Volumen Especial N¥6 Alberto Giasecke Matto (2005) p. 127-140, CALDERA-RELATED ASH-FLOW TUFF OF PALEOCENE AGE IN CENTRAL PERU AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR LATE CRETACEOUS AND PALEOCENE MAGMATISM, SEDIMENTATION AND TECTONISM. DONALD C. NOBLE', CESARE, VIDAL *, CARLOS ANGELES Z.°, JAMES M. WISE ‘, KATHLEEN A. ZANETTI? & TERRY L. SPELL? ' 3450 Rolling Fidge Road, Reno, NV 89506 USA. den @kor.rene.nvus * Compania de Minas Buenaventura SAA, Carlos Vilarin 750, Urb. Sia. Catalina, Lima 13, Pert ‘cesarvid Sbuenaventura.com.pe 0 South American Exolorers Club, Casila 3714, Lima 100, Pett ‘carlosangeles @terra.com pe + University of Nevada, Fero, Reno, NV 89557 USA. jimyoso@yahoo com £ Nevada Isotope Geochranology Laboratory, Univorsity of Nevada, Las Vegas, Department of Geoscience, 4508 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 80754 USA. keanetti® comailnevada.edu; tspali@cemailnevada.ccu ABSTRACT A thick and voluminous sequence of eaty Paleogene rhyolite ash-iow tuff is preserved on the western slope ofthe Andes atthe latitude of Chincha, sout-central Pen. Most ofthe ttt is within two collapse calderas that extend {rom the vicinity of puoblo Azangaro to rio San Juan tothe southeast. °Ar™Ar isochron ages of 59.70:0.55 Ma on phenocrystic sanidine from the Azéngaro Tuff and 62.4920.35 Ma on plagioclase from the more widely exposed “Tunsho Tuff show that the ash-llow sheets are of Paloocene age. Intracaldera tut is intruded by plutons ithologcally similar to those of the Coastal Batholith, two of which have yielded an isochron ages of 59.4720.44 Ma and 52.1620.31 Ma {An age of deposition of equal to or more than about 88 Ma has boen obtainod from *Ar/"Ar incremental. heating data obiained on phonociystc plagioclase {rom densely welded tuff within a small caldera centered west of the pueblo of Huantan in the southern part of the Yauyos quadrangle. The age is based on the last two heating steps, involving 22.6 percent of the released Ar; lower temperature step ages of from 15.7520.28 to 37.7120.23 Ma are interpreted as rellecing thermal reseting by nearby plutons of early to miele Miocene age. The large rio Canete caidora, wall exposed by the central part of rio Cafete, is probably of early Miocene age. Putons as young as 85 to 60 Ma are present within the central and eastem parts of the Coastal Batholith. “The new data demonstrate that major cooval caldere-relatad ash-‘low velcanism was an integral part of the latast Crotaccous and early Paleogene magmatic history of the Andean orogen. Pyrociasic rocks of Paleocene age are not known inthe belt of deformed rocks east ofthe Coastal Batholth, suggesting thatthe Coastal Batholith belt was at relatively tow elevation during this timo. Subsidence and perhaps the formation of centred complexes and calderas may have been related lo reduced compressive stress andior extension The absence of pyrociastic material in the Casapalca Formation, which conformably overlies the Upper Cretaceous Colendin Formation, strongly suggests that the Casapalea does not extend into the upper Paleocene Pyroclastc rocks of the Huanlan caldera unconformably overie tightly folded Mesozoic strata and were in turn strongly folded during the inaic il compressive pulse prio: to deposition of conglomerate and overlying ash-fow tut {ated at about 45 Ma. Those relationships provido evidence for the existence ofthe Incaic | compressive pulse in coniral Peru. In many places the unconformity between the Casapalca Formation and Eocene conglomerate and volcanic rock includes both the incaic | and incae i deformational pulses. ‘Koy words: Paleocene volcanism, collapse calderas, Coastal Batholith, “Ar®*Ar isotopic dating, RESUMEN Una voluminosa secuencia de ignimbritas rioliticas del Peleégeno temprano esta preservada en la verliente ‘occidental de los Andes en la latitud de Chincha en el Pert central. La mayor parte de estas tobas se encuentran dentro de dos calderas de colapsa la cual se axtiande desde la vecindad de pueblo Azangaro hasta ol rio San Juan al Sureste. Edades isoordnicas “Ar/"*Ar de 59.70+0.55 abtenida en fenocristales de sanidina dei Tufo Azangaro y 62.4920.35 Ma obtenida en lenocristales de plagioclasa det Tufo Tunsno demuestran que estas secuencias de toba son de edad palcocona. Las tobas son de cardcier intracaldera y osta intruida por plutonos litelégicamente similares a los del Batolito de la Costa, dos de estos han dado edades isocrénicas do 69.4720.44 Ma y §2.1620.31 Ma, Una edad de deposicién igual o mayor a §8 Ma ha sido obtenida por data de calentamiento incremental “Ar! "Ar sobre lenocristales de plagiociasas de tobas densamente soldadas dentro de una pequeha caldera cuyo128 onal C. Noble, eta centro queda al Oeste del pueblo Huantén en el oxtromo sur dol cuadrangulo de Yauyos. Esta edad esté basada en Ios itimos dos datos de calentamiento e involucra 22.6% del “Ar emitido por la muestra: las dos edades calculadas para las temperaturas mas bajas en el proceso son 15,750.28 Ma y 37.7140.23 Ma; estas edades se interpretan como un reequilibrio térmico producido por plutones cercanos de edad Mioceno madio. La caldera de tio Cafiete que esté bien expuesta en la parte central del r/o del mismo nombre y se ford probablemente durante ‘1 Mioceno. La parte central y oriental det Batolito de la Costa presenta plutones de edad entre 65 a 60 Ma, Esta nueva dala geocronolégica demuestra que el volcanismo relacionado @ calderas fue parte integral dol magmatismo entre el Cretaceo tardio y el Paleégeno. No conocemos rocas pirociasticas dol Paleoceno en las rocas encajonantes al Este del Batolito de la Costa; esto sugiere que el batoiilo estuvo expuesto a elevaciones menores en esta opoca. La formacion de complojos anulares y calderas podria haber estado rolacionada a un régimen de estuerzos ‘compresivos atenuados 0 incluso a extensién cortical La ausencia de materiales piroclasticos en la Formacion Casapalca, la cual sobreyace en discordancia a la Formacién Celendin dol Cretéceo tardio, sugiere que esta primera no so deposité en el Paleoceno superior. Las tocas pitoclésticas de la caldera Huantén yacen discordantemente sobre esiratos plegadas del Mezosoico y = a su vez ~ fueron plogadas duranta el pulso compresivo incaico Il antes de la deposicion de conglomerados y tobas sobreyacentes alrededor de 45 Ma. Estas relaciones evidencian la oxistencia de la pulsacién tecténica Incaica | en ef Peru central. En numerosas localidades la discordancia entre la Formacicn Casapalea y los. cconglomerades con rocas volednicas suprayacontes incluyo a las pulsaciones tect6nicas Incaica | e Incaica I Palabras claves: voleanismo palooceno, caidoras de collapse, Batolito do la Costa, datacién isotopica WAr**Ar INTRODUCTION ‘Thoughout most of Pent, the Cretaceous and. Paleocene Coastal Bathoith is unconformably overlain by Cenozoic voloanic rocks, in most cases welded ash-fiow tuff of outflow-sheet facies. A readily accessible example is the lower Miocene Nazca Tuft (Noble et al., 1979a). Near Lima, a thick unit of densely welded rhyolite tuff on which concordant K- ‘Ar age determinations of 41.320.5 Ma (biotite) and 40.24.0 Ma (plagioclase) have been obtained directly ‘overties eroded granite ofthe Coastal Batholith (Noble et al., 1978; 1979b). This age showed that the batholith had been uplited and eroded by: middie Eocene age. Various lines of evidence suggest an ‘earlier age of exposure. In the Lurin quadrangle, the ash-flow unit dated at 41.3:0.5 Ma overlies older volcanic rocks that fil a rugged paleotopography developed on the Coastal batholith and its Mesozoic, wallrocks. In addition, Arar ages of about 45 Ma have been obtained on volcanic rocks that tunconformably overlie the post-incaic erosion surface in three localities in south-central Peru (D.C. Noble & CE. Vidal, unpublished data). ‘The present paper presents data on a unit of caldera-related Paleocene ash-flow tuff that unconformably overlies granitic rocks of the Coastal Batholith. The new observations have Implications for various aspects of the early Paleogene geological evolution of the western Andean orogen. Study of the distribution of characteristics and distribution of the ash-flow unit and its associated collapse caldera are in progress, and for this reason they are not formally defined and named herein. PALEOCENE TUNSHO AND AZANGARO TUFFS. AND SANTA BEATRIZ AND AZANGARO CALDERAS Geological setting and description Inthe Tantaré quadrangle and the southemmost part of the Tupe quadrangle, thick sequences of thyolitc ash-low tuff are exposed between latitudes 12°58’ and 13°20’ S east of Cariete and Chincha Alta (Fig. 1). As presently known, the units extends from northeast of pueblo Azéngaro (which is about thirty kilometers east-southeast of Lunahuana) and the valley of rio San Juan to the south. The sequence ‘consists of a number of ash-tlow depositional units that have compacted and welded as a single unit, nowhere has a cooling break been observed. Present known extent is at least 600 square Kilometers. Preserved thickness exceeds 3,000 meters north of rio San Juan.We here subdivide these tufts into to ‘new stratigraphic units, the Tunsho and Azangaro Tufts. ‘The ash-tlow tuft is typically densely welded and phencoryst-rich, and the groundmass is ‘commonly granophyrically crystallized. Some specimens contain abundant phenocrysts of plagioclase, quartz and sanidine accompanied by lesser amounts of biotite, hornblende and other minor phases. Sanidine phenocrysts as large as one cm in diameter have been observed at one locality. Sanidine: free tu containing abundant plagioclase accompanied by biotite, hornblende and in many rocks variable amounts of quartz also. One unit contains plagioclase accompanied by clinopyroxene. Lithic fragments are abundant in some tufts. Because no cooling break has been observed within the sequence, the variationsCaldora-Related Ach-fow Tuff of Paleocene Age in Cental Peri 129 in phenocryst mineralogy are interpreted as reflecting compositional variations within the magma chamber. Most of the preserved tuft fills two collapse calderas of similar age, which are here termed the Santa Beatriz and Azangaro calderas, which extend for more than thirty kilometers from the southern par of the Tupe quadrangle southeast to rio San Juan (Fig. 1), The southwestern wallof the Santa Beatriz caldera is best exposed on the north wall of the canyon of rio San Juan at longitude 75°40'W. Here, the wall, cut in rock mapped by Salazar and Landa (1993) as Huaranguilo Formation of Cretaceous age and granitic rock of the Coastal Batholith, extends from an elevation of about 3,100 meters to 1,200 meters in the valley of rio San Juan. Based ‘on evidence from many other described calderas (e.g., Lipman, 1984; 1997), the intracaldera tuff prism almost certainly extends well below the elevation of the river valley. Plutons within the intracaldera tuff prism mapped by Salazar & Landa (1993) as. belonging to the Cretaceous Tiabaya supor- unit of the Coastal Batholith intrude the ash- flow sequence. The caldera wall is also exposed about a kilometer east of the pueblo of San Pedro de Yanac, where northeast- dipping tut overties granitic rock of the Coastal Batholith. The sequence of Paleocene Tutfhas been provisionally subdivided into two units: the Azangaro Tuff, named for the pueblo of Azangaro and, to the south, the Tunsho Tuff, ‘named for Cerro Tunsho, to the south (Fig. 1; Angeles, 2005). The existence of two distinct sequences of intracaldera ash-flow tuff is based on citferences in age (see below), phenocryst mineralogy, and distribution of rock types. The Azéngaro Tul is lithologically very distinct, being characterized by abundant large phenocrysts of both sanidine and quartz Although the Tunsho Tuff contains ash flows ‘with abundant sanidine, many of the subunits have plagioclase and greater or lesser amounts of quartz as their felsic phenocryst minerals. Secondly, the Azéngaro Tutt is about 2.5 10 3 million years younger than the Tunsho Tul (see below). Exposures of the Azangaro Tuff are restricted to northerneasternmost part of the Tantara quadrangle, To the east intracaldera tuff is overlain by intermediate voleanic rocks of probable Oligocene age. In adcition, field relations suggest that only the southern part ‘of the Azéngaro caldera is preserved, with the northern portion having been intruded by Ea “sateen fs See TE cen cuenta FEED reserva rote FES comer ne, 190m Loomer nd ons Fig. 1: Map showing locations of isotopically-dated specimens of Paleocene and Eocene ash-tlow tuff discussed in paper. Geology is generalized from Salazar and Landa (1993) and Mégard et al. (1996), with modifications based on reconnaissance observations, detailed mapping and ‘Sotopie dating of the present authors granitic rocks and obliterated by Miocene caldera subsidence. The Tunsho Tuff is exposed over amuch wider area, although its likely that the southeastern part of the Sante Beatriz caldera has been intruded and obliterated by late Paleocene andior early Paleocene granitic rocks Isotopic dating Feldspar trom two specimens of densely welded ast-flow tuff have been dated using “Ar/"*Ar methods.130 ‘Age (Ma) 2 Donald ©. Noble, eta Pasa 0206100 eros ‘Sop nnn alt? —————— Srorerouneanct2 74» plagociase afar ‘Te plagociase ‘Age (Ma) & smn 60304 Sopettreup tae 2 arr ar toro=3t Sort acaa om omc art ar ‘acor prigiecine ‘Age (Ma) 8 © os 2 «ww 4° Ar Released ‘AC « pigiocase _ %™Ar Released we oo Ww Fraction “Ar Roloased Fig. 2: Incremental-heating spectra and isociron plots for sanidine and plagioclase separates CADP and Tl-4 and incremental-heating spectra for plagioclase separates TU-32 and plagioclase separate Y3CCaldera-Related Ash-tlow Tut at Paleacane Age in Cantral Pen Phenoorystic sanidine from a specimen of densely welded rhyolte ash-tlow tutt (CADP) collected several kilometers south of Azéngaro (Fig. 1; UTM ‘coordinates 047869E, 8560760N) was separated using @ combination of magnetic, heavy-liquid and hand-picking methods. Data obtained by standard step-heating methods are given in the appendix and summarized in Figure 2. The sanidine trom the Azangaro Tuff yields @ preferred isochron age of 59.7020.77 Ma calulated using six of the twelve heating steps (Fig. 2) (All analytical uncertainties are at the one-sigma level.) A slightly older plateau age of 60.6220.44 Ma is obtained utilizing data from 67.3 percent of the released *Ar. The fotal-gas age is 61.1420.37 Ma. The slightly older plateau and total- ‘gas ages reflect the presence of excess “Ar, as shown by the “ArP*Ar ratio of 303.8::3.8 calculated from the isochron plot and the appreciably higher age obtained forthe first heating stop. The remaining steps, however, show no evidence of the saddle shape typical of the presence of excess radiogenic argon. Nor does the spectrum show a pattem of progressively increasing age, a feature typical of loss of radiogenic argon by heating or alteration. in conclusion, the isochron age of 59.7020.77 Ma is considered to provide the best estimate of the time of eruption and deposition of the ash-flow unit. Phenocrystic plagioclase was separated from a second specimen of densely welded rhyolite ash- tlow tuff of the Tunsho Tuff collected about 1.5 Kilometers west-southwest of the the pueblo of Bellavista (Fig. 1; UTM coordinates 0412000E, '8548000N). Data obtained by standard step-heating methods are given in the appendix and summarized in Figure 2. The plagioclase yields a prelerred isochton ago of 62.49+-0.35 Ma calculated using seven of the twelve heating steps (Fig. 2). (All analytical uncertainties are at the one-sigma level.) An analytically identical pseudo plateau age of 62.44=0.36 Ma is obtained utilizing data from 46 percent of the released Ar. The total-gas age is 63.1240.35 Ma, which is identical to the isochron and pseudo plateau ages within the limits of analytical Uncertainty. The “Ar*Ar ratio of 2.961.4 obtained from the isochron plot is very close to that of atmospheric argon, consistent with the agreement of, the isochron and total-gas ages. The Paleocene age of the Tunsho Tuff and Santa Beatriz caldera is supported by two very recently obtained ““Ar/*Ar age determinations on monzonite and quartz monzonite that intrude the southem part ofthe intracaldera tu prism of the Santa Boatriz caldora, These rocks had been assigned to the ca. 80 Ma Tiabaya super-unit of the Coastal Batholith by Cobbing and Moore (1984) and Salazar and Landa (1993). The monzonite (MO4-4), from near the pueblo of Sihuay (UTM coordinates 0426370E, 8598330N), yields an isochron age of 59.4720.44 Ma 131 and a plateau age of 58.0620.52 Ma The intrusive probably represents a late phase in the evolution of the Santa Beatriz caldera. The quartz monzonite is, exposed along the north bank of rio San Juan, Orthoclase from a very fresh coarsely crystalline ‘specimen (MO04-2) froma road cutat UTM coordinates, (0431049E, 8530728N yields a preferred isochron age of 52.16#0.31 Ma that utlizes 11 of 13heating steps: anda plateau age of 52.1420.36 Ma that incorporates 166.5 percent of the released Ar (Fig, 3). This pluton ‘does not appear to be related to the Santa Beatriz caldera, and its age requires that some, and perhaps. most, ofthe intrusive rocks in the southeastern part of Figure 1 shown as early Miocene are of early Eocene age. PALOECENE TUFF WITHIN THE HUANTAN CALDERA Geological setting and description ‘A small collapse caldera, here termed the Huantan caldera, is cut by rio Cafete at about latitude 12°27'S (Fig. 1). Mégard etal. (1996, p. 120, Fig. 30) considered the great thickness of volcanic rock (mappedas Tantara Formation) to be of tectonic origin We interpret the section to be an intracaldera tuff prism that formed simultaneously with intense pyroolastic eruption. The intracaldera rooks are Uniformly very densely welded and have been subject to pervasive low-grade alteration. The alteration probably is @ combination of auto-alteration concurrent with welding and siow cooling and granophyric crystallization and subsequent alteration related to the emplacement of plutons of early to middle Miocene age. At loast focally the tutf contains fine-grained biotite in the groundmass. Plagioclase is the principal phenooryst phase, with quartz commonly present. Phenocrystic biotite appears to have been present, perhaps accompanied by hornblende and/or Glinopyroxene. Isotopic dating Phenocrystic plagioclase from a specimen of densely welded tutf (TU-12) collected trom a road cut at UTM coordinates 8574930N, 0408654 was dated. Mineral separation utlized a combination of magnetic, heavy-liquid and hand-picking methods. The argon system is strongly disturbed, with the first 58 Percent of the spectrum giving ages ranging trom 15.7520.28 to 20,670.30, with all but one step falling betwoon 15.7520.28 and 17.9520.22 Ma, Subsequent steps give ages of 27, 1840.27 and 37.7140.23 Ma. The two highest-temperature steps, incorporating 22.6 percent ofthe released *Ar, give ages of 58,880.34 and 56.73+0.30 Ma. We interpret the spectrum as represent thermal resetting of plagioclase having an192 MOL - onthociae Donald €. Noble, ot ‘Mot4 - onmocise meceesas0sine | jaaetannen ] - Eressocemivara | | seers | ‘Swos reg Tt os y oom. Bo 454 site afar ee coe pepe aa seem : someneees = 0 ona. i =z. + : = sal z || 3 Bow 14 ar Released Pata Fig, 3: ncremental-heating spectra and isochron plots for orthectase separated from spsoimens MO4-4 and MO4-2 age of about 60 Ma. The average of the last two steps, about 58 Ma, is interpreted as providing a lower limit ‘on the age of the tuff. Stratigraphic confirmation of Paleocene age of Huantan caldera ‘The Paleocene tuff, assigned to the Tantard formation by Mégard et al. (1996), is overlain with ‘strong unconformity by volcanic rocks assigned by Mégard et al. (1996; Photos No. 19 and 20) to the Sacsaquero Formation. Megard et al. (1996) trace the Sacsaquero Formation to the southeast and east, where the Sacsaquero Formation unconformably overlies strongly deformed Mesozoic strata and is itself folded along north-northwost trending axes. At Latitude 12°26.2'S, Longitude 75°40.5'W, the Sacsaquero Formation, which includes a unit of boulder conglomerate at its base, unconformably overlies the Casapalca Formation, Noble etal. (1979) presented a K-Ar age determination of 35.31.8 Ma (on plagioclase (specimen Y-3C} trom a unit of welded ash-flow tuff directly overlying the unit of boulder conglomerate. ““Ar/Ar dating of the same mineral separate has yielded a moderately disturbed spoctrum (Fig. 2), with a total-gas age of 42.47+0.23 Ma anda final, high-temperature step, incorporating 31.4 % of the released “Ar, of 45.7820.31 Ma, which we considerCaldera-Related Asn-iow Tut Paleocene Age in Central Pend to provide the best estimate for the age (middle Eocene) of the unit. This age both confirms a Paleocene age for the tuff within the Huantan caldera and shows that the contact between the Paleocene and middle Eocene sequence represents the post- Incaic I unconformity. Moreover, the geological relations require that the unconformity between the Paleocene tuff and strongly deformed Mesozoie strata, as exposed along the easter wall ofthe valley of rio Cafiete between atitudes 12°20'S and 12°23'S must reflect deformation of the Incaic | compressive pulses: (Noble et al., 1985; Benavides Caceres, 1999). EARLY MIOCENE RIO CANETE CALDERA A large caldera or caldera complex, here termed the rio Cafiete caldera, is exposed inthe valley of rio Cafete between the Azéngaro and Huantén calderas (Fig. 1), Tuff within the caldera is more than. 3000 meters thick. Sanidine phenocrysts from intracaldera tut exposed along rio Huangascar yielded a strongly U-shaped spectrum suggestive of a large amount of excess argon. No isochron could be calculated. excess argon is present, the lowest step, with an age of 22,610.21 Ma, sets an upper limit on the age of the caldera. This age is consistent with plateau and total-gas ages of 21.1220.93 and 21.20+0.32 Ma, respectively, obtained on tut from near the westemn margin of the caldera. An early Miocene age for the rio Cafiete caldera is confirmed by anew plateau age of 22,180.07 Ma obtained on unaltered intracaldera tuff about 10 kilometers northwest of Catahuasi. The rio Cajiete caldera belongs to the period of intense large-volume caldera-related ash-tow volcanism of earliest Miocene age recognized throughout Peru. OTHER CALDERAS: ‘A number of other calderas and possible calderas have been recognized between rio Rimac and tio Pisco. The most readily accessible is cut by the lower part of rio Rimac. From 1600 to more than 2500 meters of intracaldera tuft is exposed north and ‘south of the river in the vicinity of longitude 76°30'W. Uncommon, but definite, blocks of wallrock as much as three meters or more in diameter can be seen in cliffs on the south side of Cerro Ticapampa and excellent columnar jointing is present at various elevations of Cerro Huacre and elsewhere. Large areas mapped as Tertiary andesite actually consist of densely welded ash-tiow tuff of the intracaldera tuft prism. This caldera, although not dated, may be of Paleocene age. Intracaldera tuff is also exposed in the northwestern par of the Huarochiri quadrangle in the valley of rio Lurin in the area encompassing and surrounding pueblos Cruz de Laya, Lamina and San 193, José de Los Chorrillos. This sequence is probably of early Miocene age but may be as old as Paleocene. COMPARISON OF AGES TO THOSE OF OTHER CENOZOIC VOLCANIC ROCKS ‘The new ages of 62.4920.35, 59.7010.77 and about 58 Ma, falling within the riddle part of the Paleocene epoch, are about 15 milion years older than the oldest Cenozoic volcanic rocks previously dated in central and northem Peri (Nobie et al., 1979; 1990; D.C. Noble & C.E. Vidal, unpublished data) ‘The new Paleocene ages are at the upper end of the range of ages obtained on rocks ofthe Toquepala Group in southem Pera, These include ages of about 70 Ma ‘obtained on rocks from the central part of the Group and ages of about 65 and 59 Ma obtained on overiying rocks (James et al., 1974: Sebrier et al., 1983; Benavides-Caceres, 1999; Martinez & Cervantes, 2003). GEOLOGIC RELATIONS BETWEEN PALEOCENE TUFF AND THE UNDERLYING COASTAL BATHOLITH In the vicinity of pueblos Azangaro and Chavin, remnants of the outflow-sheet facies of the Paleocene Azéngaro Tut overie rocks of the Coastal Batholith. The granitic rock underlying the dated sample were mapped by Salazar & Landa (1993) as part of the Catahuasi pluton, on which a Rb-Sr whole- rock isochron age of 24s Ma (latest Oligocene) has been obtained on specimens collected in the valley of rio Cafiete (Beckinsale etal, 1985). Granitic rocks included within the Catahuasi pluton clearty intrude a very thick (e»3,000 m) intracaldera section of intracaldera ash-fiow tuff of probable Paleocene age. The granitic rocks underlying the Paleocene tuff in the vicinity of Azangaro and Chavin, which difer inlithology from the dated Catahuasi pluton, therefore ‘must belong to one or more plutons of the Coastal Batholith. The relations show that certain of the granitic rocks of the Coastal Batholith were exposed by early Paleocene time. AGE OF THE COASTAL BATHOLITH The upper limit of the age of the Coastal Batholith has been disputed. Pitcher & Cobbing (1985) included granitic rocks as young late Eocene, for ‘example the Pativilca pluton dated at about 37 Ma, within the Coastal Batholith. Soler (1991) set the upper limit at 35 Ma. In contrast, Vidal (1980) argued that the Coastal Batholith should be considered as consisting of granitic rocks of Mesozoic and early Paleogene age. Vidal (1980) placed tho boundary between the Coastal Batholith and plutons of younger magmatic activity, which he termed the «Acos event»134 at the Incaic compressive event. Subsequently, the Incaic event has been recognized as consisting of two separate tectonic pulses (Noble et al, 1985), the earlier of which may have taken place in late Paleocene or early Eocene time. We prefer the conceptual model of Vidal (1980). As an empirical (and, we believe, genetically meaningtul) criterion, plutons within the Coastal Batholith block emplaced during the Paleocene are considered as belonging to the Coastal Batholith whereas plutons of Eocene and younger age (less than about 55 to 50 Ma) are related to discrete magmatic events postdating the Coastal Batholith. 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