Early Tertiary "Incaic" tectonism, uplift, and volcanic activity,
Andes of central Peru
D O N A L D C. NOBLE Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton,
49931
EDWIN H. M c K E E U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California 94025
FRANÇOIS M É G A R D Institut Français d'Etudes Andines, Contralmirante Montero 141, Lima 18, Perú
ABSTRACT
Potassium-argon age determinations on volcanic strata that
overlie an extensive postorogenic erosion surface in the Western
Cordillera show that the "Incaic pulse" of compressive deforma-
tion as well as subsequent uplift and erosion of the Andes of central
Peru had taken place before 40 to 41 m.y. ago. Intense volcanic ac-
tivity, which began before the end of uplift and erosion, continued
for about 6 m.y. into early Oligocene time. The timing of these
events suggests that uplift and volcanic activity, and perhaps also
the preceding tectonic pulse, may have been initiated by the same
global disturbance that produced the abrupt change in direction of
movement of the Pacific lithospheric plate reflected by the bend in
the Hawaiian-Emperor volcanic chain.
INTRODUCTION
It has long been recognized (for example, Steinmann, 1929) that
the Andes of Peru underwent strong deformation during early
and/or middle Cenozoic time. As pointed out by McLaughlin
(1929), and later corroborated by workers such as Harrison (1951,
1956) and Megard (1978), there is abundant evidence for this
period of deformation in the Western Cordillera of central Peru.
There a thick sequence of volcanic and volcaniclastic strata, itself
deformed later during Miocene time, unconformably overlies the
coarse clastic sedimentary rocks of latest Cretaceous and probably
early Tertiary age commonly termed the Casapalca Formation.
Steinmann (1929) assigned an early or middle Tertiary age to the
deformation represented by the post-Casapalca unconformity,
which he termed the "Incaic phase" of the Andean orogeny.
Megard (1973), on the basis of charophytes of probable Oligocene
age in rocks originally thought to belong to the Casapalca Forma-
tion, but now known to postdate "Incaic" deformation, provi-
sionally concluded that deformation took place during Oligocene
time. Noble and others (1974) inferred an Eocene or older age for
deformation from a single potassium-argon age of 41 m.y. obtained
on tuff deposited after deformation, and Noble and others (1978),
on the basis of additional field and geochronological information,
concluded that deformation probably took place during early
and/or middle Eocene time. Audebaud and others (1976) have ac-
cepted a late Eocene time for deformation (their "tectonique fini-
eocene) on the basis of the K-Ar age presented by Noble and others
(1974), whereas Cobbing (1978) and his associates postulated that
the compressive deformation probably took place during the
Paleocene.
Geological Society of America Bulletin, Part 1, v. 90, p. 903 - 9 0 7 , 1 fig., 1 table, October 1979, Doc. no. 91004.
903
Michigan
This paper presents new radiometric age, stratigraphic, and
structural data that set a firm upper limit on the time of "Incaic"
tectonism and later uplift and date the pulse of intense igneous ac-
tivity that followed.
GEOLOGIC SETTING
The Western Cordillera of central Peru is underlain by intensely
deformed rocks of Precambrian(P) and early Paleozoic age, less
strongly deformed rocks of late Paleozoic age, folded and faulted
carbonate and clastic strata of Middle Triassic to Late Cretaceous
age, clastic and volcanic rocks of latest Cretaceous and Cenozoic
age, and granitic rocks of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age. The
youngest formation of the Mesozoic "miogeosynclinal" sequence,
the Celendin Formation of Santonian (about 80 m.y.) age (Wilson,
1963; Megard, 1978) is overlain, in places conformably (Megard,
1978), by coarse conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone
of the Casapalca Formation of latest Cretaceous and probably early
Tertiary age. Strata of the same lithologic character and age as-
signed to such units as the Chota, Huaylas, and Huanca Forma-
tions are present elsewhere in Peru. The Casapalca Formation is
composed largely of debris from the uplifted Mesozoic volcanic
belt to the west into which the Coastal batholith had been
emplaced (Megard, 1978; Bussell and others, 1976; Pitcher and
Bussell, 1977).
A major erosion surface ("post-Incaic unconformity"), de-
veloped on the Coastal batholith as well as on folded Mesozoic
strata and the conformably overlying Casapalca Formation to the
east, can be traced throughout much of the Western Cordillera of
northern and central Peru (Megard, 1973, 1978; Cobbing, 1973b).
Where it is cut on the rigid Coastal batholith, the erosion surface is
now undeformed and nearly horizontal (Noble and others, 1978),
whereas east of the Coastal batholith in the Western Cordillera the
surface was strongly deformed during Neogene time by later pulses
of compressive tectonism.
In most places in the Western Cordillera the erosion surface is
overlain by coarse conglomerate that near Casapalca has been
named the Carmen conglomerate (McKinstry and Noble, 1932).
The conglomerate is overlain by 2 km or more of volcanic and vol-
caniclastic rocks that include ash-flow and subaqueous tuff, re-
worked tuff, volcanic sandstones of rhyolitic to dacitic composi-
tion, volcanic breccia, conglomerate, and flows mostly of inter-
mediate composition. Freshwater limestone and gypsum are pres-
ent locally.
Many names have been applied to this largely volcanic sequence.
904 NOBLE AND OTHERS
Steinmann (1929) included it within his " R i m a c formation," which
included rocks n o w assigned to the Casapalca Formation.
McLaughlin (1929), recognizing the major unconformity between
the Casapalca Formation and overlying volcanic and volcaniclastic
rocks, proposed the term " R i o Blanco f o r m a t i o n " for the upper,
dominantly volcanic sequence. This name was later accepted by
McKinstry and Noble (1932), who, however, erroneously placed
the Carmen conglomerate in the underlying Rimac formation.
Harrison (1951, 1953, 1956) proposed the name "Serie Abigar-
r a d a " for rocks equivalent to McLaughlin's Rio Blanco formation.
Hosmer (1959; see, for example, Coney, 1971a) and Petersen
(1965) applied the term " T a c a z a Volcanics," derived from south-
ern Peru, to the deformed volcanic rocks that overlie the Casapalca
Formation in central Peru. Cossio N. (1964) proposed the term
"volcánico Calipuy" to cover all the Cenozoic volcanic strata in the
Santiago de Chuco and Santa Rosa quadrangles of northern Peru.
British geologists (for example, Cobbing and Pitcher, 1972; Cob-
bing, 1973a, 1973b, 1978; Myers, 1975) more recently have
applied the terms "Calipuy formation," " F m . Calipuy," "Calipuy
volcanics," "volcánico Calipuy" and "Calipuy G r o u p " in an even
more general manner in northern and central Peru to include all the
rocks above, and probably some below, the "post-lncaic" uncon-
formity; their principal purpose has been to distinguish these rocks
f r o m largely volcanic strata of Mesozoic age (Casma Group) pres-
ent in the vicinity of the Coastal batholith. In the northern part of
central Peru, Cobbing (1973b) has divided his "Calipuy G r o u p "
into two formations, the Yantac and the overlying Calipuy. O n the
recent geologic map of Perú (Instituto de Geología y Minería del
Perú, 1975) the term "Volcánico Calipuy" is used to include all but
the youngest post-"Incaic" strata. Although the name Rio Blanco
LA OROYA
•ASAßALCA
LIMA
PACIFIC
OCEAN
has priority and stratigraphically is the mostly precise, the term
" C a l i p u y " is in common use at present.
LOCALITIES A N D ROCKS DATED
Conglomerate and volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of Eocene
age overlie the post-"Incaic" unconformity developed across rocks
of three tectonic zones. T o the southwest (loc. 5, Fig. 1) Eocene vol-
canic rocks lie on eroded rocks of the Coastal batholith. Northeast
of the Coastal batholith in the Western Cordillera (Iocs. 1, 6, 7, 8,
1 0 , 1 1 , 1 2 ) , where the Casapalca Formation and older sedimentary
rocks have been intensely deformed, the overlying Eocene rocks are
moderately to strongly unconformable. The intensity of "Incaic"
deformation decreases farther to the northeast on the Altiplano
(Iocs. 2, 3, 4, 9), and there Eocene volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks
typically overlie the Casapalca Formation disconformably or with
slight unconformity. (Most of the folding in Mesozoic and
Cenozoic rocks of the southwestern Altiplano was produced by one
or more pulses of Neogene deformation; Far::ar and Noble, 1976.)
Three of the more important localities (1, 6, and 8, Fig. 1; Table
1) are in the Western Cordillera where volcanic and volcaniclastic
strata overlie the Casapalca Formation and older units with strong
angular unconformity (Harrison, 1951, 1953, 1956; Megard,
1978). The magnitude of the unconformity decreases to the north-
east, and at locality 2 on the Altiplano volcanic sandstone with in-
tercalated beds of conglomerate, freshwater limestone, gypsum,
and tuff overlie the Casapalca Formation with apparent con-
formity. T o the south at locality 4 the Casapalca Formation has
been removed by erosion, and volcanic breccia of intermediate
composition disconformably overlies older strata (Megard, 1968).
Figure 1. Map of cen-
HVAHCARO
tral Peru showing loca-
tions of radiometrically
dated specimens. Stipple
pattern shows distribu-
tion of volcanic and vol-
caniclastic, associated
sedimentary, and certain
intrusive rocks of
HtlAHCAVELKA Cenozoic age (modified
f r o m I n s t i t u t o de
Geología y Minería del
Perú, 1975).
AfACUCHO
 EARLY TERTIARY "INCAIC" TECTONISM, UPLIFT, VOLCANIC ACTIVITY, PERU 905

At locality 9, n o r t h of H u a n c a v e l i c a , volcanic a n d volcaniclastic cally a b o v e the h o r i z o n f r o m w h i c h specimens 10A a n d 10B w e r e

strata (erroneously included in the C a s a p a l c a F o r m a t i o n by N a r -
vaez a n d G u e v a r a , 1968) overlie red beds of the C a s a p a l c a F o r m a -
tion w i t h slight u n c o n f o r m i t y . At each of these localities w e were
able t o o b t a i n volcanic rocks suitable for p o t a s s i u m - a r g o n d a t i n g
f r o m w i t h i n 2 0 0 m stratigraphically of the u n c o n f o r m i t y .
At C h o n t a Pass (loc. 10, Fig. 1) volcanic breccia of intermediate
c o m p o s i t i o n is overlain by a b o u t 2 0 0 m of volcanic s a n d s t o n e con-
taining lenses of c o n g l o m e r a t e , slide megabreccia c o n t a i n i n g blocks
of M e s o z o i c limestone as m u c h as 5 0 m long, f r e s h w a t e r limestone,
and tuff. T h i s unit in turn is overlain by a sequence of intermediate
to silicic volcanic rock several kilometres thick. T h e unit of volcanic
s a n d s t o n e a t C h o n t a Pass w a s incorrectly m a p p e d as C a s a p a l c a
F o r m a t i o n by Salazar (1970) a n d is incorrectly s h o w n by the In-
stituto de Geología y M i n e r í a del Perú (1975) a n d by M é g a r d
(1978); n o r t h w e s t a n d s o u t h e a s t of the pass it overlies the
C a s a p a l c a F o r m a t i o n u n c o n f o r m a b l y . T h i s unit a n d overlying units
of dacite breccia a n d lava a n d rhyolite tuff can be traced for long
distances n o r t h w e s t a n d s o u t h e a s t of C h o n t a Pass (Salazar, 1 9 7 0 ;
D. C . N o b l e , u n p u b . m a p p i n g ) . Specimen 11 is f r o m t h e u p p e r p a r t
of the thick unit of dacite t h a t directly overlies the unit of volcanic
s a n d s t o n e , and specimens 1 0 A a n d 10B are f r o m the l o w e r p a r t of
the unit of rhyolite tuff t h a t in t u r n overlies the dacite breccia (Ta-
ble 1).
Specimen 5 is f r o m a n unaltered ash-flow sheet m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 m
thick t h a t overlies e r o d e d granitic rocks of the C o a s t a l b a t h o l i t h in
the foothills of the W e s t e r n Cordillera near Lima ( N o b l e a n d
others, 1978).
Specimen 7 is f r o m a widely distributed unit of distinctive
q u a r t z - a n d sanidine-rich rhyolitic ash-flow tuff. At locality 7 the
base of this unit is a b o u t 1 , 0 0 0 m stratigraphically a b o v e the base
of the sequence of volcanic a n d volcaniclastic strata t h a t overlies
the p o s t - " I n c a i c " u n c o n f o r m i t y , w h e r e a s at locality 8 the base of
the tuff is only a b o u t 2 0 0 m a b o v e t h e u n c o n f o r m i t y . Specimen 3,
f r o m a 10-m-thick unit of water-laid rhyolitic tuff, m a y represent
the eastern distal end of the s a m e ash-flow sheet. Specimen 12 is
f r o m a unit of rhyolitic tuff t h a t lies a b o u t 1 , 0 0 0 m stratigraphi-
obtained.
A m a j o r p r o b l e m e n c o u n t e r e d d u r i n g the c o u r s e of this study
w a s t h e pervasive l o w - g r a d e alteration and/or burial m e t a m o r -
p h i s m t h a t affects the older C e n o z o i c volcanic a n d volcaniclastic
r o c k s of the W e s t e r n C o r d i l l e r a . Because of this w e w e r e u n a b l e to
d a t e r o c k s f r o m a n u m b e r of p e r t i n e n t localities, including the
well-studied section in the vicinity of C a s a p a l c a ( M c K i n s t r y a n d
N o b l e , 1932). T h e only rocks completely u n a f f e c t e d by s o m e
alteration are f r o m localities either s o u t h w e s t o r n o r t h e a s t of the
central p a r t of the W e s t e r n C o r d i l l e r a . Nevertheless, w e have been
able t o p r e p a r e c o n c e n t r a t e s of essentially p u r e a n d unaltered
p h e n o c r y s t i c biotite o r feldspar for all b u t three of the rocks d a t e d
using s t a n d a r d magnetic, heavy liquid, electrostatic, and h a n d -
picking techniques.
U n d e r the microscope, biotite f r o m specimen 2 s h o w s s o m e evi-
dence of w e a t h e r i n g and r e s u l t a n t e x p a n s i o n , a n o b s e r v a t i o n t h a t
w o u l d a p p e a r to be s u p p o r t e d by the l o w p o t a s s i u m c o n t e n t of this
separate. H o w e v e r , Kulp a n d Engles (1963) s h o w e d t h a t loss of
p o t a s s i u m m a y be a c c o m p a n i e d by the loss of a p p r o x i m a t e l y
e q u i v a l e n t a m o u n t s of radiogenic a r g o n . M o r e o v e r , an age of
a b o u t 4 0 m.y. is s u p p o r t e d by c h a r o p h y t e s collected n e a r the site
s a m p l e d for r a d i o m e t r i c d a t i n g ( M e g a r d , 1978). Nodosochara,
Harrisichara, a n d Tectochara (n.s.) of m i d d l e E o c e n e age w e r e col-
lected f r o m a locality stratigraphically slightly b e l o w t h a t f r o m
w h i c h specimen 2 w a s o b t a i n e d , and s t r a t a slightly a b o v e specimen
2 yielded Tectochara sp. a n d Chara (Grambastichara) of late
E o c e n e o r Oligocene age. Localities stratigraphically a b o v e speci-
m e n 2, b u t below t h a t f r o m w h i c h specimen 3 w a s collected,
yielded Sphaerochara sp. of Oligocene aspect, b u t of possible late
E o c e n e age, and Stephanochara( ?) sp. of Oligocene aspect b u t w i t h
a late Eocene to early M i o c e n e range.
Biotite f r o m specimen 12 a p p e a r s to be s o m e w h a t altered,
a l t h o u g h it has a n o r m a l p o t a s s i u m c o n t e n t . T h e plagioclase of
specimen 6 c o n t a i n s possibly as m u c h as 5 % s e c o n d a r y albite. T h e
r a d i o m e t r i c age d e t e r m i n a t i o n s m a d e on these separates, therefore,
can be only m i n i m u m estimates of the ages of the host rocks.

TABLE 1. POTASSIUM-ARGON AGE DETERMINATIONS O N VOLCANIC ROCKS OVERLYING THE POST-"INCAIC"

UNCONFORMITY, CENTRAL PERU

Specimen Field Location Mineral k2o Radiogenic Ar40 Radiogenic Ar Age

no. lat (S) long (W) dated (wt %) (mol/g x 10-'") (%) (m.y.)

1 ABI-1B2 11°33.5' 76°18.0' Plagioclase, quartz 0.388 0.2246 24.2 39.8 ± 1.9
2 CASA-7 12°00.7' 75°28.6' Biotite 6.19 3.585 73.9 39.8 ± 1.0
3 CASA-10 12°01.2' 75°29.7' Sanidine 8.97 4.797 73.4 36.7 ± 1.0
4 CASA-W 12°24.0' 75°18.4' Plagioclase 0.417 0.1884 10.4 31.1 ± 6
5 FM73-129 12°08.1' 76°34.6' Biotite 8.57 5.150 74.7 41.3 ±0.5
12°08.1' 76°34.6' Plagioclase, quartz 0.249 0.1456 12.7 40.2 ± 4.0
6 Y-3C 12°26.2' 75°40.5' Plagioclase, quartz 0.445 0.2275 17.2 35.2 ± 1.8
7 Y-1A 12°29.2' 75°37.8' Sanidine 9.66 4.891 84.7 34.9 ±0.7
8 T-9 12°46.9' 75°31.3 ' Plagioclase 0.507 0.2806 23.8 38.0 ± 1.9
9 HU76-M1A 12°36.2' 74°57.0' Plagioclase 0.607 0.3474 44.4 39.2 ± 1.1
10A B-58 13-05.4' 75°03.2' Biotite 8.66 5.293 88.7 40.9 ± 0.9
10B B-58B 13°05.2' 75°03.3' Biotite 8.52 5.236 71.2 41.2 ± 1.9
11 LAVA-S 13°24.9' 74°54.8' Plagioclase 0.424 0.2551 21.2 41.4 ± 1.9
12 PILPICACHA 13°19.7' 74°59.3' Biotite 8.31 3.764 56.0 31.2 ±0.9

Note: Constants: K40Xe = 0.572 x 10-'" yr" 1 ; K40Xe' = 8.78 x 10"' 3 y r 1 ; K40A/3 = 4.96 x 10~' 0 yr"'; atomic abundance K4" = 1.167 x 10" 4 mol/mol
K. Potassium and argon analyses were made in the laboratories of the U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, using standard flame photometer
and isotope dilution methods (Dalrymple and Lanphere, 1969).
 906 NOBLE AND OTHERS
Plagioclase separates 1 a n d 11 b o t h c o n t a i n a b o u t 0 . 5 % to 1 %
s e c o n d a r y albite.
RESULTS A N D DISCUSSION
T h e p o t a s s i u m - a r g o n ages (Table 1) s h o w t h a t d e f o r m a t i o n as
well as s u b s e q u e n t uplift a n d e r o s i o n h a d t a k e n place in central
Peru by 4 0 to 4 1 m.y. a g o — middle to u p p e r E o c e n e a c c o r d i n g to
t h e time scale of Berggren a n d o t h e r s (1978). T h i s m i n i m u m age for
" I n c a i c " tectonism also is p r o b a b l y applicable to s o u t h e r n a n d
n o r t h e r n Peru. C h a n o v e a n d o t h e r s (1969) r e p o r t e d c h a r o p h y t e s of
post—middle Eocene a n d p e r h a p s middle O l i g o c e n e age f r o m near
t h e base of the P u n o G r o u p , w h i c h p o s t d a t e s this d e f o r m a t i o n , in
s o u t h e a s t e r n Peru.
It is m o r e difficult to set a l o w e r limit o n t h e time, of tectonism.
T h e r a d i o m e t r i c ages of S t e w a r t a n d o t h e r s ( 1 9 7 4 ) a n d P. A. Wil-
son (Bussell a n d o t h e r s , 1 9 7 6 ) , plus a d d i t i o n a l u n p u b l i s h e d age de-
t e r m i n a t i o n s (E. J. C o b b i n g , 1 9 7 8 , oral c o m m u n . ) r s h o w t h a t the
C o a s t a l b a t h o l i t h w a s e m p l a c e d m o s t l y in C r e t a c e o u s a n d
Paleocene time, b e t w e e n a b o u t 1 0 5 and 6 0 m.y. ago. If, as a p p e a r s
p r o b a b l e , the p o s t - " I n c a i c " e r o s i o n surface cuts the y o u n g granitic
r o c k s of Paleocene age, then a late Paleocene a n d / o r E o c e n e age is
i n d i c a t e d for the uplift a n d e r o s i o n of the C o a s t a l b a t h o l i t h a n d the
folded a n d faulted s t r a t a to t h e east. A l t h o u g h this w o u l d n o t re-
q u i r e t h a t the compressive d e f o r m a t i o n t o o k p l a c e d u r i n g this in-
terval, w e believe nevertheless t h a t it is likely t h a t d e f o r m a t i o n and
u p l i f t w e r e relatively r a p i d a n d closely related events t h a t did n o t
p r e c e d e by m o r e t h a n a few million years t h e d e p o s i t i o n of the vol-
c a n i c a n d volcaniclastic r o c k s t h a t m a n t l e t h e e r o s i o n surface.
T h e presence of several h u n d r e d metres of volcanic rock b e n e a t h
c o a r s e c o n g l o m e r a t e s and slide megabreccias c o m p o s e d largely of
blocks of pre-Tertiary rock s o u t h e a s t of C h o n t a Pass (D. C. N o b l e ,
u n p u b . m a p p i n g ) a n d the presence elsewhere of c o b b l e s of volcanic
r o c k s in t h e basal c o n g l o m e r a t e t h a t overlies t h e regional erosion
s u r f a c e suggest t h a t the volcanism h a d b e g u n d u r i n g , a n d possibly
b e f o r e the o n s e t of, uplift a n d erosion. T h e ages of 3 6 . 7 ± 1.0 a n d
3 5 . 2 ± 1.8 m.y. o b t a i n e d o n s a n i d i n e f r o m specimens 3 a n d 6
suggest t h a t the pulse of igneous activity t h a t h a d b e g u n by a b o u t
4 1 m.y. a g o lasted a b o u t 6 m.y. into early Oligocene time. Rela-
tively small a m o u n t s of volcanic rock overlie these d a t e d h o r i z o n s ,
a n d the intensity of volcanic activity p r o b a b l y d e c r e a s e d m a r k e d l y
shortly a f t e r the deposition of t h e d a t e d units. T h i s pulse of vol-
canic activity w a s a m a j o r event: volcanic rocks of middle to late
E o c e n e age are preserved n o t only in t h e Cordillera b u t also a l o n g
t h e coast of central a n d n o r t h e r n Peru (Ruegg, 1 9 5 7 ; Petersen,
1 9 5 8 ) a n d in t h e s u b - A n d e a n region east of the h i g h A n d e s (Koch
a n d Blissenbach, 1 9 6 0 , as revised by M e g a r d , 1978). T h e r e m a i n -
d e r of the Oligocene a p p e a r s to h a v e been characterized by rela-
tively little tectonic a n d igneous activity (Petersen, 1 9 5 8 ; N o b l e a n d
others, 1974) w i t h p r o n o u n c e d volcanic activity r e s u m i n g only in
latest O l i g o c e n e o r early M i o c e n e time.
If u p l i f t a n d volcanic activity f o l l o w e d closely u p o n the pulse of
" I n c a i c " compressive d e f o r m a t i o n , all can r e a s o n a b l y be included
as aspects of an Eocene tectonic pulse. T h i s pulse w o u l d h a v e been
coeval w i t h t h e c h a n g e in direction of a b s o l u t e m o t i o n of the Pacific
lithospheric p l a t e a b o u t 4 3 m.y. a g o (Clague a n d J a r r a r d , 1 9 7 3 ;
N o b l e a n d others, 1 9 7 4 , 1 9 7 8 ; D a l r y m p l e a n d C l a g u e , 1 9 7 6 ; J a r -
r a r d a n d C l a g u e , 1977) a n d p e r h a p s o t h e r tectonic a n d igneous
events elsewhere in t h e circum-Pacific region (for e x a m p l e , C o n e y ,
1971b, 1 9 7 2 ; N o b l e , 1 9 7 2 ) w h i c h m a y have been s e c o n d a r y conse-
q u e n c e s of t h e collision o t India w i t h t h e E u r a s i a n plate. Alterna-
tively, if c o m p r e s s i o n p r e c e d e d uplift a n d volcanism by m o r e t h a n a
few million years, only uplift of the Andes a n d associated volcanic
activity m a y be related to a possible Eocene global tectonic event.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T h i s w o r k w a s s u p p o r t e d in p a r t by the N a t i o n a l Science F o u n -
d a t i o n a n d the C e n t r e N a t i o n a l de la R e c h e r c h e Scientifique
(France). Field and logistical s u p p o r t w a s p r o v i d e d by C o m p a ñ í a
de M i n a s B u e n a v e n t u r a , S. A., C o m p a ñ í a M i n e r a C a s t r o v i r r e y n a ,
S. A., a n d the Institut Français d ' E t u d e s Andines. J.-P. Soulas, F. M .
Arias, A l b e r t o S a m a n i e g o , a n d D . A. S c h e r k e n b a c h p a r t i c i p a t e d in
various p h a s e s of the field w o r k . W ^ are especially i n d e b t e d to
A l b e r t o Benavides Q . and Ulrich Petersen for their c o n t i n u e d sup-
p o r t . T h e results of this study w e r e presented a t the F o u r t h Peru-
vian Geological C o n g r e s s , L i m a (McKee a n d o t h e r s , 1 9 7 8 ) .
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M A N U S C R I P T R E C E I V E D BY T H E S O C I E T Y N O V E M B E R 2 7 , 1978
REVISED MANUSCRIPT RECEIVED M A R C H 2 6 , 1979
MANUSCRIPT ACCEPTED APRIL 1 8 , 1979
Printed in U.S.A.