which are overlain by Triassic and possibly Devonian sedi-
mentary rocks (JaUiard et al., 1990; Cobbing et al., 1981).
Metamorphic Rocks of the Cordillera Real
Previously published geochronological studies of the
CordilleraReal metamorphic rocks have reliedentirelyon
the K-At technique.Results from some of the more impor-
tantlocalities(Fig.2) are noted below:
a) Herbert and Pichler (1983) presented K-At dates of 59
+ 2 M a from muscovite and biotite separates from
schistswhich crop out along the Papallacta-Baezaroad.
A ~imilar K-At biotite date of 54 + 2 Ma was recorded
by Feinlnser and Silberman (1982) from the same area,
and a slightly older age of 82 + 3 Ma was reported bv
Kennedy (1980) for a muscovite sample.
b) Between Baflos and Puyo. garnet muscovite biotite
para- and orthogneisses are exposed near Agoy(m. Her-
bert and Pichler (1983) analyzed muscovite separates
from both of these rock types and obtained ages of 56.5
+ 2 and 60 + 2 Ma, respectively. Hall and Calle (1982)
reported six K-Ar ages from gneisses along this road
section, ranch S from 54 to 79 Ma.
c) Hall and Calle (1982) quoted K-Ar ages of between 61
and 90 Ma (three determinations) for metamorphic
rocks from the Cuenca area and ages between 51 and
79 Ma (three determinations) for rocks in the Zamora
area. Baldock (1982) also reported a K-Ar biotite age
of 52 + 2 Ma for gneiss collected from the Loja-Zamora
road section.
d) Kennerly (1980) recorded two K-At ages of 72 + 2 and
81 + 3 Ma from biotite gneisses near Palanda and
Zumba in the extreme south of Ecuador.
Based on these data, Feininser (1982) and Hall and CaUe
(1982) interpreted the Cordillera Real metamorphic belt as
predominantly of Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary age.
Metamorphic Rocks of E10ro Province
The metamorphic rocks of El Oro Province (Figs. 1 and
2b). which strike E-W, are oblique to the NNE trend of the
Cordillera Real, and the contact between the two belts is
hidden by younger sequences. The rocks of El Oro Prov.
ince include a central core of amphlbolite, the Piedras
Group (r-,eininee.r,1978). dated as Precambrian by a single
K-At age obtained from a hornblende separate (743 + 14
Ma; Kennerly, 1980). However, hornblende determina-
tkms from similar amphibolites in the province have yield-
ed ages of 196 + 8 Ma and 74 + 1 Ma (r-,einin~,er and
 New geochrcmologicalcontrol fox the tectono-mac,m~tic evolution of the metamorphic basement, Ecuador 79

(a) (b)
.' \
oo'w -.COLO~

Pimompiro~ . ~ . ~ . ~ 7 j/

--OoO0 '

|ou,,o j Ni
~7":
...:-....-:.-;:-f w Baeza

IqO0'S
Teno•

Arnobato

[] Metamorphic rocks (ff

CordHlera Real
I T : : Lag . . . . grani.

•Mare
ePuya UNDEFORMED PLUTONS
(~ Pimampiro
® Condue
eRiobamba ~) Azuela
(~ Pungala

~oo'w

$..

Fig. 2. Location and simplifiedgeological map of the CordilleraReal/sub-Andeanzone: a) betweenthe Colombianfrontier and 2"S
(based on Litherland et al., 1990); b) between 2°S and the Peruvian frontier (based on Litherlandet al.. 1990), inset map of E10ro
metamorphicprovinceafter Baldock(1982).

Silberman, 1982), throwing the Precambriau age assigned GraniticRocks

to these rocks into considerable doubt. The Hedras e0nve-
lops the Raspas b l ~ t complex (~inin~, 1980,
1978) (Fig. 2b), fro"which a K-At age of 132 ± 5 Ma (phen-
gite) has been obtained (Feininoer and Silbermsn; 1982).
Both the Pie&as Group and the Raspas complex are bound-
ed to the north and south by low- to high-grade semi-pelific
rocks and variably d e f o m ~ granites of the Tahuin Group
(Fig. 2b). Feininger (1982) has interpreted this group to be
D~cmisn in age, based on a brac.hiopod foLmdin a weakly
metamorphosed quartzite in northwest Peru. However,
F e i n i n ~ and Silbe~man (1982) obtained an age of 210 + 8
Ma hem biotite separated from a pelitic gneiss of the
Tabuin Group, which they considered to be the age of up-
lift.
SAES6:1/2-F
Three majm" NNE-trendins ekmsate granitoid batho-
liths occur in the sub-Andean zone alto8 the eastern tec-
tonic margin of the Cordillera Real. From north to south,
these are the Rosa Florida, Abitagua, and Zam~a
batholiths (Fig. 2).
The Abitasua batholith has received the most attenticm.
Kennerly (1980) reported a K-Ar age of 87 + 7 Ma co a bio-
rite separate, whereas Herbert and Pichler (1983) recorded
178 + 7 Ma from a biotite separate at a nearby locality (both
samples were collected aloe8 the Bsflos-Puyo road) 0r18.
2a).
A K-Ar age of 171 ± 6 Ma was obtain_ by Aly (1980)
from the Zamcca batholith, and K-At dates of 173 ± 5 Ma
80 J.A. ASPDEN,S. H. HARRISON,and C. C. RUNDLE
(hornblende) and 180 + 5 Ma (biotite) have been published
by Kennerly (1980) for a single sample collected to the east
of Palanda (Fig. 2b). Originally, this intrusion was thought
to be a separate pluton (Baldock, 1982), but more recent
work has shown that it forms part of the regionally exten-
sive Zamora batholith (Aspden and Litherland, 1992).
Within the eastern part of the Cordillera Real north of
2°S, are the variably deformed, often gneissic, Azafran and
Chingual batholiths. To the west lies a distinctive suite of
generally foliate& garnet biotite + muscovite granites of
the Tres Lagnnas subdivision. In the southeastern part of
the Cordillera is the Sabanilla subdivision, a mixed unit
(Fig. 2) which is dominated by biotite + muscovite + garnet
orthogneiss but also includes migmatites, paragneisses/
schists and amphibolites.
Two samples from the Tres Lagunas subdivision east of
Saragnro (Fig. 2b) gave K-Ar ages of 76 + 1 Ma (biotite)
and 173 + 4 Ma (plagioclase) (Kennerly, 1980). K-Ar dates
obtained from the Sabanilla subdivision west of Zamora
and from the Palanda and Zumba areas (Fig. 2b) have been
referred to earlier.
Other smaller plutonic bodies in the Cordillera Real ap-
pear as essentially undeformed granitoids, many of which
show intrusive relationships with the metamorphic rocks.
They include the Pimampiro, Magtayan, Amaluza, and San
Lucas plutons (Fig. 2). Various K-Ar ages. ranging from
Late Cretaceous to Tertiary, have been previously pub-
lished for these plutons: 72 + ? Ma from Pimampiro
(Evemden, 1961); 85 + 3 Ma (hornblende), 75 + 3 Ma
Oaomblende). and 54 + 2 Ma (K-feldspar) from Magtaygm
(Kennerly. 1980); 34 + 1 Ma to 49 + 2 Ma from Amaluza
and 70 + 2 Ma to 50 + 2 Ma from San Lucas (Herbert and
Pichler, 1983; Kennerley, 1980).
The above suggests that although isotopic data exist for
the metamorphic and plutonic rocks of the Cordillera Real
and El Oro Province, the actual ages of the main tectono-
magmatic events remain poorly defined. The aim of this in-
vestigation was thus. first, to clarify the age of metamor-
phism, using a combination of K-Ar (hornblende. biotite,
and muscovite) and Sm-Nd (garnet/whole-rock pairs)
methods, and second, to date the main plutous by the Rb-Sr
whole-rock isochron method.
ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES
Sampling and Rock Preparation
Sampling was restricted largely to road cuts and incised
fiver beds. Wherever possible, samples were taken from in
situ outcrops, but some of the least altered samples were
from large boulders.
For the Rb-Sr whole-rock analyses, after initial jaw-
c~l~ing _and roller milling, representative 200 g sub-
samples were removed using a riffle splitter and powdered
in a tungsten carbide Swing-mill. For samples requiring
mineral separation, the roller-milled material was sieved
and the + 65 to -200 mesh fraction was washed in distilled
water to remove any free powder. Some initial coarse min-
eral separation was carried out in Ecuador. using heavy
liquids, but most of the purification was completed in the
UK, using a super-panner and Frantz magnetic separator.
Rb-Sr Amllysis
Rb-Sr analyses were carried out on whole-rock powder
samples from meta-plutonic rocks and orthogneisses. Rb/
Sr ratios were determined by X-ray fluorescence using an
automated Philips spectrometer. For the isotope ratio deter-
minations, strontium was extracted from the samples using
acid dissolution and ion exchange methods in a clean-
chemistry laboratory and analyzed with an automated
multi-collector VG354 mass spectrometer.
The Rb/Sr ratios are quoted with a blanket error of
:L-0.5% (1-sigma). Replicate analyses of samples and stan-
dards suggest that a reproducibility of _+0,005%is appro-
pilate for the strontium isotope measurements. Replicate
analyses of international standards indicate that the results
are accurate within the precision estimates.
The errors on age and initial ratio (Ri) are quoted as 2-
sigma (95% confidence level) and refer to the last signifi-
cant figure. Best-fit lines on the isochron diagrams were
calculated using a least-squares fitting program. An
MSWD (mean square of weighted deviates) exceeding 3.0
means that the points do not all fit the line within the limits
of analytical error and, following conventional practice, the
errors on age and intercept have been enhanced by multi-
plying by the square root of the MSWD. All ages were cal-
culated using a decay constant for 87Rb of 1.42 × 10 -11
a--l.
Sm-Nd Analysis
This technique was used on whole-rock and garnet
pairs, relying on the fractionation of the rare earth elements
in garnet relative to the host whole-rock.
Sm and Nd were analyzed by a double isotope dilution
method. Powdered whole-rock and garnet samples were
dissolved in acid with an added mount of a Sm-Nd mixed
spike. Both the Sin and the Nd were then exlracted using
ion exchange methods and separately analysed on the mass
spectrometer.
Errors in the Sm/Nd and the 143/144 Nd Analyses are
quoted as 0.2% and 0.005% (1-sigma), respectively, again
based on replicate analyses of international standards. The
results are presented in the form of isochron diagrams simi-
lar to Rb-Sr, and the techniques used in calculating the
best-fit lines, ages. and errors are the same.
K-Ar Analysis
K-At analyses were carried out predominantly on bio-
tite, muscovite, and hornblende separates and only rarely
ou whole-rock samples. This technique was used on all
suite,s collected where the appropriate unaltered minerals
were present to support either the Rb-Sr or the Sm-Nd re-
suits.
 New geochronological control for the tectono-magmatic evolution of the metamorphic basement, Ecuador 81

Potassium was determinod, at least in duplicate, using
an Instrumentation Laboratories IL543 flame photometer
with lithium as internal standard. Argon was extracted by
fusion under vacuum using external radio-frequency indue-
tion heating and analyzed by the isotope dilution method in
a VG Isotopes MM1200 mass spectrometer.
Replicate determinations of in-house standards suggest
that an overall precision of +1% (1-sigma) is realistic for
the potassium analyses. The error in the radiogenic argon
determination is partly dependent on the amount of con-
taminating atmospheric argon, which often reflects the de-
gree of deuteric alteration and hence varies considerably
between samples. The argon spike system was calibrated
against international standards, so the results can be ex-
pected to be accurate within the limits of analytical error.
The ages were calculate~l using the constants recom-
mended by Steiger and Jaeger (1977), and the error on the
age is quoted at the 95% confidence level.
RESULTS
The samples collected for dating axe listed in Table 1.
The Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd analyses are given in Tables 2 and
3, respectively, and the K-Ar data. with the calculated ages.
are presented in Table 4. These results are discussed below.
and the localities mentioned in the text are shown in Fig. 2.

Table 1. Location and description of samples collected for isotopic analysis.

Grid
Sample No. Rock type(s) Area Map Sheet* Reference
Garnet Gnetsses, Agoydn
CCR/87/11A-E Garnet biotite muscovite sehists/gneisses Bafios-Puyo road Batios (e) 7939-8458/
7918-8457
Garnet Gneisses/Amphibolite, Papallacta
CCR/87/4 Biotitic amphibolite Papallacta village Papallacta (c) 8184-99596
CRSH/89/1A Garnet amphibolite Float block, Rio Chalpi Grande Papallacta (c) 8246-99608
CRSH/89/1B-C Garnet biotite 4-muscovite gneisses Float blocks, Rto Chalpi Grande Papallacta (c) 8246-99608
Sabantlla Subdivision Garnet Gnetsses/Amphtbolite, Valladolid
CCR/87/24A Amphibolite North of Valladolid Valladolid 7079-94983
CCR/87/24B Muscovite pe~aatite North of Valladolid Valladolid 7079-94984
CCR/87/24C Muscovite pegmatite South of Valladolid Valladolid 7075-94935
CCR/87/24D Biotite pegmatite Near Palanda Valladolid 7074-94868
CRSH/89/10A-D Garnet-bearing gneisses/migmatites Float blocks, Rio Valladolid Valladolid 7075-94976
Sabantlla Subdivision Orthognetsses, Lo]a-Zamora Road
CCR/87/23A-H Biotitic orthogneisses East of Sabanilla Loja Norte 7199-9562/
7199-95588
CRSH/89/12A-C Biotite orthogneisses East of Sabanilla Loja Notre 7199-95587
CRSH/89/12D-J Migmatitic biotite orLhogneisses East of Sabanilla Loja Norte 7197-95600
FV57/FV58 Biotitic orthogneisses East of SabaniHa Loja Norte 7194-95614
Tres Lagunas Subdivision Orthogneisses, South o f Sigsie
CCR/87/14A-D Biotite orthogneisses + igneous xenolith Float blocks, Rfo Santa B/u'bara, Sigsig 7476-96578
(14C) Peggy Mine
Tres Lagunas Subdivision Orthognetsses, North Edge of Malaeatus Basin
CRSH/89/11A-F Biotite + muscovite ± tourmaline granitic Qda. La Pieota Nambacola 6917-95396
orthogneisses
CRSH/89/11G-J Biotite ± muscovite + tourmaline granitic Qda. Cobalera Nambacola 6914-95399
orthogneisses
Tres Lagunas Subdivision Orthogneisses, Tree Lagunas, East of Saraguro
CRSH/89/14A-K Biotite 4-muscovite orthogneisses + aplitie Rfo Negro Saraguro ca. 712-9604
variant (14K)

* 1:50,000 Topographic Sheet, published by Instimto Geogr~co MAlitarQuito;

(c) indicates uncontrolled topographic base map without contours (censal).

(continued)
82 J.A. ASPDEN,S. H. HARRISON,and C. C. RUNDLE

Table 1 (continued)
Grid
Sample No. Rock type(s) Area Map Sheet* Reference

Ptedras Group ArenUlaz Amphtbotit¢

CRSH/89/5A-B Amphibolites Arenillas bridge Arenillas 6049-96072
Ptedras Group Portovelo AmpMboUte
CRSH/89/SA-B Amphibolites West of Poctovela Zamma 8519-95882
Tahuin Group Garnet Gneines
CRSH/89/6A-E Garnet biotite 8neisses and felsic peEmatites Rio Piedras north of La Bocana La Avanzada 6213-95955
Tahuin Group Pesma~t~ Gnclsses
CRSH/89/TA-B Biotite muscovite granite and muscovite Rfo El Negro south of La Bocana Marcabefi 6218-95911
tourmaline pegrnatite
CRSH/89/19 Muscovite tourmaline pegmatite Float block, Rio Pie.Areas at La Maroabeli 6219-95927
Bocana
Tahuin Group MarcabeU Pluton
CRSH/89/4A-E Biotite muscovite granites Balsas quarry Marcabeli 6308-95837
CRSH/89/4F-J Biotite muscovite granites Southwest of Marcabeli Marcabeli 6188-95775
Zamora Bathollth
CCR/gT/16A-H Hornblende granodiorites/homblende dior- La Pax area Yantzaxa 7362-95864/
ires + felsic vein (16D) 7369-95845
CCR/87/17 Hornblende diorite Float block, Qda. Curishp¢, south Yantzaxa 7368-95845
of La Pax
CCR/87/18 Porphyritic hornblende feldspar andesite Float block, Qda. Curishpe, south Yantzaxa 7368-95845
of La Paz
CCR/87/19 Hornblende granodiodte Qda. Maycunantza, south of La Yantzaxa 7351-95830
Paz
CCR/87/20 Hornblende biotite granodiorite South of La Pax Yantzaxa 7340-95783
CCR]87/21A-J Hornblende biotite granodiorites + felsic South of Qda. Chapintza, Guaysimi 7660-95530/
vein (21C) + partially digested xenolith Paquisha area 7652-95540
(21D)
CCR/87/22A-F Pink porphyritic biotite hornblende Rio Pituca area and Rio Jambue Zamora 7294-95428
(?)monzogranites + hornblende micrograno- 7288-95432
diorite (22F) (22F)
CCR/87/25 Porphyritic hornblende andesite dike Palanda-Zumba road Rio Mayo 7074-94804
CCR/87/26A-E Hornblende biotite granodiorites/diorites Palaada-Zumba road Rfo Mayo 7074-94809/
7075-94781
CRSH/89/13A-B Hornblende diorites Rfo Chicana east of La Pax Yantzaza 7432-95930
FV60 Porphyritic hornblende granodiorite/diodte Float block from Guaysimi south Guaysimi 7575-95527
of Paquisha
RM1 Hornblende biotite granodiorite Rio Mayo Zumba 7144-94536
FV681 Hornblende biotite granodiroite East of palanda Vailadolid 7218-94880
FV485 Hornblende biotite granodiorite Qda. de Loa Derrumbes east of Valladolid 7175-94972
Valladolid
Abitagua Batholtlk
CCR/87/5A-I Hornblende biotite granodiorite + felsic vein Cosanga-'l~na road (ca. 55 km Cosanga (c)
material north of Tena)
CCR/87/6A,B,D, Hornblende biotite granodiorites + felsic Bafioa-Puyo road Mera (c) 8131-98442/
G-K vein material 812%98444
CCR/87/6C,E,F Pink porphyritic hornblende biotite grano- Bafloa-Puyo road Mera (c) 8148-98405/
diorites 812%98444
CCR/87/7 Hornblende andesite dike Bafloa-Puyo mad Mera (c) 8147-98404
ADML5 Hornblende granodiorite Float block, Rio Zuflag, Baflos- Mera (c) 8127-98444
Puyo road

* 1:50,000 Topographic Sheet, published by Instituto Geogr~ico Militar Quito;

(c) indicates uncontrolled topographic base map without contours (censal).
 New geochronological control for the tectono-magmatic evolution of the metamorphic basement, Ecuador 83

Table 1 (continued)
Grid
Sample No. Rock type(s) Area Map Sheet* Reference

Azafl~n Bathollth
CCR/87/SA-I Leucogranites + aplite vein (SD + quartz- Baflca-Puyo road Baflos (c) 8058-98448/
feldspar pegmatite (8C) 8039-98449
CCR/87/9 Biotite granodiorite Baflos-Puyo road Baflos (c) 80~9-98450
CCR/87/IOA-B Hornblende biotite diorites Bafios-Puyo road Baflos (c) 8009-8452
ADMIA Hornblende biotite diorite Float block in Rio Verde, Baflos- Bafios(c) 8009-8452
Puyo road
CIiiagual Batholith, San~ Bdrbara.La Bonita Road
CCR/87/2A-J Biotite orthogneisses Northwest of Pimampiro Huaca (c) 8869-100605/
8871 - 100595
Sacha Pluton
CCR/87/3 Hornblende biotite diorite Qda. Tungurahua Huaca (c) 8834-100690
Plmampb'o Pluton
CCR/87/1A Hornblende granodiorite Near Mataqui Pimampiro 1744-00420
CCR/87/1C Hornblende granodiorite Qda. Manzanal Pimampiro 1785-00438
Ma~taydn Pluton
CCR/87/13A-C Hornblende biotite diorites and hornblende Osogochi area Totoras 7678-97580/
gabbro (13B) 7621-97520
Unnamed Pluton, Cuenca-Ltm6n Road
FV83 Biotite granodiorite Principal (c) 7650-96663
San Lueas Pluton
CCR/87/28A-C Pink porphyritic biotite granediorites Qda. Tunttln Santiago 6933-95849
FVI1 Hornblende granodiorite Qda. Bucashi Santiago 6928-95857
FV15 Hornblende biotite granodiorite Juntas 6948-95785
FV34 Biotite granodiorite Qda. E1Gallo Loja Norte 6985-95740
Tampanchi Marie lgneous Complex
CRSH/89/17A-C Hornblende gabbro, pegmatitic horn- Cola de San Pablo 7625-97080
blendites and hornblende basalt
Catamayo Pluton
CCR/87/29A-B Biotite granodiorite Loja-La Toma road Catamayo
(La Toma)
PtcMnal Pluton
CRSH/89/15 Biotite granodiorite Rfo Pinchinal Saraguro 7045-95999
Pungald Pluton
CCR/87/12A-C Hornblende biotite granodiorites Guamote and 7680-97965/
Riobamba 7680-98000
P o r ~ h u e l a Batholt.~, Track.from Jtmbura to Zumba
CCR/87]27A-B Biotitic felsic porphyry .......... Laguna Cox 6773-94723
CCR/87/27C-G Hornblende biotite granodiofites and diorites .......... Laguna Cox 6755-94744/
6745-94765
* 1:50,000 Topographic Sheet, published by Instituto Geogrifico Mllitar Quito;
(¢) indicates uncontrolled topographic base map without contours (censal).

Metamorphic Rocks of the Cordillera Real
Metamorphic rocks from the Cordillera Real were col-
lected from four separate localities: Papallacta (on the road
between Quito and Baeza). Asoy~n (between Bafios and
Puyo), east of Sabaniila (between Loja and Zamoxa), and
the Valladolid area in southern Ecuador. Although a com-
bination of K-At, Rb-Sr, and Sm-Nd data has been oh-
mined frown these rocks, the resultsare far from conclusive.
T w o suitesof orthogmiss from the Sabanilla and VaUa-
dolid areas were dated by the Rb-Sr method, but both data
sets show a wide scattexon the isochrcm diagrams. Never-
84 I.A. ASPDEN, S. H. HARRISON,and C. C. RUNDLE

Table 2. Rb-Sr analytical data.

gTRb $7Sr 8/Rb gTSr

Sample No. Rb Sr ~Sr S6Sr Sample No. Rb Sr S6Sr SeSr

Sabanilla Subdivision Orthogneisses, near Zamora Abitafua BathoHOt (continued)
CRSH/89/12A 106.2 188.7 1.6714 0.71801 CCR/87/5E 160 23.4 19. 85 0.74963
CRSH/89/12B 97.8 207.8 13973 0.71690 CCR/87/5F 66.5 421 0.4574 0.70560
CRSH/89/12C 83.7 182.5 13628 0.71686 CCR/87/5G 92.3 389 0.6868 0.70620
CRSH/89/12D 82.8 178.6 13767 0.71671 CCR/87/SH 103 327 0.9044 0.70664
CRSH/89/12E 104.0 204.9 1.5065 0.71717 CCR/87/5I 150 54.1 8.016 0.72298
CRSH/89/12F 100.3 191.3 1.5575 0.71740 CCR/87/6B 132 428 0.8886 0.70667
CRSH/89/12G 117.5 209.9 1.6629 0.71742 CCR/87/6D 130 98.5 3.821 0.71348
CRSH/89/12H 87.9 188.6 13848 0.71671 CCR/87/6G 225 15.2 43.31 0.80394
CRSH/89/I 2I 82.7 176.2 13946 0.71670 CCR/87/6H 102 355 0.8319 0.70670
CRSH/89/12J 73.5 214.5 1.0175 0.71596 CCR/87/61 93.1 382 0.7041 0.70615
CCR/87/23A 123 204 1.747 0.71788 CCR/87/6J 235 10.3 67.85 0.86170
CCR/87/23B 110 197 1.601 0.71774 CCR/87/6K 54.9 959 0.1659 0.70494
CCR/87,r23c 45.2 201 0.6521 0.71436 Zamora Batholith, La Paz Area
CCR/87/23D 128 208 1.768 0.71776 CCR/87/16D 82.6 46.2 5.190 0.71840
CCR/87/23E 119 210 1.633 0.71682 CCR/87/16E 46.7 247 0.5469 0.70609
CCR/87/23F 128 192 1.931 0.71716 CCRf87/16F 51.1 238 0.6231 0.70622
CCR/87/23G 96.3 231 1.205 0.71546 CCR/87/16G 14.9 374 0.1160 0.70499
CCR/87/23H 121 124 2.833 0.72173 CCR/87/16H 26.1 270 0.2802 0.70530
Tres Lagunas Subdivision Orthogneisses Zamora Batholtth, Paqutsha Area
CRSH/89/11A 124.5 142.0 2.6054 0.71922 CCR/87~1A 66.2 391 0.4904 0.70631
CRSH/89/I 1B 124.6 138.3 26795 0.71994 CCR/87/'21B 70.7 367 0.5582 0.70665
CRSH/89/11C 129.5 133.8 2.8755 0.71967 CCR/87/21D 63.9 432 0.4281 0.70629
CRSH/89/11D 117.5 144.6 2.4150 0.71883 CCR/87/21E 79.1 391 0.5844 0.~
CRSH/89/11E 126.1 137.1 27307 0.71975 CCR/87/21F 96.7 339 0.8275 0.70734
CRSH/89/11F 131.9 168.0 23324 0.71871 CCR/87/21G 62.8 364 0.4992 0.70635
CRSH/89/11G 138.7 99.5 4.1415 0.72156 Zamora Batholith, R fo Pituca Area
CRSH/89/11H 134.3 131.1 3$)438 0.72075 CCR/87/22A 105 373 0.8170 0.70660
CRSH/89/11I 135.1 129.4 3.0908 0.72082 CCR/87/22B 71.8 181 1.139 0.70770
CRSH/89/14A 189.7 95.0 5.9439 0.72867 CCR/87/22C 103 387 0.7701 0.70645
CRSH/89/14B 174.8 106.9 4.8(~6 0.72590 CCR/87/22D 107 385 0.8054 0.70649
CRSH/89/14C 186.7 93.3 5.9499 0.72893 CCR/87/22E 96.8 388 0.7213 0.70640
CRSH/B9/14D 182.7 102.0 53283 0.72839 CCR/87/22F 59.2 674 0.2545 0.70460
CRSH/89/14E 175.1 97.3 53507 0.72684 Zamora Batholith, Palanda Area
CRSH/89/14G 186.3 97.7 5.6710 0.72905 CCR/87/26A 58.6 329 0.5161 0.70617
CRSH/89/14H 197.0 85.8 6.8323 0.73043 CCR/87/26B 56.0 335 0.4848 0.70612
CRSH/89/14I 173.7 103.2 5.0067 0.72579 CCR/87/26C 53.5 325 0.4763 0.70599
CRSH/89/14J 169.8 109.9 4.5905 0.72520 CCR/87/'26D 47.3 359 0.3821 0.70592
CRSH/89/14K 144.7 102.1 4.1989 0.72379 CCR/87/26E 42.4 353 0.3476 0.70578
A ldtagua Batholtth Azafran Batholith
CCR/87/SA 159 22.7 20.42 0.75183 CCR/87/8A 100 86.5 3.345 0.71029
CCR/87/5B 85.9 285 0.8717 0.70652 CCR/87/SB 127 70.8 4.817 0.71291
CCRhl7/5C 156 26.3 17.29 0.74410 CtI{/87/SD 109 77.1 4.074 0.71160
CCR/87/5D 87.0 259 0.9730 0.70677 CCR/87/SE 110 75.5 4.229 0.71171
 New geochronological control for the tectono-magmatic evolution of the metamorphic basement, Ecuador 85

Table 2 (continued) Table 3. Sm-Nd analytical data for the Tahuin Group
garnet orthogneiss (219 + 22 Ma)
87Rb STSr 147Sm 143Nd

Sample No. Rb Sr SSSr S6Sr Sm Nd

Sample No. (ppm) (ppm) 144Nd 144Nd
Azafran BaOtoliOt (continued)
CRSH/89/6A (wr) 5.59 30.63 0.1102 0.512075
CCR/87/SF 111 71.0 4.495 0.71223
CRSH/89/tA (gt) 4.56 14.52 0.1898 0.512220
CCR/87/8G 111 80.5 3.984 0.71147
CRSH/89/6B (wr) 7.63 37.41 0.1232 0.512132
CCR/87/SH 104 60.3 5.004 0.71309
CRSH/89/tB (gt) 6.62 23.54 0.1700 0.512170
Chingual Batholith
CRSH/89/6C (wr) 6.33 34.64 0.1105 0.512074
CCR/87/2B 38.2 467 0.2368 0.70414
CRSH/89/6C (gt) 4.22 10.73 0.2377 0.512280
CCR/87/2C 44.4 353 0.3640 0.70450
CRSH/89/6D (wr) 7.92 40.13 0.1193 0.512111
CCR/87/2D 46.3 335 0.3999 0.70460
CRSH/89/6D (gt) 5.53 16.74 0.1997 0.512245
CCR/87/2E 31.6 517 0.1766 0.70406
CRSH/89/6E (wr) 7.23 38.83 0.1126 0.512099
CCR,t87/2F 30.6 507 0.1748 0.70402
CRSH/89/6E (gt) 4.83 14.93 0.1956 0.512237
CCR/87/2G 31.2 507 0.1779 0.70413
Key: wr, whole rock; gt, garnet.
CCR/87/2I 44.7 417 0.3106 0.70428
CCR/87/2J 46.6 405 0.3326 0.70433
San Lucas Pluton
CCR/87/28A 130 123 3.049 0.70703
CCR/87/28B 154 79.9 5.561 0.70887 suggest a Late Triassic-Early Jurassic metamorphism,
CCR/87,r28c 82.2 263 0.9165 0.70536
these are all considered to reflect a major "isotopic event,"
significantly later than the main gneissification. This inter-
pretation is supported by K-At data from hornblende from
an amphibolite dike cutting the garnet gneiss at Valladolid,
theless, data from the Sabanilla orthogneiss yield the best
which has preserved an age of 132 + 5 Ma, presumably re-
linear correlation and are considered to give the more reli-
flecting only partial resetting during the Late Cretaceous
able age of 224 + 37 Ma (MSWD = 108; Fig. 3a). The rela-
event. Furthermore, where coexisting pairs of micas were
tively high initial 87Sr/86Srratio of 0.7123, together with
dated (samples CRSH/89/10A,/10C,/12A,/12C), the mus-
the strongly gneissose character of the rocks, suggests that
covites (average age 69 + 3 Ma) consistently gave sisnifi-
this is probably the age of metamorphism; thus it is postu-
cantly younger ages thnn the biotites (average age 84 + 2
lated that this took place in Late Triassic-Early Jurassic
Ma) and also had sionificantly lower K-contents (the re-
times. The Valladolid orthogneiss suite, which is more
verse of what is normally expected). This pattern may sug-
massive in texture but notably weathered, gave a very poor-
gest that the muscovites formed at a later stage than the
ly constrained age of 359 + 99 Ma, with an MSWD of
biotites, but this would imply that the event did not result
1877. The wide scatter of these data indicates considerable
in sit,nif'tcant argon loss from the biotites. Alternatively,
disturbance of the isotopic systems, and little reliance can
and possibly mote likely, it may be that these low-K mus-
be placed on this age.
covites have an abnormally low blocking temperature to
K-Ar data from amphibolites and gneisses from the
argon diffusion; this suggestion is supported by the signif-
Papallacta area have given extremely variable ages. Biotite
icantly older age (77 + 3 Ma) given by the muscovite from
from one sample of garnet biotite gneiss yielded a late Pre-
sample CCR/87/24B, which has a more normal K-content.
cambrian age (ca. 850 Ma), whereas muscovite from an ad-
jacent block of similar material recorded a Late Cretaceous K-Ar dating of garnet gneiss from Agoyan was also
event (74:1:3 Ma). In contrast, two samples of hornblende rather unsatisfactory. The white mica separated from these
from amphibolitic material gave poorly reproducible re- rocks proved to be an unusually low-K variety (probably
sults, with a mean of 345 :t: 29 Ma, suggesting Devonian to Na-rich paragonite), and hence there are relatively high
Carboniferous activity. Due to the paucity of exposure, errors on individual age determinations. Nevertheless,
however, most of these analyses were carried out on three samples gave concordant results, with a mean of 76 +
samples from relatively small, rounded, loose blocks from 3 Ma, in good agreement with the data from the Sabanilla
a river bed, which yielded conflicting data. It is thus diffi- subdivision and presumably reflecting the same Late Cre-
cult to extract any useful information from these. More de- taceous event.
tailed geological mapping and more specific sampling are Garnet was separated from samples collected from the
required before the presence of pre-Mesozoic rocks in this Papallacta area and from the Sabanilla subdivision gameti-
area can be confirmed. ferous gneisses for Sm-Nd analysis. However, in all eight
All the K-Ar data from para- and ortho-gneisses of the analyzed samples there was little or no fractionatiou of the
Sabanilla subdivision near Zamora and VaUadolid gave rare earth isotopes between the garnet and associated
Late Cretaceous ages, ranging from 85 :l: 2 to 65 + 2 Ma. whole-rock, and hence the data were of no value for dating
However, in view of the Rb-Sr data discussed above, which pm'lXX~s.
86 J.A. ASPDEN, S. H. HARRISON, and C. C. RUNDLE

I I I T I I ] I I

87Sr/86Sr O. 514 ~3Nd / 144Nd

(o) (b)
O. 725
. ....?~, ..... • • """ '"" ........... 4-..--Hl-"-l- ...............
0.5t2
O. 720 .....,...""
+ .....

O. 7 t 5 0,5i0

0.710 O. 508 AGE 2 t 9 ¢ 22 Me (2s)

AGE 224 +-. 37 Ma (2s)
I n t e r c e p t 0 . 5 1 i 9 • 0.0000
Intercept 0.74.23 4- 0.0008
O. 705 MSWD 0.4
MSWD 108.6 Enhanced Errors 0.506
t47Sm/144N(
87Rb/86Sr I I J i
J L I I I 0.4, 0-5 0.5
4.. 0 " 2.0 5.0
I I I [ I I I
I [ l l [ I l
87 Sr/86 Sr 87 Sr / 86 Sr
0.735 (C) ~ .......... (d) ........
0.850
....
~.,e'~:~:~........ . ..... ,....."'"*
0.725

0.800
0.7t5 ..."
AGE 200 _+ 12 Ma 12s)
""' AGE t62 ~ t Mal2s)
Zntercept 0.7t20 + 0.0007 ~. 750
• ..,¥'tF'"Int ercept 0.7046 -+ 0 . 0 0 0 0
0.705 MSWD|69.1 Enhanced Errors
87Rb/86Sr .:,+: .... MSWD 2.5
"" """'"'"'""
L I J I I I I t 87Rb/86Sr
t 3 5 7 I [ I I I I I
40 3O 50 70
I I I I I
87Sr/86Sr I I [ I I
(e) 0.708
87Sr/86Sr
0.720 . .-"-"
(f) ..... .+ ..............
., .-"1"'"

...."
0.715 ..,.'""
0.706
. ...'"
..."
. ..'•" 0.704
0.710 . .-""
AGE 187 + 2 Ma 12s)
AGE 198 + 34 Ma (2s)
0.705 Intercept 0.7046 ! 0.0000 0 702 I n t e r c e p t 0 . 7 0 5 0 _+ 0 . 0 0 0 3
MSWD 2 . 9 MSWD 4 . 2 Enhanced E r r o r s
87b/86Sr 87Rb/86Sr
1 J I i 1 I L L I
2 :5 4 5 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.9

] 1 I I [ [ I I
87Sr/86Sr 87Sr/86Sr
O. 709 (cj) 0.707 (h)
..... + . . - ~ ........... , ~ . e ...........
.~..,p~. ...................... JP"
O. 707
0 705
.... ..,'""
•.,..'
O. 705
.....,'•"
0.703
O. 703 AGE 246 +- 17 Ma (2s) AGE 144 +_ 35 Ma (2s)

Intercept 0.7037 *0-0002 ~ntercept 0.7051 + 0.0002

MSWD 4 . 4 Enhanced E r r o r s O. 701 MSWD 2.7
0.701
87Rb/86Sr 87Rb/86Sr
I I I 1 J I
• 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
 New geochronological conlrol for the tectono-magmatic evolution of the metamorphic basement, Ecuador 87

I I I I I I .." I 1 I 1
°..."
O. 714
87Sr/86 Sr (i) .... " 87Sr/86Sr
O. 705
(J)
...~.4..++.... .# .... + ........... ~ , v . . ~ ' 4 ...............
O. 710 0.704
...°'"

.•.•" 0.703
.,'"
O. 706
.,.'"
AGE 120 *- 5 Mo (25) 0.702
AGE 156 -~ 21 Mo ( I s )
Intercept 0 . 7 0 4 6 _* 0.0003
Intercept 0.7037 *_ O, O00l
O. 702 MSWD 2 . 4 0,701
87Rb/86Sr MSWD 2 . 8
I I I I I I 87Rb/86Sr
I 2 3 4 5 6 7 I I I I
O I 0.2 0.3 0.4
I
87Sr/86Sr
(k) ..,.--"
..÷.-
.o.-'
0.708 ..,"
...o" Fig. 3. Isochron diagrams for the Cordillera Real and E10ro
,,..~""'" Province: a) Sabanilla subdivisionorthogneiss. CordilleraReal;
...-
...,"
b) Tahuin Group garnet orthogneiss, El Oro Province; c) Tres
0.706 ....."" Lagunas granitic subdivision, Cordillera Real; d) Abitagua
...- batholith, sub-Andeanzone; e) Zamora batholith, La Paz area,
sub-Andean zone; f) Zamora batholith, Paquisha area, sub-
AGE 53 -~ 2 Mo (2s)
0.704
Intercept 0 . 7 0 4 7 +_0.0001
Andean zone; g) Zamora batholith, Rio Pituca area, sub-Andean
MSWD I .6
zone; h) Zamora batholith, Palanda area, sub-Andean zone;
87Rb/86 Sr i) Azafran batholith, Ba~os road, Cordillera Real; j) Chingual
i I I I I batholith, near the Colombian border, Cordillera Real; k) San
2 3 4 5 6
Lucaspluton south of Saraguro, CordilleraReal.

Metamorphic Rocks from El Oro Province Amphibolite samples from the Piedras Group, however,
do appear to have been reset during the Late Cretaceous, as
two hornblende separates from the Arenillas area have
The data from the metamorphic rocks of El Oro Prov-
given a mean K-Ar age of 74 + 2 Ma. which agrees with
ince proved to be more rewarding. Sm-Nd analysis on gar-
that of 74 + 1 Ma (K-Ar biotite) obtained by Feininger and
net/whole-rock pairs was carried out on samples of the
Silberman (1982) from the same area.
Tahuin Group collected from localities near La Bocana.
These rocks included garnetiferous pelitic gneisses and Other samples from the Piedras Group are more per-
felsic pegmatites. The combined data from these two litho- plexing. Two amphibole separates from the same locality
logics form a well-defined isochron with an age of 219 + 22 near Portovelo have extremely low K contents (0.07% and
Ma (Fig. 3b). indicating the date of the garnet growth, 0.05%). yielding very different ages: 224 + 34 and 647 :!:37
which would have been at the height of metamorphism Ma. respectively. These may be compared with the widely
within these rocks. quoted Precambrian date of 743 :t: 14 Ma reported by Ken-
nerly (1980) for a similar amphibole from Portovelo which
K-At dating of the Tahuin Group gneisses was also also had a very low K-content (0,084%). Clearly these are
highly successful, with three samples of muscovite and two not normal hombtendes and may not be reliable geochro-
of biotite giving concordant ages with a mean of 213 + 5 nometers. Moreover. with such low K-contents, they are
Ma. in remarkably close agreement with the Sm-Nd age. likely to be extremely susceptible to the presence of excess
Furthermore, these ages are also in good agreement with argon, which would cause the calculated ages to be spuri-
the age of 210 Ma reported by Felnlnger and Silberman ously old. Hence, none of these ages can be considered re-
(1982). Only one sample (CRSH/89/19 (rose)) gave a sig- liable, and the presence of Precambrian rocks in this area
nificantly younger age (189 + 5Ma). but this was from a cannot be confu'med.
late pegmatitic facies from a loose fiver boulder and may A relatively undeformed granodiofitic intrusion, the
not be so closely related as the other samples, or, alterna- Marcabeli phiton, is exposed within the Tahuin Group of El
tively, the coarse muscovite may have been more suscepti- Oro Province. K-Ar ages obtained from co-existing biotite
ble to subsequent argon loss. Thus, the T ahuin Group and muscovite separates from this intrusion range from 221
gneisses probably formed at around 220-210 Ma (Late Tri- + 6 to 193 + 13 Ma, with no systematic difference between
assic), cooled relatively rapidly after this event, and were the two minerals. The mean age of 207 + 13 Ma is in good
largely unaffected by the subsequent Late Cretaceous re- agreement with that of 214 + 7 Ma (biotite) published by
setting. Feininger and Silberman (1982). The Rb-Sr data for this
 oo
oo
Table 4. K-Ar analytical data and calculated ages.

K °Aram 4OArmd Age K 4°Ara~ 40Arr.d Age

(%) (%) (hi/g) (Ma) (%) (%) (nl/g) OVta)
Sample No. Sample No.
Ga~et Gneisges, Agoydn Sabanilla Subdivision Orthogneisses, Loja-Zamora Road
CCR/87/11B (mica) 0.135 95.3 0.421 78 + 33 CCR/87/23D COt) 7.81 25.7 25.44 82 +
CCR/87/llD (mica) 0.156 94.6 0.457 74 + 27 CCR/87]23E COt) 7.64 22.9 24.93 82 +
CCR/87/11E (mica) 0.472 79.1 1.413 75 + 7 CCR/87f23F COt) 7.58 31.3 24.69 82 -+
Garnet Gneisses, Amphibolite, Papallacta CRSH/89/12A (mse) 6.09 33.14 15.841 66 +
CCR/87/4 (hb) 0.612 19.3 9.563 363 + 9 CRSH/g9/12A COt) 7.83 32.67 26.348 84 _+
:~ 39.0 9.794 371 + 10 CRSH/89/12C (rose) 5.72 50.44 14.86 66 +
.>
CRSH/g9/IA Cob) 0.294 76.51 4.301 342 + 23 CRSH/89/12C COt) 7.78 15.23 26.784 86 +
~: 0.294 44.89 3.815 306 + 10 FV57 COt) 5.96 27.3 19.7 83 +
CRSH/89/I B Cot) 5.817 27.13 243.146 844 + 20 FV58 COt) 6.46 24.6 24.9 97 +
.'[ 5.741 9.29 253.597 881 + 44 Tres Lagunas Subdivision Orthogneisses, South of Sigsig
.:z
CRSH/89/1C (rose) 6.965 50.93 20.373 74 + 3 CCR/87/14A COt) 6.03 41.6 19.5 81 -
Sabanilla Subdivision Garnet Gneisses, Valladolid CCR/g7/14D COt) 6.10 55.0 20.83 86 +
CCR/87/24A (hb) 0.584 64.6 3.012 128 :t: 6 Tres Lagunas Subdidsion Orthognetsses, Malacatus Basin
O
71.4 3.178 135 + 8 CRSH/89/11A (rose) 7.45 44.87 29.642 100 +
.z
CCR/87/24A COt) 5.38 40.8 16.30 76 _+ 3 CRSH/89/llA COt) 7.43 85.80 18.996 65 +
CCR/87/24B (msc) 8.36 54.8 22.48 77 + 3 CRSH/89/llB (msc) 7.32 18.07 28.793 99 +
CCR/87/24C (rose) 7.39 51.4 21.6 65 _+ 2 CRSH/89/I1B COt) 7.43 67.56 18.531 63 -
CCR/87/24D COt) 7.09 12.6 20.35 72 + 2 CRSH/89/I IF (msc) 7.75 32.59 30.615 99 +
CRSH/89/10A (msc) 6.54 43.85 17.809 69 + 2 CRSH/89/1 IF COt) 7.26 46.30 18.827 65 ::l:
CRSH]89/10A COt) 7.02 28.51 23.672 85 + 2 Tres Laguna8 Subdivision, Tres Lagunas, Saraguro
CRSH/89/10C (msc) 6.50 58.22 18.926 73 + 3 CRSH/89/14D (rose) 6.29 61.01 16.812 68 +
CRSH/89/10C COt) 7.20 23.56 23.274 81 + 2 CRSH/89/14D COt) 7.22 25.96 17.619 62 +
CRSH/89/IOD Cot) 7.41 32.83 24.085 82 -+ 2 CRSH/89/14E (rose) 8.13 36.11 23.584 73 +

:~ Duplicate analysis. Key: arm, atmospheric; bt, biotite; hb, hornblende; msc, muscovite; rad, radiogenic; wr, whole rock.
 Table 4 (continued)

K 4°Araan 40Arrad Age K 4°Ara~n 4SArrad Age

(%) (%) (nl/g) (Ma) (%) (%) (nl/g) (Ma)
Sample No. Sample No.
Tres Lagunas Subdivision, Ires Lagunas, Saraguro (continued) Zamora BathoUth
CRSH/89/14E (bt) 7.09 33.25 14.109 50 _+ 2 CCR/87/16C (hb) 0.371 88.5 2.009 134 + 21
CRSH/89/14F (msc) 7.77 47.33 21.186 69 _+ 2 CCR/87/16H (hb) 0.289 71.8 2.107 178 + 10
CRSH/89/14F (bt)
Takuin Group Arentllas Amphibolltes
7.26 43.42 17.725 62 + 2 CCR/87/17 (hb)
CCR/87/18 (hb)
0.227
0.168
40.6
71.9
1.776
1.602
191 +
230 +
10
14
i
CRSI-I/89/5A (lab) 0.370 91.23 1.062 72 + 15 CCR/87/19 (hb) 0.205 50.2 1.581 188 -+ 6
CRSH/89/5B (hb) 0.358 76.17 1.051 74 + 6 CCR/87/20 (hb) 0.591 40.1 4.356 126 + 4
:[: 0.358 81.36 1.080 76 + 7 CCR/87/20 (bt) 2.34 37.3 15.77 166 + 5
Piedras Group Portovelo Ampkibolites CCR/87/21A (lab) 0.99 64.0 6.134 153 -+ 10
CRSH/89]SA (hb) 0.07 88.72 0.602 224 + 34 CCR/87/21A (bt) 3.93 25.7 24.32 153 + 4
CRSH/89/SB (hb) 0.05 75.43 1.389 647 _.+ 37 CCR/87/21G (hb) 0. 971 45.6 6.036 153 + 12
Piedras Group Garnet Gneisses CCR/87/21G (bt) 5.16 25.3 32.78 156 + 5
CRSH/89/6B (bt) 6.26 28.24 54.375 211 + 6 CCR/87/22B (bt) 4.7 20.8 34.2 178 + 5
CRSI-I/89/6C (msc) 7.04 11.08 61.822 213 ± 6 CCR/87/22E (hb) 0.32 64.2 2.363 181 + 14
CRSI-I/89]6D (msc) 5.68 14.82 48.492 207 _+ 6 CCR/87/25 (hb) 0.382 34.7 2.208 143 -+ 7
Tahuin Group Pegmatitic Gneisses CCR/87/26B (hb) 0.499 78.8 3.562 175 ± 14
CRSH/g9/7A (msc) 8.45 32.94 76.941 220 -I- 6 CCR/87/26B (bt) 4.19 24.1 29.34 172 + 5
CRSH/89/'TA (bt) 7.47 8.67 66.548 216 ± 6 CCR/87/26C (hb) 0.549 78.6 4.172 186 ± 14
CRSH/89/19 (msc) 8.51 15.30 65.994 189 ± 5 CCR/87/26C (bt) 5.21 38.7 39.87 187 + 6
Tahuin Group Marcabeli Pluton CCR/87/26E (hb) 0.375 78 2.688 176 ± 13
CRSI-I/89/4A (msc) 8.405 9.72 74.353 214 + 6 CCR/87/26E (bt) 2.13 34.1 15.53 178 + 5
~r
CRSH/89/4A (bt) 7.497 72.05 61.798 201 ± 12 CRSH/89/13A (hb) 0.17 63.96 1.331 193 :t: 9
CRSH/gg/4H (msc) 6.997 74.92 55.487 193 + 13 CRSH/89/13B (lab) 0.16 81.95 1.230 187 + 17
CRSH/89/4H (bt) 7.651 7.06 70.042 221 + 6 FV60 (hb) 0.570 35.7 3.49 151 + 5

:[: Duplicate analysis. Key: atm, atmospheric; bt, biotite; hb, hornblende; msc, muscovite; rad, radiogenic; wr, whole rock.

(continued)
O0
~D
 Table 4 (continued)

K 'teAr,,.. ~Armd Age K 4eArah. 4eArmd Age

(gt) (%) (hi/g) (Ma) Sample No. (%) (%) (hUg) (Ma)
Sample No.

Zamora Batkoltth (coRtisuzd Chingual Batholi~

RM1 COb) 0.593 59.3 3.161 132 ± 5 CCR/87/2C COt) 6.95 64.5 5.399 2O± l

RMI COt) 4.64 15.9 19.29 104 ± 3 CCR/87f2E Cot) 7.81 54.1 5.672 19 ± 1

FV681 (hb) 0.916 22.5 5.708 153 ± 5 t- 6.41 69.1 4.821 19 + 1

FV68 1 COt) 5.67 23.5 34.53 150 ± 4 SackaPluton

FV485 COb) 0.481 37.6 3.247 166 + 5 CCR/87/3 (hb) 0.679 73.4 0.904 34 ± 4 .>
FV485 COt) 4.04 52.0 28.73 174 ± 6 -t 63.8 0.816 31 + 3

Abt~ua Ba~oU~ CCR/87/3 Cot) 6.629 60.4 6.536 25 + 1

CCR/8715G (hb) 0.849 58.9 4.638 135 ± 8 PtmamptroPluton

CCR/g7/6A (hb) 0.569 56.6 3.512 152 ± 7 CCR/87/IA COb) 0.363 59.8 1.172 81 + 3
65.3 3.806 164 ± 10 :~ 77.8 1.142 79 + 6

CC]R/B7/6A (bt) 0.537 73.1 2.724 126 ± 12 CCR/87/IA Cot) 4.27 46.9 14.18 84 + 3

CCR/g7f7 COb) 0.323 57.8 2.206 168 ± 8 CCR/87/IC COb) 0.371 54.4 1.341 91 + 3
59.8 2.298 174 ± 8 :1: 62.3 1.389 94 + 4

ADlVlL5 COb) 0.755 47.6 5.21 169 ± 6 CCR/87/IC COt) 4.72 21.6 13.71 73 + 2
O
,'L~0mt Batko//t/t 58.2 13.73 73 + 4 O
CCR/S7/SE COt) 2.54 57.5 4.706 47 ± 2 Magtaydn Pluton
CCR/87/9 Cot) 5.914 37.2 11.79 51 ± 2 CCR/87/13A COb) 1.04 51.2 3.066 74 + 3
50.3 11.38 49 ± 2 CCR/gT/13A Cot) 4.08 76.8 10.95 68 ± 5

CCR/g7/IOA COb) 0.995 64.9 5.145 128 + 7 CCR/g7/13B (hb) 0.409 60.1 1.397 86 + 5

CCR/'87/10A COt) 5.02 27.9 25.96 128 ± 4 :~ 63.5 1.446 89 ± 4

CCR/87/IOB (hb) 0.827 40.0 5.777 171 ± 5 CCR/87/13C (hb) 0.996 47.3 3.139 79 ± 3

CCR/87/10B COt) 5.296 14.5 38.02 176 ± 5 UnnamcdPluton, Cuenca-Limdn Road

ADMIA COb) 0.757 26.9 5.26 171 ± 5 FV83 COt) 2.31 46.4 3.52 39 ± 4

~. Duplicate analysis. Key: arm, atmospheric; bt, biotite; hb, hornblende; msc, muscovite; rad, radiogenic;, wr, whole rock.
 Table 4 (continued)

~C
Sample No.
K
(gb)
4mAratm
(~)
OArmd
(hi/g)
Age
(Ma)
Sample No.
K
(91)
~Arjam
(~)
~Armd
(nVg) (Ma)
t
$dm L ~ P/uton Pt~tnal Pluton
CCR/g7f28A (bt) 7.18 13.7 16.08 57 + 2 CRSH/89/15 Cot) 7.11 27.9 15.27 54 ± 4
CCP./ST/2SB (b0 7.62 36.9 17.57 58 4- 2 Pungala Plu~n
F V l l (b0 4.84 35.0 9.85 52 + 2 CCR/87/12A (hb/bt) 0.264 76.3 0.471 45 4- 4
37.7 9.71 51 4- 2 CCR/87/12B (hbfot) 1.969 51.9 3.276 42 4- 2
FVI5 (hb) 0.702 69.8 1.82 66 4- 4 CCR/87/12C (hb) 1.25 53.2 2.080 42 4- 2
63.8 1.70 61 + 4 CCR/87/12C (bt) 5.07 38.2 8.298 42 4- 1
F V ~ CoO 6.83 35.8 15.8 59 ± 2 P o r ~ k u s l a Ba~olL~
TamFucM Mariel~,oua Complex
CRSH/89/I 7A (hb) 0.53 63.40 1.386 66 4- 3
CCR/87/27A Cot)
$
6.56 81.2
67.3
3.109
3.101
12 4-
12 4-
I
I
i
CRSH/89/17B (hb) 0.51 71.69 1.229 61 4- 4 CCR/87/27C (hb) 0.839 94.3 0.670 2O 4- 7
CRSHJ89/I 7C (wr) 0.12 88.29 0.276 61 4- 10 CCR/87/27C (bt) 6.21 77.7 4.055 17 4- I
Catumzyo P/uto~ CCR/87/27F (hb) 0.508 90.9 0.469 24 4- 5
CCR/87/29A (b0 7.18 13.7 16.08 57 + 2 CCR/87/27F Cot) 6.38 67.2 4.645 19 4- I
CCR/g7/29B (bt) 7.62 36.9 17.57 58 ± 2 CCR/87/27G Cot) 6.94 61.4 4.893 18 4- 1

.$Duplicate analysis. Key: aim, atmospheric; bt, biotite;hb, hornblende; msc, muscovite, tad, radiogenic, wr, whole rock. o"

l
92 J.A. ASPDEN,S. H. HARRISON,and C. C. RUNDLE
phiton, however, scattered widely on the isochron diagram
and no reliable age could be calculated. Nevertheless, since
there is little evidence of subsequent metamorphism or de-
formation in these rocks, it is suggested that the K-Ar ages
record emplacement and cooling of this pluton at around
220-190 Ma (Late Triassic-Early Jurassic). These data also
provide evidence for the lack of any effects from the Late
Cretaceous event in this area.
Meta-lgneous and Igneous Rocks of the Cordillera Real
and Sub-Andean Zone
In an attempt to date the garnet biotite + muscovite gra-
nites of the Tres Lagunas subdivision in the Cordillera
Real, samples were collected from three areas: east of
Saraguro, north of Malacatus, and south of Sigsig. The
granite at Sigsig is pervasively net-veined by sulfides and
other secondary mineral; hence it unlikely to give an age of
magmatic crystallization. In contrast, the granites from the
other two localities are relatively fresh. Sm-Nd data from
garnet/whole-rock pairs from east of Saraguro were unsuit-
able for dating because there was little variation in isotopic
ratios between the garnet and whole-rock analyses. The
Rb-Sr data for these samples are also rather unsatisfactory
because of the wide scatter on the isochron diagram
(MSWD = 169). Nevertheless, they provide the most reli-
able (minimum) age thus far for the emplacement of the
Tres Lag,mas subdivision at 200 + 12 Ma (MSWD = 169;
Fig. 3c), similar to the age of metamorphism in El Oro
Province. The K-Ar data from all localities for the Tres La-
gunas subdivision give Late Cretaceous and Tertiary ages,
ranging from 100 + 3 to 51+ 2 Ma, and they are interpreted
a.
7-
6-
),-
5-
(D
Z
I~1 4-
0 RESET / DISTURBED AGES
3- •
tkl
e,-
b.
2-
0
llO 120 130 140 150 ltSO
Fig. 4. Histogramof K-Ar mineralages listed in Table4 obtainedfrom the Zamorabatholith.
to have been reset as a result of younger Cretaceous epi-
so~s (see below).
Rb-Sr data (18 samples) from the Abitagua batholhh,
located in the sub-Andean zone, define an isochron with a
particularlywell constrained age of 161 + I M a ( M S W D =
2.5, Fig 3d). K-At from hornblende and biotite separated
from these samples gave more variable results.T w o sam-
ples (CCR/87/5Gt~b) and CCR/87/6A(b0) gave younger
ages of 135 + 8 Ma and 126 + 2 Ma, which are interpreted
to be reset, but the rest of the samples gave dates ranging
from 152 :!: 7 to 174 + 8 Ma. The latter ages are in general
agreement with the Rb-Sr data and confu'm a Middle to
Late Jurassic age for this intrusion.
The Rb-Sr results from five separate suites of samples
from the Zamora batholith all gave reasonably good linear
correlations with low MSWD. However, the calculated
ages are variable, normally with high errors due to the gen-
erally small spread in Rb-Sr ratios and hence are difficult
to interpret. Probably the most reliable data are from a suite
of five samples from the La Paz area which define an iso-
chron with an age of 187 + 2 Ma (MSWD = 2.9; Fig. 3e).
Six samples from the Paq-isha area gave an age of 198 :!:
34 Ma (MSWD = 4.2; Fig. 3f), and mother suite of a dis-
tinctive pink, p(xphyritic, K-feldspar, hornblende-biotite
granite (six samples) from the Rio Pituca area yielded an
age of 246 + 17 Ma (MSWD = 4.4; Fig. 3g). A group of five
hornblende-biotite granodi(xites/diorites, collected from
the south of Palanda, define an isochron with an age of 144
- 35 Ma (MSWD = 2.7; Fig. 3h).
In addition to the Rb-Sr data, a considerable number of
K-At ages have been determined on minerals separated
from samples from the Zamora batholith (Fig. 4). These
have also yielded a wide range of results, several of the
i70 liJ0 190 200 210 2='0 230 240M0
I
I
 New geochronological control for the tectono-magmatic evolution of the metamorphic basement. Ecuador
youngest of which (i.e.. < ca. 140 Ma) are probably due to
subsequent argon loss during alteration and can therefore
be disregarded. Nevertheless, a careful appraisal of these
data can help to more closely constrainthe ratherimprecise
Rb-Sr results and provide extra insight into the develop-
ment of the Zamora batholith.
In the La Paz area,threehornblende separates(CCR/87/
16H, 17. and 19) gave ages of 178 :I:10, 188 ± 6. and 191
+ 10 Ma, in good agreement with the Rb-Sr age (187:1:2
Ma). A fiver boulder of coarse-grained porphyritic horn-
blende-feldspar andesite (CCR/87/18) gave an age of
around 230 Ma, suggesting the presence of older elements
within the batholith.
Near Paquisha. two c,o-existing pairs of hornblende and
biotite samples (CCR/87/21A and G) gave a remarkably
close cluster of ages with a mean of 154 :!: 3 Ma, which
must record the age of rapid cooling thro-sh the blocking
temperatures for these two rni~rals. This could suggest
either that the magma cooled sufficiently to set the Rb-Sr
clock at ca. 200 Ma but then remained! above the argon
blockin~ temperature for some 45 million years before fi-
nal cooling, or that emplacement and cooling occurred at
ca. 200 Ma, followed by reheating to completely reset the
K-At in both hornblende and biotite at ca. 155 Ma, with
only minimal disturbance of the Rb-Sr system. Alternative-
ly, and probably far more likely, it may suggest that the true
Rb-Sr age must lie at the lower limit of the error bar of the
isochron age (198 -4- 34 Ma) and that this intrusion is no
older than ca. 165/via.
Coexisting biotite and hornblende from samples defm-
ing the 246 :!: 17 Ma Rb-Sr age at Rio Pituca (CCR/87/22B
and E) gave concordant results, with a mean of 180 + 8 Ma,
in good agreement with both the K-Ar and Rb Sr results
from La Paz. Samples from the south of Palanda (CCR/87/
26B, C and E) again yielded good agreement for co-
existing mineral pairs, with a mean of 179 + 5 Ma for three
pairs. This age is just within the error of the rather p o ~ Rb-
Sr date of 144:1:35 Ma and thus, in this case, could be in-
terpreted to suggest that the true Rb-Sr age lies at the upper
limit of the error bars. However, the coincidence of this Rb-
Sr age with the K-Ar at Paqulsha could alternatively sug-
gest the fairly common and well-documented phenomenon
of resetting of the Rb-Sr system by cool hydrothermal cir-
culations during a ca. 150 Ma event that did not disturb the
K-At systems. Several other samples from the Zamora
batholith gave ages in the ranges ca. 180-190 Ma or 155-
160 Ma.
Thus. whatever the precise reasons for the patterns of
ages found in the Zamora batholith, a major isotopic event
clearly occurred at around 170-190 Ma, and there is a
strong suggestion of some activity as early as 230.250 Ma
in the Rio Pituca area and to the east of La Paz (Qda.
Cufishpe). A later event, particularly in the Paquisha area
and to the east of Palanda (FV681), occurred between ca.
150 and 160 Ma.
Along the Baflos-Puyo road, a weakly foliated, late epi-
dote-beafing, leucocratic monzogranite of the Azafran
batholith gave a seven-point Rb-Sr isochron indicatingan
age of 120+ 5 Ma (Fig. 3i). However, the K-Ar data from
this area are more perplexing. Two biotite separates from
93
these samples gave much younger K-Ar ages of 47 + 2 and
51 4- 2 Ma, presumably representing subsequent resetting.
whereas two hornblende, biotitedioritesamples collected
in the Rio Verde area.a few kilometers east of the monzo-
granite locality, gave very different ages. These two
samples were collected from outcrops some 50 m apart.
COt/87/10A came from the margin of a steep-to-vertical,
NNE-trending shear zone. and CCR/87/10B was collected
away from this zone in a massive and apparently unaffec-
ted part of the pluton. Each sample contained co-existing
hornblende and biotite which gave concordant ages. indi-
cating that the minerals cooled below their respective
blockins temperatures over a relatively short period of time
and must have recorded real geological events. Neverthe-
less, whereas sample CCR/87/1OA gave a mean age of 128
:!: 3 Ma. in reasonable agreement with the isochron age,
sample COt/87/10B gave a mean of 174 :!: 3 Ma (see also
ADM].~, Table 4).
Althongh the interpretationof these data remains uncer-
tain, a possible explanation is that the 128 M a K/Ar ages
were resetby shearing and that the older 174 M a dates re-
present originalmagmatic cooling ages. Ifthisis indeed the
case. then the statusof the 120 M a Azafran monzogranite
isochron is open to question. However. the absence of
major Early Cretaceous plutons elsewhere in the Northern
Andes (Aspden et al.,1987) argues againstinterpretingthis
date as a magmatic cooling age. Zircon analysis (U/Pb)
planned for the future should resolve this problem, but at
present we speculate that the Rb-Sr system in the Azafran
monzogranite was reset by circulating fluids associated
with a 120-130 Ma regional shearing event. The late epi-
dote present in the monzogranite may also have formed at
this time.
Farther to the north, the Chingual batholith is thought to
be the northerly extension of Azafran, and seven samples
from thisgranitoidgave a Rb-Sr isochron age of 156 + 21
Ma (Fig 3j) - - the high error being due to the small spread
in the Rb-Sr ratios. In contrast to the Rb-Sr result, the K-At
data from three biotite analyses from the Chin aqlal batho-
lith gave almost identical apparent ages, with a mean of 19
:l: 1 Ma. These dates most probably reflect a heating event
at this time. Young, d i ~ t hornblende and biotite ages
of 34:1:4 and 25:1:1 Ma, respectively, were obtained from
the Sacha pluton. Based on field evidence (Litherland et
o2, 1990), this pluton appears to form part of the Chingual
batholith. Samples from this area may have been less af-
fected and not completely reset during the ca. 19 Ma event
noted above.
Post-Maamorphic Plutons o f the Cordillera Real
Within the Cordillera Real are a number of relatively
small~ essentially undefonned, post-metamorphic plutonic
bodies (Fig.2). some of which have been dated in thisand
other studies.These plutons are dominantly granodioritic
in composition and have given Late Cretaceous and Ter-
tiary K-At ages. In order of decreasing age, they are:
Pimampiro (94-73 Ma), Magtayfm (86-68 Ma), San Lucas
(66-51 Ma), Catamayo (58 Ma), Pichinal (54 Ma), and
94 J.A. ASPDEN,S. H. HARRISON,and C. C. RUNDLE
Amaluza (49-34 Ma) (Kennerly, 1980); Pungala (45-42
Ma); an unnamed granodiorite stock exposed along the
Cuenca to Lim6n road (39 Ma); and Portachuela (24-12
Ma). All these granitoid rocks display fresh igneous tex-
tures, and their ages are thus assumed to represent times of
magmatic cooling. In addition to the K-At data, a single, 3-
point Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron obtained from the San
Lucas pluton gave an age of 53 + 2 Ma (Fig. 3k). The Con-
due and Azuela plutons (Fig. 2a) have not been dated, but
since they are also undeformed they are considered to be of
probable Tertiary age.
In contrast to the above plutons, the Tampanchi marie
complex consists of gabbroic and basaltic rocks. Two gab-
broic samples from the complex yielded hornblende K-At
ages of 65 --+3 and 61 + 4 Ma, whereas one hornblende-rich
basalt gave a whole-rock K-Ar age of 61 + 10 Ma. Thin-
section studies of these rocks found no evidence of meta-
morphism or alteration, and all three dates are therefore in-
terpreted as cooling ages following emplacement.
CONCLUSIONS
It is clear that the Cordillera Real has been subjected to
a complex succession of magmatic and tectonic events,
both localized and widespread, throughout much of Meso-
zoic and Cenozoic times. Both the Rb-Sr and the K-Ar iso-
tope systems have been affected, and many of the ages are
poorly constrained. However, having used a combination
of isotopic methods, it has been possible, in most cases, to
distinguish between the various tectonic and magmatic
events and hence obtain a considerably better -nd_erstand-
ing of the geological hist(xy of the Cordillera Real and El
Oro Province.
The pre-Mesozoic history remain.¢unknown. A number
of pre-Mesozoic K-Ar ages have been recorded, both in
previous publications and in this study. However, with the
exception of the Portovelo amphibolite, similar samples
taken frem the same locality gave very different ages. It
may be that some of these older ages are real, but they can
also be explained by disturbance of the K-Ar system, with
localized argc~ enrichment or preferential loss of potas-
sium leading to spuriously old ages. Until more detailed
work is carried out in the respective localities, these ages
must remain suspect and should not be quoted in the litera-
ture as otherwise.
The earliest event recorded, based on reliable data, is the
metamorphism and magmatism within the Tahnin Group
of El Oro Province dated at 220-200 Ma (Late Triassic to
Early Jurassic). This has been clearly defined by both Sta-
Nd and K-Ar data.
There is a remarkable similarity between the garnet
gneisses of El Oro and those from Papallacta, Agoy~n, and
the Sabanilla subdivision in the Cordillera Real. Not rely
are the rocks all garnet biotite gneisses, but they also con-
abundant tabular graphite with typical shiny luster. It
is therefore possible that El Oro and the Cordillera Real
gneisses were ori$inally part of the same metamorphic
complex. The garnets from the Cordillera Real have not
fractionated the Sm-Nd isotopes, so we cannot prove that
they are of the same age, but the Rb-Sr data fron3 the
Sabanilla subdivision orthogneisses (Fig. 3a) do suggest
that a similar metamorphism occurred at approximately
220 Ma in the Cordillera Real.
The age of the Tres Lagunas subdivision is relatively
well-constrained at about 200 Ma. The initial 87Sr/~6Sr
ratio of 0.7120 (Fig. 3c) (and also of the Sabanilla ortho-
gneiss, 0.7123) is considerably higher than that of the
Abitagua. Azafran, and Zamora granitoids (ca. 0,705) and
clearly indicates that the Tres Lagamas granite has had a
much greater crustal component involved in its genesis
than the other Ecuadorian granitoids. The Tres Lagunas
granite probably represents a crustal melt that formed dur-
ing the 220-200 Ma metamorphic event.
The main intrusion of the typical Andean-type grani-
toids in both Ecuador (i.e., Zamora, Abitagua) and Colom-
bia (Aapden et al., 1987) occurred between ca. 190 and 150
Ma (Middle-Late Jurassic); however, part of what is now
included within the Zamora batholith may have been era-
placed at ca. 240 Ma (Early Triassic), With the possible
exception of the emplacement of the Azafran monzo-
granite, only sporadic magmatism occurred between 150
and 90 Ma (Early Cretaceous). Most of the other plutous
that have been dated range between 80 and 40 Ma (Late
Cretaceous to early Tertiary).
One of the chief results of this study is documentation of
the Cretaceous to early Tertiary K-Ar reset mineral ages.
especially those recorded from the Cordillera Real. These
are represented by a histogram (Fig. 5), which also displays
the principal sedimentary/tectonic events revealed by the
sedimeutary record preserved in the Ofienteand along the
flanks of the Cordillera. Following the cessation of phi-
tonism associated with the Zamora and Abitaqua batholith
at ca. 150 Ma, the Oriente and sub-Andean zones were de-
formed, uplifted, and eroded prior to the deposition of the
Hollin and Napo Formations (Baldock, 1982). The peak of
Early Cretaceous reset ages (ca. 135-125 Ma) (Fig. 5), ob-
tained principally from the Abitagua, Azafran, and Zamora
batholiths,is interpretedto relateto this pre-Hollin event,
which is of regionalimportance,having also been identi-
fied in Colombia where itcorresponds to a period of ac-
cretion,widespread dynsmothermic metamorphism, and
blueschist emplacement along the Romeral fault zone
(Aspden et al., 1987; Aspden and McCourt, 1986). In
Ecuador, previously mentioned fieldevidence from Rio
Verde suggests thatthisEarly Cretaceous event included
an important component of transpressi~ai shearing along
steep-to-vertical NN~SW-trending ZOneS(see alSOAap-
den and Litherland. 1992).
The Aptian Hollin Formation (ca. 119-113 Ma) (Bris-
tow and Hoffstetter. 1977) is overlain conformably by the
marine shales and limestones of the Napo Formation, and
both formations were deposited under relatively stable, epi-
continental conditions (Baldock, 1982). After the upper
Napo was deposited, a major period of Campanian erosion
(ca. 83-73/via) took place in the Oriente (Baldock, 1982)
which, together with the subsequent deposition of the Tena
and Yunguilla Formations, c . x ~ d e s with the marked peak
in reset ages (ca. 85-65 Ma) obtained from the Cordillera
Real (Fig. 5). During this period, the Pimampiro and Mag-
 New geochronological control for the tectono-magmatic evolution of the metamorphic basement. Ecuador 95

NON.I~ITION/ EROSION EROSION ~NON. D I r p O S I T I O N ERO$1ON/TUrCTONISM

(~71 EROSION Co.QSMO C0,81.73Mo Co.SS.SlMa Co, 145-120 Mo
4 i t (
FORMATION [
UPPERAND MIDDLE NAPO
FORMATION
14

13 m~
la.J
oL

12

IO

>.-
CJ 8
Z
I~1
0 7
a-
h 6

o
55 45 55 65 75 e5 95 IO5 115 IZ5 135 145 Mo

TERTIARY CRETACEOUS [
LATE EARLY

Fig. 5. Histogram of Cretaceous-earlyTertiaryreset/disturbedK Ar mineral ages from the Cordillera Real. showingtheir correlation
with eventspreservedin the sedimentaryrecord.K-At mineralages are listed in Table4 (see text for furtherexplanation).

tay~n plutons were emplaced (Table 4) but, in general, plu-
tonic activity was apparently restricted.
The red bed Tena Formation, conf'med principally to the
eastern fl~nk.~of the Cordillera Real/sub-Andean zone, was
derived frown the west and is the chronostraligraphic cor-
relative of the marine Maaslrichti~n (ca. 73-65 Ma) Yun-
guilla Formation Of the Cuenca area (Fig. 2b) (Baldock,
1982; Bristow and Hoffstetter, 1977). It thus seems reason-
able to conclude that the widespread Late Q'etaceams dis-
turbance of the K-At mineral ages relates to the uplift of the
Cordillexa Real. As with the pre-Hollin event, this distur-
bance has also been rect~iT~l in Colombia, where reset
agesrangmgfmm ca. 75 to 57 Ma recorded from the Cen-
tral Cordillera have been correlated with the approach and
subsequent accretion of the allochthonous, oceanic West-
SAES6:1/2-G
ern Cordillera (McConrt et al., 1984). The geological
record clearly indicates that conditions of instability con-
tinued in Ecuador during Tertiary-Recent time. with the
main Andean uplift taking place from the late Neogene on-
ward (Baldock, 1982). These events are also presumably
reflected in the continued ~ t m a l overprinting of the older
metamorphic rocks in the Cordillera Real and would, for
example, explain the existealce of young Miocene K-At
nfmeral ages (ca. 20 Ma) obtained fr~n the Jurassic Chin-
gruff batholith (Table 4, Fig la).
Aclmowladgmmnta~This paper is publishedwiththe permissionof the
British GeolosicalSurvey (NERC) and CODIGEM,Quito, Ecuador.
96 J.A. ASPDEN,S. H. HARRISON, and C. C. RUNDLE
Work in Ecuador and in the UK was carried out as part of an ongoing
bilateral technical cooperation project between the governments of the
UK (Overseas Development Administration) and Ecuador. Special
thanks are due to Ings. Viteri, Bermudez, and Endara, and Srs. Casanova
and Erazo, who carried out much of the initial sample preparation in
Quito. The efforts of Srs. Celled and Revelo are gratefully acknowl-
edged. M. Litherland is also thanked for his comments on an earlier draft
of this paper.
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