Four Carmnnax Gpovocican Coxwarexce, ‘Traxiap 1965 207 GEOLOGY OF ‘THE SERRANIA DE MACUIRA AREA GUAJIRA PENINSULA, NORTHEAST COLOMBIA William D. MacDonald * Villanova University, Villanova, Penusyloania Ausrnace ‘The mountainous Serrania de Macuira area forms a Tertiary hhorst of pre-Mesovole and Bfecoaole rocks hounded by Tertiary strata exposed in arid lowlands. ‘Pre-Mesozole melamorphle rocks are. divisible into. the Macuira and Jarara ‘Forinations, The Macuira. Formation, ‘consisting of micaceous schist with a hornblende-plagioclace nels ‘member (Ury Member), is. of lower aimandine- Smphibolite facies, his is uneonformably(?) overlaid to the northwest by the Jarara Formation, which comprises phyDite, ‘eta-arenite, and quarta-atbite-seriite-chlorite schists of lower ‘greensehist facies. ‘The schistosity of these formations. strikes mainly BNE with steep NNW dips, However, scblstosty dips Moderately southeast and east away from the Siapana. grand: Giorite which intrudes the Maculra Formation, Pepmatites fssoclated with the granodiorte vield a minimum age of 195 my. +b 4%. The Macuira-Jarara Formations and the granodio= rite a6 probably pre-Mesozoo, Deformed ‘ahd lightly metamorphosod Mesorote_ strata extend southeast and east of the Serrania, Redbeds (La Quinta Formation) and overiving brown sandstones (Uipana. Forme tion) are separated from Maculra selist by a southeast-aipping fault, A fault separates these formations from Jurassic Ooeines Group, sandstones, shales and argililes to the southeast, ‘The fault-bounded Guajira trough apparently extends nortnesst srom the Cocinas aren to the southeast Macuirn area beneath ‘Tertiary marine strata. North-dipping Cretaceous strata, north feast of and separated from the Jurassic by a foul, comprise the Ro Neuro, apon, Maraea, and Le Lune Rormations, Young est Cretaceous rocks are the Turonian(?) Parautnktein phyllites ‘whieh probably overlie the La Luma, similar phvliites tn. the central and northwest Macuira ates are separated from pre- ‘Mesozoic metamorphic rocks by faults of moderate hort dip. ‘Sandy Upper Eocene limestones tncontormably averie the Parauinkrein phyllite. However, the most widespread ‘Tertiary rocks are flat-lying Oligocene"Mlocene limestones and clay shales ‘Two periods of pre-Mesoxoic and a period of latest Creta- cous to ‘very early ‘Tertiary metamorphism are likely. Twrnopuerion, ‘The Serrania de Macuira area is one of several isolated hilly to mountainous areas inthe Guajien Peninsula of Colombin and Venezuela (Fig. 1). ‘The Macuira area, like the Serrania de Cocinas and the Serrania de Jarara areas to the southwest, is comprised of uplands of pre-Tertiary deformed sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and is surrounded by lowlands underlain by gently dipping Tertiary sedimentary rocks ig. 2, 8). Previous investigations of the geology ofthe peninsula have been made by Stutzer (1928), Burgl (2960), 0. Renz (1956, 1959, 1960), Rollins (1960), and Radelli (1960, 1962) . ‘Srmaviararny The rocks of the peninsular area ean be subdivided into three major stratigraphic sequences : pre-Mesozoie metamorphic rocks of the Guajira complex, Mesozoic sedimentary and meta-sedimentary strata, and relatively undeformed Tertiary sedimentary strata. Pre-Mesozoie metamorphic rocks, referred to complex, crop out mainly of the” peninsula, Tn the , this sequence is divisible into the Macuira nd the Jarara Formation (Fig. 8, 4). Pre-Mesozoie informally as the Guajix along the ‘Macuira at ‘Formation Macuira Formation ‘This formation consists predominantly of mieaccous schists and hornblende schists, with abundant quarts plagioclase intercalations. Good exposures of the formation ean be found in’ Arroyo Jararara in the south flank of Pico Jihuoné. A thick homblende-plagioclase gneiss member, the Uray Member, which erosses the north-central Serrania, underlies the highest. peaks of the peninsula (Pico Uray, 865m). ‘The formation has been ‘metamorphosed to the lower almandine-amphi- bolite facies. potassium-argon determinations of scovitie pegmatites in Arroyo Jara- raru indicate an age of 195 my. + 4% (late Triassic). Probable argon loss during subsequent Late Creta- eeous metamorphism suggests pre-Mesozoie ages for the egmatites and for the Macuira Formation. Jarara Formation. narrower zone, north of the Meet Formation and its Uray Member, the Jarara Formation consists of phyllite, metamorphosed arenites, and fine- grained quarlz-albite-muscovite-chlorite schists. ‘The ion is exposed for its greatest width in Arroyo ‘Tumaka which trends south of the Indian settlement of Huimatirra, north of the northwest end of the ‘Macuira area. ‘These rocks have been metamorphosed in the lower part of the greenschist facies. Bpidote is very common, actinolite is common, biotite is relatively searce, and pink guenet is rare. ‘The Jarara’ Formation was. possibly deposited tunconformably upon the Macuira Formation. ‘The southern contact of the Jarara Formation strikes at a ‘moderate angle to the trend of the northern limit of the Urey Member, and to the trend of a distinctive graphitetremolite ‘schist zone in the Macuira schists north of the Uray Member. A discontinuous Zone of thin maxble lenses is found along the southern limit of the Jarara Formation, and possibly can be traced across the peninsula. Forming 2 Mesozoie ie section of the Guajira Peninsula has many features in common with sections in the Mara- caibo basin, the Sierra de Perija, and the Venezuelan Andes. The Mesozoic rocks of the Cocinas area (south central peninsula) have been studied by O. Renz (1956, 1959, 1960) and Rollins (1960) (Fig. 5). The Mesozoie section of the Macuira area is similar to that of the Cocinas area, —_ 1968, MacDonald, W.D., Geology of the Serrania de Macuira area, Guajira Peninsula, Colombia: in Saunders, J.B (editor), Transactions, Fourth Caribbean Geological Conference, 1965. Caribbean Printers, Arima, Trinidad and Tobago, p. 267-274.Fourrn Cantnean Guococica Coxrennsce, Trnvipan 1965 268, cs06t prewopoeye soyye pauridiayg) “vere exmowpe 2p syuesiag |x jo duet oBo100D <4 “SLFours Carmnrax Grotocica, Coxrenence, Trnsan 1965 269 La Quinta Formation. ‘The oldest rocks of presumed Mesozoic age in the ‘Macuira area are unfossiliferous redbeds with inter- calated conglomerates and feldspathic sandstones, ‘cropping out in low hills east of Serrania, These are cor- related with the La Quinta, Formation of the Merida Andes (Kundig, 1988) on the basis of lithic similarity and inferred stratigraphic position. ‘The redbeds are sep- arated from the Macuira Formation schists by the raitchipa fault of low to moderate southeast dip. Uipana Formation. Light brown feldspathic sandstones above the La Quinta are correlated with the Uipana Formation (0. Renz, 1960) of Cerro Uipana in the southwest Cocinas area, In the Macuira area, as in the Cocinas area, terres- trial fossils are found in the formation, Sandstones be- Fieved to correlate with the Uipana sandstones carry the fern Laccopteris? sp., which is widespread in the ‘Triassic and Jurassic, but occurs rarely in the Lower Cretaceous (E. Dorf, personal communication) . The La Quinta — Uipana contact is not exposed in the Macui area. In the type area, O. Renz (1960, p.821) considers the contact with the underlying redbeds to be comfor- mable, but Rollins (1960, p.21-24) considers that con- tact to he disconformable. Cocinas Group, The Cocinas Group of the Macuira area underlies a large area of low relief southeast. of the Uipana Formation from which it is separated by the northeasterly trending Ichipa fault. zone. In the Cocinas area, Upper Jurassic “‘silty shale with inter- calations of sandstones and conglomerates” cropping out in the Guajira trough were named the Cocinas Group by ©. Renz (1956, p-3). Rollins (1960) su divided the group into four conformable formations ‘as follows (with descriptions paraphrased after Rollins): TOP Jipi Formation dark grey to brown and drab shales and interbedded sand- stones. Pachepa Formation sandstones and con- glomerates Caju Formation predominantly olive-drab shales BOTTOM Cheterlo Formation drab to greenish grey and red shales ind argillites with inter-bedded quart sites , Renz’s Cocinas Group type section encompasses the Jipi and Pachepa Formations of Rollins. Rollins’ subdivisions of the Cocinas Group, with some modifi- cations of contacts, can be recognized in the Macuira area, The Pachepa Formation thins eastward in the southern Cocinas area and is absent from the Macuira area, Upper Jurassic ammonites occur in the upper Cocinas Group in the type area (0. Renz, 1956; Burg], 1960; Rollins, 1960) and in the Macuira area (jdenti- fications by 3. W. Imlay, personal communication) . ‘In the Macuifa area, as in the Cocinas area, the lowest beds of the Cocinas Group (Cheterlo Forma- tion) form antielinal cores or lie im fault contact, with ‘adjacent strata. At the type section, the group lies in fault contact with younger strata, although Rollins (1960, p37) reports the Jipi Formation to_be locally conformable with the overlying Rio Negro Formation ‘A conformable relation could not be demonstrated in mn of the southeast ‘Macuira is more sandy than the type Jipi, as are Jipi strata westward and northwestward of the type Jipi (Rollins, 1960, p34-35). Rio Negro Formation. “Unfossiliferous brown sandstones and conglomerates at Punta Espada are correlated with the Rio Negro For- mation of the foothills of the Sierra de Perija (Hedberg, 1981, p.230; Hedberg and Sass, 1987, p.80) on the basis of lithic similarity and stratigraphie position. In the Cocinas area, the formation crops out extensively south, and also north, of the Guajira trough, and also within the trough (. Renz, 1956; Rollins, 1960). In the south- em Cocinas area, the formation ies conformably be- neath limestone and marl of Hauterivian and Barremian age (Yuruma Formation, O. Renz, 1956), but in the Macuira area, the formation conformably underlies Lower Aptian limestones of the Cogollo Group_(inden- tifications by R. W. Imlay, personal communication) Cogollo Group. Conformably above the Rio Negro are beds of limestones, marl, and calcareous shale _corre- lated with the Cogollo Group of the Sierra de Perija, Venezuela. Sutton, 1946). The group in the Macuira area consists of two formations, correlated with the ‘Apon_ and Maraca Formations of the Perija area (Rod and Mayne, 1954). ‘The arenaceous Lisure Formation (ibid) of the middle of the group is absent from the folded but generally moderately north-dipping Punta Espada Cretaceous section. ‘Two predominantly grey limestone members of the Apon Formation are separated by a middle member of coneretionary black ealeareous shale. ‘The lower member contains some marly limestone and ealeareous shale which are scarce in the upper member. Early Aptian ammonites are found in the lower member and Late Aptian ammonites in the middle member (identifications by R. W. Imlay, personal communica- tion). 0. Renz. (1960, p35, fig.7) indicates Upper Albian ammonites in’ strata corresponding approxi- mately to the upper part of the upper member of the Apon Formation in the Punta Espada. area. Conformably above these limestones are more variable coquinoidal limestone, arenaceous limestone, calcareous shale, and minor quartzose sandstone of the Maraca Formation. On the basis of Ostrea cf. 0. seyphax Coquand which occurs in the upper part of , and of its stratigraphic position above limestones, the formation is tentatively assigned a Cenomanian? age,Fourru Canmmrax Grovocieat Conrenence, Tuvinan 1965 a 7 RENZ RENZ ) ROLLINS | Em | mac oowaco | = ] "956 ves9 960 980 SARE el | ee ‘a Dae a cos ala 7 ee oe = lel bel EE | SSE5 "| (=) ie | premeaed®)EFEEE| hme I eS) : reece : . ame me [ h pe jurassic iH gen a lt Ge) comm. |__| : ayy | —y ta me oe Eee fs ce oe eee oes. ie re oem te | ° cen Fig. 6: Sketch map of the major structural features of ‘the Guajira Peninsula, Cogollo limestones also crop out. in the Cocina area, mainly south of the Guajira trough, and cast of Cerro Yuruma (0. Renz, 1956, 1960; Rollins, 1960). In that area, as in the Macuita area, the group lies apparently conformably below the Ta Luna Forma- tion. In the southern Cocinas area, the Cogollo overlies Barremian strata, the upper part of the Yuruma Formation (0. Reng, 1950). La Luna Formation, ‘Phis formation in the Punta Espada area comprises Pig. 7: Possible correlations of some Mesozoig formations ‘aefoss the Guajira trough. ‘Terminology of O. Rene 1956, and Rollins’ 1990, Sections shown incomplete because of folding, aulting and erosion, dark grey to black, laminated foraminiferal limestone with thin black ” chert beds and black —lime- stone coneretions, Grey laminated limestone and calearcous shale predominate in the upper part of the formation. Correlation with the La Luna of the type area in the Sierra de Perija, Venezuela (Hed- berg and Sass, 1987; p.84) is on the basis of similarity of lithology and stratigraphic position. No identifiable fossils were recovered from the formation by the author, A tentative Turonian? age is suggested, althoughFount Canmoran Grotocicar, Conreaencr, ©. Renz (1959, p9; 1960, 336) suggests a somewhat, younger age for the formation in the Punta Espada and southern Cocinas areas. The upper part of the formation in the Punta Espada area possibly, corre- sponds to beds in the Cocinas aren named Guaralamai Formation by O. Renz (1959) (Colon limestone mem- bet of O. Renz, 1956, p.11). For those beds 0. Renz suggests a Campanian to Maestrichtian age (1989, p. 29-81). ‘These Cretaccous, strata are -folded and unconformably overlaid by ‘Tertiary stiata inthe Cocinas area. Parauinkeroin Formation. Cropping out north of the ealearcous Cretaceous sequence west of Punta Rspeda are extensive low hills of black and brown phyllite with interbeds of, sandstones and lenses of limestones and ealearcous shale. The eontaet with the La Luna Formation is nowhere exposed, and the stratigraphie position of these phyllites is uncertain. Near the Indian settlement of Parauinkrein, greatly Aeformed ammonites indicate an Albian or” younger age (identifications by I. W. Iinlay, personal -com- ‘uniration) 1 the formation i srtirapiely above the La Luna Formation ‘and represents the metamorphosed equivalent of the Colon = Nfito Juan shales of the Maracaibo basin area, x post-Turonian age (Campanian-Macstrichtian?) age is Hkely. Similar phyllites crop out cross the Serrania estar from Nazareth Whe feldpelatonshie suggest along the Nazareth fault; this is supported by offset eontaets of the Macuira and Jarara Formations. A similar but minor area of phyllite is exposed at the northwestern extremity of the area. J. P. Lockwood (personal com- munication) reports Upper Cretaceous fossils from ealearcous lenses in phyllite of the northern Jarara area. ‘Those rocks may comclate with the Parauinkrein phyllite. Tertiary ‘The oldest ‘Tertiary strata in the Macuira area are Late Eocene sandy limestones of the Nazare Formation (0, Renz, 1960, p38%; Stainforth, 1962) ‘These form a fev scattered small outcrops unconform= ably overlying deformed and metamorphosed _pre- ‘Tertiary rocks along the northeast periphery of the ‘Macuira area. The formation correlates approximately with Upper Bocene sandy limestones of the southeast Cocinas area’ (Macario Formation of Rollins, 1960, near La Flor de la Guajita), and possibly with unnam: ‘Upper Eocene about 11 kin north of Uribia (see SI forth, 1962a). rcene-Miocene clay shale, limestone, and sand- stone underlie most of the arid Towlands of the peni sula however (Burgl, 1960; Renz, 1960; Rollins, 1960). Recent Extensive deposits of windblown sand cover the ‘Tertiary lowlands and lower hills of the pre-Tertiary ‘on the easter side of the Macuira area. Along the southwest side of the Serrania, remnants of recent alluvial fans are found, of which’ the most extensive is, a fan of quartzo-feldspathic sand derived from Ue Siapana granodiorite stock. ‘anwpap 1965 em Taxnous aNp Mrrantonrare Evrsopes A large epizonal stock, the Siapana granodiorite, intrudes the Macuira Formation. This massive, medium- grained discordant pluton consists of approximately 55% oscillatory-roned subequant oligoclase, 30% quart, 10% potassium feldspar, and 5% biotite. An injection zone with dikes and sill-like apophyses of somewhat more potassic composition envelops the pluton. with widths up to a few hundred meters. As indicated earlier, muscovite from pegmatites associated with the ites a minimum age of 195 my. * 4% for th . A pre-Mesozoie age seems probable. ‘Meta-granitic’ sills in both the Macuira Forma- tion and the Jarara Formation probably belong to smother period of ‘granitie’ intrusion, since these sill rocks are more metamorphosed than the Siapana sranodiorite, which shows relatively minor evidence of metamorphism and deformation. Probably two pre-Mesozoie metamorphic episodes are recorded in the Guajira complex. Compositional banding in the gneisses of the Usay Member was developed in an earlier_metamorphism which also produced the Macuira schists. After the deposition of the Jarura Formation unconformably(?) above the Macuiza Formation and after the emplacement of “granitie’ sills in both the Macuira and Jarara Forma tions, a second episode of pre-Mesozoie(?) metamor- phism ensued. 4 eabeaoent deformathin tok. lan: meer ort the end of the Cretaccous, strongly deforming, folding, and lightly 'metamorphosing the, Mesozoic rocks. A grade of metamorphism approximately intermediate Hetween the zeolite facies and the greenschist facies (Coombs, 1961) is suggested by the formation of prehnite ‘in scare meta-tuffs in the Parauinkrein phyllite. The absence of epidote, biotite, and actinolite from the Parauinkrein phyllite suggests ‘that the grade of metamorphism remained below the greenschist facies in the Macuira area, ‘This period of metamorphism caused widespread retrograde metamorphism of the Guajira complex in the Macuirs area. ‘The areal variation of the Jatest Cretaccous or very’ curly Tertiary metamorphism in the peninsula is not yet elear. The intensity of deforination in the Macuira farea appears to deerease westward, Rollins (1960, p.105) indicates, the intensity of deformation in the Guajira trough decreases westward, Similarly, the degree of retrograde metamorphism ‘of the Guajira complex appears to decrease westward along the central axis of the peninsula. ‘The igneous and metamorphic history of the peninsular rocks is considerably more complex than suggested by Radelli (1962). Radelli suggests a single (‘post-tectonic’) early period of granitization to account for the distribution of the metamorphic rocks of the peninsula. As indicated above, the metamorphic rocks of the Guajira complex appear to have undergone two periods of pre-Mesozoie metamorphism. In any ease, deformed Upper Cretaceous fossils from phyllite sequences in both the Jarara and Macuira areas, and the probable pre-Mesozoie age of the Macuira Forma- tion schists and gneisses, indieate at least two widely separated periods of metamorphism and disprove thegre Fourrn Cantoran Grotocrcar, Conrenece, ‘Taipan 1965 hypothesis. Radelli’s suggestion of a second granitiza- tion in which the several large granitic plutons of the peninsula were emplaced in a single period of intrusion in the late Paleozoic is also untenable. Two periods of pre-Mesozoic granitic intrusion are possible for the ‘Macuira area, as indicated above. The Parashi pluton of the northwest Jarara area intrudes Late Cretaceous phyllite and. consequently is of latest, Cretaceous or very early Tertiary age (J. P. Lockivood, personal communication). Rhyodacitic dikes, sills, and flows, apparently associated with the emplacement of granitie plutons in the southwest Cocinas area, oceur in redbeds, of possibly early Mesozoic age. : ‘Voleanie activity appears to have been very minor in the Macuira area during the Mesozoic. A few lightly metamorphosed basic dikes cutting the Macuira Form: tion are probably Mesozoic. No porphyritie dikes or sills are found in the lower Mesozoic redbeds of the Macuira area ‘No evidence of ‘Terta area is known, volcanism in the Macuira Mason Smevcronas, Fearunes Schistosity Schistosity trends in the Macuira and_ Jarara Formations and the Parauinkrein phyllite equivalents northwest of the Siapana granodiorite are parallel, striking approximately N70E and dipping 50 to 60° towards northnorthwest. These trends are approximately parallel to the regional schistosity trends of the meta~ morphic rocks along the axis of the peninsula. Locally, southeast and east of the granodiorite, the schistosity attitudes in the Macuira schists are’ more irregular, dipping generally easterly away from the pluton at moderate angles. Lineations Northwest of the pluton, lineations plunge mainly down-dip, 90° away from 'schistosity pole maxima. Lineations in the schists southeast and east of the granodiorite plunge 20° towards the eastsoutheast, parallel to the theoretical intersection of two schistosity planes represented by two schistosity pole maxima for ‘that area. The significance of this lineation is uncertain. Fracture Cleavage In the Ia Quinta-Uipana-Cocinas strata southeast of the Serrania, fracture cleavage trends strike east- northeast, paraliel to the regional Guajira. schistosity strike. Fracture cleavage dips steeply southsoutheast fn the north side of the Ichipa fault. zone, and steeply northnorthwest on the south side of that fault, In the Cretaceous sequence northeast of the Nazareth fault, fracture cleavage strikes east-west, with vertical dip. In the Mesozoic rocks in general, fold axes are parallel to the strike of fracture cleavage, and are approximately horizontal, Faults ‘The Yaurama and Ichipa faults, trending approxi- mately vertically with eastnortheast strikes, are prob- ably of Mesozoic age. The Ichipa fault zone limits the Cocinas Group on the northwest_and is believed to be Late, Jurassic or older. The Yaurama fault cuts Upper Cretaceous Parauinkrein phyllite and is overlaid by Upper Eocene sandy limestones which show no offset. ‘The Yaurama fault dates from the end of the Cretaceous and may be older. =e ‘The Guajira trough of the Cocinas area is believed to be continous from the southern Cocinas area to the southeast Macuira area beneath the cover of Tertiary sedimentary rocks (Cocinetas of Renz, 1960) (Pig.3,6). The Cuiza fault may be a right lateral strike-slip fault, cutting obliquely across and offsetting the Guajira trough beneath the Tertiary eover. Northeasterly striking faults of relatively moderate dip separate the Parauinkrein phyllite and La Quinta Formation from the Guajira complex, s tof the Nazareth fault. zone. ‘These are the Orotio, Titujurahu, and Uraitchipa faults, They dip away from the Siapana granodiorite, although this relationship may be fortui tous. The mature of the movements on these faults is unknown. They possibly date from the latest Cretaceous, ‘when the Mesozoic rocks were strongly deformed. A very early Tertiary age is also possible. Rollins (1960) indicates n period of folding affecting Late Eocene sandy limestones of the southern Cocinas area, prior to the deposition of the Oligocene-Miocene strata. Mid-Tertiary movements have produced high angle faults of northwesterly trends which offset, the Mesozoic faults (Fig4,6). These include the Macuira, Nazareth, and Huimatirra faults of the Macuira area. The Naza reth fault may have history dating from the latest Cretaccous — carly Tertiary interval. Movements on the Tertiary faults have allowed the uplift and tilting of large blocks in the peninsula. The Jarara. block is believed to have been tilted towards the southeast. The Mucuira block has been uplifted as a large horst. Recent movements on the Macuira, Nazareth, and Huimatirra faults have tilted the’ Macuira block towards the northeast. Recroxan Steamonarmic anp Sreucrorat Prosuess While the Jarara Formation is believed to be pre- Mesozoic, there is no direct evidence of its age. In field studies, the Jarara and Parauinkrein phyllites can be confused’ In the Macuira area, the Jarara Forma- jon is of a higher grade of metamorphism. The Jarara ts containing actinolite, albite phyllites there contain abundant epidote and scarce biotite. ‘They moreover are associated with fine-grained porphyroblasts, and rare pink garnet. The Parauinkrein phyllites contain abundant microscopic rutile needles, but no epidote, biotite, actinolite, or gamet, Rutile nedles are lacking in the Jarara phyllites, which con- tain abundant granular sphene. These features help distinguish the Parauinkrein and Jarara phyllites of the Macuira area. In the northwest Macuira, the two sequences are separated by a fault of low to moderate northwesterly dip (Ororio fault). Serpentinites occur ‘along this fault and in the Parauinkrein phyllite above the fault. ‘The nature of the movement along this surface and the origin of the serpentinites are. not known, but the structural relations are of regional importance, since a similar situation is found in the northern Jarara area (J. P. Lockwood, personal com- munication). (Fig 8, 6).Founrn Canmpean Grotocica, Conrsnace, Trasmap 1965 7s ‘The structural relations of the Mesozoic rocks to ‘the pre-Mesozoie rocks of the Macuira area are not clear. The possibility of major horizontal displacements, of the Mesozoic strata over the Guajira complex ean- not be ruled out. ‘The age and corrclation of some of the lower Mesozoic and middle Mesozoic formations of the peninsula are in doubt. Tt is suggested that the La Quinta and Uipana Formations correlate with part of ‘the Guajira trough section (Fig.'7). In the Cocinas area, ‘the Rio Negro Formation as mapped by Rollins (1960) consists of a lower leucocratic sandstone member and an upper brown sandstone and conglomerate member, separated by a thin limestone member, the Cuisa member. ‘The lower leucoeratic sandstone member, which pinches out southward, is equivalent to the Chinapa Formation of O. Renz (1960) on the north side of the Guajira trough; and, the limestone member, to the Kesima Formation of Renz. in the same area. The upper sandstone member is equivalent to the Pal Formation of O. Renz (1960). The following possi- bilities are suggested : the lower Mesozoic redbeds of Cerzo Vipana and the Macuira area. (La Quinta Forma~ tion), outside of the Guajira trough correlate Cheterlo Formation of the Guajira trough; and, the Uipana Formation of Cerro Uipana correlates approxi- mately the lower member of the Rio Negro Formation of Rollins (1960) on the north side of the Guajira trough (= Chinapa Formation of O. Renz, 1960) . ‘As already indicated, the stratigraphic position and structural relations of the Upper Cretaceous Parat kkrein phyllite are uncertain, More precise age deter- minations for this formation and its equivalents are needed. Several authors (Hess and Maxwell, 1953; Rod, 1956; Alberding, 1957) have suggested major right lateral strike-slip faulting in northern South America. ‘The Guajira complex of the peninsula is the exposed part of a major crustal block which may have be Aisplaced eastward along the Oca fault trend markis the northem limit of the Sierra Nevada de Sant Marta and the Sierra de Perija. Finally, did the Guajira trough sediments sccumu- late in an carly Mesozoic graben similar to the early Mesozoic basins of eastern North America? Was the ‘rough formed as_a tensional feature at the northern margin of the South American continental ‘mass as it moved away from the North American con- tinental erust in the early Mesozoic? AckNowLEpcEMEnTs ‘This report is a summary of a study (MacDonald, 1964) undertaken as part of the continuing investiga tions of the Caribbean Research Project of the Geology Department, Princeton University, under the super- vision of H."H. Hess. Funds supporting this study were provided by the Ministerio de Minas y Petroleos of Colombia and the Caribbean Research Fund of Prince- ton University, to which contributions have been made by the Creole, Mene Grande, Shel, and Soeony-Mobil oil companies. ‘Revenences Alberding, HC, 1951, Appllcation of principles of wrench-fault ‘estonies of Moody and Hill to northern South Americn, Geol. Soe. Amerioa Bill, v. 68, p. 185-190 Burgi, Hans, 1960, Geologia’ de Ia’ Peninsula de la Guajira, Colombia, Bol Geologic (Colombia), v, 6, p, 129-168, Coombs, D. 3, 1961, Some recent work ‘oh the lower grades ‘of nelamérphisin: Austral, Jour Set, v.24, D._ 200-215, Cuadro de Correlacion “de tas ‘Unidades Estratigraticas en. ‘Venezuela y ‘Trinidad, 1962, Primer Congreso Venezolano de Petroleo, March, 1962. ‘Hedberg, H. D, 1931," Crotaceous Umestone as petroleum source rock in northwestern Veneauela: Am. Assoc, Petro- eum Geologists Bull, v. 18, p. 229-248. ‘Heaberg, H. D,, and Sass, L, C, 1087, Sinopals de las forma- clones geologicas de ia parte occidental de la euenca. de Maracaibo, Venezuela : Bot de Geol y Min Venezuela, v. 1 p.Ti20. Hess, H. Hy and Maxwell, J. C. 1983, Caribbean Research Broject: Geol. Soe. Amerioa Bull, v. 64, D. 1-6 Kundig, —E, 1938, Tas rocas pre-Cretdceas de’ los Andes ‘cenirales do Venezuela, con’ algunas observaciones sobre su teetonien: Bol. de Geol. y Min. Veneeuel, ¥. 2, p. 21-43. ‘MacDonald, W. D, 1964, Geology of the Serrania do Macuira ‘area, Guajira” Peninsula, Colombia: unpublished PhD. ‘thesis, Dept. Geol, Princeton Unto. Radell, L,, 1960, HI basamento cristaling de la Peninsula de la Guajira: Bol, Geologico (Colombia), ¥. 8, p. 5-52 Radeli, 1, 1062, Las dos granttlzaciones de Ia Eeningule de 1a Guajita Qiorte de Colombia): Geoloyia. Colombiana, No. 1, p. 5419, Soe. de Geol, Dept. Geol, Inst. Clencias Naturates, Univ. Nacional de Colombia, Bogota. Renz, 0, 1966, Cretaceous. in western Veneausla and the Guajira, (Colombia): preprint, 20th Intl. Geol. Cong., Merico City, 13p. Renz, O,, 1959, stratigrafia del Cretaceo en Venemusla occl- dental: Bol. de Geol. (Venezuela), v. 8, D. 3-48. Renz, 0, 1960, Geolopia do Ja parte Sureste de Ia Peninsula do 1s Guajira (Republica de Colombia) : Bol. de Geo! (Venezuela), special publication No. 3, ¥. 1, D. 17-349. Rod, E,, 1956 Strike-slip faults of northern ‘Veneauela : Am. ‘Assoc, Petrolenm Geologists Bull, v40, pAST-AT6. Rod, Hand Mayne, E, 1954, Revision of Lower Cretaceous ‘straligraphy of Venezuela’: Am. Assoe, Petroleum Geolo- ists Bull, v.38 p.199-228 Rollins, J. F, 1960, Stratigraphy and structure of the Goajira ‘Peninsula, northwestern Venezuela and northeastern Colombia ? unpublished PhD. thesis, Dept, Geol, Unio. of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska (revised version in press, Univ, of Nebraska Press). Servicio Geologico Naclonal, 1963, Mapa geolosico de tas Dlanchas A-I4, A-15, A-16, B-14, B-15, clunpira; 1:200,000 Ministerio de ‘Minas y Petroleos, Bogota, Statnforth, 'R. ML, 1902a, The upper Bocene of the Guajira Peninsula : Assoc. Venes. Geol. Min, Petrol, Bol. Inform, v5, p220-200, Stalnforth, RM, 196%), Definitions of some new stratigraphic uuntts in wostern Venemuola: Las Piles, Coculan, Verge, TE Jebe, Tres Hoquinas, and Nasaret: ussoo, Venes, Geol Min. Petrot, Bol. Inform, ¥5, 219-282 Stutzor, ©, 1998, Zur Geologie der Goajira-Halbinsel : Newes ‘Jahr. tin. Geol. Pat, Beilagedand 58, Abt. B., p304-326. (Translated into Spanish 3 Contribuclon a, ia. geologia de ia Peninsula do ta Goajira : Compll, Bstud. Geol, Ofc. Colombia v2 palt-243). Sutton, F. A, 1948, Geology of the Maracalbo Basin, Vene~ ‘ucla: Am, Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull, ¥20, pIG2- rm.