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MINISTERIO ENERGIA
YMINAS BRl"IJH OSOLCOICA~ 3\IR'll!V

'

INFORME No. 1
REPORT No. l

WORLD BANK MINING DEVELOPMENT ANO

ENVIRONMENTAi. CONTROL. PROJECT
PROYECTO BANCO MUNOIAL DE DESARROLLO
MINERO Y CONTROL AMBIENTAL

GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION MAPPING PROGRAMME

(WESTERN CORDILLERA)
PROGRAMA OE INFORMACl6N CARTOGRAF!CA Y GEOLOGICA
(CORDILL ERA OCCIDENTAL)
 ~
Bl3!i
~
18~5

CODIGEM

PROYF.\TO f>E f>ESARROLLO MIN ERO Y CONTROi. AMHI J::N rAL

PROGRAMA DE INFORMAC'ION CA IO OG RAFICA Y GEOLOG IC:A

Report Number I

GEOLOGY OF T HE COl{DILLERA OCCIDENTAL OF ECUADOR

BETWEEN 3°00 "AND 4°00'S

\Varr<n T. Pron
Jua1t Figucruu
Rolivar florcs

CODIC'iE:-.1 • ARITISI I GCOLOGICAL SURVEY

Quito • Ecuador
I <)<)7
CONTENTS
1. 11\TRODUCCIO>I
I. I Background
1.2 Access and 1nap coverage
1.3 Geological frnme,vork of Ecuador 2
1.4 Prev ious geological stud ies 2
1.5 Acknowkdg1ncnts 2
1.6 OGS publicalions
·'''
2. GF.OLOGICAL SU:Vl:VIAR Y )

3. LITHOSTR1\TIGRAPI !Y 5
3. I Individual 1netamorphic rock 5
'j 7 __
Pallatanga Unit 7
33 Celica Unit 8
'4
j. Yunqui ll a l!nit 9
3.5 <~uingeo Formation 10
3.6 Sacapalca Unit 12
3.7 Cutan1ayo Formation 15
3.8 Saraguro Group 16
3.R. I Las Trancas Formation 17
3.R.2 Portovt:lo Unil 18
3.8.3 Plancharumi 1-'ormation 19
3.8.4 La forLuna Fonnation 19
' 8 .)- Jubones I-' ormation
.). 20
3.8.6 La PaL Funnation 21
1-
3.9 Santa Isabe l Fonnation ~)
").,
3.10 Ayancay Group ~'

3. l l Turi Formation 29
3.12 Turuparnba Fonnation 31
' . I .), Uchucay Forrnation
.) 31
3.14 Quinsacocha Formation '?
.)_

3.15 Tarqui Fonnation 32

4. 11\TRUSIONS 33
4 I Granitoids J'3
42 Sub-volcanic/minor intrusions .. 5
-'
4 .3 Domes 36
5. STRUCTURE 37
6. ECONCHvllC GF.01.0GY )<.)

6.1 Porphyry mineralisation 40

6.2 Epithcnnal deposits assoc iated with rhyolites and regional 42
fractures
6.3 tvlesothcnnal. base metal-and gold-bearing ve ins 44
6.5 Volcanogcnic 1nassive sul phides lYl'vlS) 48
6.6 Travenint: 49
6.7 [l ui !Jing stone 49
7. GFOPHYSICS 50
8 GEO! ,OGICAL I IISTORY 50
<). REFF.RENCES 52
f'lGURES
Figure I Locatio n of the study arcn \Vllh simpl ified geo logy.
Figure 2 Si1nplified slraligraphical coltunn.
Figure 3 Sacapalca l Jnit. Sketch of Filo de Scucer [6880 96195 ]. vie\1:ed fron1 east.
Figure .t Cartoon of the stratigraphy aud ~tructure of the Santa Isabel Rasin .
figu1c 5 l sop<1ch niap of the Ju bones Fonnation.
Figure 6 \Vcsl wall of the Rfo Minas. south,~cst of Santa Isabel.
Figun: 1 Sketch of the area east of San Sebastian de Yuluc.
Figure 8 Cartoons sho"ing the develop1nc11t of the La Crl\,t ..\nticltnc.
Figun: 9 Tectonic models for the !hulling around Ponce E1\ iqucL.
Figure 10 ~lnp of the LUlal 1nagnetic fid<l grid with the digitised g.:ological 1nup
overlain upon it.

TABL ES
T obie I Saraguro Group north\\·e~t nfQuinu;c,.
Tahle 2 Saraguro Group \ICSt of 1he Chaucha-Rio Jerez Lineament.

AP PEJ\ DI CF:S
. \ppen<lix I Age dates: new and existing.
Appendix 2 \Vhole rocr.. geochemistry.
Appendix 3 T hin section de1ail s.
App~ndix .t Kappamcrcr (apparent magnclic su~ceptibilily. emu) and sci ntoll omcter
readings.

PLATES
Plate I a) Yunguilla Unit. bl Allcrcd andesite (Portovdu Unit).
Plate 2 a) Portovelo llnit. b) Andcsiccs dehrites. Sacapalca Lnit.
Plalc 3 a) Pyrodastic breccia. San1guro Group. b) Cry~lal tuff. Snraguro Group.
l'lme ~ Basal sur~e of the Juboncs tuff.
l'lnte 5 a) Jubones Tuff. Rio [l..1inas. b) Saraguro strdta. Kio Tenta.
Plme 6 a) Angular unconformily m base of Ayancay Group. h) Ayancay Group. Kio
Ju bones.
Plate 7 Ayancay Group.
Pl:ite 8 a) G1r6n F:iult. b) La Crin Anticli ne.
Plate 9 a) Rio Manu thru~l (Jubones Fault Systcn1), Rio l'vlani1. b) Rio Mani1 thn1st at
Huayrnloma.
Plate 10 FoOl\\'all synclin~ beneath the La Cria thrust (Giron F:iult System).
Place: I I a) Gai'\arin Oeh. T rigopn111ba. b) The ~ilica ·-.::np.. at Ganarin.
I. INTRODUCTION

I. I Background

This report <.kscrib..-s the re$ults of I :50.000 mapping in the \Vestem Cordillcrn of Ecuador between
lotitudes J"-4° south. The \VOrk was carried uut as part of the Geological Mnpping lnforn1ation
Programme. sub-<.:un1pu11ent 3.3 of the t-1ining Development and Environtncntn l Control Teclu1ical
Assistance Project (PROUl:.l'vll NCA). The wider project is l'unded by the \Vorld Bank. Ucpartn11.:11t
of l111e111ational Devclup1111.:nt (DFID) (forn1erly the Overseas Development Adn1inistration) u i' Lht.:
United Kingdom and the S"•edish government. Geologists from the British Ui.:ulogical Surv.;y
{l:lUS) and Corporacion de Desarrollo e lnvestigacion Ueologico-l'vlincra-:'vtctahirgica
{CODIGEM). and national consultant<;. were involved. The report co1npli1ncnts a 1.200.0000 scale
geological map of the area 5800 km2 {Figure I).
Lithostratigraphy has been constrained v:ith 15 ne\\' dates (:.:ircun lissiun track aud KiAr) fron1 the
study area (Appendix I). Researchers from the S\viss Ft::deral Institute of Tcclu1ology (EPN).
Zurich have perforn1cd (lbout 200 additional fission ln1ck dales in th<: intcrmontane basins of
Southen1 Ec uador. These hove aided the regional inl<.:rprctations considerably. \¥hole rock
gcochen1istry has been carried out on 21 sampks (Appendix 2). 251 thin sections have heen
c!e.~crihed (Append ix 3). A lin1ited number of apparent magnetic susceptibility nnd scintollon1eter
rendings ha\'e been taken (Appendix 4).
Project polic) wa> to use n con1hination of informal (units) and fonnal (groups nnd formations)
stratigraphy and in genera l informal terms are used fur the pre-Eocene litho~tratigraphic sequences.
\Je\v formations and the ~ources of the original dclinitions of existing fonnntions are indicated in
the title uf 1:ach section. The lithostratigraphy has changed sl ightly fron1 a preliminary scheme
(Prall ct al., 1996). The titne scale of liar land ct a l ( l '>8'J) is used. Structural sytnbols are in che
fom1at "O I 0156 I::" (strike/dip amount/dip direction).

1.2 Access and map co\•erage

I·S0.000 topographic 1nnps are available from the lnstituto Ucogralico i\ liliUir (IG\I). Aerial
photography {IGM, I :60.000 scale) has been us~d tu so1nc extent. but is of poor quality.
f.ANDSAT imagcs were found to be useful fo r the '7icr. less incised nn:as. Examinati on of
LANDS/\T images a4ui rcd for mining companies if' · ..ttt::s that clay-a ltered zones at mineral
prospects sho\V up if the data is processed ~·ith the correct bands. Specially acquired I: 100,000
>Cale RADARS/\T co,·~r.igc. " ·ith a steep ea~tward ..look'' angle. lu try and u'ct·co1ne the typical
topographic distortion of r.idar. brings out son1e tectonic features that arc v1stble by no other
n1cthod. It also fills in the gap~ left by cloud-covered I.ANDSAT and aerial photographs. especially
in the foothills of the \Vestc:m Cordillera.
Access is generally good. The Panamerican, Cuenca-Machala and Loja-Zan1ma-Pasaje high,vays
are lhl' principal route~. Many new unsurfa1:~d accc~s roads provide acce~s to villages. irrigation
I
schernes and n11n1ng districts. Howcvc.r, large areas, such as be~·een Ponce J::nriquez and
l)7.hcurrun1i and between the Chilla-:V1anu watershed and Zaruma. re1nain ~·ithout road access.
Ahout 180 days, including rnobilisalion, were spent mapping. :Vfore rhan 2500 k.H1 or roads and
n1ule tracks have been studied. mainly in the drier "summer" (May-January) bccau~.: the roads are
poor during the rainy season. Vegetation varies fron1 shon grass. in the panuno above 3500 m. to
secondary jungle belov1 I 000 m.

1.3 Geological framework of Ecuador

Ecuador comprises three zones: coastal plain (Costa), .A.n\,lean highlands (Sierra) and Amazon
Rasin (Oriente). The Orienle is a sedimentary basin developed on a craton (Guyana Shield) and
may he interpreted as a back-arc basin. The Sierra mainly comprises tvvo mountain chains separated
by a graben, although the division is ill-delined in the lield area. The Cordillera Real. in the cast, is
made up of metamorphic rocks intruded by early ~1<::sozoic, S and I-type granitoids. The Cordillera
Occidental, in the wesl probably comprises accrel<::d lerranes of arc rocks. ocean ic crust and
turbidite sequences which range frorn !ale tvksozoic lo early Cenozoic. They are intruded by 1nid-
to late Tertiary grani toids. Post-Eocene calc-alkalinc volcanic rocks cover the older rocks. The
Costa comprises Cretaceous oceanic crust overlain by Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic fore-arc
sedimentary rocks.

1.4 Previous geological studies

Specific previous \vork is described in the appropriate sections. ucncral reforern:<::s to Ecuadorian
geology include \Volf ( 1892), Tschopp (I 948, I 953) and Sauer (1957. 1965). The first I: 1.000.000
scale geological 111ap (Servic io ~acional de Geologfa y Mineria, 1969) resulted frorn studies of the
petroleum basins.. for example Faucher et al ( 1968). Fron1 1972 to 1980. cooperation bct,vcen the
Direccion General de Geologfa y tvlinas lDGGY!) and the Institute of Geological Sciences (!GS)
resulred in a series of I: l 00.000 maps and a ne\V I: l.000.000 national map ( DGGlVI. t '>82) and
explanation (Baldock t 982). Related publications on the geology and stratigraphy of F.cuador "ere
those of Bristow and I Ioffstetter (1977). Kennerley ( 1980), 13ristO\V l 198 I ) and Henderson ( t•>79).

A second BGS-DGGtvf/TNEtvllN/CODIGEtvl project in the n1etan1orphic Cordillera Real and J::I

Oro province resulted in maps and men1oirs llitherland et al.. 1994: Aspden et al., I '>95) as "di as
ne\v I: 1.000.000 geological and tectonometallogenic n1aps (BGS and CODIGEtvf. t 993a. b).

1.5 Acknowledgments
\.Ve would like to thank our J::cuadorian and British colleagues in the BGS and CODIGEtvl for their
excdlenl technical back-up. Bill Mccourt has expertly guided map production and symbology.
Peter Dunkley kindly shared his vokanic <::xpertis<::. The stream sediment sampl ing cean1s of
Napoleon Baez, Johnson Bolanos and Edgar Lopez. especially Freddy Nunez, Vinicio Oniz.

2
 965-0

. _,, __
.-"
•,'
,
ti
'lo'
••·
'l ,

%00

Tarqui Fm
• Post-Saraguro Fms.
Ayancay Gp.
=:J Saraguro Gp.
ri Quingeo Fm.
• Sacapalca Unit
• Yunguilla Unit
• Celica Uoit
• Bella Rica Basalrs IOKm
(Pallatanga Unit)
llJ Metamorphic rocks
~I
..
Lojo

Figure l Location of the study area with simplified geology.

Holgcr Durazno, Luis Pilarosig. Jaime Galarza. Raul Brito and Jorge Segovia. brought back nearly
I000 well-located rock smnples from ren1ote sites. Their information screngchened the n1apping
programme considerably.
The n1ining co1n1nunity has provided infonnation and foci licated field\vork. In pa1ticular \VC thank
Bernardo Beate (Cominecsa, Grantniining). Steve 8inghan1, Tor Bruland (Ecuanor). Oscar Davila.
Daniel [)uzelier (COGEY!A), GeotT Edwards and Gcrnian Naranjo (Newrnont). rcrnando Uallan.lo
and Les Smich (Grancmining). Rob Harley and rrancisco tvlontcs (Clirnax) and Guillcnno Lope,;
(l'rominex). le is stressed. ho\vever. th<tt all the following interpretations and rnernllog~1ic models
are our opinions.
From the academic con1n1unity, long discussions \\ith Dominik HungerbUhler. :Vlichael Steinmann
and Wilfred \Vink.lcr of ETH . Zurich. have been invaluable. This research group. through a
combined sedimcntologica l and fission track dating approach. has advanced the understanding of
the intermontanc basins of souchen1 Ecuador considerably. They also undertook our fission track
dating programme. Anuro Eguez. Escuela Politecnica Nacional, Quito. provided a very useful
introduction to Ecuadorean geology.
Logistical back-up in COL>lGEIVf has heen excellent. lvlanuel Celleri has been the driver for all I 0
field commissions. His local. and geological. knov>ledge have been invaluable. r'reddy Nunez,
Victor Acitimbay. Fabiola Alcocer and Ricardo Rosales are thanked tor drafting and secretarial
\Vork. John Aspden kindly c11llected some rock samples from Quebrada Florida. This report was
edited by John Aspden. Peter Dunkley and Oill l\1cCourt.

1.(i BGS Publications

The l .Al\DSi\T and R;\DARSAT i111agcs arc available for purchase. Tailored data processing
(false colour composites etc) is avai lable from the British Cie11Jogical Survey. Enquiries related to
map and report availability and coverage. as \veil as purchase ofI.ANDSA T and RADi'\RSAT and
11cher BGS services, shou ld be directed to the lnten1acional and Markecing Division. Bricish
Cie11logical Survey, Kt:y\,011h, ~oningham, NG 12 SGG, l:nited Kingdon1. Tel: 0115 9363493,
Fax: 0115 936 3520.

2. GEOLOGICAL SLIMJ\-1AN.Y

The F.l Oro metamorphic cornplex, co1nprising niainly 1netasedimentary rocks of very variable
grade. is interpreted to extend north or the Ju bones rault Syste1n underlying nnrch of the area . It is
exposed in er<lsional '~'indo\vs both within the volcanic outcrop and around the edges (rigurc l ).
The 111ctmnorphic rocks are overlain by continental andcsitic to rhyolitic tuffs and lavas (Cclica
Unit) and a thick Cretaceous turbidite sequence (Alarnor Group!Yunguilla Unit) (Figure 2). Tbt:y
may also be overlain by Cretaceous basalts of the Pallatanga Unit. the Bella Rica ba~alts, although
the evidence is equivoca l. At Cumhe. south of Cuenca, the Yunguilla Unit has been dated as
tvlaastri<:htian and the Celica Unit is probably of Albian age.
3
 QUTMSACOCHA TIJRUPAMBA FM
FORMATION (Pliocene?)
(Pliocene?)

TURlFM
(Late Miocene)
AYANCAYGP
(Middle Miocene)
ST. ISABEL LA PAZ FORMATION
FORMATION 4--t(lowest Miocene)
(Early-Middle Miocene) ,,_,....=..~ ONES FORMATION
(lowest Miocene)

SARAGUROGP
E-M;) (Eocene- Miocene)

SACAPALCA
UNIT
(Palaeocene-
Eocene) !

QUJNGEO FORMATION
l
YUNGUILLA UNIT (?Maastrichtian-Oligocene)
(Cretaceous)

CELICA UNIT
(Cretaceous)
BELLARlCA
BASALTS
Pallatanga Unit
(Cretaceous) METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
(Pre-Cretaceous)

Figure 2 Simplified Stratigraphical Column. No scale implied.

Tcrtiary volcanic arc rocks, nrunely andesites of the Sacapak:a Unit and the welded ash-tlow tull!.
or th1: Saraguro Group. dominate the field area. With contemporancotlll :.ub-' olc;anic intrusions.
thes<" cak-alkaline products of subduction were depos ited in an acti~e tectonic environmc:nl "hich
varied frocn extensional to compn:s:.ional.
The Saraguro Group comprises allcrnations of broadly andesitic sequences. of a sedim~ntury
character. and dAcitic 10 rhynliiic ash-llow tuff sequences. The first are interpreted as out\.vash on
the flanks of an<lcsitic \'Olcanoes nr fissures. the second as ash-flows (outfln\v facies) fivm calderas.
An extensive rhyolitic n1ff, the Juhones Formalion (earliest f'vl iocenc). occurs near the top of the
Saiaguro, Group. Auaining 500 ni. it CO\'ers approximate:/ 2700 km!, and has a volume of at len~t
350 km~. It ovc:rli~s older Sarnguro rocks wilh slrong ai1gu lar unconforn1ity in some places.
indicating a phic;e of late Oligocene cocnpression. The source caldera appears to lie southwest of
Santa Isabel. Al lcasl l\VO other major ash-flo" ' lulfs arc recognized the La Fortuna and La Pa7.
~ 01n1ations.

Post-Saraguro Group :.trata reflect Lhe interplay of ri~crs.lalluvial fans and prin1ary, mainly
m1dcsitic. volcanism. Andcsitic pyroc lastic breccias. the Sruita Isabel Fonnmion. were erupted in
the area of Santa lsabd. Afterwarcls, the Giron Faull Sy:.lcu1 mid Gatial'in Rclt constrai ned a Middle
Miocene intermontanc red-bed bnsin (l\yancay Group). Ucposition of the red-beds began some
lime after 18 \>la. initialing on the faulted. lilted and eroded basecnent of the Saraguro Group. The
Santa l5abel and Jubones Fom1ations \\'ere locally co1nplctely retnoved, so that red-beds lie directly
on pre-Jubones strata. Andesitic volcanism also lollo"cd deposition of the red-beds. producing a
complex situalion '"hereby the red -beds are sandwiched betv1een upper and lower tongues of
n11desi1es. The Santa Isabel Formation is overlain to"'ards Cuenca by Late l'vfiocene volcaniclastic
nnd sedimenlary rocks (Turi Forn1ation}.
I he Quimsacocha Funnation (I.ate Miocene-Pliocene'!) cn1ana1ed frnn1 the Quin1sacocha volcano.
\\'hich straddkd the Uarinrin Belt. The Pliocene-Pleistocene I arqui Fonnation blankets all the older
formations uncontbnnably.
Coarse- co linc-j.\raincd quartz diorites and gnmodiorite-tonalites are widespread \\ithin the
metamorphic b<1sc1ucn1. the Cretaceous formations and in the deeper levels of the Saraguro Group
and Sacapaka Unit. Syn-volcanic stocks or rhyolitc and 1111desite are con1n1on in the Oligocem: :ind
younger strata.
f\,fajor northeast to north-northeast foults played a \'Crv importruit role throughout the geological
h1s1ory of the arc:a. Ilic t\vo niost imponan1 sys1.:m:. the Gruiarin Belt and the Giron rault
System. Simplistically. lhcy constrained the intermonta1 >.c;ins. localized tectonic inversion, sited
calderas and controlled epilhern1al minernli7.ation.
In general tenns. the n1iner.ilizalion slylc changes from the foothills, where erosion has unroofcd
porphyries. n1c~othermal breccia pipes and n1esorhen11al veins, to the high par.uno. where there has
been link erosion and epithermal deposits don1inatc. A fi\'e-fold classification is proposed: 1)
Porphyry. l'vlincrahzed porphyritic and non-porphyritic rhyolite to andesite (microdiorilt:)
intrusions. corrunonly in intrusion complexes. 2) l:.pithennnl deposits associated \Vith rhyolitc
stocks. calderas and regional fractures. 3) tvlesolhcrrnal tounnaline-, base metal - and gold-bearing

4
veins and breccias. 4) Combined cpithen11al and mesolhcnnal. base n1etal-poor. gold-bearing veins.
locally rich in gold and \Vith variable base nletul content. 5) Massive sulphide deposits.

J. LITHOSTRA T IGRAPHY

3.1 Und ivided metamorp hic rocks

Metamorphic rocks on the soulh and west side of the volcanic outcrop helong to the El Oro
mecamorphic co1nplex. J\ I :50.000 geological map {Feiningcr. I 'J78) and recent I: I 00.000
geological map and report (Aspden et al., 1995) cover these niainly 1netascdi1nentary rocks.
·1he F.I Oro m..:latnorphic complex wa~ exiunined in a road section in the south of the fidd area.
bcl:\veen the Rio Ainboca.s and El C isne. l'his re1narkable section demonslratcs a rapid change in
1necamorphic grade \vithout tectonic break or unconlo nnity. Cnmetarnorphosed turhidites,
pre\·iously included in the Cretal'.t?ous Alamor Group {Kennerlcy. 1973; DGGM. 1975a) and
Triassic Cl Tigrc Lnit (Aspden et al.. 1995). crop out at El Cisne 16735 95760). The strara.
estimated at about I km thick. are qua1t7o~e fine sandstones. lo<:ally rich in detrital n1uscovite.
interbedded with grey si lty m udstones. Sltm1ping. with soli-scclimentary attenuation of the
sandstones. resulting in lenses. is widespread. /\ thick packagc of 1nassively hedded qu:trtz.ites. at
least 30 m thick. occurs at [6738 95762]. There are also black hernipclagic n1ud~tones.
From El Cisne. the metamorphic grade rises progressively west\\·ards into metasedin1entary rocks.
sti ll recogni:a1ble a.~ rurbidites. that \vcre previously included \Vithin the Zamhi Phyll ites
(Kennerley. 1973 ) and the El Tigrc and Ln Victoria units (Aspden ct al., 1995). At (6693 95768]
black mudstoncs are converted to graphitic phyllites 'vith c:hiastolitc (nndalu.~ite) porphyroblasts.
lllrough ri~1ng 1neramorphic gn1dc. the phyllites pass \vest into biotite schists.
There is also a decline in melmnorphie grade approaching thc Jubones rnult System. E:-.: posures in
the Rio Ju bones and the Machala-Cuenca road east of P<1Sl\ic.: , tor exiunple [63 78 96322], display
grey phyllitc~. slates (probably sub-greenschist facics). weakly c leaved conglomerates and
psan1mites
Small parts of the Cordillen1 Real ha\·e heen remapped. The largest comprises the phyllites and
flaggy psammites on the southea~l side of the outcrop, north of Loja. T hese are faulted against. and
locally lhrust over, the Sacapaka Unit. These strata equ<ttl! \Vith the Chiguinda lJni t (OGS and
\ODIGEJ'v1. I 'J'l3a) or Zamor.i S.:ri.:s (Kennerley. 1973).
lnliers of lo"' gn1dc rnetamorphic rocks also occur \~ithin the volcanic outcrop (Figure 1 ). South of
the Jubones fault System. the principal inlicrs are Salvia.~. Cordoncillu. Rio San Luis. Rio
Chinchilla and M<mLt No11h of the fault. un inlier occurs nt Snn Pablo de Ccbadas. An unusual body
of metan1orphic rocks also occurs \vithin the Bella Rica Rasalts (Pallalanl:\<l !;nit) inuncdiately to
the west of the Tengudillo serpentinite [6606 965981 (Section 6). /\II the inliers arc described in
lhc details section belo,v.
l1111!rprC'tation The El Oro rnclan1orphic con1plex is considered to he mainly Palaeozoic to

5
( 'rctaceous. with n1cta111orphic events in the Triassic and Cretaceous (/\spden et al.. 1995). It is
in1erpre1ed to be part of an accretionary prism. a cnnclusion supported by the intercalation of hi g,h
grade rocks (gm:isses aud blucschists) and IO\\' grnde phyllites. presun1ahly 1he prisn1 matrix.
Siniilar juxtapositions of high and low grade are apparen1 at San Pablo de \ehadas and :Vlanu. Th<!
\\CStward extent of the metamorphic base1nent is uncertain.
A nia1or dip-slip movement on the Juboncs Faull S) stern. probably north-verging and reverse.
brought rncta1norphic rocki; over the Sanrguro Group. This explains the profound change in
structural kvcl frorn no11h to so uth. Evidence from lhe e~t eod of the Jubones Faull Svst.:m
•
(Section 5). suggests that this happened ahoul 10 Ma. al the samt: time as the inversion of the
/\yancay Group intcrrnontan..: basin.
The change in metan1orphic grade \vest of El Cisne is similar lo the profound change in
n1ctan1orphic grade that occurs in the south of El Oro. North o f Puyango. nonmetamorphosed and
\veakl> metamorphosed pre-Triai-.~ic sedimentary rocks (El Tigre L'nit) pass northwards through
andalu~ile and biotitc isogrnds into the high grade pelites or the La Victoria J.;nit {Aspden et al..
1995: feininger. 1978). T he nonmetamorphosed rocks al El Cisne may lhcn:tore belong lo the El
Tigre L'nit. ho"cvcr, the rclotio11ships around El C isne. •md farther south, •trc very poorly known.
T he rnetamorphic rocks withi11 the Bella Rica Oasalls al Tenguelillo may be the products of
localized shearing.
Octuils:
Safr1w This 10 km-long onhtr occur-. l><:rwccn Salvia.. and Dau le 16635 959711. nonheast of Z3tUma. It comprises
ph) flue. "'mi-psammite and chlo111c sch1S1. probably up rn mid-grccn.chisl grade bcca= bi1>1irc is present in Mime
places. A quarry (6604 95968) ;lluws thinly interbedded butt psammotes and grey chloriuc semi·psammi1e.·schist. lnere
i, u >llu11g. sub-hori~onral 1nrcnccrion lincution bc1wcc11 rhe b.:dding and folia1ion. Exposures 1n the Rio Salvias 16600
</'<l60) "'"' >huw a weakly foliared i;ranodioritic gneiss (inrru,ivc rock l wilh narrow (tu 0.3 111) >cl vutt.c> of gn:y banded
schist \\'Uh c1tu1rll. rihh<>u:-.. Till! ll1i)in ntatic 1nineral in the gneiss 1s amphibole.
Qucbrmlu Saladillo Compri«:< p'llm11roitcs, scmi-µ;ammites a11d chlorire schists. These arc well-exposed south of the
l<ro Sala<lillo !6538 960701 . The tolrarion is steep and "rikes eu.'I. the l)pic•I orientation in rlrc El 010 metamorphic
complex Kiver houlder> in the R(o Saladillo [6543 96078) include fine. foliated amphiholirc
Riu Su11 L11is llus large rnlrer 11lxou1 7 km long. occurs nonhwesr 16i30 95929] of Gualel. II compn ~ ~raphmc
ph~ !lire, psammites and folrated granodrorne
Qm:bruda Chinchilla Sourh of l.uguna Chinchilla. a small inlitr 16763 95986] occurs along a north-nonheast fault. It
11.,, hccn mapped only on rhe b.1s1s of psammite .am pies hmul!ht hack by the stream sediment samplers .
.llw11i Thrs rnlier compri,es wcukl) foliated muscovire •bio111e granodoorue. banded gneiss. biorile schists. psammites
Hnd grupliiric phyllites. Ille best exposures. in the Ri11 Sun Nicoh\s f67?2 ?6145] nre )\arnetiferous (alnlandine)
gneisses. I hey arc handed, 1111 n cenrimerre scale, with qi 1 muse bands and bt qz • fcl<l bunds. A fission track
im.il)'Sis revealed a range of <Ingle gr.in (drcon) age• berween 3 1 and 130 Ma (Appendix I). Graphiuc black phyllires
occur ar [6i89 961531. alongside banded gneiss exposure<
.'Km Pub/ode c~badas Tho< la'!!c inlier ufn.-gional metamorphic rocks. about 7 km long and up to 4 km \\Ide. probabl~
lrnk< north,.ards with the Chauchn metamorphic rock< (rlton~lc~· and C.ailxir. 1997). All rhe e.\posures comprise
metastd1mencary rock<, including graphitic phyllites. muscovrre schist. chlormc phyllire and psammite In addiroon.
IJrgo ri•cr boulders of co.1~ fohared bt r fcld + qz schist occur at !6698 966581. On the west side the inlier is foulted
aga1n$t <' \Vc<lgc <>f' the Bello Ricn B11sol1s. Un lhe east. it is overlain \vith stron~ angular unc<>nftJrn1it)'' b) Saragurc)
Gooup acid ruffs. There is ~ttOll!! "vidcncc. for example at Tutucochi 16715 96600 ), rha1 both rhe metamorphic rock<
6
anct chi.: 11vc1·lying Saraguro n1ffs \Vere folded prior ro dcposi1i1n1 t>f Lhc Juht1ncs Tull". 1.luriu~ an intTH·Saraguro
dclbnnauon phn,e.
li•11~1,../1/lo
A body of me1amorph1c rocks occurs wnhin •he Rell• Rica Ra,alL' i111111cJiu1clv h• lhc west of the
Ten)luehllo serpeminiie (6606 ?65981. They are poorl) exposed and mainly comprise a boulder field ot coarse. variably
folia1cJ wnphibolite-hbl gabbro. calc-whi'>I and "1eared gmnocliorile. The granodiorite displ3) s annealed. 1ctranobluqi<:
1e~ture (\\'P 1652). TI1e large quan..l grains are S0'31ned and sho,i.· grain 'ii/e red1x:1ion 111 their mur~1n~ l he rock ts ctit
b' 11J1ro" zones of ac1inoli1c. Tite original matic minerals have been altered 10 chlor11e and ac11noh1e. The calc schist
compri<c' "piJ01e. calcite and muscovi1e with some opaque <>re (WP 165j0).

3.2 Pollotongo Unit (l'vkCourt ct al. 1997)

rl1is tll111 con1prises teclonic slil:es of ultraba~ic rock~. ha.~ic oceanic volcanics. volcanicla~1ics and
pdagic sed iments exposed along the length of the cordillera. In the present area it is represented by
nias.sl\ e. dark green. aphyril: ba!><tlls '"ilh subordinate hyalocla~tiw.; the Rella Rica Ba~alt~ \Vell
c:1.posed at [6441 96600 I. cast of Ponce Enrique?, where there are numerous road and natural
exposure~ a.~ \\'ell as undcrgrulU1d workings. Principal outcrops are bet\veen Ponce Enriquez (Bella
Rica) ond Tenguelillo. in the Rio Juboncs and in o faulted wedge \vest of San Pablo de Cebada~
(see details section) \figurl: 9). The base does not crop out and the unit is overlain unconfonnably
by the Saraguro Group. The bnsnlts have suffered n1ild hydrothennal alteralion with chlorite.
cnlci1e. epidote and actinolilc. They are so tough that they are commonly described as silicified in
niining company reports. HO\\·ever, e,·idence of addilion of silica is rare. Detennination of bedding
dip is only possible "here hynlocla~1ite in1ercalations are present and .:,·en then lhere is some
uncenainty because of their irregular fonn.
l· ine-grained intrusions arc conunon ly difficult to distinguish from lava and hamper estimates of
thickness. Dolerite (""diabase'") and gabbro intrusions have distinctive. elongated. r;idially arranged
feldspars. This vi1rio litic 1ext11re is typical of both the lava and inlrusions. Thi: similarity in
petrography suggests lhal the inuusions are contemporaneous wilh the lav<1s. Ucochen1ically, the
rocks are low-K (< 0.25°/o K), tholeiitic basalts wilh ocean tloor charal:h;ristics (Appendix 2). They
plol in th.: basalt field of the Si0:/Na20 - K20 diagram (Le Bas et al.. 1986),
Serpentinites occur along son1e fault~ ,.,;thin the Della Rica Basalts outcrop (Section 6).
/11re1 prcrarion Geochemically and petrographically the basalts and hyaloclastites are very similar to
the Chanchan Basalls (Dunkl.:y and Gaihor, 1997) and also resemble the Pinon fonnalion of the
Costa ( reininger and Bristow. I 'J80: Le Rrot e1 al., 1987: Tschopp. 1948). They wt're probably
.:rupted in a submarine cnviromncnt since they arc intercalated \Vi th pillowed basalls. Thei r mi ld
m~tn1norphisn1 is interpreted as submarine diast111hcm1nl type (cf. Aguirre, 1992). Dasalts with
ocean flo<'>r chemistry are kno,vn lo form in 1narginal bnsins (Kokelaar and Howells, 1984), and a
si111i lar sening is possible for lhe Bella Rica l:lasalts
Detail~.

Bdlu R1u1. Tres Ra11cl10J In thi' 11n:u the unit hos a thickness of least I km . Exposures 3t Uella K1ca (6-1<1 I %WO) and
Trc' Ra11dll» [6-1-17 965881Jre massive. exrremely hard hluc·grc"n lava.,, »hich locally hn>c e\ cellelll pillows. The
lavas are holocrysrnllinc, vurioli1ic. nphyric and strongly altered (e.g. WP 273. 448) The ori ginal mane mincrul

7
(c:linopyroxene?) has been altered to actinolite. There are numcrnu' veinlcis of cpid + ucl ~pyrite - albi1e qz • chi T
calc. Hyaloclasti1c frnrn Tres Ranchos shows angular, aphyric glass shards between I and 10 mm in len.~th. There is
slrc,ng alteration tO calc + chi + <lCt r ;;phene (\\fP 4 i2A -, _ In general, tile h~:aloc lastites hav..: suffcrcJ. grcalcr allert1tion
than the ht\'""· C.c<">Chert1ical san1ples tfom the Bella Rtca access roa<I t:t)nlpri~c hasahs and tine dolerites \\'tth strong
propylitic alterauon (WP 1666. 1667, 1668). The dolerite was probably sub-volcanic (high level) because it includes
in1ersti1ial d1lol"itized g lass (\VP 1666). lt also d isplays a variolitic tc:<tu~. The long thin plagi.oclases arc slrnngly
co1Toded. Some of the amph1bole. which largely occupies spaces be1 ·een 1he radial plag1oclases. is primary
humblende, not an alteration product.
Rio ()ala. Tengueld/11 The sccund large outcrop is in the north-east comer of the Ponce Enriquez' 1:50.000 sheet
[6590 96620 1. around 1he so111hem extension ufthe Chaucha batholith (fi.~ure 9). TI1ey are poorly exposed. but large
boul<Jers liltl!r lhe slopes. Fine dolerites and gabbros. \Vith coarse vari<>litic texture. arc \\'i<lcsprca<l ...t\ thin seclion of
one displays a sub-oph ilic texture of fresh clinopyroxene and p lagioclase. with only slight epidote and chlorite
alteration (\VP 1664). A large gabbm inrn1sion, al'<> with propy litic alteration (ViP 1670), is present on the 11or1h s ide
(64 86 96676] of the d istrict. Over 20 m of massively bedded. very fine·. to medium·, grained hyaloclasti1es (clasts 1-
10 mm) and coarse basaltic hroccias with abundant calcite vein lets are exposed in the <.)uebrada La Cachi [6566 96623 j.
The Teng11dillo horn/ds Immediately ea« of the Tcn~uclillo ba'\lllt outcrop, there is a narrow belt, 0.6 to I km wide. of
strong I)' hom lClscU rocks of uncertain atlin1t)'. I he~· comprise excepiionall}' tclug,h. grc)'. \11hi1e.. ..,tainect, "·ell-jointed
rocks which commonly have a handed (bedding. tlow banding?) appearance. A thin section of a grey banded rock
(6618 96583 1 shows a homfelsed fine sediment or luff wi1h sparse large quartz crystals and considerable white mica (in
radial spmys) und s1ilpnomelane (\VP 1649). The fine matrix is overprinted hy inclusion-rich cordicrilc(?). Elsewhere
16617 96584). the homfclsc<l belt includes undoubted fine, green quartz diorite. also homfelsed. The homfelsed rocks
!i11ish abruptly at (6620 96582]. passing inlo lypical Sarnguro Group rocks.
Wes1 ofSm1 Pahlo de Cebudus A faulted wedge of1he unit nms between San Pablo <le Ceha<las. at the nonh margin of
the tield area. and "larihui1\a (6643 96553]. It comprises mainly massive. varioliuc basalts (WP 1646), wnh rare pillows.
.l11h(n·1es f,1/ier This is an east-\vest. tectonic in lier al<>ng the Jubt>nes Faull Systenl. Exposure, in the river bed, is
excellent Because of folding. no coherent sequence can be recognised. Pillow lava' are expo,ed in a few places. for
example at Ducos (6425 96.>37), hul ma~sive. dark green. aphyric basalts dominate. They are sheared, brecciated and
4 uartL-veined by movements on 1he Jubones Fault System, breaking along smooth. slickensided surfaces into small
deeply weathered pieces. It is difficult to fi nd fresh rock. Pillow lavas at (6425 963.l&] arc intruded h)• a narrow dyke,
c. 3 m wide. The dyke is a fine diorite with abundant pale brown amphtbole and a small amount of quartz (WP 158a).
TI1e foldspathic groundmass is largely altered to calcite. chlorite and sericite.
Scrpe11cinites occur along the east-SOlltheastastriking. vcriic:al Rit> Chict> Fuult. The fuult Cun hi.! traced
s·f1p e1111111tes
between the Rio Chico (6475 96688]. near Shumiral. and San Gerardo (Figure 9). rhe rocks a re srrongly foliared. green
and aphyric. The foliation is gcncmlly parallel to 1he fault. 111is survey ha; traced the bodies as far east as Tenguelillo.
largely <>ll Lile basis of.loose boulders. l3e~·ond that. ,.,·ithin Saragur•> tul'f'i, the ~cri:x:nlinilcs <lisappenr and tl1erc arc t>nly
faulls wnh minor displacements. A foliated serpentinite., up to 600 m wide. crops out at Tenguelillo [6606 96598). The
rnar2ins. and the foliation. are ven ical and strike northeast. lt lies close to the infe1Ted extension of the Rfo Chico Fault
~

and i" prf1bably a serpentinite· tilll'd complenienta~· fault The exi'\tence (tf <>thcr scrpcntinitc:-. i~ ii1f..:rre<l l>y t-,l1ul<l1.:rs in
the northeast comer of the Ponce Enriquez I :50.000 sheet. in the Rio San Miguel (6625 96663).

3.3 Celica Unit (ne,v)

Volcanic rocks exposed bet,veen Laguna Sarihuina [6809 95934] and El Cisnl:! l6570 95745 J and
comprising deeply weathered andesitic-dacitic tuffa and andesicic to basaltic lavas are tentatively
assigned to the Cretaceous "Celica Fonnation" (DGGM. l 973a) based on field relationships with
the unconformably overlying early Tenia ry Sacapalca I: nit (section J.6). In the type area of the
Alamor basin some 50 k.tn to the south of Zarun1a. the Celica Fon11ation is assigned an Albian age.
8
Simi lar lilhologies in the Zanuna area previously assigned to the Ce lica and Piilon rormacions are
p1ovisionally considered to bc.:long to the Saraguro Group and decribed under the Porto\'elo IJnit.

3.4 Yunguilla Cnil (cf. Yunguilla Formation. Thalmann 19~)

Turbiditic sequences of \lfanstritchian age. \vhich have been assigned to th..: Yunguilla Unit 0<:cur
along both the ..:astern and \vesten1 niargins of the map sheet.
In the cast. flanking the western n1argins of the Cordi llera Real. the main outcrops are at Cumhe
<ind " 'est of Se lva Alegre (><.:c details) (figure I). The Cum he Inlier con1prises over 1.5 km of
straw. On its \Vest side. the unit is apparently ovcrlnin hy the Quingeo Forn1ation. All other contllcts
arc \\'ith the unconformably O\Crlying Sacapalca l lnit and/or Saraguro Group. The ha.-;e does not
crop out.
At Curnbe. road cuttings (7218 965811. about I kin from the top of the ~quence. display ma~sive
(non-bedded) medium gr.:y. oandy mudstones \vith numeroLL~ Diplncrarennn (l:-shaped) burrows
inlillcd by sandstone. The tubes an: 5-8 nun in diarncter and cut across bedding. Other. n1eandering
sandstone-filled tubes. up lo I S nun in dimnctcr, fol low heddi ng and resemhle Thalassannides.
Suwll she lly and phosphatic J'ussi ls ru·c 'videsprend. A rnicrofossil assemblage (\VP 347a, b) from
the locality indicates a C:1mpania11-l'vlaastrichtinn (Late Cretaceous) age (Petroproducci6n, 1996).
The rich fauna includes bc11thonic and planktonic foraminifera, calcareous nannofossils and
radiolnrians. ;ovfacrofossils from the same locality include poorly preser\'ed ammonites of the genera
Hur11/i1e.~ and Hoplus,·tJphires. confim1ing the san1e age range (\Voods, 1997). A hea\'y mineral
analysis of a Yunguilla sandstone from here comprises zircon 34% (\veil roundt:<l). monazite 6%.
111um1aline 2 l % . rutik 5%. titanite 4%, cassiterite I .5o/o. apatite 20o/o. garnet 20% and epidote \ .5%
(p<!rs. comm. \Vilfh:d Winkler. Apri l, 1997).

In th.:: " 'est of the mapped area, t11rbiditic s.::di1nents nre found associated with the Bella Rica
Basalts of the Pallatanga Unit. They arc exposed along the Rio Juhones and in the Bella Rica area
~nd assigned to the Yunguilla t.:nit on palaeontological and lithological evidence (see detail).

/1111!rpr!!la1iun ·1he unit is marine and dominantly turbiditic. There arc no bcdfonns of abo,·e stonn
\\:IV<:bas.: conditions in the disturbed upper I kin. although this 111ay n.:flcct dcstn1ction by
burro"inµ. There was a mixed n1etamorphic and vok;" . suurce. The very limited palacocurrcnt
dat:1 suggest a west source, perhaps the El O ro block. '\ , urrowed uppi:r p<irl sugg1.:sts shallower,
perhaps rnid-shdl' conditions. Dr \Vi nkler interprets lht: \\ ell-rounded zircons :1s indicating a partly
secondary sedim1:nlary cycle. that is, they are partly derived from pre-existing sedimentary or
meta~edimentary rocks.

Deuuls

Cr111rbe The'" >lrata aJ'e mainly turbid Hes. with nonnal grading and Bouma sequcr1<cs of be<lforms (T,.,;). Beds are

9
 Plate 1
a) Yunguilla Unit. Typical disturbed, boudirmged turbitic sandstones and silty mudstones. Road
section (6807 96077) belween Mam\ and Selvu Alegre.
b) Argillic alteration in rhyolite or altered andesite? Zanima [6536 95925]. Abundant
disseminated pyrite gives sulphurous yellow weachcring colours.
commonly 0.15 0.3 m chick. "'ilh iruerven1ng dark grey mudS1one,, planar-laminated. of 20-~0 mm th1c"'1ess.
Composmonally. the •'OolrStr sands1one5 ctHnpri!.C quaru and feldspar grains wi1h common '<ltlall chert) blac~
murl"onc lithic 1tagmen15 The ratio of sandS1one 10 mudsmne 1s variable. in some plac~s t~ sandstones re:1Ch onh a
te'"'cent1mt!lrcs in tl1iclr.Jlcss and account rtJr less than IO'?i ofche scqltencc. Scptariart '\ilicu cun~r\.:tions are '"idespread.
rinc conglomerate5 nccur al San Francisco (72 1R 96570): Expu"u·c is poor, but they are probabl> 1hick (> I ml bc<h.
Pebbles arc mui11ly vc111 quartz. P'ammilc, 'chis1 and sandstone.
Tru<.:c fossils, mainly hcJrizontal n1eander1nr; 1raccs. are co111111on on sandstone bases. Lrill\\·t.:utting biotu1ba1ion is
mainl> absent, but there are 1hin !.equences 1n which bedding hccrnne~ poorly delh1ed and b1owrba1ion mlcn'c
P.Jlueowrrent data. ..uirel~ from npple c'°'<-\lratilication. were collected from (7'l0 965781. Palaeocurrencs -.ere
toward,038°. 118". 078". 037°and 155•. mainl) towards an ca" vector.
S"fru Alegre ro ,\l11mi This is a block of stron1:1ly folded. vertical 10 overtt1med ~irhiclitc<. It i> constrained to the ca>l b)
tht: (Jiron Fault S)•Stcm T11\.! ,~·estern boundaf')' is conccalc<l bcr1co1h the Saraguro Group, bu1 it prohabl~· overlie.;; the
Manu metamorphic rock5. The bcsl exposures occur between [6807 960771 nnd 16822 96085J. Slump111g and
boudi11age 1s ,,·utc1,,prcud. gi,1ing the appcaruncc uf a sedi111entary 1n~lange (Pla1c la). Tl11.: rocks a.re vel')" sin1ilnr to
\umbe. that is, 1nct11rutcd conglomera1es (almosl cntird~ of 1h)Olitc or cherty mudstone cla,ts). line to cout>c
~nd~o""" and chetty mud"nnc in1e1beds. Most sandstone.• arc quartmse. but the onl~ secuoned sample 1s rich in
fragments of andesite and rh)Ohte and h1t!!-c pla~ioclase c~s1als (Wr ~95). Al [6820 9608SJ. overturned sandstones
anJ che~· mudstone• indude a 0.5 m·1h1ck. wft hlark. carbonaceous muds1one. Sample' fur rnirrop•lacuruulogical
analvsis '"''(.!re barre1\. Kipple crt1ss·!)lrntificnt1on from the sanct"il<>ncs giv~:-i palaeoflow tO\Vilrds 070~.
/Jcllu Rica are(J Su11d>lo11es. sillstones and muds1011es. a1 least 200 m thick , which crop uul in the Quebrada Florida
[6438 965781 were described as ··me1aquan~i1e' intcrbcdded with muscovite and bio1i10 phyllitcs.. hy lhc Bclgi~n
Mission 1Mi>i6n Belga. 1996). Ho"c'er. lhey show linle or no mclwnorphism. Dips are moderate ro s1eep nonhc•'L
and 1he comact w11h th• basalts is probably faulted (Rio Margarita I ault). The straUI are very similar 10 lhe ammomte-
bcaring rocks of the Rou Jubones. They compn<c either thinly interb<!dded. rurbKliric fine to medium sandstone llnd sill}
m11<l<;.l<ntc or a dtst1nct1\·e. dark gre)' 111a.ssivc. non·bedded fine lU1lJ~to1te \\'ith large detr1tal muscovites. Mo"lt c>f 1hc
rocks are calcareous. suggesting. 1hc prt:!\cnce of calc3reous microfo-,,il.!<I. A r11icropah.1eontolog1cal analysis 1nd1catcs a
lute Cretaceous. pmhahl> Maasrri1ch1an age (Wilkin""' 1997)
/(ir> J11hr>11t:s·D11<.'0s ''''<!(1 A distinctive sandstone occurs in 1hc .lul)tJnc:, lillier.
lt is rusty "'eathered. dark grey \Vhcn
fresh. and cnmplc1el)' massive tXJ'<'"""s JI Ducos (6414 963·12] mdicoLc a '"b"untial thickness(.> 100 m). In 1htn
><.'<'!Ion, a fine <•nd"one [6397 %330} comprc'e' angular quanz grams of equ•I <i1c, '"ricili""d feldsp;ll", muscovice.
bK>litc Oakes (toldcd b> compaction). opaque ore. for•minifera and possible oStracods (WI• 178). A lur~c umn11>11ilc
"as found in chis sandstone near Ducos (6-114 96342}. It 1s po<<ihly of the Perilp/111.:10<.eae superfam1ly (Woods.
1997). Ocher 5cJimc111ary rocks occur in the Juboncs window. At l "alay11cu (6461963371 ri•e1· exposures are of thinly
i11Lc1bedded black chcrty 1nuds1ones and pale brown. chcrty fine sandstones and silmnnc• They arc distal 1u1bidites.
5tuTic di:,pla): n1iniarure dC'-''Ultring structt1res. such as 1:;an(I v11J,un1>es. Only· 200 1n ups1rean1 are exp<)s11rc' tlf a
spectacular e11n~Jo111e1a1e. about 50 m thick. It comprises tightly packed angular cuhhlcs and boulders. up to 0.4 m. of
j..,,pe1. black chert. hu,ah, fresh obsidian and fine dolerite. TI1c latter has the typical var1oli1ic texture of the B~lla Rica
ll:t'<i!h'- TI1e mamx 1s CMIT} red muthtoue. Vague. very massive he ire defined b~ chang~ 1n clast size
East of Ducos (t>-H7 963371. there are large "'!""'"«"' of mas,. '>edded coam 'illnJ,1on•:•. probabl) pro~unal
1urbi<lilcs. l11di"idual beds are approximacely J m thick and !;rdd, ;''"' fine conp,lomeratc to fine sandstone Dunc
cross strar1fica1i1ln ir' the sandstones givei;. rah-1c1...:urrent flo,.,· to\vards 28:89 . Vein c111arl1 u11d feldspar are the donlinant
ct>n1µonents. Fine s.and1'1CJnt.::s and rare pale br0\\111 cherty· muclshlru.:~ intervene bet,veen the coc:1rse sanclstt•nc!\.

3.5 Quingeo Formalion (HungerhUhler and Stciruna1u1. 1996; Steinmann. in prep)

Thi~ is defined as red/purple sandstone~. siltstones. conglorncrates and mudstones. It crops oul

10
1nainly to the north of the field area. around Quingeo (7335 9671 Sj. v>here it is at least 1.2 1..rn
thick. TI1ere. the base is not exposed and the Yunguilla Unit is thn1st over the forn1ation. ·1 he top is
rnru:ked hy the unconlonnably overlying Saraguro Group.
.
Purple sedimentary rocks above thi: Yunguilla al Cumbe. I0 kn1 <lin:.•<:tly along strike from
Quingeo. were previously included \vithin the Saraguro Group (Figure I: DGGtv1. 1974). Bc<:ause
of the lithological similarity with the type area, we correl<tle them with the Quingco Fomialion.
Ar \.u111he. tht: ba~e is put \vhere turbidites disappear. vertical hiorurhation becomes· intense and
there is a colour change frorn the greys of the Yunguilla IJnit to yello\v-stained purple sandstones
and s ilty mudstones. The bulk of the fonnation comprises massive, poorly bedded s ilty mudstones.
siltstones and fine sandstones. Si1nple tubular. sandstone-filled hurrows cut across bedding at
variable angle and rea<.:h I0 111111 in dimneter and 80 nln1 in length. I I-shaped bu1TO\VS also occur.
Carbonate is widespread. in veins and calcareous n1udstones. There are also scattered thick (up to
4 111) hodies of yellowish, rotten fine sandstone, for example (7206 96587). They seen1 to have
planar lamination. but bioturbntion may have overprinted large scale cross-stratification. Small
calcareous nodules art: conunon.
About 100111 above the base of the for111ation, in the Panan1erican high"'ay [7212 96589]. ochreous
inudstones with ill-defined bedding and shell-packed sandstones and nluddy li1nestones yield
abundant moderately well-preserved gastropods and hivalves (all articulated) (\Voods. 1997). The
most ahundant fossil is P1ero1rigonia. a thick-shelled hivalve which is knovtn from fV!aa~trichtian
beds in northern PcrL1. The palaeoecology appears to reflect an in situ 'life' assemblage. or an
assemblage that was transported only a very short distance. Some of the intense burro,ving in the
Quingeo may rellcct the activities of gastropods and bivalves. In ifs type area. fission track dates
indicate a minim1un age of Middle Eocene and an upper age of Carly Oligocene (!Iungerbtihler and
Steinmann. 1996). The fossi Is fron1 Cumhe are :Vlaastrichtian (latest Cretaceous)
lnterpreta1ion. The fonnation at Cun1he is probably a shallo\v marine to terrestrial (deltaic to
flu vial) sequence. The reddening, caused by an influx of haematite, indicates the presence of nearby
subaerial weathering. probahly in an arid or tropical environment. Tht: Quingeo Formation of the
type area is considered to be mainly fluvial. with a metamorphic. input (H1mgerblihler and
Steinrnann, 1996). It is possible that the lo\ver, marine-intluo::nce<l. part (that 1.:xpos<:d al Curnbc). is
absent. hidden benenth the overthrust Yunguilla Llnit.
There are no outcrops of the fonnation south of Cum be, but there are poorly <lated red-beds above
Cretaceous turbiditc sequences in Peru and Bolivia \Vith which it may correlate (Jaillard et al..
199.J). l\"orth\var<ls. the sequence n1ay correlate with the Silante Unit of the \Vestem Cordillera,
\vhich overlies the Yunguilla Unit west of Quito (Hughes and Rermudez, 1997). East\vards. in the
Oriente. hlack mu<l~ton,;s and li1nestones (Napo Fonnation). \Vith an upper age of Early
Can1panian (13ristow and Holfstctter. 1977), are overlain disconfom1ahly hy che l'v1aastrichiian Tena
Formmion red-beds. Baldock ( 1982) notes that thin sandstones of poss ihle \.ampanian or
Ylaastrichtian age intervene bet\veen the Napo and Tena fonnations and n1ay represent a tn1e
transition. The incon1ing of :vtaastri<:htian reJ-b1:Js is interpreted as the saine shallo\ving event
represented by the Yunguilla-Quingeo transition.
11
The Quingco \Va.~ prob<ibly pa11ly contempuntru.:ous with the Sacapalca Andc~itcs w1d Saraguro
Group. It m:clUnulated closer to the rnetamorphic hinterland of the Cordillen1 Real and l~1rther a'"'Y
from the a.'i~ of the Sacapaka arc

3.6 Sacapalca Unit (new)

Comprises a sequence of andcsitic volcanic rocks. ,,·ith tuflaceous scdimentlll') rocks (red
mudstones. sandstones and conglomerates) and sparse dacitic/rhyolitic tuffs . It ovl·rl1cs the Celica
Unit and is overlain hy the Gon.:ana1nn Forn1ation to the south of the 1napped area. This definition
is the !\atne as the original lithostrati graphic definition of the " Sacapalca f'orrnation" (Kcrlllcrk)·.
1973: Bristow and Hoffstetter. 1977). ho\vever. it is here redefined as an inforrnal unn
The main outcrop is het\veen the Cordi llera Real. Catarnayo and F.I C isne. where it occupies the
major north-striking C: huquiriban1l>n Syncline (f.igure I ). The outcrop is constrained in Lb<.: cast by a
no11h-striking reverse. to normal. fault (Catamayo Fault). tha1 brings up graphitic phyllites and
flaggy psammitcs. The \vest side of the outcrop is ill-defined because of fault complicauons at Fl
Cisne. granodiorite intrusions and homfelsing. An estimate of the minimum thicl.nc:.>. about 3 km.
is possible west of Santiago.
·1he unit has a 1nuch greater extent than was envisaged. Kennerley (1973) con;idcn:d that the
l'atama>·o-Chuquirihamba outcrop was the fill or a nonh-south graben \\hich "as tcrinrnated near
Santiago [6890 95800] (DGGfVI. I 975a). llowever. there is a huge thickness (> 2 km) of the
Sacapak.i just south or fit:rro Urcu [6837 95887 1 and it is unlikely, given th<.: strucn1ral geometl')'.
that this disappears. Furthermore. the same lithologies are mappabk bct>vccn Santiago and
Saraguro m1d descending the 11011h flank of Fierro L;rcu. TI1e andesitic sequence can al~ he traced
\vithout interrupti on to the Rio I .eon and L;1 Cria. Therefore, a large part of \vhat wa.~ formerly
1napped iis 1he Saraguro Group. is 110\v assign<.:d to the Sacapalca Unit (s<.:e details).
The strata are mainl)" r~ddish. purple and green 1nassive andesites, andc:.itic dcbrites (Plate 2b).
conglomcmtes and sparse acid tuffs. Irregular carbonate ,·eins are common. In area~ of sedimentary
interbc<.h. the outcrop i> strongly featured. Pctrographicall y. andesitt:> of the Sacnpalca Unit are
fresher than those or Lh1.: Celicn lJ nit. flow foliations are \Veil-preserved and fresh g lass " ". ives in
some (\VP 881. 893). A very fresh sample fro1n near Caramayo is fh>-.-foliated. \.Vith J,ite and
plagiocla~e phenocry:.ts (\VP 824). There is '"despread chlorite and calcne alteration. but. by
comparison ''1th the Cclica. epidote is largd} absent. This is a useful field tool for distinguishing
the h~o units.
The h:ise or the uni t steps do"'n onto progressi vely older rocks to"•ards the east. At c l Cisne. and
fonher nonh. it sits on andesites oftlie Celica Unit. Eastwards. it overlies n1etamorphic rocks at
Catamayo and cast of Fierro Urcu.
At Catmnayo the lllli t includes undoubted Palaeocene -Early Eocene or older strata (Jai llard ct a l..
1996). because it is intruded hy the San Lucas pluton t59-5 I l'vla; Aspden et al.. 1992) and by the
El Tingo intrusion ( .i 7 :!: 2 Via KlAr. hornblende: 50 ± 3 IVla KlAr. biotite; Kennerley. 1980). A
new fission track age of 66.9 ± 5.8 tv1a fron1 the hase of the unit near Catacocha ( DH 385.
Appendi x I) also implies late~!. Maastri,htian or early Palaeoce ne (Hungcrbiihl er, in prep). Th.:
12
 Plate 2
a) Green, cpidotie lopilli-tuffexposed in gold mine northee.,t ofZaruma.An:>lcb Unil. (6554 95925].
b) Aodes itic debritcs, north of Catamayo and we.st of Taquil Sacapalca Uni!, · (6899 95696].
bt'dS overlie t.he Can1panian to tvlaastrichlian Casanga Fonnation (Jaillard ct al.. 1996).
The Gonzana1na rormation. \vhich overlies the unit to the south at Gonzana1na. was thought lo be
tv1aascrkhti<111 or Palaeocene (Rristov1 and Hoffstener, 1977; K1:nnerley. 1973. 1980: DGGtv!.
1975b). llow<::ver, three ne\v fission track dates (DH .')94, 439 and 443), het\veen Namhacola and
Gon7.anama demonstrate a Middle 1\lliocene age (Hungerhiihler. in prep: Appendix 1). ()stracods
also sho\V similarities to other !\!fiddle l'v1iocene faunas in the Tertiary ha~ins of F.cuador. Therefore.
the Sacapalca Un it is ckarly pre-i'vliddle J\.1iocene. Red-beds t.hat unconfonnably overlie the unit at
Catan1ayo \Vere correlated with the Gonzanruna Fonnation (DGGlvf. l 975b, a). Ho\vever. they are
also prohahly 1nid-ivliocene (pers connn. Hungerbiihlcr, Apr~l 1997) and arc referred to as the
Cata111ayo Forn1ation (Jaillard et al.. 1996).
Al the north end of the outcrop. andesites in the road 16828 962021 between Manti and lhe lv1ina de
tvlam1ol. close to the base of the overlying Saraguro (jroup, yield a Late Oligocene age by the
lission track method (24.8 1 .S ~la) (Appendix l). This tnay reflect rcscning by heating beside an
intrusion. Ho\vever, it is possible that andesitcs \Vithin the Saraguro Group have been confused with
the Sacapalca l Jnit.
!111erprelation The unii probably represents interfering terrestrial andesitc volcanoes Md associated
out wash debris. The con1hination of bright colours and REDOX features, such as green spols and
bleached joint surfaces. supports a terrestrial environment. The abundance of calcite n1ay rctlcct
circulation of bicarbonate meteoric 'valers. Ternporary lakes 'vere developed at 1in1cs. There is also
lilllc evidence of input from a metamorphic source, suggesting that the Cordillera Real \vas
subdued or concealed by volcanic rocks. There is no strong evidence for a tectonic graben noc1h of
Cataniayo (Kennerley. 1973}. No obvious lateral facies changes occur to\vards the Cata1nayo Fault.
for example.
lf the fission track date of 24 l'v1a is correct and has been correctly anributed. the age evidence
suggests that large time spans an: not represented. Unfonunately. regiona l disconforcnities cmu1ot
be recognized because of the n1onotony of the sequence. Future \vork nuiy den1onstrnte the
existence of two sequenct:s separated by a disconfhrn1ity. a lo\\'er one of Palaeocene-Early
Eocene(?), and an upper of Late CJl igocene age. The T.ate Oligocene fission track date suggest~ that
the Saraguro Group and the upper pa1t of the Sacapalca Unit interdigitate. TI1e Saraguro ash-flo,v
tuffs may not have been deposited in the south, perhaps because of a southward change fron1 an
ash-flow-dominated province (Saraguro Group) to an andesite-don1inated province (Sacapalca
Unit). Alternatively. major unconformi tics 1nay cut ther.! •ut in the south. The fe\v thin dacitic ash-
tlow tuff~. for example, those in lhe Chuquiribrunba S, ,.. tne. 1nay be distal representatives of th.:
Saraguro Group.
Avai lable who le rock geoc hemical data and the abundanc<:: vi' plagiocla~<:: and
clinopyroxcncian1phibole-phyric andesites implies a calc-alkaline (arc) compo~ition. The arc was
constructed on continental cn1st (the F. l Oro metamorphic complex). Part of the Sacapaka Unit may
be contemporaneous \Vith the volcaniclastie Palaeocene-Early Eocene tvlacuchi Unit of the \Vestern
Cordillera fartht'.r north (Hughes and Rem1ude7, 1997).

13
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Rio Leon

RED ACID TUFF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Figure 3 Sacnpalca Uni t. Sketch of' Fi In de Scu<.:l:r [6880 9(t195J. viC\\·e<l

fron1 easl.
Di: tails
Cutu111<110-Ch11q111ril>umbu This mainl) andc,itic outcrop includes at !~st three, thin(·: 30 m) acid ash-flow tuns. Near
laquil (68% 9~693). the lu"c>t. a rubbl) weathered burr wcl<kd ruff h3s possible pumice and "'"ucn:d large quartz
and teldsr.ir cr"tals. At Uonzabal (6865 956851a 10·15 m-thick "d<lc<l tuff has common pumice. quart7 and hiotito.
The ,1rat1iirnph1ca lly highc>l acid tull 10~ ~8 '>'698] i, '"'l"
similar. /\ concordani rhyulitc. about 6() 111 thick. occur;
west of Gt1111..abal 16860 '1'1>'1ll). It i>probably a sill
F1erru 1.,;,.,, homfi<:rro L'rcu to Uualel (6ll07 95835) a "ell·ltarured. ~i km "-'qucucc is exposed on tilt east hmb of
the Chuquiribamba S)nclinc. Between 16848 '15888) mod (6835 958881 well·JOtnted. dark gr<cn ~rcy porpl1,11t1<
un<ksite lavas are intcrcalnted wuh red mu<l>tones. strongly weathered andc,itic lapill i-tu!Ts. andesottc conglomer31es
and pumkc tufts. In 1hin ieclion. the andesites are very fresh. amphibole and plagoocla,e·phyric, wi11t an e.,celle111 !low
fohauon (\VP 665). The sequence culmi11a1es. at the fouhed core of 1hc S)'llcline. in a ronen---eathered •cid tu ff, w11h
scanered quanz and fdJ,p.lr Cr') sials and 'l"'fSC pumices. Expo~ on I oma Bernabe 16823 95875). 11 os about ~00 m
thick.
Fierro l/r(.·11 1(1 ,{\an Pubfo (/(.• /12111a Acl\\'CCU Fic;-1TO Urcu and the r~•n-A111<.:rican lli~h\VU}' th~re IS a l;irge Olltcrop. l he
Rio El Llacu expo,es irndcsitic tu ff breccoa,, tu!Tuccous sandstones. coni.lomcratcs mod ;pa1·se pumice 1utfa. There are
no acid turfs. The componcni.- are identical to those '«•ulh of Fierro Urcu. lltis is a cruical area for Jcmonsn·atill)!, that
the s.1me o;equcncc on the south 'idc of Fierro Urcu conunues on lhc 11011h. Some of the htghesi exPQ'e<i ""''" nf 1he
u11it occur by the Saraguro-Selva Alesrc mad bride,e 16898 959<1'1J. They are 15 rn uf rnassi,e- to mtd1um-bedded.
coarse· 10 fine \•olcanic '-Hn<l~tones. ·rhcy 3re ill.;;,c1nce,I dl'ld in1n1ature. dominated tiy anclcsitic 1nutcriul 41nd poor 111
quartz. Aboul 80 m abovt 1s the ha•e of lhe Saraguro Uroup.
S<.mt1u~u /tJ Sarag11ro Th~ unit is w~ly e,po...,J in the P3namtncan htghway hclwccn tl1ese places and lllnher south
Ue1wecn 3 and 4 km south of Samiago. close t0 the ba>e. there are ronen purple :m<fe«il"' (6899 957821 "1th
imercala11m1s of sedimentary rocks. At [6893 957771. 15 m of very liiocl~ bedded. lacustrtne mud<ton<', locally 1>ith
uccretionary h.lpilli, t>v..:rlie 15 m of pt11n i1,;c tt1ffs. Ill soned tuffacccu1s c<>nglorncl'ntes and sandstones occur al
(6897 957621.
Masst'-t ancfc,itc la\•as and andesiric 11111" br\."\.'Cias dom1nalc 1mmediu1cly nurth of S3nti3go. HO\\'t\'er. the sequence Ii.till
includes sedomenta')· rocks: at [6916 'l'ft 12 J an<k">ite la' a or ruff rs overlain by 3 111 of thinly ·~ed rullac<ous
sand!>ltunc. S3ndy mud>:l(Hlt..! and red n1ltdstone. A tC"· kilu111etres 11onhcast of Sanc1ago. Lhc Sun Luca~ g.ranodior1te
intrude< andesile lavas. I hese rocks arc probably the oltlc" parl uf lhc Sacapalca Unit tn the field area. Thci 1!i11n
maior. "ell-featured crags above the hichwdy and are clearly vi;ible in aerial photu!\tnphs. The lava a1 [6'136 95832] i'
n.,,,.foliated and modcrutcl) altered: plagioclasc phenocn,sts have been altered to calc + cpid. mafic minerals to
chi • cpitl •calc \\VI' 71 1) Nc-atb). a p)rtte-nch chloritic andesite. with tlo" tohalton and 'l'"r>e fclt'.6pa1 and
amphtbolc phcnoc1)sts. displays chlnrilc·filled vesicles. !'he more inlcn>e alteration in this stretch of road mav n:nc-c1
1he inlluence of the i111ru>ion. It is also pcis,ihlc that this is a narrow bell. :i few hundred 111e1res wide. ol'thc l'eloca Unit.
\ear ~an l. ucas 16916 95860] !?'"l>hitic phylliies are overlain by andesites wuh angular uncnnfc1rmi1y. Dccpl~
"eathcred ;mdesitc turT-brtccoas at the Fierro Urcu access road 111921 95933) also overlie grapl111tc plt~llne' The
ct>rttacc is J \\'tSt-\'ergin~ thru!'it. but. ~l \'Cn the srrony cofttrasl in S'· ·th bet\, een the rc>ek t)'·pC!i. it 11111~ be simpl~· an
unconfnrn,11) \\>ith slight tau hing.

Saraguro The sequence i' wdl-exposed in the Panamer ic'"l hig.J11\ J) between Saraguro anJ Paquishapa (fonnerly
L'rdaneta) The lo" est part ts a 10 m-1hick basaltic aodcsuc. e"J>O"'d at 16987 96003 J. It os a superbly fresh. flinty rucl.
'' ith a good flo'' foliation and coft1mnar j<1ints. Aa,ate;chalc(dony vt1g5 are CtH11111oc1. Pla)'?ioclase and 3ug1tc
phcnocry>I> occur m 1he frc,h g.las> ma1rix (WP 510) It is overlain by about 120 m of "cll·hcd<lc<l. qua112-11ch
tuffaccous sambtones. >ihs1ones and ' illy mudstones. Thinly bedded 111rf11ecuus sandstones domrna1e. A prom incn1 6111
w4ucnce of flaggy. plan11r l'"ninated tine feldspathic -.nds1011e is well exposed in the road [6987 960071 and fom1s a
srrong foalurc in the othe"' tS<! soti sc4uence on the surrounding hill\. TI1ere are also a Jew massively l>cddcd anJc>iuc
debtites.
From ln<IRI 960171. the remaining 130 m of 1he unit compri'c luvn;. rubbly weathered. ill-~oncd <lehritcs nnd

14
cm1glome1ates. Tiie debrite material is mainly a11Jc,i1ic, wi1h .1 few cl•sls of pumice and acid tulT. E'p<isure< .,
l61.J~ I l)t"I~).) \) comrri~e IS 1n llf dehri1t.:s Cl\'t.:r1~·in!} purple~g.reen :lJ\desite lava v. ith C01l'1rru>n d~alc pclCkCIS I here 3re
0

also a lew thm ('- 20 m ). very li'esh lava !lows sun ila1· to 1hat ni the ba,c. A 1hin seclion of 011e [ 70I0<>GO17) is an
~ndesi1c "ilh a llow folia1ion or plagioclasc anJ much u11crsri1ial augite and magnetite (WP 506). II hus rurc quartz
phenocrys1s.
I he top oi'1h" uni1 i< "' (6978 96035]. where u pink wdJeJ rhyolitic ruff overlies the andesitic deb1ite>. rlli> is the hose
of the Sarajl,uro Group.
t<io L~(m rhe best exposures of the uni1 occur in the Rio l.c•ln. m the union with the Rio Naranjo (6915°96 160 ) There.
superb three-dimensional exposure demonstrates a m~1or nonh-nonheast-strikin~ <>ncime (09'4 '16170( wnhin the
'\acj1p;.alca lruncalL-tl hy Sardgurr• rh) l>litic luff., ( includintt lhc Juhemes formation). On the \\C$( side of tile Ri<> [ .~<ln, a
single rocUace 16880 % I'15 ). over ICJ()() m h1!:h ••!""'"S appro"mately 700 m of red and !!'''"" andc<lle< "uh a le"
acid tulls (Fi11,ure 3). 11ie reddened pon1oos are the O\ld1scd tops of la' a no..s. F<Kll traver;es across the Rio Le00 have
e\tuhli,hc<J a !\CqUCncc c.1f carbonate•\ cincJ~ tili"c ~-c,;11 and~i1c'I\, andesiric debntts. S<Utdstor1es ~ld ~pu~c <loci tic
welded ruffs One such ruff can be matched up from the" est. 10 the east, side of the Rio Lc:On. II o<<-ur> in the mincated
s) ncl111e. and opposite. above La Union 1689~ 96 161 (. Additional exposures (6905 96 1 I 8), easily accessible in a new
road 10 Chuba, c1)mpris" a11dcsi1ic rulT brccciusidcb1 itc> w i1h spar'" red muds1ones. thin aadesne d) ~es. ali)\ned 0331?0,
and planar bedded coarse niffaceous sands1ones.
Rio :\/umi Duwns11 enm of Ma nu. at the Rio Ma nu and Rio Uchucay ju11ctiun (6814 96227). are ex1ens1ve exposures of
carh~1nalt.:~vc1111.:cl, ~rccn tincJc~iLcs and aJ1dc~iti1,; lulr~. There is n(> (lirec1 link vvirh the lllo Le6n outcrops. bccau~c c•f
thnists. I lowever. the rocks are so similar thi111hey ;ire considered as !;acapalca. The andesites. !_(c11tly wc,l·dippini;. are
thnist eastwards over the venical. to overturned. Jubones Formation and Ayancay Group (Pl111e '?a)
(_jfr(>tt I hi' inlier i"' the mfl"it nc-,rtherly· C)Utcrtlp. It j, jux tapc)\\C<I agitinst che A~·ancay· Group b}' the Gir6n Fault and i"i
covered to the south. w11h strong angular unconlonmty. by the !lat-lying La Paz Fomiation. II cnmprt<e' mbbly
onJesites and ondesitic debrites. rich in agate 1chalcedony pockets and veins, and volcaniclasuc ~1mental'} rocks.
F'ccllcn1 c'I""""'" or chalc.:donic. poorl> bedded undc<itic debrites and aadesues occur at Filo de i\fu.,w
17086 '1652~1 lhe rocks are very msty "eathered !'ale grey and pale green quartLO>C "'111d<10nc< and fine
con2lornorates are exposed east of Gir6n 1708 I 96506(. beside andesitic debritc> and andcsitcs Ill-defined. large scale
tr<MJ~' cro~~·)lnltificutio11 a.1d cl1a.11~l:, ~j,.: palu1..v1lo'v tO\\iUrd\ :!.i0°. Cla..:;r~ in the coni;k>mcratc arc large I) silic 1utT~
and quan1 Cl')<tal-rich n•IT "·ilh a linlc andcsi1ic dcbri' The sequence. about 20 m thick. O\e1lies 15111 uf crudely
bedded cream n1ffs.
C11111h4! AnJc"lie tu IT-breccias wi~1
a!\ulc> 0<:Cur ncur Cuinbc •I [720096.S 11). Andesiuc debrnes at [7 199 9653 1) are
in1erbcddcd "f1h thin red mudsume•. AI F.I i\rruyun (7 I77 l)n573 ) there are exposures or andesite with briJ,(IH green
chlorite amygdales. apparently beneath Saraguro acid mils and immediately above the Qu in!!c" Formatinn All three
a1eu.' of outcrop are interpreted as windows of the Sacapalca Unit

3.7 Calamayo Formation (Jaillard t:l al.. 1996)

This ti.)rmation. previously included within the C'ion7.annma Fonnation. con1pri>o.:s red. c ream and
green 1uffnceous mud~1ones. siltstones and sand,tonc<;. The age relation~hips with the Sacapalca
l:ni1 are unccnain It appears to overlie the unit "ith angular unconfonnity at Catamayo. I lowcver.
the f'atamayo area is complex structurally. \\ ith clear evidence o f thrusting. In lht: Loja·Catan1ayo
road [6857 965971. less than 4 kn1 east of Cata11111yo. graph1tic phyllites are thrust \~·csl\vards over
~cn1cal Sacapalca andesites. about 35 111 thick. and a packet ur vt:rtical debrites. mudstones, hright
grc~n tuffoccous sandstones. 70 tn thick. that inay b.: the: Cata.mayo Formation.

15
J.8 Saraguru Grour> (DGGlvt, 1982; Baldock, 1982)

n1c '" Saraguro fonnallon·· and '"Chinchillo Formation'" (Kenncrley. 1973: DGG:-VI. 1973b) arc here
included under th.: Saraguro Group. This comprises andesitic lo rhyolilk lull;. and la'as "ilh
s11bordinate sedimentary rocks. l::lecaLL~e of it's historical importance. ho,H:ver. the nanu:
'"Saraguro·· is retained. C"<'n though the type area for the group is not around Saraguro. Fi\<:
discr<.:t<.: fonnations (Las Tr.1nca.s. l'lanchanm1i, La Fortuna. Jubones and La Paz) and an informal
andesitc sequence. the Portove lo Unit are recognized within the field area, hut the majority of the
mapped outcrop comprises undivided Saraguro Group.
I he group occupies most of the field area (Fi~urc 1). ll1e outcrop is larger than d<!picted on the
previous 1: 100.000 maps and includes areas 1napped before as Tarqui Fonnation, such as the
par.1mo north of Pucnni and around Ona and La Paz. A large outcrop, previoLL51y mapped as Celica
( DGGM. l 980a). is also recogni.£ed betwc-cn Zannna and Piila~. Furthermore, there is no logical
rcasvn for creating a new str.11igr.1phic unit for the strata which cap the high p:iramo above Chilla,
~lant1 and Selva Alegre. Consequently. these strata that \Vere previoLL~ly included in the Chinchillo
rvrrnalion (DGGM. I 973b) are nvw considered to belong to the Saraguro Groups.
Th~ group is largely 11at-lying or only gently undulating (P late Sb). Simplistically, there is a
gradual decline in dips lO\\'ards th~ paran10. in younger rocks. There are exceptions ho\vever.
thus pn:-Jubones f'onnation deformation along faults created belts of steep strata, for example at
Pcdemales. J\arihuiila and San Pablo de Cebndn.
The n1a1n lithology is tufT. Texturally. these vary from coarse tuff-breccia {Plate 3a) to crystal
turr (Plate 3b). The tufTs plot rnainl) in the rhyolite to dacite fields of the SiO/Na"O + K!O
diuµra1n (Le Ras et al., 1986; Appendix 2). Some, like those of the La Fonuna and Jubones
Fonnotions. are very acid, "ith greater than 770/o Si0 2 wto/o. The 6 whole rock geochen1ical
ana lysl!s correspond well with compositions esti mated from field crilt:ria.
l hcsc cri teria are that:
a) andesitic luffs are green. v;ith ahundant plagioclase. amphibok and augitt: crystals.
\'itroclastic textures arc rare and ,~·elding foliations are less "·ell develvixd.
b) dacitic tuffs contain lcld~par crystals (::: amphiboles). some quanz crystals and h a pale
green. pink or bro,vn mutri:\. Wdding textures and chloritized pumice lapilli are common.
c) rhyolitic tuffs are white, puk bro"n or pink. \Velding foliations are pronounced in outcrop. but
'itrvclasts are con1monly dcslroy..:d bv rccrysta ll i7.ntion and deYitri fication. Crystal content is
Yt:r) 'ariable; fe ldspar and quart:t art: corrunon. Biotite is an in1ponant co111ponc11t of some tuf!s.
The thickness of the group is variable. Thert: are svrric areas. such as the Rfo I.eon, where it is only
I km thick. ·111c1e are others. such as the l}~ area. \\hich runount to 3 km. It is considered that the
most cvmplctc S..'<}Uences occur only north of the Uir6n ruid Jubones fault systems. The most
complete section occurs bel\veen Narihuina (6640 965431. "here the group sits on the Rella Rica
Basalts of the Cretaceous Pallatanga Unit. and the paramo north of Quinuas (6654 96512]. near
Pucara (Table I). It conipri~es a sequence of ash-flow tulfs with al least one major angular
unconformity.

16
 Plate 3
a) Pyroclas tic brcccia, rich in pumice, obsidian and acid tu ff blo.c ks. Samguro Uroup.
Uzchurrumi [6573 96328].
b) Poorly consolidated crystal ruff with scattered well-rounded pebhles of volcanic rock and fine
inlruSive. Crystal~ are mainly plagicx:lase and quartz. Saraguro Group. Tres Chorreras
(6635 96498).
Table 1 Saraguro (; roup no rthwest of Quinuas

0 2 kn1 SANTA ISABEL F0RY1ATION Andesitic cuff-breccia. 18.4 ± 0.8 tvla

(early tvliocene) (Hungerbuhler. in prep).
1·ectonisn1 a1\d angular unconfom1ity·=~-------~=

0-04 km Jt;BO't\ES FORtvtA.TIO;..J 22.76 ± 0.97 Ma (earliest IV! iocene).

0.6 kin L;\ FORTUNA FOR.tv1ATION 23.2 ± 0.8 >.<la (earliest tv1iocenc).
The formation wedges out to the northeast.
_ _ _ _ _ _1·ecto1tis1n and angular uncorform ity - -- - --

2 km. The :Vnrihuina and Pederna/es Iliff.~ Sequence established between

Narihuilia [6642 96536) and Quinuas (6654 965 15]. Also \videspread
exposure between Hon1illos [6760 96570] and Pedemales (6825 96576].
Distinctive pink. brown. pale green \ve lded tuffs. Strong eutaxitic
fabrics. Pumice fiainrne are common and there are variable proportions
or quartz. plagioclase and amphibole crystals. The tuffs form
relatively th in(< I00 m) units./\ tuff at (6619 96509] was dated at
27.7 ± l.O Ma (1\ppendix l). At Pedemales [6835 96603], sub-vertical
tuffs , v.:ith the same textures, are exposed in an erosional window
bcncnth the flat-lying Jubones Fonnation.
_ _ __ ___ _ _ __ Tectonism and angular uncorfonnity _ _ _ _ _ __ __

0-1.0 kin. BELLA RICA BAS1\L TS Sequence established northeast ofNarihuiiia

16643 96551]. tvlassive, locally pillo\ved basalts.

Table 2 Saragur·o Croup n•esl of the C haucha-Rio J ereL Lineament.

- - - -------- - Chaucha-Rio Jerez Lineament

1.0 tun I.AS TR/\NC1\S FOR.tv1ATION Dacitic to rhyolitic n1tTs. n1tT-brcccias.
conglomerates and sandstones rich in rnc1an1orphic and andcsitic!clacitic
debris. Type locality at Las Trancas 16586 96516].
1.75 km. Sequence established between Tendalitos (6570 96587] and Tenguelillo
(6603 96609].Comprises 'vhitcipink.ipalc bro,vn, dacitic to rhyolitic welded
ash-flow tuffs (variabk. quartL! plagioclasc!an1phibole crystal content.
scanered pumices) and green crystal-rich (plagioclasc!runphibole)
andesitic/dacitic cuffs which are non-wdckd or very '"cakly welded. Thin
redipu'llle mudstones also occur. lntercalations or thin pale- to dark grey
cherty turhiditic mudstones and sillstones occur near the base.

_ _ __ _ __ _ __ _Tc<.:L<>11 is1r1ruld angular unconfo1mit)·_ _ __ _ _ _ __

OA km(?) l lomfd scd rocks included in BELLA RICA 81\SALTS. (6556 96593]
and [66 18 96583 ]
I kn1 OELLA RICA BASALTS. Basalts. locally pillo,ved. (6603 96608].
Sedimentary rocks are sparse in the type section but around the "est am.I northwest fringe of the
,\}anca~ Group outcrop they an: "cll-de,·eloped (Santa Isabel ..proto-ba~1n ..: Section 3.8.6). \Vest
or the Chauchn-R10 Jerez Lineamt.:nt. the group also includes :;cdimentar) rocks (Las l rancas
Formation) (Table 2).
fhere is a wid<.: spread of fission track and Ki Ar age dates for the Saraguro Uroup. rite ukk~l
come from north of 1he field area. casl or La Troncn l (7164 97428). acid tuils near the bas.: !l."'c
38 6 = 1.3 :Via (the boundary bet"\veen Middle and Late Eocene) (Dunkley and Gaibor. 1997).
1-arther northeast [6997 97252]. a tuff at the base gave 37 0 :I: 1.5 Nia. These ruffs probably
•orrdat-:: \\ith lithologics beneath the I.as Tranca:> Funnation (Table 2). The highest fom1ation
\\ithin the field area. the La Paz Tuff. gives an ago: of 22.5 ± 0.9 t'vfa (earliest Miocene) (Appcndi~
I).

3.8. l Las Trancos Formation (nevJ)

Comprises andesitic to dacitic. lithic lapilli-tulls. tull~brcccias. dacitic to rhyolitic tuffa.
con)!lurnermes and sandstones. It co11tains much metamorphic rock detritus. l'he outcrop nms from
lh~ coastal plain, through La Rico , to it's thickest development at the Las Trancns type aren (Tnhle
2). farther 11011heast. the 4uantity of interbedded sedin1cnt<1ry rock is very variable and on 1.hc 111op
thl· fonnation is depicled intcrdigitnting \vith undivided Saraguro Group. On the \Vacershed to the
northeast [61W3 96571]. only 4 kin from Las Tr.meas. lhcrc is vim.ally no ~edimenrary niaterial.
Ille fonnation appear~ lo be con~trained to the \V<"SI of the Chaucha-Rio Jere7. Lineament lSection
5).
The base is marked al Las Trancas (65R2 96525) by con11-lun1cratcs rich in metamorphic debris. The
rcrnainder of the tbrmalion is not \veil-exposed al Las Trancas. but the s111tnce is littered with large
boulders \vhich arc approxin1ntely in situ. It is dominalcd by green tuff-hreccias and very poorly
so11ed conglom~r.lleiboulder heds. Tuff-breccias at 16588 9(i514) are typical. comprising \\ell-
rounded to angular cobbles of variolitic basalt and nucrogobbro identical to lithologies of the Bdla
Kica Basalts. Thcrc arc fe\ver clasts of mi<.:aceous psan1n1ite. abundant strained quartz and a l\:w
clasts of .:pidolcichlorite-altered intrusive rock (\VP 252). Nearby [6586 96517], 1herc arc
exposures or a tcw metres o f massively bedded. poorly so11ed conglomerate and co<ITTl' " '' dslonc.
rich in cobbles of coa rse muscovite schist. weakly fo linrcd muscovite gneiss and volcanic ruck.
In the Rios 1\-targanta and Pagua. upstream of San Miguel de Rra~il. the fonnation is mainly
s..'dimentary. E:q>o>un· is poor. hut there is much sandstone float. Ahout 2 m of coarse mas:;i' e
sandstone. rich in 4uartz. rnuscovite. feldspar and acid volcanic fragments. are exposed at
[644 l 96551 ]. The assemblage of boulders here includcs tuffaccous conglomerates rich in
m<.:tarnorphic clasts and vein quartz. coarse to fine green luflaceous sandstones wich sparse plant
fragn1ents. purple/red micaccous si lty mudstones .,vith carbonaceous scarns ond plant fragn1e11ts.
Samples (\VP 451 J submincd tbr 1nicropalaeontology \vere barren. ·1he Rio Margarita
[6440 96572) ~ho\\·s a similar boulder asse1nblage.
South of San Miguel de Brasil. low· cliff> 16418 9655~) heside the coastal plain alluviunt display
ahout 15 m ut' 1nass1vely bedded cong lorncratcs which comprise \veil -sorted, wt:ll-roundcJ chc11
17
and vein quartz clasts mainl} less than 30 mm in dirunctcr. Good imbricati on implies palaeocurrent
towards 25R".

J.8.2 Po rto\ elo Lnit (ne\\")

rhc n111in outcro p occupies the area from the Cordillera de C hilla (6550 96140 1 south tl1 l~nuna
and Po11ovclo. The unit is faulted ag;1insl tm:lmnorphic rocks to the south, along lhc l'i11as-
Portovdo Fault System. and overlies the El Oro meta1no rphic co1nplex unconformabl)- in the Rio
San Luis 16721 9503 I] and at Salvia.~ L6620 95964]. Tlu.:rc is no age control on the unii. Pre\'ious
worke~ ha'c included this ~qucnce \Vithin the "Celica Fom1ation" (OGGM. 1982). the Pinon
f ormatio n (l>GCil\.1. 1973b: DUGl\.1. 1975a) and "Sarnguro Volcanics" (BGS and CODIGEf\..1,
I 993a).
The estimated 1ninimum thickness is at lea~t 5 km. This is based on the ~ection bet\veen the Rio
San Lui~ and 7.aruma (654 7 95925], " 'here the regional dip. defined by minor sedimentary
intercala11ons and \velding in ash-tlo\v tutTs, is constantly gent le . or nloderate. to the west. Rocks
are very poorly exposed and typicall y spheroidally weathered, hut where fresh. they are
exceptionally tough. f\..1;1ssivc. porphyri tic blue-green andcsitic l ava.~ and crystal tulTs dominate.
They have comn1on plagioclase. an1phibolc and augite phenoCl)'Sts. Chlorite-filled vesides. with
irregular form. gi\·e some of the lava.~ a jigsa"' appearance. The crystal tuffs have small andcsitc
fragrr1ent~ and sparse large quanz crystals. Andesitic lap1l11-tuffs are rare {Plate 2a).

The unit shows limited hydro them1al alteration lo epidolc. chlorite and calcite. Epidote rcph1ct:s lht:
plagioclasc phenocrysts. Augites nnd an1phiboks arc rep laced by ch lorite and epidolt: (e.g. \VP
15-18). 01ssc1ninated pyrit~· is common. especially conccntrnted in the niafic minerals. Pumpdlyitc
and prchnite are also r<:poncd (Aguirre. 1992). Clay-altered andesites. io haloes around the rh)olitc
intrusions and epithemtal \'Cins of Zaruma-Portovclo. arc e"<tremely difficult to distinguioh front the
rhyolites (Section 4.2; Plate I h). Zeolite spols have been noted in some lhin sections (WP 1548).
Pillo"' lnva.s crop out in the Rio Salati r6S87 95869 ] cost of Zaruma, comprising porphyritic
basaltic andesites. "ith pillows about'.! min diruncter. In thin section. the rock dbplays a chilled.
quenched texture and a tlo\v foliation (\VP 1539). TI1e mafic phenocrysts arc completely chloritised
and zeohte amygdalcs arc 'videspread.
This dominantly andesitic un it also includes dm: itic and rhyol itic tuff.~. Excellent exposures on
Cerro 'Judillo (6691 9588 51 comprise a pumice-rich. \\ddcd nsh-tlO\V tuff. about 100 n1 thick. " ith
scauercd large quartz Cl')'Stals. A vitrocla.~tic texture is prc!>l:rved. The "8Jne packet of dacitic to
rh)olitil: 'tulTs is e'<posed in a road [6633 95935) northeast ol'liuizhagui~a. It comprises at least 1"·0
ash-flo" tuffs. totalling I 00 m . The lo\ver is rich in larg<.: bipynunidal quan1. crystals and sparse
biotites. 1111: upper in amphibolcs. feldspars and fe,ver quartzes. A 0.6 m-thick purple mudslone
separates the tv10 units. A se<.:ond 1najor packet of daci lic lo rhyolitic luff's occurs northeast of
Salvias [6634 95993]. About JOO m thick. it co1nprises \velded ash-llow tufts " 'ith common pumice
fragments. amplubole. quanz and plagioclase crystals.
·1he unit is homl~bcd by granodiorites in the Rio San Luis (6721 9593 1j and carry abundant
cpidote and 1nuscovitc (\VP 1545 ). Other hornfclscd tl imy andesites oc<.:ur norlh of the Rio San
18
Luis 16693 95948). Di>seminatcd pyrite is abundant and a g.ranoblastic tcxt1ne is visible in the
matrix (\\'P 15::!5). Amphibok phcnocrysts are altered lo act - chi + sphcnc - pyr. The l\\O
geochemical analyses from the unit. pl oned on a Si0~/Na2 0 '" K20 d iagm111 (LC' Bas et al., 1986).
confirm an andcsitic co mposition. verging on ha~altic nndesite (Appendi x 2).
·1he unit is interpreLed as pan of a ca lc-al~aline vokani<: arc.: J.:,clopcd on
J111c171r c1a tio11
n1etan1orphic ba>e111e111. The extensive propylitic-typc o ltcration~taken \\"ith Lht: scarce pillo" la,as.
~uggcsts the sequ~ncc 1s al least in pan marine.

3.8.3 Plancharun1i Formation (Dunkley and.(iaihor 1997)

C'mnprises a s.:ql1c11ce of rhyolitic volemtoclastic deposit~. tluvio-lacustrim.: S1.:din1cnts, and rh) olitic
lavas and breccias. h is overlain unconfon11ably hy the Jubones Fonnation. 1"11c best exposures are
to the nonh of 1hc niapped area fro1n "here a fission tr.ick ~ircon ag.c o f 25 ±I. I 'via has b<.>en
reported (Dunkley and Gaibor. 1997).

3.ll.4 La Fortuna l"o nnation (new)

I his is a welded rhyol i1ic a~h-tlo\v tulT ' "ilh conunon quarl7. crystals. The tormation replaces the
.. 1 a Fortuna Volcanics.. (DGGM. l 980c) " hich were similarly defined. The main outcrop i> ;m
outlier which caps the cre.sLs of the \\est flank of the \Vestern Cordillera. It occur> uni} north of the
Rio Jubones. I) ing '"ith strong angular unconfom1it}' on o lder Sar;1guro slntla and dipping
constantly. and gc111ly. to\vards the c.:oasl; ··is lands" nlso occur within Lhe co<1slal plain alluviu1n. for
example south o f c l Ciuaho (6330 96400 and 6320 96.l57]. The outcrop c:in be Lrac.:d inland as for
as Lon1a de Bunques [6563 96500]. al over 3000 111 altitude.
TI1e tuff is gc.:ncrally strongly " 'eathen:d. forming decomposed rock and "hile soils. \Vhcrc fresh.
for exarnpk near Pa~je (6324 963541. it is pale grey and siliceous \\ith scattered plagioclnse.
embayed quartz and sparse biotites. Colunu1ar joints and moder.lie ' velding arc \\·ell-developed near
La T igrera 16492 96449). In Lhin section. 1here is a clear euLaxilic welding foliation and scattered
e1nbayc.:d quart7. crystals and sparse s mall biotites (\VP 176). Close to Lomn rte Runques. over
20 kn1 east of the Rio Jubones locality. the 1exrures are identical (WP 1222).
The thickne~-s is csti1nated at up to 600 m. for example south of La Tigr..:r.i [6510 96432].
I he formation is dated by fission trJc.:k at ~3 . 2 ± 0 8 i'vla (Early IVliocen.:) (App.:ndix I).
Lnfo11unately. it \\ edges out hefore the mosL westerly exposures of the Jubones Fonnalion.
Tlicrc fore. the age rdations are 110\vhere seen. Tht: r~·spt.:etivc age dates for the fonnations have
o' ·.:rlapping error bars. in1plying 1hot they are broadly contemporaneous. \,eochemically. th.:y are
a lso very similar. despile the much lo\ver contenl or 4uanz crystals in 1uffa of the La forLuna
Fonuation. pinning almost together on the SiO" 1'J'.:a!O t K: O diagram. \veil into the rhyolite fidd
l Le Bas et al., 1986: Appendix :!)

19
-~~~-'?_
-RT_H_ _~
, ---·---------------
SOUTH
~---- ----
ONA
ST ISABEL/ GIRON LA CRlA ANTICLINE
BASIN

SARAtiURO

)lJUOJh.'> 1'UFF
~ucara
dome

rhyn l itc
SAR.AG ifRO

Figure 4 Cartoon of the stra.tigraphy and structure of the Santa Isabel Basin.
3.l:!.5 Ju hones For1narlon (nev;)
This is n rhyolitic crystal tuff. rich in plagioclasc. quan7 and biotite er: stals. ll is an imponant
n1arker and has a larg.: outcrop. The mapped s.urfoce area is at least 2700 km: (Fii:ur1: 5). l11is
includes an extension norlh or3°S. around Pimo (Dunkley and Gaihor. 1997: [3GS and l'ODIUE:vl.
In press b). fhe tuff is thick.:st i.:ast nf Pucara. \vhe::n: it nnains at lea~t 500 m (fi!(uri.: 5). It thin;,
10,vards tht: nonh and is general!) cut out beneath unconfon11ities. It \\'edges out lxne::ath nlas>i'.:
andesitic breccias of the Santa ls;1bd Fon11arion at Quinuas 16663 96508]. heneath the.Turupamba
and Q11in1sacocha Fonnations west of the Qu imsacocha Caldera. and heneath the Turi and
Tun1pn111ho r:ormarions at Pimo (Dunkley and Gaihor, 1997). Towards the axis of the Ayancny
Group basin the lull "ns cut out by erosion prior to deposition of the andesites of the Santa Isabel
Formntion.
'.'Jorth of the Rio Jubones. the tuff <loes not occur immediately e::ast of a line bcr•Neen Ganarin
16800 96353). Caiiaribamha (6850 96427 1. Hua~ipamba (6863 96483 J and Tres Lagunas
[6853 96554). Thi~ is despite ihe fact that it is generally thickly de"clopcd to the \\·est. This reflects
uplift nnd erosion along rhe Cla1'arin Bdt (Sections 4.2. 6.2) prior to the deposition of the Santo
babel Formation (Plate 5a. Figure 5).
South of the Giron Fault System. the forrnation re-emerges and m;;iintains a thickness of about
160 111 Ahove the Rio Le6n. it \\'as previous!) rnapped as the Tarqui Fonnation (Kennerley. et al..
1973 l. fhe most southwesterly outcrop. an unusual \Vedge about I Jun wide. occurs at Cluanaztin
l66 7ll 9<> 176] (figt11c 5). The geome::try has not heen studie::d in detai l. but ir seems to he an
crosionol remnant preserved between two foult. strands or lht: Gai1ariu l:lelt. The exposures are
distrncrly handed lulls. The vlelding fo liation hns heen distorted by flo,v (rheomorphism) and is
locall} strongly loldcd. for example:: [6684 96161).
The rype section. dcscrihed in Section 3.!!.6. is a roadcut east of R.io tvlinas (6R05 96320]. An
ahnost co111pletc sequence. \vith base surge. lag hreccia an<l crystal tuff is exposed. I lo\\•ever, this
three pan wnation occurs only h1:rc. l:.very"here else. only the crystal tuff is present. Th.:
c:<posures in the Panamerican high"ay [703196250] nonh ol'thc Rio l.e6n. for example. comprise
pink and creanl, rnoderately folialcd, plagioclose. quartz :ind biotite crystal-rich tuIT with comnron
e longated pscudoclasrs and scall1:r.:d angular nndcsite lh1gn1c11ls.
The tulT is not generally affected by sil icification. hut nonh,\·esl 16798 96593) of Pedcmales there
is an unusual zone of srl icified joints. A '"ell-exposed e -:ainple:: [6798 96586] is venical. 3 m \Vid.:
and s1rikes 076°. ll is pm1 ofa s\varm orsilicilicdjoint~ .. :ninor laulb ''ith sirnilnr orientation.
\\'esl of Santa Isabel. lht: Juboncs Formation has b1:cn da1cd hy Kii\r on biotile:: at 22.76± 0.97 Ma.
earli.:st l\laocene. !\ear Oiia.. it has heen dated at about 23.0 = 2.2 \.fa (011 -186) (Hungcrbiihlcr. 111
prep; Appendix I). i\ fission track date from imrne<liatcly beneath gives '.!5.0 " 0.9 f\<la (Appendix
l ).

20
 ...
fN
IOkm
I
:·~;:
;, -;. 1;..,,. 1
..:•J..;. . . Juhones 1Uff
.-1.''I''" "

x Prospee1 .~

"''

I II ,

..,,
.,,,,,
.".,

'
Figure S Isopoc.h map' dt the Jubones Tuftwjth the ff"!lll5ef/ ~jfe of ~1e Jubbne~ tarJJl.a. Ar.kis
where the Tuff is absent mostly retlect post-depositional erosion. Odld prospects and alteration
7.0nes of the Gaiiarin Belt are shown. All thickness in metres.
•

Plnle 4
Basal surge, up lo 2.5 m thick, of the Jubones Tuff Formation. It begins about 1.5 rn above the
head of the geologist and is strongly scoured by the cobble-rich portion. It displays large-scale,
low angle cross-stratification and contains silicified trees in the lower 0.3 m. Rio Minas
[6808 96323 J.
 Plate S
o) View of tlie Jubones Tuff [6806 963181 at the Rio Minas. 111e Tuff wedges out to 1hc kfi
(north), cut out by an angular unconfonnity bcnea1h the Santa Isabel AndeJ1il<:ll. The yellow bolsal
8urge is visible in the rood (Plate 4).
b) Typical Snroguro Group Strata in the Rio Tenla [6884 9604~). northwest of Saraguro. Cliff is
c. 500 m high. A Lhick welded ash·llow Luff, with columnar joints, is overlain by lour thin flow
units. They are interpreted 88 products of the same eruption phase. Above, a prominent hcnch
marlcs sedimentary deposits. A funher thn:c ash-flow tuffs complete the sequence.
J.8.6 La l'az For·mation (ne"v)
This is a rhyolitic ash-flo\v tuff, rich in plagioclase and quartz crystals. It "vas previously included
the Pliocene-Pkistoccne Tarqui Fo1111ation (DGG:'vl, 1974). T he luff is largely flat-lying and crops
out only south or the Giron Fault Syste1n (Figure 4). It occupies the high pira1no bel\,'een Loma
i'iopa1nba (7200 96477]. south of Cun1be, and Filo de Huaca (7032 96020) near Saraguro. Sn1all
outliers, overlying andesitic tufts of the Sacapalca Unit, occur near Giron (7075 96506 and
7096 96534]. The dip increases towards the Giron Fault. Exposures \\ith 45° dip occur belo\v
Chachi f7027 96448]
Tht: tuff weathers to a cream or buff-coloured decomposed rock. The outcrop is <:haracterized by
the abundance of coarse (quanz) sandy soils. \l/hert' fresh, !or exa1nple north of La Paz de la
lndepcndencia [7075 96345 and 7058 9635 I), the ro<:k is comrnonly colu1nnar jointed and displays
a weak welding foliation. It is rich in large plagioclast' and bipyrarnidal quarlL crystab. Lithic lapilli
are uncon1111on. The magnetite content is high and magnetite is con1111on in the soils.
The slightly discordant base is well exposed norlheast of La Paz 17128 963871. The basal metre
contains coal fragments, carbonized trees. and many srnall lithie lapilli. lt overliC's tufl"s with thin
coals (Section 3.8.6). On the nonh side of the Rio Leon 17020 962501. the La Paz Formation
overlies the .Jubones Formation, but farther north it steps dovvn onto older rocks and the Jubones
Forrnation is cut out.
Th.: niaxin1un1 thickness. about 400 m, occurs soutl\\vcst [7030 961401 of Oiia. Southwards,
towards Saraguro, it declines to less than 200 rn. The original exten t, based on the outcrop. was
'
al least 800 kin-.
Correlation problems occur between La Paz and Curnbc because of the difficulty in
distinguishing the luff from sub-vokanic intrusions. Hence. the fonnation is not carried this for
north 011 the geo logical map. wedging out in the undivided Saraguro Group.
A fission track date of22.5 J: 0.9 i'v1a. fro1n west ofOiia, indicates 011 earliest l'vliocene age for the
La Pa7. Forn1ation (Appendix I).
Jnre111re.1a1ion i\sh-tlovv tull:S, probably caldera outtlo"v facies, do1ni11ated deposition of the
Saraguro Group. Unfortunately, in only one case, the Jubones Forn1ation, is it possible to relate an
individual ash-flow tuff 10 a volcanic centre/caldera.The c lusters of age dares indicate .. ,,u huge
thicknesses \Vere deposited in short periods. Large periods of time are therefore reprc ..:need by
111ajor disconforrnities. The angular unconfonnity beueath the .Juhones Fonnation alone prohahly
rcpresencs a gap of about 4-5 !'via. The andcsitic-dorninated sedimentary sequences, such as the
Sanw lsahel "proto-basin", an~ interpreted as the O\lt\vash of andesitic fi ssure en1pt.ions or
stratovolcanoes.
Th~ bulk of the group \\'as deposited in a terrestrial selling. However, sparse grey turbidite interbcds
in the lo\ver pa11 (Table I) suggest initiation of volcanisrn in a rnixt'.d terrestrial and n1arinc setting.
The Las Trancas Fonnation is probably an alluvial Ian and lluvial ocqucncc.

21
 I SOUTH I
I NORTH I
UNCONFORMI TIES

r E
I 0
l
~ 0
N
' c- .
(.)

\
JU BONES
TUFF \
\
..
Rood

Figure 6 West wall ofche Rio :Vlinas, sourhw.::st ofSanra fsabd. looking " 'est from r6806 963~1Jj. 11
shows the ti lted foult blocks, related ro calder:.i f(1m1ation. ""hich existed immediacdy b.::t·o re Jc'r•)si1ion of
the Jubonc's Tuff. The aln10;1 vertical line;; within che turf are colurnna r joims.
Syn-depositional teclonism was strong, swilching Crom extensional lo compressional. Vertical and
folded straca underlying the horizontal Jubones Formalion at Pedemales indicate hov1 strong some
of the compressive episodes were. The Giron fault System played an important role. with probahle
prc-Juboncs Fonnacion con1pressio11 at La Cria (rigure 8). To the nonh, the highest preserved
Saraguro Group is the Juhones Fonnation wherea~. southv.'ards and ea~t\\'ards, acid tuffs (La Pa z
Tull) arc preserved ahove the Jubones Fom1ation . It seems tbt che north side suffered uplift and
erosion lhat preceded deposition of the Santa Isabel Fom1ation. \
There is evidence that the Saraguro Group was constrained in a basin bcnvecn the Cordillera Real
and the uplifted wcsien1 part of the Cordillera Occidental. The rcnioval of large thicknesses of
strata from the west side of the \Vcstem Cordillera prior to the start of deposition is implied by the
ahsence of Cretac~ous lurbiditcs, Celica, Quingeo and Sacapalca. The preservation of lhese
formations. albeit in remnants, tO"'ards the Cordillera Real, irnplics greater uplili in lhe west.
perhaps along a major n;ver~e foul! at the foot of the Cordillera. This is strongly supportt:d by the
\Ves\\vard overstep or the Las Trancas Fonnation onto progressively older Saraguro Group rocks
and. finally. onlo rnetarnorphic basenient near Ponce E1ufquez.
The Saraguro Group thins and contains a greater proportion of sedimentary intcrbeds, towards the
ea~t. It is estimated lo bt: very thin, less than 500 111, beneath the Cuenca basin (HungerbUhler and
Steinmann. 1996). Maps of the Cuenca l:lasin (L>GGM. I 'J80b; L>GGtvt, J980c) also depict a
thickness of up lo only I kni, declining to the east. This i1nplies that the Saraguro onlaps onlo lhe
Cordillera Real melamorphic rocks.
The minimum eruptive volu1nc of the Jubones Forn1acion is estin1ated at 350 kni'. An eyual or
greater volume may have been lost through erosion. Such an eruption 'vas probably a caldera-
forming event. Relationships between eruptive voltune of ash-flow tu!Ts ("igni1nbriles") against
caldera diameter (Cas and \Vright, I 987), imply a likely source caldera (ring fissure type) of IS lo
20 km diam<'.lcr. The trees at the base of the base surge give an indication of the direction of the
inilial blast. They are aligned 300° to 042", \Vith an average of ahout north-nnn.h"·est. This spread
may rdlccl variation, or perhaps they are forked trees. Since they \Vere probahly knocked flat by the
original lov.; density blast of the surge. without being involved in cransport. the flo,v direction \vas
ei ther towards the nonh-northwest or south-southeast.
The best indication of the v:hereaboucs of the caldera is given hy the ispoach 1nap, which shows
greatest thicknesses around Pachagmarna.. Rio San Francisco und Rio l'vfinus, on the Gaiiarin l:lclt
(figure 5: Section 6.2). In the same area, there is evidence of listric-style extensional faulting (see
details s.:clion). This caused rotation of large fault blocks and the Juboncs Fonnation accurnulal~d
in the resultant lopography (Figure 6). The absence of 1111\jor erosion in this time inccrval indicales
chat extensional faulting and t'ruplion were aln1os1 instantan.:ous. tvlappt'd listric faults dip lowards
the centre of the proposed caldera and backtiltcd strata dip away frorri it.
T he proposed caldera includes the only area where a base surge and lag are recorded. also a
concentration of suh-volcanic rhyolite intrusions
The sirnilarity in age and che1n is1ry hetv.•een the tuffa of the I.a Fo11una and Juhones Fonnations
suggest that the fonner n1ay also have emanated fro111 the Jubones Caldera. though it is not clear
.--,,
 SouTl1

-----------
- -~
AYIWCA'/ - .·

Figure 7 Sketch of the area east of San Sebastian de Yuluc, from a viewpoint at (6763 96285].
~ote how I.he Jubones Tuff wedges out completely towards the left (north), beneath the angular
unconronnicy at the base: ot 1be Ayancay Group.
\\ heth.::r it preceded. or lollo,,cd. eruption of 1he Jubone~ Fonnation.

D"tails.
717<: Sama /sah<d 'pr1110-basin · The best "xp<>sures occur in 1he precipi1ous cliffs o f 1hc lt lo J11honcs bcluw Ahu1l i11
[6680 9633~ 10 671' 96>26) and around rhe site of rhe J11h<mc' Caldera. At Pachai\mnma. grow1h faults. strik ing
broadly easi-wcst and d1pp1ng mo<leratcl) southv.nrds. have thicker occ11m11larinn< of 111IT:iccuus sandstones 111 their
hnngmg-"alls. S}n·'><dm1cntary wedj!es of s.1nd,1nncs an<l dcbritcs are also developed. Some hanging-walls are b.lCk·
ulted by <;<>me 20°. so that they dip towards the growth faults. A large rock face of dchritcs al (67~2 96320(. about
100 111 high. displa)' u11 4111~ular unconfo1Tt"11ty "'hic.:h l.uncates o tt.en1le syncline. tes11f)·1ng to ~tr<lng "Yn·depo~ir1onal
r~1ul1ing. l11trusion of tht! Put:hug111afna 1hyolitc tlptumed some l)l"rHIU i1l at.one ate,.,, hundred 1netres in \Vldth. but had
httle effect <1n lltt.: overall structur::1I g..:<>rnclry.
C'lo,e to the union f670 I 963~3 ( of the Rio San rrnnciscn •ml Rio Ju bones there are exposures of a debrite. possibly a
lahar It comprises a muddy 111IT, rkh iu feldspar and amphobolc. with abum.lw1t ycllO\•i>h luff <lasts up to 0.2 min size.
CIMt margin~ arc irrcttular. implying. inc'M"fMH11lion in a soft state. Andes11te lava cla.'itoe '''1tt1 n..-d o\idi:>t..-J ri111:.. urc al)()
common. &tween the ri\er and 167061/63:?7]. rrn11.I exposures display sandstones. conglomenues and muddy c<)'tul
tuffiocs. TI1ere are numerou' examples of channelling and <yn-dcpo,itiunal faultin~. Some "ell-bedded strata pass
laterally into dcbritcs by slumping
F,.xposures in the Rio San Francisco, east o f Pucara, show the 250 m of strata benealh lhe Jubones l·nrrn111inn.
Sedimenlary oocks are less well-dc•clopcd and are mainly pale green tuffaccous mudstoncs with abundant ac<re1ionary
lapllh. some broken. up to 15 mm in diameter. for example 167~8 9(>420) I he lowe't <trata comprise a massi'e daci1ic
tu IT '' ith abundant green wod red lithic fragments. Thi> i> <>•crloin by !low-banded purple andesite which clo"'I}
re<emhlo bedded rull becau'\C uf c.--stal segregauon into band•. The Oow bandin~ is b<'oadly horizont:ll. but locally
167~6 QM2n] turns ••rtical. lhe axial plane> of1hese flow folds stroke roughl) ea"-"'"t Fuld 'crgence sho"s llo\\·
1o»ards 1he so111h In Lhin section, the lav<1s enmpri•c a now-banded felt of feldspar m1croli1c> " iLh sornngly 1uncd
fcld,par phenocrysts ( lorgely altered to calcile) and amphihnlc 1>hc11ucry•IS (altered to chlorite and opaque ore)
(WI' H>9, 209).
In 1he Rio Jubone~ nclnhcast of San Sebast1ttn cle Yt1luc, th..: s.;a.11e elenlents exis:t: \i'Olcan1clas11c sedimenrnry rfK.:k' uru..I
andc>itcs. There are some problems distingu1sh1ng 1nm1si'e from c'tru>ive andesite. but there are undoubted teldspar-
ph~Tic la\a flO\\S, In th• Cuenca-Macholo road (6778 96307]. t~ 5e<111ence begins. ca't of a northeast·striking fault.
part ot'the Garlarm Belt. "ith more than iO m of pale green deb<'itts w11h abundant rounded cohhk-s ufand<-.ilc. TI1e
mall ix is 1ich 1n fcld\pur erystnls and iutfaceous material. The d.:brites are overlain by 15 m o t well bedilect. hright
green. copper-enriched coarse sands1oncs and debrnes. A further 200 m of debri1es folio». with two or three purple
wealhered aruk>ilc lavas. 3 to 30 m thick. In 1hc hillside opposile, sou1h of the Rfn .J11honc,, the lava llows. locally
culumnar jointed. pinch and s"ell. some wedging 0111 entirely. The .cqucnce is capped b)• the Jubones Fonna1ion.
/,\'{)<! <1'l'11nn of ihe J111>011es Formfl11n11The l)pe section btgins wtlh a cla.. .ic ba,JI >uoge deposit of poorly
ce1nented coarse Cf'),tJI luff. 1-3 m thick. \\11h ''a"Y· larg.c·~-ale-. lo1t2 ''avelength cross-srrarifica1ion. in1c.rpn:tc<l ll!t
;1n11duncs (Plate~). lompri•ing grains of feldsp,lr. b1ome. quart111nd roe~ fragom:nts. 11 o•erhes 0.2 m Ot mudstone
of possibly lacu"rinc origin. $1hc1fied tree trunk, are common in the lower 0 2 m . Fnch !rec is •trungl} nancncd.
wilh a dep1hileng1h ra11n of ahout 1:2.5 or 3. I he alignment of 7 tree• was measured: 004", 160". 120". 12 1". 042".
1·15" and 031'.Thc crys1al wff is ovcrlilin, wilh erosional contact. by a redd ish znnc ofCl')'Stal-rich (qua11z. feldspar
nnd biotite) agglcln1.,;rutic tuff ,vith abundan1'vcll-r<>undcd blocks up to 0.7 m 1n size I he 7<>nc, inlcrprch.:d "'a Cl' -
igni111b1ite lag deposit. is 11 m thick in the road. but thicker on ly a few hundred metres to the north and south (!>late
5a). I he cla..t\ indude andestte lava. rh}olitic luff'la•a and a tew of red mudsrone There arc distinct cobble-nch
•nd cobblt-poor b,1nd,. impl)ill~ Ouctuauon 1n the pyrocla.<tic flow.
1\bove 1he agglomerate. the main body of tl1c luff comprises cream crystal-rich 1uIT wilh •pur>c paler clasts or the
~nnie compos1t1on \i1nny nla>' be pseudo·c lasts. the prcltJuct c>f rcc1)·s1allization. No degassing pipes arc 'ccn . A

23
plan11r fi1lialitJ11. la1gely defined by· the alig1\ed ·clast.s•. is. apparent. Large scale colu111nur joi11ting. \vilh Clllumns
1nore than I m in <liamerer, is present 1hro11,ght111t, but he<.a.1111c~ l1ctter <lcli 111!LI up\var<ls in the bod~' and ts present
righ1 upw1he eroded 1op. A thin sec1ion (\VP 113) shows large crysrnls of broken plagioclase. embayed quartz a11d
bio11te. I he hit11i1c is Ct)llllllt)flly hcnt l>y c1ut1()ilCtit1n. The 1natrix cottl()ri!\eS chll)tite rt)~ellcs., lhe re1.:,u h r.1f
<lcvitritication. ·rhis recrystalli zation. a regional featt1re in many· rhy·c>liric {llffs a1td rh)lolites of the SaragL1ro Group.
means that few 'hards can be distinguished. About 100 m of the main body of the tuff is preserved at this locali1y;
only a fe\'i hundred n1etres north. the entire 111ff has h.ccn !!roded beneath the profo11nd ungular unconfor1nir),; at the
base ol' 1hc Santa Isabel Formation. In the west wall of the Rio Minas, about [6800 96320 ), the tuff appears to inti II
a pronounced topography (fi~1irc 6 ).
La Pa:. <-:'u111he c11·1d Tc1rt1i1i Tltere is a disti11ct cllange in the Sara~uro Group fron1 La Paz tO\.\>ards Cunlbc, \.r.·i1h
incon1ing of beds of c11al and tuff<JCC<>us se<li111cntury ruck. 81..:ncutl1 lite La PaL. Ft>m1ali<ln, nonh of La Paz
(7 128 96387]. there is a coal. 0.4 m thick. underlain by a further 20 m of bedded and welded acid tufts. both types
lilh ic-rich, and heels of pink mudstone. A lithic tuff. about 80 m thick. lies beneath. This moderately welded rock.
possibl)· the Jt1bone" Fc1rmatil>r1. is ric11 iu 11attened a1ld aligned lithic frag1r1t:1lL\, up t(> 0.5 m in length . 1ncJud1ng
quartz/biotite tuff. pi1m1ce . n1uds1one and p;tle hr<>\\'n, str11ngl}' \Velctect tttff. The matri x, \\ihich IS pink, tine~grain ed
and probably vitroclastic. is rich in quartz and b1ot1te crystals. l"he lowest pan of the sequence. at 17 138 963 861, is
a rotten-weathered basalt with abundant vuggy agates and agate veins. It may be an intrusion. because a fainl ly
flow-banded. intrusion of similar compositinn occurs nearby on the Nabnn road [7 147 96387) In thin section
(WP .122). the latter comprises a groundmass of feathery plag1oc lases and inierstitial augi1e with scattered altered
ol iv·ines.
Northeastwards. the La Paz fonTiation overlies a different sequence, more sedimeniary tn character. Good
ex pn,ures occur between the high point of the Panamerican highway (7196 964811 and Cumbe. The rocks are
breccio-conglon1era1es, tl<>n1i11utcd l>)' acid tuffaceous n1aterial. pebbly acid luffs, tufTaccous santlsl<->ncs, cream
mudstones and 1hm coa ls (7 190 96500). t!n idcnLificd plant fragments arc common in some places. for example
[7 20.1 965 14].
On the nonhwest <ide of lhc Yungu illa/Quingeo Cum be Inl ier, there is a strip of uceply weathered acid 111ff and
conglo111erate. ,.\ bout 3 km \Vide. it 'vas pre,.:iousl)'· assigned 10 the Tarcp1i Formation (l><.><JM. I ~7d). It lS throw·n
againsl 1he Ayancay Group by the Uir6n Fault. The sequence. about 1.25 km thick, dips gently (10-30") to the
nonhwest. The conglomerates are well-exposed in the Cuenca-Machala road. for example at 17 171 96626]. At
l7142 96593). fabu lar cross-1:,tratificatif>n in sandst<>nCs indicates ll(J\.\· tO\vards 1601). SLrucLurdl cc1nsiclcrfliions in1ply
1hat the entire sequence is beneath the La Paz formation and hence enlirely Saraguro
The type -;ec1ion of 1he Tarqui Formation [7198 96671. a few kilometres to the northeast of Cumbe. comprises
si1r1i lar rocks. also overlain by the Ayuncay Grt>up. \'v'e ir•tcrprct the strata us Surug.urt> Grt•up. This is snpponed by
the observations in th• Cuenca Uasin that the Tarqui is Late Miocene or younger (< 10 Ma) and clearl: ··. a lies the
..<\}:ancay· Grt•up.
The P<lra mo of Chi/la. ,waml and Sel1·a Alegre The acid mffs of 1he piiramo sou1h of Chi Ila . Guanazan and .\tlanti
and wc't 1>1' Selva Alegre were included by Kennerley et al (1973) in the Chinchillo Fonnation. We abandon this
te-rm because the tu ff1.:, arc in<lis1inguishal1lc fr(>111 Saraguro Gr<>ur> strata. Furtli1..:r111t>1'L'. tl1i..: inlier t•f the J11hr1ne1.:,
Formation at Guana?an [6680 ~6165J. occurs within 1he .. Chinch 1llo ronnat1on ... A fission track da1e of 20.7 +
~ .· I Ma (Appendix I). from an andesiteidac ite lava at a sim ilar level to the Jubones Formation at Guana1-311. but
-I km east, on the :-fan(1 side of a major wa1ershed (6727 96 1441. srrenglhens the case.

The mnsi specluculur ,ections occur between Tauracocha 16703 960361. Sabadel (67 18 96057) and the Rio Pi lincay
16660 961 IOJ. fhe flat-lyin~ scquencc begins al Tauracncha wilh ahout 200 m ofpnrphyritic daciticiandesitic lavas.
They , ho" arnphibole. panly altertd to chlorite, plagioclase and sparse quanz phenocrysts in a very fine
holocrystalline marris (\VP 689). The sequence continue;, at Sabadcl with about 500 111 of dacitic cry;,tal tulTs. rich
in plagioc lase and amphibole crystals. Three or four ash-flow units are visible in the cliff These are overlain by
abm11 140 m of well-featured. thinner units of variably welded, pumice-rich ash-tlow dacitic tufts 16730 960851.
North ofGualel a lltt\:tal sedime-nl<tr}' sequence occt1rs \1,•i1hin rhe Saraguro <:ircJup. l .ike the Las Trancas F'orm;;ition.

24
it is rich m metamorphic dehris. Al Cordillera Payana [6737 ?5884) it auains about 160 m and comprises pebbly
sHn<lst<>nc~ and coarse conglo111erate.s rich in "·e1n quartz. gneiss. psan1mite. schisl. feldspar and muscovite. lnterbeds
Qf black and <lark grey mu<lsll>flc uud purple n\uddy 01\desitic debrites are co1l1n1on . (n tl1i11 section. a san<lslonc
fru11l [67~~ 95886] shows abundant muscovite, sparse biotilc unJ spurse zircon (WP 1513). The ' cqucnce is
overlain hy Oat-lying. dac itic tuffs. The base of the lluvial sequence was not seen at Payana. bm samples collected
by stream sediment samplers Crum the Rio San Luis ba,i11 imply that it b underlain by mo1e acid tuff. For this
rca~<u1, t11e sequence is included \Vithin the $(1.raguro Group llo\vcver, i1 is possible thal i1 is a C'ret;:ice1J11s unit.

Zar11ma-l'i1/as West of Zaruma, crystal luffs that were previously included within the Celica are now considered as
Saragur{>. The outcrop is \Vell -featttred. \\•ith un its dipping u·est <•1 gentle to moderate angles. fhe oli\:e ~reen tuffs
have a spheroidal weathering aspect and are not as tough as the Celica rocks. On the main Pinas-Zaruma road
[6505 ? 591 21. massively bedded andesitic crystal luffs contain graphitic phyllilc 1apilli, perhap' ripped frollt the
sides of the >ourcc vent. They overlie a debrite comprising large boulders of pale (dacitic?) lava . andesite and cherts
within a red mudstonc matrix. A few hundred metres west. at El Po11ete [6502 959161. a c. 50 rn-thick, columnar
jointed dacitic ash-ilow ruff yielded a fission trnck date of 2 1.5 ± 0.8 Ma (Appcn<li.' I).
A rhyolilic ash-11ow tuff. at least 200 m thick, crops out in outliers along the Piilas-Portovelo Fault System and is
locally, for example [647& 95916 ). cuught up as wedges within fault strands. It has a coarse. non-"eldcd 'itrucluslk
texture, \vich sparse pttmices (\.\rP 1641 ). IL is t1at-lying an<l ~ccrr1~ Lt> t>vcrlic the Suragurc> tu ff" •ITIC<Jnformably.
cut1ing across lhe strike of the fonner at El Portete (6495 95905], for example. West of Salati (6595 958631 it fo1ms
a gentle foorwa ll <ync line to ihc Pi1las-Ponovelo Fault System. It was included previously in the Tarqui Formation
(DGGM. t980a). ,:\. Jlhough no aue dttle is a\ ailablc, \VC inc lude it \Vith in lhc Saragurtl Grl1u p hc<.:aust:
1
(lf lhe lack of
Tarqui activity this far south.
San Gerardo This [65 19 966.l I] area of deeply weathered andesitic tuffs and dacitic (quartz crystal) ruffs separates
the outcrops of the Bella Rica Uasa lcs. The tufft. c:rc1p t>ut t>nly in the highest parts. suggesting that the}' are an outlier
of the Saruguro Group. l~i'ing \\'ith angular unconformity on the Uella ltica Uasalts.

3.9 Santa fsahel Formation (new)

This formation con1prises massive, deeply weathered. olive green andesitic 1ul1~breccias with
scarce andesice lavas and sedimenlary rocks. It was previously included in th..: '"Saraguro
f 01111a1ion" (Kennerley, 1973).
The outcrop can be traced from La Cria (6903 962681, in the soulheas t, lo Zula 17042 96492),
near O iron. Wes\\vards. tO"'ards Uzheurrumi 16583 963121, there is also an extensi ve outcrop
(see dera ils). Near Giron [7023 965 12 1, there is a sn1all inlier. There arc no outcrops south..:ast of
the Giron Fault System. The formation inlcrfingcrs with the Ayancay Uroup in the Santa Isabel
to <I iron area so that there are upper and lower tongues (Figure 4 ). Th is leads lo a compkx
si tuation; in ihe \Vest, the andesitic rocks are overlain by the Ayancay Group. Bt·1,veen Santa
Isabel and Giron, ho\vever, they overlie the Ayancay. The critical art'.a is al Santa Isabel, where
wcdgcs·of Ayancay red-beds can be mapped within the andesites [6867 96385 and 6872 96406].
All pinch out tO\vards the north and \vest, the upper and lov:er tongues of the formation merging.
Typical lithologies . \Vest of Santa Isabel (6860 96384]. are soft, rubbly weathering andesitic tuff-
breccias. Angular fragn1ents of andesit.e can be distinguished, \vith difficulty, in a matrix packed
with feldspars and arr1phibolcs. The rocks are \vhite-stained, calcite-veined and highly fractured.
The base of the formation is exposed in the Rio Ju bones [6803 96303], where, an i1npcrs istcnt
basal conglon1erate. up lo 8 m thick, ovcrli..:s the Juboncs Fonnation with strong angular
25
 Ptuce 6
a) Ang11IHr unconfonnity betwe~n the SHnla l~i1bel Andesite Formation, pale grey and rubbly, at
righl, and the Ayancay Group. Lorna Pc~11 Blnnca. Looking southwest from r6845 96344].
b) Ayancuy Group fluvia l sequence above the Rio .Tuboncs. The road in foreground cuts the
Jubonc~ Tuff. Above the Ayancay Group, yellowish soils mark the unconformable Uchucay
Formation, dipping towards the let\. Looking southeast tram about [679596318).
unconforn1ity. ll is \Cry coarse. poorly sorted and polyn1 ict. \I/ell rounded cobbles. up to 0.5 111.
arc mainly feldspar-phyric auLksitc. sandstone, niudstone and ande.~itic t11ff-breccia. The 111atrix
i) tuffaceous. \vith abundant angular fragn1cnts and crystals of an1phibolc. I here are no clasts of
the Jubones Formation.
Jn much of the outcrop. the lo"·est strata are mas~ive )ello"\'uflaccow. 1nuds1oncs. about JOO 111
thick. The sequence is v.cll-exposed near Gaimrin [6788 9~337] and iri tht.' Kio Leon [6881
96290]. IL abo occurs on both sides of the La Cria /\nticlim:, tor example La Cria [6902 96266].
Loma de Lagunas [6883 ')(J296] and La~ Cochas (6833 962 16]. Gaslropods and fish teech are
repo11ed (pers comr11 HungerbUh ler. February 1997). The yello\'' strata are capped hy a
remarkable sequence. 8 to 20 n1 thick, of purple/red. extremely Lough. fine tuffs. tuffaceous
cong lomerates and sandstones (Plate JO). The clasts comprise fine acid Lull'. rhyolitic tuff.
hreccia. quartz crystal ruff and feldspar-phyric andesite. There are subordinate beds of finely
laminated acid tu ff and red 1nudstone.
The formation is typified in rhe nonh\vest. for example Pindochupa (see details). by large-scale
disruption and grealt;r conti::nt of sedi111ei11ary rocks. Melange of red mudstone. andesitic debrites
and sandstone is common bet\veen the Rio !'v1inas and S hadan (6828 96327]. These d irectly
overlie Lhe Jubones Fonnnrion and large rafts of the tutr are incorporated locally. A few
miniature syn-dcpositionn l grnhen occur in the Cuenca-:Vlachala road. Al [6S3 5 96340]. a wedge-
~haped graben. 8 1n wide. occurs \Vithin massively bedded andesitic debrites. The graben is
draped by younger strata. sho\~ing that it \\'35 syn-depositional. The didining Jaults strike
north" e>l and north .
The maxin1um thickness of rhe formation is about 400 m. In the northeast. \\here it is cut out by
the furi formation. th.:: thickness drops steadily from 400 m at the Rio Rircay [6983 96430]. to
nothing near Santa Teresa [7044 96497]. about 8 km away.
/\ fission Lrack date of 1R.4 ± 0.8 Ma (Hungerbtihler. in prep) is reported from near Lhe base of
the formation Al the Rio Rircay roadbridge [6983 96430] the upper Longuc was dal~d by K/Ar
al 14.2 ± 0.5 t-.1a (Kennerley. 1980: Appendix I). A fission track age of 18 Mai> also rt·purtc:d
from the red tutTaceou.~ sequence at the top of the }ello" lufiaceous 1nudstom:s (Hungcrbiihlcr.
in prep). Ke1merley (1980) recorded a K/Ar dale of 19.5 ± 0.4 Ma fro1n ca~t-s1nk1ng andcsitc
dykt:s at Pachagmama [6733 96325]. These dykes intrude pre-Juboncs Forrnation strata and the)
ma} represent feeders for the Santa Isabel Formation. Tht: northern liniit or the Pucara rhyolitc
dome (Section 4.3) is also cul by s im ilar east-slriking ;mdes ilic d ykes [6 733 96446 1
!tu~rpretation The lonnntion represents a retu111 to the conditions that prevailed immediately
hcfore eruption of the Juboncs Fonnation. Andcsites and andesitic ruff.~ \Vere erupted fron1
~tratovolcanoes or fissure:> and large proximal fans of andesitic debris accmnulated in an unstable
cn,ironmenL :-.lost of the tuffs arc interpreted as proximal pyrocla~tic flows. Some elements. such
as ~1ndstones. conglomcr.1h:s and red 1nudsrones. are typical of the o\·erlying. i\yancay Group.
suggesting a transition into an inh:rmontanc basin. Slumping \Vas \~idespread and rafts of the
Jubones Formation \Vere im:orporalcd. Thi:: }Cllow tuffnceous, gastropod-bearing sequence
probably represents lacustrine conditions. The occurrence of these beds. and rhc purple tuffaceous
rocks. 011 either s ide of the La Cria Anticline is >ii,:nificrull. It dcn1onstrntcs thm the anticline. or
26
precursor structure. did not exist during sedimentation. an important point <:on~idt-ring th<'
con1plexity of local tectonics. There clearly existed a fairl y lo\\/, flat. plain bctwe~n (al lea~t) La Cria
and Gailarin.

Details
of U;hc11rr11111i In the road section w hic.h climbs from Algodonal [6582 96.112) lo Ahaii in (666R q6316] 1here
F.a.<1
are 1nan}' exp,1">ures of 1na;;.si>v·e an<-fc~itic tufrs an<I lav"s. At l_:ni11n de Ta1nacado there 1s an intercalation l,f'
sodimcntary rocks. Exposures [6632 963 11) comprise more than 10 m of massively bedded con·glomerate. wuh
carbonized trees. ab(l\'C 2. 7 n1 <->f g.rcy and ~·ltitc rr1u<lsl<>ncs an<l silL1it(1ncs \Vith man~· plant and coal fra.~ nl<:nt~. ,.\
san1ple for n1icropalaeontolog)'· 'vas barren. The 1nudstones are calcareot1s, \vith con1n1on concrctit>n"-. The thin
sc4u1,;nt.:c i:, not i11cluded in the A):anca~· Group because 111as:;i\'e andesilii..: luff brci..:cias reappear immediate}}'
above.

Pindoch11pa Nonh of the Cuenca-Machala highway, around a steep-sided ridge at Pindochupa {68 IR 96316], rhere
i" a rclaLivi..:ly (;t1hcrc1ll sequence of sedin1enta1) ' rocks belov.· lhe red basal Cl,nglc,merale'\ of rhe A)'·anca)'· Group.
I he sequence is preservecl in a rniniaturc grahcn, triangular in plan an(t up to 500 m \i.•ide-. developed \Vit11in
andesitic wrt~brecc1a. !°he graben. aligned southeast. closes to the sou1heast. There are about 60 m of
conglomerates, boulder beds. pale green debrites and thin rhyolitic tufts, probably of air fa ll origin Virtually all the
debris is ande..,iric. The cc1arscsLh<>ul<lcr beds have " ·cllart•un<lc<l andcsile houlders ro 2.5 m 1n diameter.
Asuru.:iU11 /\ circular structure, 7 km \\•ide. is visible 1n the aerial photographs and drainage around .Asunci(1n .
1--lt.>\\'C\·cr, t->n lite grou11d it is difficult to see. Furthe1111ore. t11e nren i11side and out~i<lc 11f Lhe stn1cture comprises the
same massive andesiric ruff-broccias. Locally. as al Arushumi (693 1 96435]. the breccia contains blocks of and~silc
tip to 2 nl in dian1eter. It n1a)'· ret1ect a caldera. but there are no indications of the acid rocks nor111ully a~s1•cit11e,J
\'vith l"Ul<lcra rorJltatiOll.

3.10 Ayancay Group (U:'llDP, 1969c)

This comprises 1nassively- lo thickly bedded reddish con11 lon1erates and huff sandstones
intercalated with red. purple, crt::am and pale green mudstones and si ltstones (Plates 60, h and 7).
There are also rare air-tall tuffs, gypsurn beds a nd thin coals. The group is equivalent to the Santa
Rosa and tvlangan fonnations of the Cuenca Bas in (Bri~to'v and I loffstetter, 1977; Bristo"' and
Parodiz. 1982). It interdigitatcs \\lith the Santa Isabel Fonnation.
The linear outcrop tollows the north side of the G iron Fault System bet,veen Cuenca and Gir6n,
broadening ~outhwt::st into the Santa Isabel Basin. Tho:: mds or the basin is marked now hy a
major fold, the Gi ron Sync line.
The Ayancay Group shows disti nct lateral variation. !• is thickest and coarsest near the syncl ine
axis. m the southern margin of the outcrop. tv!ore th ,• - '100 m of conglo111erate-don1inat.:d bed~
occur around the tvlina de tvlarmol (6825 96247) and tne total thi ckness is estitnatcd at about 1.5
kin. The grain si7e and thickness decline northwards from the sy nc line. At the northt::rn ~dge of
the basin there is a gentler undulating angul ar unconfotm ity, draping a distinct pa lacotopography
(Plate 6a). There are fe,ver conglon1erates and the sequence is coherent and continuous. For
cxarnplc. a single green feldspath ic sandstone. 0.5 111 thick , can be traced from the Rio Jubones
16844 96313] at kast 5 kin to the north. in the Cuenca-Machala ro,1d (6832 96328]. The base is
~trongly unconforn1ablc. scditncntation initiating on the tilted, faulted and eroded Saraguro
Group 'ind Santa Isabel Forrnation (Figure 4; Plate 6a). An example of irregular
27
•

Plate 7
l'luvial sequence. Channeli;:cd (inc conglomerate 1,0 coarse sandstone above sandstones,
si ltstones and purplish silty mud~lonc~ with green rcduclion spots (at geologist's feet). Ayancay
Group [6812 96298]
pala.:otopography occurs at Lon1a Pe"a l'llanca [6845 96117]. \vhere n palaeoslope in the Santa
lsabd fvnnation is exhurnc<l. Alrnost hori 7.ontal san<lsloncs. conglomerates and n1udstones onlap
onto a 30° palneoslope. Pockds of pcbhl y sandstoni;. cvrnprising rvi;k fragrnents. feldspar and
quart7, cling tu the slope.
Spectacular exposures of the base also occur in the Rio Jubones [681 4 963051. 1'11r 11\e r hed is
occupied hy the Juboncs Formation. This is o\•crlain, unco nformabl y. by about 20 m of nndes ilic
debrites (Santa Isabel formmion'). These are in turn overlain hy Ayancay Group sandstones. This
second surfoce of unconJ'onnity. clearly a pala.:uslope. dipped gently east. The sandstun.:s onlap
to,vards lhe west and thicken cast.
fhe formmion O\'erlies a complex ba~en1ent at Shucu 1676 7 96285 ], south of the Rio Jubones.
including a truncated \Vedge ul' the Jnhones f-ormation (figure 7). The formation reappears less
than 2 kn1 a long strike to the northeast (678 I 962931, on the snmc foultline (Ga1larin Oelt).
There. th.: fau lt displacement declines progressively into the unconfon11ahly overlying Ayancay
Group. The highest fe\\' nu:tres of .\ yancay strata, bes t exposed near Zula [7043 964931.
comprise landslipped cre;im ntudstones with a thin (4 crn) coal. A mainly :Vliddle Mioc.:ne age is
indi<:<llt:d by fission tr•ick dating of the air-lall tuffs. The youngest age is :1bout 10 tv1a
(I lungcrbllhler, in prep). ·1 here are t\vo key are•is tor dc111011s1rming the age relationships with the
Santa Isabel Formation. Along the Gir6n val ky. bet\vcen (6925 96374) and Giron. th.:rc arc
many places \\'here th~ A}ancay red-beds are w1doubtedly underlain by andcsilic lull'>. for
example the Rio Rir<:ay 16999 96442]. The second area is around Tuncay. Asuncion and
Rambn\n . /\t Tuncay 16'104 96467]. :ind..:~ilic tuff-hreccias (Santa babel Fonrmtion) are
dt>vdoperl nhove and below o conglomcralc sequence. The red-beds thin. and linally wedge our.
north\vards. South\var<ls. they run to Laguna Tabion (<191 I 96463). but lh..:rt:aftcr lh<.:rc are no
<'xposure' and lxtwi;cn the lake and the Cuenca-Machala road Saraguru Group tutTs are
apparently O\erlain directly hy the Santa Isabel ~onnation.
/nterpri?ta1io11 Th..: Ayancny Group b:1sin. interpreted os on intermontanc basin. v.·as prohahly
n1uch larger the pr1::scnt outcrop. It c~rt•1inly linkerl with the Cuenca Basin and la q~c pa1ts are
prohahly concealed by younger rocks. Initia l sedimentation dro,vned the hills and valleys o f che
palaeotopography and so1ne faults \\'t:re draped and sealed as sedim..:ntatiun outstripped faulting.
Proximal sediments. close to the basin n1arg1ns. " ·ere allu,·ial fans. l\1orc distal sediments \Vere
nu,·ial. The styk of fluviol deposition is unce1tain, hut the sandstom.:~ arc largely tabular and
continuous. with internal trough cross-stn11ification. Thi s, and the absence of largc -,ca le point
bars. suggests braided syste ms. Areas "hid1 are don1inated by mudslorn:> and si lt stones may
r~llcct meandering riv..:rs. fe1nporary lakes and swanips also developed.

The ba~in appears to ha\'t.: been an asyn1metrical halt~grabcn. thickening and coarsening lO\\·ards
a south..:rn hinterland of higher relief (Plate 6a) and wilh alluvial fans sp illing northwHrds off a
southern fault scarp (Giron Fault Systen1). llowe''<'r, bc~ause of the huge post-Ayancay uplift
and erosion (inversion ) to th..: south. it is difficult to be sure that the basin did not continue
farther south.
rhe sedimenb were clearly derived frorn ;cvcral sources. The palacucurrcnts (see derails) at the
north end of the outcrop. hel\veen T:irqui and Ciiron. imply a source region to 1he west.
28
Palacocurrents and coarser facics in the sOl1th of rhe Snnca Isabel Oasin in<lil::.lle a soulhi;r11
source. In the north. tht.:) i1nply a northern an<l \VCsten1 source.
The ac:cu111ulation of a grt'at thickness of red-be<l~ required accelerated suhsidence and a c:hanµ..:
in che t<'c:.tonic regi1ne at tht: lx:ginning of the Middle: Ylioccnc . The lik.:ly controlling faults were
the northeast- to no1th-northcas1-striking Cinnarin Bdt and Uirl'ill Fnu lc System. The virtuul
absence or A)·ancay Group. and 0\ Cl lying Turi r:onnation. \\·CS! of the !tanarin Oelt implies that
it \vas an important control. Explaining an extensional rcgirne bet"ccn the t"'O fault ~ystems. b)
either the Riedc:I shear 111odel (Tehalcnko. 1970: Tchalenko and Ainbraseys. 1970) or
transtension. requirc:s a sinistral strike-slip component. However. this n1ay have been very sma l I.
Simple east·"·est cxtcn~ion may havi; been sufficient co cause a small sinistral strike-slip
coniponenc on the controlling faults.
De1oi/s
Palaeocurrent duta These come fnim trough or cabular cm"·stratification. The data tend to suppon the onlappinll
1elationsh1ps seen at the !>Me. Locali1ic' near the west end of 1he <\ant.a l.abd Basin. -.here "estward onlapp1ni;
occur.., ;how east-directed llow. A locahiy "' t oma Pc~a Blanca 16843 Y6322) show' lluw ruwarJ; 115°: domino
fauhin~ uf the sam• bed (faults 175:70 E) ind1c3te< penccnnternporaneous east-wesi extension Farther south. ut
Uchucay [6828 96294 and 68 19 96298]. palaeocurrcncs were 1owar<ls 006°. 262°. 320° and 3<10". ind icalln[:
"1u1hern derivation. P•tueucurrents from be,idc the G i1611 Fault. a1 Loma El Quin!.lo (6919 963381. are towards 323"
and ll2°. Data from be1-.cen Giga111ones [6\1\10 96~10] and Tarqui show consistent ca<i· 10 'outhcu\t-directcd llow.
At Lula (70-i3 964931. close co 1hc contact with the overlying Turi. llow was 1owards 1s1• Near Giron
(i04 7 96~0} J 11 was rnwards t 96°. l abular and lrOu!(h cross-stratific111ion arounJ Eocolerns (71 S6 96643) shows
llnw 111wo1ds 087". 140°, 066•. I02°. At Frances 1.:re11 (7169 966741, tabular cross-<1ra1 ification in four consecutive
beds of rchhl) sandstones ~how' c111"is1e111 flow cow~rds 100•.

3.1 1 Turi Formation (Erazo, 1957)

This con1prises massively bedded. ill-sorted tu ffites ltuffaceous boulckr beds. conglomerates and
sandstones) with a ~trong andesitie di:Lrital component. Towards the southv.'est. there is a greater
percentage of andcsitic tuff-brecc:ias. The formation \Vas ddined in the \uenca Basin by Erazo
( 1957). The outcrop is restricted to the nonh of the Giron Fault Systc1n and to the ease of the
!tat'larln Belt. It forms the spectacu lar cli ffs (7067 965541 above the Cuenca-1\ila"' •l a rowJ
northeast of Giron. In the sou thwest, the outcrop i:xtcnds co the Cordillera de ;-: 1 Pablo
(69 15 965231, above San Fernando (see details section).
I he hase. a probable angular unconfonniry. is \videly c:xpost"d. ·1 he forn1ation overlies the
Ayancay Group bct,\i:en Zula [7043 964'14] nnd Tarqui. Good t:xpo~urcs of the concacc occur
,\·est [7 162 96672 1 of Tarqui. \Vht:rt: the Ayo ncay Group is ovc.:rlain. with mild angular
unconfon11ity. by ma1osive conglomerates. These are \\•ell-sorted \Vith c:lasts 4-10 cn1 in dian1eter.
Andcsue. sparse p!ku111nite and cheny tufT do111inate. \Vest of Giron (7043 96501 J. the hasal beds
<trl' grey , 111assivdy bedded. very well-cemented boulder beds, c:onglorncratcs and coarse
iel<lspathic ~andston..:~. South of 7.ula. the for111ation s irs on the Santa Isabel Formvtion. The
contac:t is 111arked by the change from smooth slopes \Vith limited <:xposure. to the strongly
featurc:d outcrop of the Turi. for example around Balsapa1nbn (6969 964-16 ).

29
The n1axin1um total thickness is about I 080 m. based on a section bet,veen <Jiron and the para1110
at U<:~hapucara (7040 96558].
i\ s111all horst('!) of the Santa Isabel Fonnation occurs \Vithin the Turi outcrop west of Giron. A
syn-depositional northeast fa111t [7026 9651 ~] marks the contact \Vi th the T11ri Fonnation.
f\/!assive. non-bedded andcsitic lavas on the north s ide are replaced to the south by a 1n11ch softer
sequence, about 240 rn thick, of grey sandstones. bright green 1nudstn11es. dcbritcs and
conglomerates
Pre viously considered as Pleistocene (Bristow and Parodi<:. 1982), fission track dating
d;;rnonstrates u Late fV1iocene age (8-9 Ma) (Steinn1ann. in prep).
Jnte1preta1ion Sedimentation was dominated by out\vash fans of debris-nows, \vith fe,v primary
volcanic rocks. \Vhether the andesitic debris \Vas derived from andesitic stratovolcanoes or lov-:er
relief ~dificcs along fissures is uncertain. Ho\vever, in RADARSA.T images. Quimsacocha ha~
th~ !onn of u volcano; and the younger formations dip radially away from the Quimsacocha
Caldera. This 111ay reflect doming after deposition, bul wt: bdieve thal the Turi, at least in this
area. was deposited on the nanks of a volcano. about 40 km across at the base. and that the dips.
at least as far as che innuence of the Giron Fault System, are much as lh<:y were in the late
fV1ioccne.
The thickness is very variable. \vith a large lhi;;kness tow<1rds Cuencll, Giron and San Fernando. hut
very thin or absent to the west of the Gaiiarln Belt. It seems that the volcano sat at the foot of. or
astride, a major nom1al fault (Gaiiarin Bell), throwing <lown towards lhe ~ast, anJ that an apron of
debris spread eastwards. Close to the fault scarp. and to the inferred vokllllo. there are prin1ary
andcsite 111ffa; fa11her east. the aspect is enlirely sedirncntary.
The palacogeography 'vas probably more complex tov,;ards the Giron Fault System. Northwest of
Giron . a minor horst supplied debris southwards. Th<:: axis of the basin was perhaps <:oirn:i<lenl with
the Giron Syncline. Palaeocurrent data from north or Giron 17083 965481, and within I km of lhe
Giron Fault are to\vards 257°, 023°, 342° and 344°, i111plying derivation front the south.
De1ails
<..iirt>11 r111r.I Q111msac<Jchc1 Exten~i...,·e exposures of the tOm1ation occur bel\veen G ir6n and San l+'emando and in the road
169i2 96574] to Quirnsacocha. The higher rocks arc softer and less consolidated, for example in diffexpo>ure> ut Suu
Marlin (6985 96543 and 6990 96523). but srill maintain a srrong andesitic componen1.
Eas1 of!)uimsacocha . the Rio Tutupalf track has rllan) e.,posures ofve11' poorly soned. 111assive cobble- and boulder-
rich debrites. rvtost clasts are a pale gre)'· la""*' or incn1sive r<-,ck c1f ;.in<te.:.i1e:'<tacile cc1mpt1.;.i1ic)n; it has feldspar
phenocrysis of two sit.cs and sparse amphibole phenocrysts. The boulders are well-rounded and reach I m in diame1er,
for example [705~ 96654). Some are red and oxidised. The matrix of the dchritc i' decompo,e<l hufl?ycllow, fine-
~rnincd ruff. In the Rio San Agustin 17138 96643), similar debrites contain sparse coal fragments in the ronen
1uffaceot1s matrix. There ar..: als(> SC>r11c clasts of acid ruff ricl1 in quartz crystals.
C'ordi//eru dt: S<1n Pablo 16915 965~3) These cliffs expose about 600 m of well featured. massively bedded andesitic
ruff-breccias. crysrnl tuffs and fine tuffaceous sandstones. There is undoubtedly a much greater percenta.ee of primary
andesite tu ff 1han farther east. Exposures fanher nonh . in the Turupamha mud (6R9 I 96551 J. display )!.rccn andcsitic
r111Y-hrt:ccias, sanJs.lt)nes and fine conglo1nerates.

30
3.12 Turupamba Forinaiion (new)
This co1nprises rhyolitic to dac·itic tuffs. with cornmon pumice lapilli. and tuffitcs. It crops out only
on the p6ra1no 'vest of San Ft:mando. It overlies the Turi Fom1ution and appears to be overlain by
the Qui1nsacocha Fonnation. It \vedges out eastwards and the other two lormations conic together.
T he base. exposed in the road above Tun1pan1ba [6886 96558 ~ is marked by distorted. fo lded and
brecciated line tutlaccous sandstones or tuffa (?) with sparse c\al fragments. The rocks are \veil ·
hedded and strongly pyritized (see Section 6.5). Vaguely bedded acid tutfs occur slightly lo,ver
down the crack. They are strongly clay-altered.
'fhe fonl1ation is about 360 m thick. but only the lo,ver 200 111 have been exa111ined. These cornprise
acid tuffs. mainly 2 to 20 m thick, giving the outcrop a \veil-featured appearance, for cxarnpk
Laguna Hahacota (6866 96575]. In detail , the tu!Ts are rnnssive and dacitic, \vith conunon green
pumices and quartz crystals. Coal fragrncnts and dissen1inated pyrite are a feature of so111e. Locally
[6856 96557), the tuffs arc very thinly bedded. A pro1ninent hed of coarse tuff-hreccia. about 5 m
thick, occurs just "'est oJ'Trcs Lagunas [<).846 96562). It c0111prises tightly packed fragment~, up ro
0.5 n1 in diameter, ofaci<l tulT, How-foliated rhyolite and chilled porphyritic andesitic lavaii11t1usive
rock. It can be traced for about 1.5 kin along strike. Son1e of the acid tuff clasts. crammed wirh
quanz. feldspar and biotitc crystals, closely resen1ble the Jubones Fom1ation.
fhe highest part of the lormation. which caps Loma Hahacota (6868 96573) and the paramo f1ro11nd
(9R70 96530), has bet'.n seen only with binoculars. and seen1s to con1prise niuch thicker. more
niassive units of tu!Flava('I).
/r11erpre1a1ion The formation is the product of nu111erous 111inor rhyolitic!dacitic ash-flo\vs, none of
them representing 1najor eruptions, interspersed \vith pe1iods of fluvial and lacustrine
sed in1enta1ion.

3.13 llchucay Formation (DGGtvt, I 973b)

This sequence of yellow conglomerates and boulder beds, \Vtth a very mixed assemblage of local
rock types, is confined to the Santa Isabel area and rnainly overlies the Ayancay Group \vith strong
angular unconformity (Plate 6b). The maxinuun thickness is probably l 00 111. In sorne places, the
unconfon11able base truncates large scale folds in the Ayancay Group, for cxmnple Hacienda
Uchucay (6825 96300). The formation was assurned to be Pl iocene. but a ne\v fission track date
gi,·es 9.4 ::: 0.8 tvta (late !'vlioceneJ 1Hungt'.rbUhkr. In prep).

fnt!!rpri!tation The fonnation is probably a proximal alluvial !an s~qucnct:. ~pilling ol'f !iiull
scarp~.The fission track date is i1nportant because, taken with the 10 tvla maximum age of the
Ayancay Uroup. it precisely fixes the compressional <leiormation along the Giron Fault Systcrn
(Section 5).

31
3.14 Quimsacocha Formation (new)
This con1prises fresh andesite lava$. commonly !low-foliated. and pyrocl<t$\ic andesitic tuff-
bn:'.l'cias. The lavas are grey and well-jointed with flow-aligned li:ld$par phenocrysts (e.g.
\VP 352A). In most ex posures. they \Veather spheroidall y. The torn1ation occurs only around. and
\vithin. the Quin1sacocha Caldera. It caps the Turi Formation in the east and south. The
n1inirnun1 thickness is 160 m. The base is very obvious. and sharp. in the road [6970 9658.>] to
Qui111sacocha. There. the cliffs of t.he softer. more easi ly eroded, Turi formation are overlain by
flatter ground which rises steadily and gently to,vards the caldera rin1. !Vleasured flow foliations
consistently dip gently (5°) away fro111 the caldera. Locally (6923 96652). the ground is littered
by rounded boulders, several rnctrcs in diaineter, \vith distinctive bread crust outer surfaces. They
probably budded oil' lava tlo"'S or dornes and rolled. Exposures of andesite lava and ande$itic
pyroclastic breccia occur within the ca ldera [6979 96636 and 698 1 96634 ].
The formation is inferred to overlie the Turupamba Fornrntion to the west, but the crit ical area
has been seen only \vith binocu lars. The age relationship 'vith the Tarqui Forrnation is not known
because the lava$ wedge out before the first exposu res of Tarqui.
Jn1erpre1c11ion The and"'$i tcs arc interpreted as proxin1al products of the Qui111sacocha
srratovolcano.

3.15 Tarc1ui Fonnation (UNDP, !969g)

This cornprises main ly poorly consolidated rhyo litic tufts and tuffites (conglomerates,
sandstones, mudst.ones) rich in quartz. It bas been mapped only in the east. around Saraguro and
on the cast flank of the Qu imsacocha volcano. The strata are llaL-lying. An angular unconformi ty
at the base is \·ery c lear v1est of Saraguro, around San Pablo de Tenta [6908 96026), \Vhere
horizontn l beds overlie Saraguro and Sacapaka strata w hich hav<:: greater than 20° dips. Tbe
rnaximurn thickness. \Vest of Saraguro, i$ about 400 rn.
A distinctive yellov1 or buff, rhyolitic lithic lapilli-tul[ al kast 160 m thick. form$ much of the
outcrop around Saraguro. It comprises a gritty $andy matrix. rich in angular lithic lragments.
quart7'.. fe ldspar and biotite, with even ly $Cattcrcd. rnatrix-supportcd , angular fragrncnts, 10 to
50 mm long, of andesite and quart:t cry$lal-rich welded tulT A weak bcdcling-parallc l alignment
of pa le green clasts, possibly pumice, is appar<::nt. In a 1.5 krn-long roadcut 16955 95985 J, vague
beds. defined by changes in clast si:i:e. are apparent. The rock is probably a non-,velded
p) roc lastic tu ff. but unusuall y crystal-rich. A spec tac " " <.:xposure ur the same tulf occurs near
the pre-Inca hill fort at Jera (6949 96033 ]. Silicifii:, •raguru Lu11s, resembling rhyolite. are
ov..:rlain by 3 111 of c last-supported breccia of the same material. interpreted as a palaeoscree. and
then b) over SO 111 of the lith ic lapilli-tuff. The base of the tu ff is covered by large tree imprints.
Othi:r important co1nponcnts around Saraguro are coarse conglon1erates and houlder beds. Good
exposures occur in the Saraguro-Selva .A..legre road (6947 95999). Rotten lith ic ruffs are
underlain by at l<:ast 40 rn of dccon1poscd , coarse conglo1nera tes of alluvial fan aspect. The clasts
are mainly \Veil-rounded. quartz-. amphibolc- and biotite-rich crystal tu!Ts and andesites.
Outliers occur bet\veen Oiia and Saraguro. A t Cerro Zhio l7024 96 137] about 140 rn of strata

32
overlk the La Paz Fonnation. A quarry displays about 25 m uf 1nassi ve- Lu thinly bedded white
and pak grc<.:n cuarsc sandstuncs, fine conglonicrah;s and air-lid! tul'li>. Large scale cross-
stratificatiun. with dune bedlorms ul' > I ni atnplitude. gives palaeucurrents towards 009". 008"
and 160". Plant fraements occur on the lorcsets.
~ . Ruollets occur in 'vhite tutTaceous mudstones.
l\carby exposures (7035 96114) comprise only massive- to thinly bedded. rotcen-,veathered ac id
tuffs and tuffites. Near Carboncillo (7030 96100J, \Vhich probably takes it's name from a coal
\Vithin t.he Tarqui. there are further exposures of sedimentary rocks including mudstones. coarse
sandstones and tine conglon1erates. They are all thinly bedded. Detrital 1nagnctite and plant
re1nmns are con1n1on.
i\ flow-ioliatt·d glassy. pink and green striped. aphyric rhyolitc. about 40 rn thi<.:k. uccurs south
of Carboncillo 17025 96061). The sub-horizontal tlow fo liation is overprinted by numerous
si liceous nudules, 5-25 nun in dia1neter. In thin section. the fresh glass 111atrix is ovo::rprinted by
radiating devitrification chlorite rosettes (WP 494). It is unc lear \vhethcr the rhyolite belongs to
the Saraguro Group or Tarqui Formation, but it's fre~hnes~ suggests the latter.
The acid tuns cast of Qui1nsacocha cap the Late ~liocene Tu ri rormatiun. apparencly
conformably. Large dacitc stocks. "vhich invade the fonnation south of Saraguru 16941 95954 ),
are dated at 9.6 ± 0 .5 iVla (late l'vliocene, Appendix I). giving a n1ini1nun1 age for the Tarqui of
approximately 10 iVla. This suggests that the Turi and Tarqui fonnations n1ay be partly
contemporaneous.
lnu!rpreuuion The lonnation represents a mix of pri1nary acid ash-flo•v and scdi111c·ntary a<.:tivily.
;\ relatively lo,,. relief plain is envisaged. v:ith 111eandering rivers, lakes and swan1ps. There is
much "'vid.::ncc. niainly plant material. of deposition in terrestrial conditions. These were
inundated periodically by air-fo lI and ash-flov.• tuffs.

4. ll'iTRllSIO'.'IS

Tvto main types of intrusion ar.:: recognized: coarse-grained granitoids and sub-volcanic minor
intrusions. Gnmitoids intrude the rnc tantorphic rocks, the Crctaccuus lonnatiuns and the lower
structural levels of the Saraguro Group and Saeapalca Unit. In younger strata. most intrusions are
fine grained. There was a distim;l phase of plutonisrn bctweo::n 16 and 19 Ma (Early tvliocene).
Given chat the K!Ar ages are cuol ing ages. this plutonism 1nay have been broadly
contemporaneous with the major ash-llow episode at the lop of the Saraguro Group. Thin section
and geochen1ical analysis indicates that the K-content of the granitoids is lov;. Potassic feldspar
is rare and the rocks are generally tonalites.

4.1 Granitoids
Paccha-Cordoncil/o The largest outcrop of this cumposite granitoid intrusion occurs \Vest of
Paccha and is extensively exposed on the Pasaje road. It is an irregular-shaped intrusion. with an
outcrop of greater than 150 km1 . It comprises two main phases an extensive granodioritic one
33
4.2 Sub-volcanic/minor intrusions
::)ub-volcanic intn1sion~. locally breaking out as domes (Section 4.3). occur niainly in the Saraguro
(iroup and Santa Isabel Fonnalion. They are toncentratcd in the Gaiiarin Belt. a belt of faults.
intrusions (rhyolite and andesite stocks) and hydrothermal alt.:ration (Section 6.2) (r: igure 5). The
component intrusions of the Gaftarin Belt are described. front south to north. in tht' details section.
1\ serit:s of high-leve l andesite/dacite(?) intn1sions occur south of Cumbe. /\ road ex posure at
(71 98 96473 j is pale grey and rnassive v.:ith con1n1on feldspar and hiotite, and sparse quartz.
phenocrysts. In thin ~cction (\VP 323), fe ldspar microlites define a flo,v foliation in a glass 1natrix.
The youngest dated intn1sions (9.6 ± 0.5 tvla; Appendix I) occur imn1edimely south of Saraguro.
They are very large porphyritic dacitc stocks up to 2.5 kn1 in dimn eter. The rock is generally
decornposed. pale grey and soft. It has a pinkis h, very fine-grained mauix with abundant large (3 -
8 nin1) plagiodase. uxidiscd biotite and sparse quart?. phenocryst~. The plagioc lases are strongly
zoned (\VP 653).

Garlarin Bclr Derails

Zor11n111 ,.\1 the soutl1ern end of the belt. at Zardma. the Saraguro <Jroup is intn1ded by orange·\\'eathered. irregular
rhyolire srocks (Section 6.4). The larp,est crops out between Zarnma, in the southeast. and Lorna La Cuchilla
(6495 95974], in the nonhwesr. fl nnrrm'' ' frurn ubuut 2.5 km wide al Zal'u111a. lo abuul 0.5 km ul Lu C ud tilla. Al I .a
C11chil1a. it follo\\1S the regional srrike and appears to dip \\'eS£\\'ards, cc)nC<)r{1an1ly· "'ilh Saraguro ruffs rt may theretbre
be a sill ,
Rir1Pilir1ccty1\ stock or do1t1e (6644 '>61rr;) fln the C.h illa/ tvlanU \\·atc~hcd c<nnprisc~ purplcig.rccn stripccl, 11,rrongl~·
n<1\\'•han<l.:d and locally· silicitied rhy·ohte. \Vtth v11gs of chalcedo1ly·. It has quartz. plagioclttse and biotite phenoci;'sts..
In rhin section. it shows snow flake devitrificarion of glass ( \VP 725).
Rio Canacay to , ibwlin [6699 963061. This large. irregular rhyolitc is srrongly !low-banded anJ is cmplaced , with sleep
ctJnlacts. against cla)'~altered andesices.. l'he outer 10 m has also suffered str(\ng, clt1}' aheration. ·rhe rh~'olite has a bright
green/purple s1riping.. '"ilh con1111on 11odules to 10 mn1 dia111eter. In thin section. it is. glassy. \vith scattered plagioclase
and amphibole phenocry,L> a nd large Lircons (WP i82). TI1e matrix and phenocrysts are pa11Jy silicified and the glass is
uvetprinteJ by radiaring devirrification (chlorire) . A sample from lhc same intrusion (668696316) is an uhsidian wirh
identical p!te11oc1ysts ('NP 1047). Possibly, this inrn1sion broke om as a dome. because it sends off a !lat-lying branch
iowards Abaffin [6675 963 16) . TI1e ho<ly does not extend into the overlying Santa Isabel Formation. indicating that it is
probably pre- 18 Ma.
/.)c:cl1<1g111c1n1r1 Th is irrcg.ultir. ...·e1tical-sided rhy·olite is the largest intrusion in the Gaf'l~rh1 Belt. It is i11terpreted as
one of rhe post-collapse 1nrrusions of rhe Jubones Caldera (.Secl ion 1.8..5). fl was dated hy K!Ar whole rock ac
26.8 1 0.7 Ma (Kcnnerley, 1980: Appendix I). although we believe it to be younger because it intrudes the Jubones
Formation (dared ar 22.76.:. 0 .97 \.fa by K!A r on h iorite). It is an extremely tough, buff coloured rhyolite w ith very
few p lu!_4ioclase phenocrysts. Fine columnar JOinring is common on the east side [67~ 8 <163 I <I). Flow banding is
srrongly developed. lurgcl)' striking northeast and dipping moderately 11011hwes1. Spectacular llow folds occur at the
\lirgi1l shri ne (6719 96J23 ), \Vhere clay·allcrcd anti silicific<l rhy<Jlitc is in i;C"u1ta<.:l 'vi th silici lic<l tufr.
Sourh of the Rio .fuhunes. the Pachagrnama intrusion sends off a dyke. c. 200-300 m wide. Near San Sebastian de
Yu luc [6 ;19 96292 l. on the in fe rred outcrop n r the dyke, there ure uhumla111 bouldc" ul' rh}olitc brccdu. ldc111icul
hrecda, urc e'posed in situ along rhe east fla nk ofrhe Pachagmama inrrusion {6765 96327). i'he breccias developed

35
ci1hcr by mechanical deforma1lon of r.nc columnar join1cd rhyoli1e or by hydraulic frnc1uring (er. Phillips. 1986).
The dyke swells into a body abou1 1.5 km wide a1 Cuchicorral. west of San Scbaslian de Y1il11c (6720 </6279] . rh1s
mineralized orange-weathered rhyolite is brecciateJ on the east side. and weakly now-foliated (042;~2 N)
elsewhere. ll b locally teldspar-phyric.
.
Rio .Juborws 10 Paq11iloma Other small rhyolite intrusions. only a few hundred metres in diameter. occur m the Rio
Jubones {6785 963071 and Loma Paquiloma (t\767 963781. In the lane~ rhynlite hoJic, occur withiu the lower
tongue of the Santa Jsahol Formation. They are strongly foliated and ·11c1tled. A th in section fro111 Paquiloma
(WP 208) shows fohated glass affected hy perlitic fractures along which t ere is slight devitrification . Immediately
east of Paquilomu, rhiolites are also incorporated as large loose blocks . 10-15 min diam•ter, within the andesitic
breccias of the Santa Isabel formation. This implies that some broke through the surface 10 become extrusive or that
erodedicollupse<l domes were emplaced into the Sarna isabcl Formation.
D,,,.,,·h:ir11\ rhyolite \vi1h it..lcnticul churucteristics to Pachag1r1an1a, inclLtding c la~·-alteratton and sulphide enrichn1ent.
occurs al Dandan [6Sl6 96375]. The rhyulile is foliated (154i90) and in thin section displays Dow-aligned
plagiocla'" micml ites with scanered plagioclase and quanz phenocrysts (WP I91 ).
Ganarfn Bt'lt nonheasf\vard. \\'ith intrusions at
c,,,1ariba111ba fO '/ lll1C(I)' A flt:r DancJan: andesite intrusions 10110\'l the
Yiripato (6833 963951. cananbamba (6855 96420] aod Tuncay f6900 96475]. They become youn11,et' northward>.
!'he 'funcay intru~ion cuts the 1\y·ancay CJroup anti the upper 1<.)ngue (lf lht: Sanla lsahel ftlnnali<>n, making ir
younger than l' I Ma A thin section (WP 326) from Tuncay [6909 96476] comprises a tine crystalline groundmass
with Jorge strongly zoned plagioc lase phcnoerrsts (An,,) and pale pink augite with tiner augite rims. The Yiripato
intrusion C<>mpri~cs two distinct size fractions of plagioclase phen<)CJ)'Sts. The glassy· grtlun<lrna"is lcstilics l<> rapict
chilling and high·levcl cn1placc111en1.
Tre.< Lagunus Close 10 the Uaftarin Oelt. the Turupumba Forrnation (post-Late Miocene) is intruded b) sevcrnl largc
stocks of porphyritic andesites. At Tres Lagunas (6862 96553) a ~rey andcsitc su.>ck, 1 km Jong and ahou1 0.5 km
wide. comprises amphilmle uud pla.~ioclase phenocrysts in a very tine-grained holocrystalline mamx (\VI' 304). The
rock is \ re1y· fresh.
fdui111socot·hr1 The ()uirnsacocha Caldera is in\1aded b)' C\\ro \:arieties of rhy·olite. one 11ncl<>ub1ed ly intrn.,.ive. A htrge
aphyric rhyolite inm"ion. probably Jess than 5 Ma old since it invades the topographically distinct. only slightly
eroded caldera. occupies tile east and norrh 'ides. ll appareutl~ irnrudes the rin)l, fracture. A second lar!(e body of
similar rhylllite. v..·ith a north-nonheast strike . cuts acr<1ss the caltJcra ring fracture in the stJulh\.,·c~l 1.:l1rncr
l6<>47 ~66271 . The l>lh..:r in1portant ele1nent \\.ilhin che caldera is a quartz-ph}•ric rh)''Olitic ln\:a clr intru'\i\'e rock A
weak sub horizontal foliation al (6978 966571 suggests lava. It is white-weathered and outwardly appears clay-
ahercJ. However. in thin secuon it is remarkably fresh. with unaltered quartz, plagioclase. amphibole and biotite
phenocry·sts in un aht)OSt glassy tlo,.,·. foliated matrix ( \\flJ 375). The rh}·olilic lava appears ll> h..: ll\:crlain hy
and<sitic lavas and andc,itic pyroclnstic breccias (Santa Isabel Formation) 111 a road section wnlun the caldera
(6979 966361 .

.t,3 Domes
In son1e cases. the sub-volcanic intrusions probably en1erged as domes. The most striking
cxan1ple overlies the Jubones Forn1ation in the Pucan\ road (6726 96407]. This deposit. up to
300 111 thick, has a knticular, broadly bedding-parallel form and persists along strike for ahout
5 kin. It is a tnassive. rubbly weathering rhyolitc breccia. pink and intense ly si li cified. with son1e
chalcedony-lined vugs. The matrix is locally foliated. bands etnphasized by varinble silicification
or rccrystnlli7.ation. It contains sparse crystals of heavily c1nbaycd quartz. feldspa r and rare
biotitc. Locally, it is g lassy and obsidian-like. Blocks of tlow-banded rhyolitc. up to at least 4 111
in <lia1nctcr. ilre widespread. In thin section, the nature of thc rnatrix is difficult to dctcnnine

36
because of the si licifica1ion. Ho\Never. large quarlz-replac~d shards suggest the rock is partly
pyroclaslic (\VP 172). Compositionall y. the rock resembles the· Jubones f.orn1a1ion, altho.ugh
depleted in crystals. and it may have s hared the san1e high-le\'el magma chamber.

5. STRUCTURF.

The field area contains several in1portant fault systems lFi gure I). Regional fo lding. other 1han
1ninor tilting, is very localized in the Teniary strata and most of the fnlds 1ha1 dn exist are related
to syn-depositional pulses of activity on the faults (Figures 4, 8). For exampl e, the Juboncs
Formation (Early :Vliocenc) is invo lved in son1e n1ajor folds, such as I.a \.ria and Yariizagua. but
horizontally truncat~s other folds. such as Peden1ales and Narihuiila. Because of the
mineralization aspect, the Oaiiarin Belt, and the serpentinite-tilled Rio C hico Fault, are discussed
in Section 6.
Chaucha-Rfo Jerl!z Lin<'arnenr T his nonh-nnrt.heast heir of faults and inliers of 111etan1nrphic
rock (Dunkley and Uaibor. 19')7; ;.,.fision Belga. I 989c) can he traced south from the Chaucha
area to the San Pablo de Cebadas Inlier. The \Vest side nfthe inlier is a west-verging reverse t:1ul1
\vhich brings up the Bella Rica Basalts of the PallatangalJnit. Farther south, it is not c lear if the
lineament runs into the La T igrera Fault nr intn a helt of anomalously steep. east-dipping acid
tuffa (Narihuiiia luffs; Ta ble 1) which runs from Gramalote (6550 96350] near lJzhcurrun1i.
through the gold prospects nf Gigantones (6596 96470) and Tres Chorreras (6634 96503), to
Narihui fia. Around Narihuifia (6659 96546) the strata are locally vertical. T he Jubones
Formation. which crops out a shon distance to the east. is inferred to overlie the steep strata \Vith
strong angular unconfonnity. This is based on the evidence from Pedernales {6835 96603).
where il truncilles an asyn1me1rical anticline in the l\arihuifia lulls. The major lilting was clearly
post-28 tvla. the deposi1ional age of the Narihuifia tuft's. and pre-23 tvla since neither the La
Fortuna nor Jubones Fnrmations \Vere affecled. A major phast: of defom1alion thcrelorc occurred
un the southern extension of the Chaucha-Rio Jerez Lineament in the Late Oligocene.
Gir on Fa1.1f1 Systen1 This important bell of faults and tight folds is still aclivc (Platt: 8a). It runs
between Cuenca and El Cisne. S\vinging from a north-northeast strike ncar Cuenca. lo a north
strike near El Cisne. Thrusts, not previously recognized. are an imporlanl compom:nl. explaining
anomalies in the strati graphy. Because they are di tl' ''.tlt to recugnise. it is likely that their
numb~r has been underesti1nated.

The Giron f'ault was modelled as a nornuil fault. with do,vnthrnw to 1he nonhwest (DGGtvl.
1974; \Vinter e l al.. 1990). It is true that there is a present do,vnthrnv.' to the no11.hwes1 on the
active Giron f'ault, bul we believe the fundmnental fault structure is southeast-dipping and
reverse. Exposures east ol' Santa Isabel [6919 96338], show that the foulr. \vhich juxtaposes the
Jubones Fonnation and Ayancay Group, is west-verging and reverse. Slickensides pitch
vertically, supporting dip-slip. Furlht'.rmore, Sacapalca strata are thrust over the Santa (sabel
Fonnation and Ayancay Group al La C ria [6905 962701 (Plate 10). 1'11is vvcst-vcrging structure

37
 GIRON FAULT
v
SYSTEM

v v <;.ARA ~ UR & v v
v v
-v
.-
vvv·vvvv
" v
.. -- -
-- " ' ·-.
. _...__
.....' -. . ...
......... ....... . . . v v
--- :- - sACA-PA t:;:C"A -::- -- - - .... .. . .--. . v v
--
...... - -:':';;:

--·.-- -
.......
- - --- -- ..... . . . ..., ...:: -::-_...._"--:4
. ......
....___ ......... --
2. -- --.:::·

••
SOUTH ST. ISABEL
ANDESIT ES

AYA N CAY
A A '{i.:_
JUBONES TU F F
v v SARAGU RO v v v

NORTH

v v v

3. 4.

Figure 8 Cnnoons showing 1hc dcvclop111cn1of1bc angular unconl ormity in

1hc La Crin Anlic l inc. wi1hin 1h.: Ciir(1n Fnult Systcn1. I . l'rc-23 IV1a
(approxi 111ately l hc O l ig6ccnc/:V1ioccnc boundary). 2. About 23 "-1a. 3. About
14 tvla (\tlitldlc tvl ioccnc:). 4. l'rcscnl tlay .
 Plate 8
a) The active portion of the Oir6n Fault. The zigzag line running the width of the view mnrks the
active scarp. Vegetation is displaced. Above, the horizontal strata are S11rug11ro ociJ luffs,
beneath the Jubones Tuff. Tuke11 from about (6897 96386].
b) Cliff exposure (800 m high) of the La Cria Anticline from (6895 962571. The Julxmc• Tuff is
marked by white soils in the middle, sunlit grow1d at lefi aml at the sunlit crest of the anticline.
The La Cria travertine de[K>Sil is marked by the large white road cutS in the middle foreground
n1ust indicate post-10 l'v1a (Late Miocene) co1nprcssion and the evidence fron1 the Uchucay
Fonnation (Section J.13) indicatt:~ d..:Connation at c. 10 l'v1a. Fold style along the Giron Fau lt
Syst.:111 also suppor1s reverse n1oven1ent. The La C ria Antidinc (Plate 8b) and complc1nentary
Yaritzagua Syncline are strong ly northwesl:verg ing, with locally vertical northwc~l linib~
(rigures 4, !>b).
A strong angular unconfonnity is visible \vithin the La Cri~Antidine \Plate 8b). The Jubones
Forn1ation. and a tc,~· older tuffs. lie vvith strong angular unconformity on older Saraguro strata.
Figure 8 attempts to explain the unconforn1ity by uplift along the Giron Fault Sys1.em. 'vith the
southern area tilted. by <:ompression, and eroded prior to deposition of '.he Jubones Fonnation.
This would explain the dnunatic reduction in the total thickness ltO ahout I kin) of the Saraguro
Group tov,.ards the southeast (Olia, Nabon).
At the southern end of the Ay<mcay Group outcrop (6828 96197). the \Vestward-verging thrusts
uf the Giron rault System converge with the east\vard-verging thnists of the Jubones Fault
Systen1. Farther south. lhe lhrusts of the 110\v-co1nhined fault systen1 seem to he east-verging.
bringing up an inlier of the Yunguilla and 1netan1orphic rocks at :Ylanu (Sections 3. 1. 3.4).
Cararnayo Fault This juxtapo~e~ the Sacapalca Unit and the 1netarnorphic rocks of the Cordillera
Real. It was described as lhe boundary fault of the Sacapalca-Carimnanga-Huancapamba grnben
by Kennerley and Almeida (1975a) and Baldock (1982). hut there is no real evidence. s11ch as
sedin1entary \vedges or fan <lt:posits, to support this. The structure is n "'est-verging reverse fault
in the Catamayo-Loja road [6857 96597]. thrusting strnngly sheared graph itic phyllites nver the
Sacapalca Unit and Catan1ayo rorn1ation . Fanher nor1h. the fault is steeply west-dipping and
111ore like the normal. graben boundary, foult envisaged hy Kennerley and Aln1eida (I 97Sa). At
Cera (6908 95683). strongly disrupted and sheared. calcite-ve ined andesites of the Sacapalca
Unit are faulted again$! buff llaggy psarnmites. Ahnut 800 111 fanher north (6910 95690]. a sn1all
wedge of graphitic phyllite. a fe,v metres lnng, is caught up \Vithin the andesites at the faulted
contact with psarnmites.
Pillas-Portot·elo Fault ~:vsre1n J'his imporiant east-southeast fault/thrust has a large dovvnthrovt to
the north. separating Sarnguro (iroup strata from the El Oro metamorphic complex.
/\mphibolite~ arc conunon at t.he contact. The offset of the Saraguro Group \vest of Zaruma.
indicates vertical <lisplaceinent of at least .1 km hel\veen Piiias and Zaruma.
\Vest of Pii\as, the fault appears to be steep. Hovvever, between Pina~ and Salatl (6636 95847] it is
11 nonh-dipping. south-verging thru>t. This geometry is most apparent on Cerro I .a Chuva
r6500 95893] \vhere a dacitic tulfoi'the Saraguro Group is tluust soutll\vards over the rnetan1orphic
rocks. l:.xactly the same happens at Lorna Ojeda (6587 958601, southeast of Po11ovelo. Probable
backthnists also occur. f.or example, near Piiia~ 16478 959141 a north-verging tlu·ust (140/36 S) is
exposed. It e1nplaces a 5 m band of amphibolite., and a n1uch greater thickness of granitic gneiss.
over a dacitic ruff of the Saraguro Group. Tho:: eastward extension of the fault is inferred as for as
Payana 16763 95877]. north\~'est of Gualel, where it link~ with the Giron Fault Systern. Again, it
juxtapose~ Saraguro Group strata 'vith the metamorphi<: ro<:k~ to the south.

Jubones Fault Syste"' This east-striking systen1 juxtaposes the 13ella Rica 13asalts of the Pallatanga

38
 Ph11c 9
o) The Rio Manu Thrust at the Rio Manu (68 19 96225). The pink/white soil ground is the
Ayanc•y Oruup. Nearly vertical beddini; is visible at the skyline. The green rounded slopes to the
riuht 11Je Sacnpalca andesites, Lllrust uvcr the Aynncay Group with vergence to the left (cast).
b) The Rio Manl1 Thrust at Huayraloma [6823 96241). The pink strata are overturned Ayancay
red-beds. Tho massi\•e white clifrs arc the ovenumed Jubones Tuff (lowest Miocene). thn1s t over
the red-beds with vergeoce towards the viewpoint (east).
Unit with the 1::1 Oro rnctmnorphic complex. Along much of it's length it is interpreted as a north-
vergi ng reverse foull or tlu11st. There is also evidence of sin istral strike-slip.
There is much quartz veining and boudinagc of psamrnitic schists along the fault system and the
Bdla Rica Bas:ilts are strongly brt-cciated. The width of tht' disruption, several hundred metres.
suggests that the n1oven1ents \Vere significant. The foliation in the schists strik1:s east-\vest. parallel
\Vith the fault, and dips south very steeply. i\way from the lault. along the Chilla road. the foliation
is gentler and has a rnuch n10re varied strike. The steepening of the foliation towards the fault trace
mav re ilect rotation into the fault. ·
'
There are also small-scale indications of suike-slip. Conjugate kink ba11ds in schists at Ducos
l6426 96334) give a cr 1 dire<:tion of 058°. Nearby (6469 96332), schists v:ith pods of psanunite
have a steep foliation (080i73 S) which is affected by t\VO sets of structures: a set of asymmetrical
ducti le crenulations (062190), wi th sinistral offsets. and a set of more brittle. hence later. kink bands
(average I 35/70 S), al~o sinistral. The kink bnnds support sini strol displacen1ent on the Juboncs
Fault System. Th<'. crt>.nulations are 1nore difficult to interpret, hut the smal l angle het,veen them and
the schistose foliation also suppor1 sinistral strike-slip on ihe fault.
l'he Juhones Fault Systt'.m swings soutlnvards at Uzhcurrumi . In the Rio Chillayacu (6595 962941 it
fonns the contact between the Santa Isabel Formation and the Sacupalca Unit and 1netan1orphic
rocks. It has a minimum downtlu·o,v to the noi1h of 1 kn1 and is interpreted as a no11h-verging
reverse fault. Farther cast. the fault develops into a north- and ea~c-verging th.rust belt wl1ich brings
the Saraguro Group and Sacapaka l lnir over the Ayancay Group. Thrusts, \\ith tight foot\\'ail
synclines. are superbly exposed in the sen1i-desert area where the Rfo t'vfanujo ins the Rio lJchucay
(Pl aces 9a. b). In the Rio Manti (6814 96227). andesites of the Sacapalca t:nit are thrust eascw:ird
over the overturned Jubones Fonnation and t\yancay Group. The perfectly exposed thrust
( 174/26 \V) <:ornpriscs 0.2 n1 of gypsum-veined microbreccia. It separates gypsun1-veined andesire
from greenish. propyliticnll y altered acid cuff (Jubones Formation). The tuff has a cacaclastic
foliation, parallel to the thrust, which overprints a welding foliation. In thin section. the glassy
matrix is chloritised and the large plagioclase crystals have suffered brittle grain size reduction
(\VP 619). Sliding ha~ occurred along the biotites. so that they are much longer and narrov; than
norrnal. Nonhward-verging recumbent iolds and overturned strata occur along the soul ~n fringe
o CthC' Ayancay Group outcrop (6766 96277 and 6778 96276], dose to thi:' inferred thrusH

6. ECONO.\'llC GEOLOGY

The principal mines Md prospects \vithin the 3°- 4"S sector of the Cordillera Occidental. are
ind icated on the accompanying I :200.000 scale geological n1ap. ond on the 1: 1.000.000 sca le
tectono-metallogeni<: rnap of C:cuador ( BGS-COOIGF.I\~. 1991h). At least five sty les of
metalliferous mineral occurrence arc recognized:-

I. Porphyry and stockwork mim;ralisation associated with rhyolite or andcsitc (rnicrodiorite) stocks
with typically extensive alteration halos.

39
 AYANCAY

~----------1
GROUP
----·~-....,_,.,..-..___
SACAPALCA ......._,.--··:;:<:::'.-- SACAPA:;:- ·- --
ANDES I TES
} ~ --~ -A~-~..,.,,D""ESITES
PURPLE TUFFS

~- .
,~ I( (' /,r) j':: 4
::r CR14 ·---
-. . :.: : . .!.ffF?us.,.
.._ _ 1''(1 :~ r---~ I ( ./

-· - -- - - q..~ )1 I / ~:1
1
PURPLE !(//,/
Si •.. · -- -.. / ·1 TUFFS /

·- - ---------
· ISABE:l . i: .•
-........ - - _ANDts1rc...s -~~ ··' '''"···~
"" .......,..,.,._
·~-.~ ,._,. ....-r:·-·
. .• . / / /,,.
~ .... _ -,/ ""', ~....,_--..:.1-:~:
'·"' .:. : ..:7 · •::·."
_. .,:' _,// ,,/
-c: . -~ ....•··.. : ..."· ·".
~-....... '
~
'
'-.
/'/ ·' / /

/ /
"'(

, / /...· -... . \'~:: . ..

----·· ·---\ ~---(;J ;;~.- / __ ./
JU BONES
TUFF
I~ uJ ·---·---·- ----.
SACAPALCA ANDESITES

·- ------·------ -------

Plate 10
View northwards frotn Filo de Scuccr (lon:grouml) [6877 96210) towards the Rio Le6n. La Crin
lies slightly 10 the left of the photogrnph. The rock face displays a m!\iOr footwall syncline
beneath lhc La Cria Thrust.
2. l:.pithcnnal depos its associated \vith eruptive centres. regional fractures and stn1cturally-
controllcd rhyolite e1nplacements.
3. l'vksothcrrnal polyn1ctallic veins and breccias.
4. tvlultiple phase occurrem:es hosting 1nesothennal polyn1etallic ass;:mblages. with later epiihennal
(o ften highly auriierrous. base-mdal poor) overprints.
:i. Volcanogenic massive sulphides. Exarnpk: San Fernando (UNDP, 1969a).

Th is classification is somewhat artificial, as many individual occun-ences display fi:arures

d1aractcristic of 1nore than one defined category. For exan1ple, hi gh-level cpithennal overprinting
of mcsothennal assemhlages may, in some instances, have resulted from strong erosion (or si1npl y
the prevalence of a very steep geothern1al gradient) during the li fe-span of a hydrothermal system.
Thus, at Po1tovelo epiihermal Au veins occur alongside hase-meial rich mesotherrnal vein s' varms.
At lrcs C ho1Teras. parts of a predon1inantly mesothermal system display epithennal characteristics.
\Vith respect to geographic distribution. the deeply eroded slopes of the \Vestern Cordillera
genera lly host higher temperature. tourmaline-rich, polymetallic mineralisation. In the high paran10
aurifen-ous epithe1mal systems predominate.

6.1 Porphyry mineralisation

T he tenn porphyry-style mineralisation is applied generically to deposits a~sociated with sub-

volcanic intrusions and characterized by disseminated sulphides or stockworks within the int111sivc
facies and surrounding country rocks. Examples of discrete porphyritic stocks occur at Ciaby
[6428 96620] and Fierro Urcu [6830 959 161.

Derails

Gttb>·: ;\t Gab)''. east of Ponce Enriquez, an irregular p<lrphyritic microdiorice stock approx1matel} I km in dian1eter
1

intrudes fractured basalts and hyaloclas1ites of 1he Pallatanga Unit. The intrusion lies on the eastern side of u
t<.>p<>graphicully cunspictious circular structure son1e 3 k.111 i11 dio.111ecer. altl1ou,gl1 there is lilll..: a<lt.JiLi<>nul ticld cvidenc.e
of a ring fracture because <>f' lhc ir•lcnsit) C)f ultcratil1n ur1<.J \\'Cttthcring. An cxlcnsivc Z()ne of argillic altt'ratton and
tour1r1a1inisation is e\'tdent. \Vith f'v1o-Cu-Au mineralisation present in stock\vorks and dissen1in~'tions ct..J. ·.11.1ts et al..
1992; Paladines and Rosero. 1996).

Fierro Urcu Po'l)h)'l')l-Styte mineralisation at Fierro Urcu. south-wes1 of Saraguro. is associated with a complex of si11-
likc grant'Kli<'>ritcs and n1 icrodiorites. apparently· cut b~r a younger r)t)•olite stock (Spindler unc.l H..:rrcra. 19';9). \1,·irhin
Saragttro liroup and Sacapalca l Jnit host rc)ck-;. Th ~ gran<.><.li(1rite is es tremely \•ar1able 1n cexn1re and appears to have
been emplaced rapidly to high level. The microdiorile shows moderate propylitic alteration. Dykes of similarruck cut
the granodiorite at 16874 95R95] and ba,crncnt ch luritc sch ists at [6885 95913].

Th..: Fierro Urcu rhyolite is an i1Tegular stock about 3 x 1 kn1 in area. lt is ""·idely brecciated enriched in J isscminured
1

pyrite and locally nodular, probably us u result 111' dcvitrilicution. Typical exposures [6837 9591 7] comprise rubbly.
1na:;si\'e breccias \.\'ith angular frag111ents from ~0-60 n1n1 in length. Lin1onite vugs and fractures a.re co1t1n101\, There
appear I<> he l\\<C> clasl lypt:S, an aphyric rll)''Olile(?) and quaf12-phyric rhyt'Jlile/luff. S~ricilc is \\'idespreacJ, giving the
rock a lusrreous sheen. On che nonh side (6832 959191. the rhyolite displays a necwork of intense join1-controlled
rna:-.Si\·e (1 -5 ell \vidth) qua11z \.·eining.

40
Recent drilling of the Fierro lJrcu rhyolite (6831 959 i 4J has indicated the presence or sub-economic Au and Cu
gru(lcs. 1IU\\'Cver. c-0ns1derable polcn1ial v.·ithin thl! district lllO.y rc1r1ain. Furtht.:r rhyc>lilc hc1clics Hnd zones nf
silici1ication. commonly brecciated. have been mapped away from the main Fierro Urcu 1ntrus1on. South of Quebrada
Rcrn•li<: 16855 95892] a h)Jrolhcrmull) brccciu1,•J tuff ur rh)·o lite 1s heavily mineralised w11h contse di>seminatcd
p) nte and pyrite veinlets. On the track to Purdtlh there 1s widc•pn.-ud >ilicification. with ..:ricne and tounnaline
•Iteration. An andesiric lithic rulT (6R66 95927) is rich in silica. ~rtcnc. sulpnomclanc (dcvcl~ onl) in more Fe·rich
CIO\I\) and disseminate<! p)TllC (Wl'640) A ocarby (6R7> 959291 rock (acid lull) i> inh:ttS<:I) >ilicificJ and .crkitiL<'tl
(\I. P 641) It enntain' a pyri1c!t0unnatinc s1ockwork.

Observations made <luring geo logical mapping of the J0 -4°S sector of the Cordillera Occidental
inuicnte potential for a<luitional porphyry-style 1nincralisa1ion in tile following areas:-

c:;,,,,.,,,,v lntrusio11s "'ith homfelsed halos .and <lis1.,crr1inHLc<l l\ul11hide n1i11eralisation occu1 i11 tl1e 1en1oh;; area hi.:t\-.·ccn
Paccha. Lanima, Salvia.< and the high paramo of Ch11la and Mani1 r•ropyli1ic alterarinn and 'ihcifica1ion of andes111c
1ulT$ il!1d 13\as of the l'O<tovcln l 'nit h widespread.

f\ granodiorilc in the Rio Onega cmchment (65Q3 9601 I] i• rich in disseminated p)ritc. with u •tockwork of pyrite
'ci11lc1s Icg. 6591 960 I0 ). h ' hows extreme variation m gram size. I hin ~ctions [eg WI' 15.lO. ref. 65\111 '160 I}] show
cvidc11cc of large, strongly zoned. plugioclusc phcnocrys1s within a tine. granoblastic matrix. f\mphibole phenocrysts.
up co 15 n1rra Lli~pla)'· inclusionwrich margins. and are rimmccJ hy :,rnull biutitc cryslals. This ,.b,· iuu~ Jiscquilibriu1·n (>f
both mineral phase• and tcxtu1cs is consistent with rapid coolini; following the emplacement of partly crystallized
mu~.111a at a high level. This muy, i11 tum, have been associated with retrograde boiling and rapid fluid loss with
rt"~111t in,g rr1i11e1alisation. The granodiortte is inrructecJ inlc>. <>r intru<lcJ by. a :-.Lror1gly jolnltJ pl&giucla:,c auJ ai11phibolc..
ph)rtC m1crodiorite "ith mC>de1a1c propylitie allerauon ( \VI' 1$32: (6600 96-00'i)). The llmflhtbnles are replaced b)
chlorite. :>e11noh1e and OP"'JUC nrc TI1c plagioclase has commoo chlontc inclusions. cSj)«1ally along m1crofracrurcs.

Sha[.:lt Around Shagti ("'Shag lh"') md1ca11ons of mmerah'llltlt)(I occur in aSl\neiatinn "ith un iotru,ivc ccHnplex of
porph)rllic m1crod1orire and grun11Jiori1e. Many joint surfoces w11h1n the m1rus1vc fac1es are covered '"th pyrue and
the ; urrounding host hocks are s1lic ifoed and rich in <li,seminmcd sulphides. Specimen WP 23~ 16806 96497 ) was found
10 con1ain c. 5~'o dissen1inated pyrite. chlorite an<l a sm"ll an"'IClunL tJf cpiLltJlc. As in the Rit> Ort~)!.O.. t11c grunt><liuritc
shows evidence of rnpiu l1ii1h· lcvel e mplacement. \VI' 23jA [<>7'13 965201 shows equii;riurnhtr, mndern1ely 1onerl
µl•~i.xlnse and amphibole (with spu"c dinop)'roxene) with line gronophyric. masses filling the 1n1ers11ces. There is
mild ultcrutio11 of amphibolc to chlorite, and pla~ioclu•c to q >idotc. Nearby pegmatite pods. up 10 2 m across. aJ'e of
1ounnaltne ('chorl) u11J ~ranoblastic quartz (\l' I' 233). White mica replaces the tuurrnulinc. Clay alteration nf the
intrusion ,ounrry rock i• ,.1,., upp.ucnl 111 the access road 10 Shagh (6789 96-182). producing orange ronen rock. oranse
..uib ,111J 'Jn<islips.

On the Shagh-l'edemale< road (6805 965jj). andesitic l11hic lap1tli-ruffs. lavas and m1trod1or11es show strong
' iliciftcation and disseminated pyrue miner•li'"1i110.0,i1Jatiu11 of pyrik causes sulphur staining and epidote lines vu~s.
In thin secrion. a brl!cciaced plagiocl;ise and a.mph1bole-ph;..-r1c ~'ncte~11ic intr111;.iv~ rc-lck.'lava d1,111ay.._ n111\lcratc ah..:rttliltn
(WP ~31). \Vhile the plag iocl•sc remains rclutively fresh. the nmphibole has been altered to coarse chlorne and e pidote.
L>is~cniind1..:<l r>yrite is ,.,tide-spread. l""he zone of alteraric.ln run.;: ah(>ut I km sc}ulh al<1ng Lhc rc1od. ahnost a~ far a.~ the
contact \\'Ith the granodiori1c.

( °,!" o \ud1/lt1 011thi>11a11ow rid~c )6680 95888). aboui M km cast of Zaruma. a rhynlite inttu>1u11 ;, cmpla<cd -.i1hi11
rh)olmc rutls and andesire' ufthc Purtu,do Cnit There is'' l<l~sprc3d s1hctfica11on and abundant d1s~m111a1ed p)rite

41
6.2 F.rithcrmal deposits asso~iated with rhyolltcs and r egional fractures

The nonh-nonheast-striking Umiarin Belt ( Prall ct al .. 1997) constitutes an impo11an1 regional

structure. extending some 70 km from Quitnsaeocha through Guanazan. and possibly as south tar
as Zaruma. (Figure 5). \lumerous sub-volcanic intru!>ions and,, don1es occur \\llhin or n1arginal to
the structure (Section ~.2). \vith attendant :tones or argilli~ 'Iteration nnd s1hcification. Such
alteration is dearly visilile in the Santa Isabe l scrni-dc~crt because of the dry diuralc. forn1 ing
wh ite/yel low· soils ~111<1 lnndsl ips (Plate 11 a). Prove n go ld mineralisation occurs in several loca lities.
for example at Gaiiarin nnd <~uimsacocha, hut many additional prospects of predominantly Jo,v-
sulphidation epithc:ntml chnractcr rema in essenti ally underexplored.

lt11e171rctatio11 The Gai1arf11 Belt contTolled on the en1placemenl of various rhyolite stocks and
d) kes. and sited volcanic centTes such as the Quimsacocha and Jubones calderas (Sections 3.8.5.
~ .2). Intrusions \\•ere ctnplnced over a considerable time span. kno,vn lo nlllgc from c. 27 Ma !or
Pachagmama rhyolitc (Kennerley, 1980:.Appendix I) lo lt:ss than 10 '.'via for tht> Quimsacocha
rhyolite (Section 3.1 4). Indeed. the preservation of !ht: Quimsacocha Caldera in such a strongly
uplifted area may suggest n much younger age . Mim:ralisulion in calderas is l:uuunonly associated
\Vilh resurgent rhyodacite domes and may post-date caldera lonnation by millions of years (Francis
et al.. 1983), thus supporting a very young age for <il l1:a~l sornc of the tnincralisation.

On the basis of availahle data. the Gaiiarin Bel t can be tentati\'cly interpreted as a fracturc-
conlrolk<l series of \·olcanic centres. In the case of Quitnsacocha. the centre \\OS clearly a large
andesilic strntovolcano \\hich collapsed into a caldera. The less \veil defined Jubones Caldera
probably straddled the Gar'arln Oelt (Section 3.8.5). and \vas invaded by irregular rhyolite bodies
ulkr collapse. Other rhyolite bodies in the be lt rnay have intruded n11nlogo11s volcanic edi fices,
''bid1 have s ince been compkte ly n.:tnoved by erosio n. Alternative ly they may represent isolaied
~i licic volcanoes or dotnes. unn:lalcd to ca ldcriis. T he predominantly crystal-poor character these
i:111plncements suggests thal they constitute the fina l, characteristically metal rich, product~ of
tnagma chamber purging. The large andcsite r111gs present may represent sub-\·olcanic porphyries.

vr11lari11 Belt details

I he rrincipal prospects of the Uruinrin Belt. commencing \Vi th the most nonherly. are described
below. Also see Section 4.2.

At Qu intsacocha 16971! 9664; ] (f igures 1, '\ )a hitcrHlly ...:xtcusi\·c Ll>tle ltf c1)ithcr1nnl 111i11cra1isatio11 i~
fJ1111,,,·11t·1x:l1l1
ccnired on a brecciated. imcnwly , iJicified and kaolinised rhyolne body. Vugs lined by )Cllow acicular quan z are
cc-.n1111011. Flov.• banding is genera lly steep Lc1 \:en ical and purullcl to tl1e caldera nlargin. Plru131· ribs. 1·3 J11 "'tide. are
''·1det.pread. r..:Ot..-cting stron~er sil1ci lica11on along fracn1rts In 1h1n "iection (\\.'P 1568), igncc•u' texture~ hH\'C nc.>t bci:n
10.:ogruud. raising the f10"ihili1y that. as at Fierro Urcu. ahe~ 31\00ne country rocks arc included with rhe
·· m1ru\lon'', Disseminated p)rnc 1s w1de5PW1d. •upc~cnc '"ida1ion of whi<:h has produced concentrically banded.
mamm1lated limonitc in fractures and join!$. A low pH t1u1d rts1me rtlative 10 thar pre•aihn&; at olher Ganarin Reh
pro>Jll'Cls is indicated b) locnli'«!d alunili>ution. E11nrgi1c and cinnabar also occur. A proven reserve of c. 600.000
ounce\ l>r Au l1u:-. rece1\tly been escabhshcd. A S\\··ann of ntlnh·<;;<>t1th striking faults. \o\' ith crliuc,r di)placc111c11ts. cut:; the
¢aSt side o t the ca Idem. in 1hc Rio Qu inuahuayacu 1699 1 96638 J. It is also cut by non heast fau hs.

42
 Ph1t c 11
a) Oanarin B.:11. Zone ofodvonced nrgillic allcrotion and silicitication in lhc Saraguro Group.
Zone i~ over I ~111 in length. Trigopombn (6758 96290] .
h) The ~i lica "cup" at Gai'larin. Expos ures in the abandoned Cuenca-Machala rcmd [67<l8 <l6360].
Vuggy texture is clearly visible.
Hcu:u..•11,/l1 (·ristol a 11fl Ri<J Fttlso 1\n obv ious zone of h~"drothC'nll('I ;111..:rali'''' is passed in 1hc ro<1d to ()11im~cclcha. 11
ex1"nds ubvu1 2 km !Tom nonh In '"ulh and reaches a ma.,imum width of about 500 m. Qua1Ties at Hacienda Crmal
16991 <16554) pruviJc ~ood expo$Ures of bleached clay-altered an<lc>iLe lavas. The rcplaccmcn1 ha.' pcrfectl~ mimicked
1hc ori!!-mal iweous 1exrurc. "ith u vinuall~ isorropic clay mineral rtplacing all the minerals (WP 28') Vein nc1"or1<,
ol crtam k<K>lin cul the roe~. i\ higher quarry (6987 % 569) <-.xnprises kaolinized and p}rne rich bleMhed andesue
hrci.;..:ias.

Riu Lfllclur Lar?;e area> ufh}drothennal alteration are pre<;cnt in 1hi> "'"' [6940 96580] . Bleached roc~s and associaced
lancldip> are very visible from <:an Fcnum<lu. Silicitication, clay-aherauon. dissemtnaced pyri10 anll altmf1c are reported.

San Pablo A small area of hydrothermal alteration [6905 9652'1]. ahn111 400 m hy !00 rn, """ 1111lc<l within ma"ivcly
bcd<lc<l •ndcsitic !Uff brecci0<, 111f1Hccous sandstones and crysrnl culls m the cliffs overlook mi; ~an Fernando. I!
comprises >ilicilio<l, clay-ahered and pymized rock' which \ccm 10 follow an east-striking !Taccure.

C mlari/>um/XJ The Cailanbamba pro>~-.:1 [6860 96437) nonh ot s,,n1a Isabel 1s associated "tth a rti~olue dome or
stoc~ Ounu!CLI samples from the prospect include chalccd011} rock wuh common silicolied h1gh-sp1red gilSU'Opods.
cons1s1en1 wi1h 5in1cr acth ity. The rh)Olite (llN 21}) is rcmorkably frc>h. "ith plagioclase. quanz and biotite crystals in
vcr: tine-~rained flO\\·foliari.;<I rnutri~ . A petrographicall)' identical rhyolite at an anal(1gou~ \tr.11igraphic level at I.a
~a1 de l'orlu•do [6883 964061. some 4 km lo the >ouchca>I ul'Cni1aribamba, suggests a possible sill or llow. This rock,
at lease 50 m 1hick. displays a horizontal tlow-foliation and i• '11'11 plu!{.ioclusc-, 4uru·1z- and biotice-phyric. In contras!, ii
has ~u rtered strong devirri l ci11ic1n, \l/ith cltlorite rosettes overprinting 1he m<ltrix (\\'P 20'2).

Dumlim I he <mall rhyolice stock ac Dand:\n (6810 9n16,) Im< u cl•y alte1ation zone. The nian·ix and plaµioclases are
,lr onul) clay-alcered (no <cricicc)(WP 191 ). There is also weak s1hr1ficm10n.

(;wk.rm This promine111 crag overlooks the Rio Mina'- TI1c Oat-lying stratigraphy is interpreted 10 comprise (in
. , cending order) ande5i1ic cuff> 0111d lavas. the Jubones I onna1ion and a cap of silicifo<-.l rh) 11li1ic tu ff breccias. overlain
, .. uh uu~ulaJ unconform1C)· b) an<lcsiti~ tu ff breccias of the Santa Isabel 1:onnat1on. I he ande~itic breccias contain
largl!. lc>cull~· fluv.· banded. 1·hyohte pods up eel 30 n1 lJr 111orc in dia1tleter. interpreted as nii:lange. Vertical north·
11011heast-srriking veins (036;90) a l<w cen11me1res thick <ill 1hc silidfocd cup. the Juboues Fonnation and che
u11Jc1 i)•ing andcsif1c ruffto; . Thl:s~ vein~ (u e currentI}' \\.'Orked for 1\u by 11rtesenal n1 incrs.

The <.ia~ann <ilica cap is about 40 m thick and is well "'fl"'c<l i11 !he old Cuenca-Machala road. It comprises a
1nass1,·e. "er: ti ne "\ilica rc>ek '"'ith cornn1on angular rock fragmen1\ and "'parse Jarg,c 4u1:1nl Cf'.Y~lal:i i11LJn:111atrix (Plate
I lb). The sequence appear< 10 he fl'lnly ><-<lirnentary. Siliciticd tulfoceous sandstones and thinl~ hcddcd li1hic 1uff< arc
''P""'d '"' the crag (6797 <163S~I and in drill core from imm<-<liatel) abo"e the Juboncs Formauon. S1hr1ika11on ~s
n0t appear to exiend inco the Santa Isabel Forma11on Ihis unu h<>' lx."Cn dat<-.l at uhoul 18 Ma (Hungerbuhler and
S1c111111.inn. 1996), suggestins tha1 the mineralisation could pre-date cht unconfonnuy. Ih< _;lJ geomelry of the silica
cap is. hl•wcvcr. uncenain. Because of the topography it is not ckw " tactually continues beneath the andesnes of che
SJnta Isabel l·onnatit\n, It i!-1 lhu:-, pvr,:,ible that the cap ret1ec1s a r..- .. t
1
: recen1 {Plc1slcl<.:cni.;) ~inh..:r tcrTat.:c. pcrCll~d l;n

' " " ' l"flC·

\.r:ib u11<l chip samples !Tom 1hc nurth-northca>t lJcnding quaiiz veins at Ua~arln show All va lues of up to 12-1 5
~111 ton Channel srunples of exposures ofche silicified •ctiucnoc in the Cu<nca-Machala road varrcd between 1.8 and 8
lllll ton Au ipers comm, C.mnuniniug. December, 1996).

Pc1< l•l1:"'""'"The I km "ide Pnchagmama rhyolue (b7'0 Qn 11>I ;, 1hc lar!!«>t of the Gai\arin Bel! intrusions. It is at
chc heart of the propose<! Juhnnc' Caldera (Section 3.8.5). w11h allmu1es to the Quimsacochn i01n1'inn with r<"Spcct 10
clay-altered (kuolinisation) and d1sscmmated pyrite mincmli,acion. Intense weathering has produced w1dspread sulphur-
srni111ng of surfaces. Small u<lit>. lor example [6714 96326]. are prohahk gnld lrials. A IJrgc 1.1111c of sim ilar alteration
43
occurs within the counny rock on the eastern llunk of the inrn1sion [6 770 96323].

Tr(~oµcunba A zone of alteration [6758 96290) at Trigopurnba occurs on the ""'l

llank of n plagioclase and amphibole-
phyrii: amlc,ite stock with dimensions of 1.5 km by 2 km. Thin sections. indicme propylitic alteration of the intrusion
(\VP 111). and surrounding acid luff, and andesite lava;; of Ilic Saraguro group arc intensely clay-aliered (Plate I la)
\"f<>sl t>f the- rocks are PO"'def)' \Vith sulphur- anrl lilnon ice-stained \veathering. s11rfaces. ;\Jl ha\•e a high concentrat1on of
disseminated pyrite. On the west flank or the Quebrada Calabozo L6757 96291 ] a strongly silicilied breccia. similar 10
that at Uaiiarin. occurs Ihis appears to overlie the clay-altcrc<l (kaolin). pyrili Led 7one. A possihk rhyolite intrusion
occurs in 1hc same quebrnda 16758 96287 1. although 1t is intensely clay-altered. J\ short d1s1anco ctownso·emn. an
andesitic crystal tu ff displays strong propylilic alteration. The matrix is rich in line chloritc. Coarse epidote is clustered
''r(iunULhc altered at1gite5.

CucJ1icorra/ A funher zone of si:rong arg,illic.: alu:rdlit.>n <>ccur~ S k111to the south\vcsl tJfTrigc>parnha, asst)Ciated \Vith che
dyke extension of the Pachagmama rhyolite. In this area (6720 96279) the rhyolite is locally brecciated. vuggy and
limonite-stained. Felcbpur and quartz phenocrysts occur. The country rocks are andesites and andesitic lahur.;. The
strongest are-a (671 O 96275) clr <11leratic>n I ics {Jn Lite ~t1uth\vcsl flunk oi' lhc i11trusi<-u1, c.:tnrtpri~ing a 1.t1ne c1f c. 4(>0 m x
200 m or white. kaolinized andesue. Feldspar phenocry'is are altered co a pale green mineral. probably chlorite. The
argill ic ahcrntion zones at Cuchicomil are quite localized. Plagtoclase- and amph1bole-phyric andesite lavas. with only
weak propylitic alteration. occur less than 400 rn to the south of the heai1 of the most imcnsc argillic alteration. The
plagioclases are tfesh. the mafics have gone to calc · chi >mt >stilp (WP 789).

(iua11a:611 This prospect wa' not visitcJ. bui ii is interpreted as a hot spring deposit (pet-s comm, Edgar Pillajo. Ocmher
1996).

In Lhc s<->ulh of tln: 1nap~ed area. tl1e Gai1arfn Belt passes tile \vest side of tile Salv ins 111clwn<>rphic
Lt1ru1>1<11J'or1r;v1t/11
i11lier l6600 95960). a fe\v kilomerres S<lUlh"'t!!-.t <>f \\>h ich lie~ the 1r1i11\.:ruli1.cJ 1.t1nc <>f suh•\'Cllc.::-:inic rh~·olite stocks of
7.uru111aiP01tovelo described in detail in Section 6.·~. Th is unportant mining disrrict may constirute a tlirther example or
fracmre-cnn1rnllcd vulcanism. rhyolite emplacement and mineralisation potentially auributable to the Gm1arin Belt.
Road exposures or the Z~mma rhyolites (65.14 9592S unJ 6537 9593 1) <li,pluy s ilieiGc<l. uphyrie rhvnlite with common
sugary. recrystallized texture and vugs lined by yellow. euhe<lrnl quart7 I.ocally (65.15 9 5<125] the rock is brecciated
and kanlinbcd. with abundmn disseminated pyrite. In this condition. igneous textures are generally desn·oyed (eg. WP
747) and the intr11sive facies arc thus dit1icult to distinguish from sim ilarly altered andcsircs ofrhc Portovclo Unit (Plate
I b).

6.3 l\llcsoth ermal, base metal- and gold-bearing veins and breccias

rhese deposits are typified by breccias. pods and dykes of tourmaline and silica rock. They occur in
granodiorite intrusions (particularly \Vhere their cupolas are in contact with \Velded ash-flo\v 1uffa).
in microd iorite stocks. and in the country rocks. Possible structural controls have been noted . for
cxan1plc. in the conti nuation of the Chaucha-Rio Jerez Li neament, wh ich includes Tres Chon·eras,
Uzhcurnuni, La Tigrera, I.a Playa. Gigantones and other. ne,vly discovered . quartz/tourn1alinc
pipc~dykcs. The deposits, from north to south, are desc rihed he lov.-.

Delai/~·

l c.1 £11rt11t1(1d{J A large pipe or p()(t t1f quartz/ t<)11nnaline/m11scr>vi 1c rc.x:k (\\!fl 25 1) abo\1t 30 m in diameter \i.·as
cncuuntcred close to La Enramada 16598 96518] in the trace of the Chaucha-Rio Jerez Lineament during a o·ave1~e
from Quin11a'\ l(l P«ln<.:c F.nriquct.. ·rhc piJ>C is hx:illCc..I al lhc cJgc of u lurge ~1.:qucncc ()f lid1i<.: luff' \"'illi 111i..:1urr11trph ic:
pebbles (Las Trane as Formanon}. There is a nearby granodiorite cupola. S11 lphides were not noted.

44
I ,.,J, <"'/1cJrr.:ras
I his pr(1o,;,pi.:i.:l, d 'ilc l>f arli.:sa11CJl 111i11 in2,. con1prises irregular scoc.ks of fe ldsp~r-. anlph ibole- and quanz.
phyr1c micrt>Jiol'i1e intruded into poorly consolida1ed li1hic 1un\ auJ 1>dded. pumice-rich. rh)'Olitic ash-llow ruffs of
the Saraguro uroup 1_1hc N:irihuir1u tu IT.). The sequence wos uhw eastwards to ahout >0-60°. unJ lucully 1u vcnical (on

-
the nd~c "L">I ofQuinuos). prlOr to the enrpli<Ml and dcJMf,ition of the Jubooes Fonnauon (ct ~:;Mal the mineralised
bc'<X:crM are surrounded b) o lat2e halo ot drssemrnarw 1ounnalinc c\tc"flding hundreds of metres rmo ash-00\' ruffs.
C:ntenn!' this halo from rhe nonh (6637 96505]. about 300 m nonh ot rhe tirst ~IOI') hnk the uprcamnce nf rite ruff
stans to change. Small ros.:nes ol tounnaline appear. apparently tilling vugs and holes let1 b~ leached teldspar ci;stals.
,1n<l 1l1e rock is silicitied. l.ar~cr vu~s are filled b~' haematite tlnd tourmaline. Th\! pun1ice!\ "'t:rc irl1QlJrta11t site!\ ti.1r
tOUmlnlinc g.r<->\\<tll. presunlabl) because the!-'· \Vere mt1rc f>l1rous.

I he Tic:-. CJ\orreras mine comprise" gh>ry llulc~ dt:ve1oped in the nlineralised breccias. v•irh a characteristic assemblage
ot 111nc;.1;,1ve 1n<1l)·l><lenite. haenlatitc. chalcop~.:rite. p~·riLc: unU tuu11nali11e. Banded textures are co1nmon. '"'itll several
'tC1lero11ons of to11nnalinc <.Jeposili01l 3.nd brecc1a11on. Jhe breccias arc dc\•clt>pc:U rr11:1inly , ..,i1h in the ii1t1 u~iun, ..:spcciall)-·
:rr the contacts with the daciric lufTs. TI1c foim of the glory holes rnd1ca1es 1ha1 mo<i of 1hc hreccras are ven1cal.
eloni;ated bodies. usuall) paralltl 10 the country rucl.: i1rtru>ion. fouhed conl3Ct. The hrgheSt glof) hole [66355 9650-!5)
rs developed al a microdiorite tutl contacr and ni•play< aritillic alteration. The intrusiot1 is cla)-altered. sericitized.
brecciated and rrch in disseminated pyrite. Fractures are tilled wnh crustifnrrn , handed chulccdm1i. cuhctlrdl clear
quan' u11J mammilaied llmon11e The remaining breccias ore mainly w1thrn prop) hue or. r.Jrely. ser1ci1e-altered
11l1crod1orites. The intn1sions do not seem fO conra in tclunnali11c. Tllis n\a)· retlect n che1nicnl co11trol. a reaction.
l>cl ween ncid niff and the horon·bcuring fluids.

The sty le of mineralisation at Trts Chorrems appears to be dictated by competence. The intnrsionituff comacts were
clearly sites ofincrea"'tl tcc1u11ic fiacruring. There is no evidence 1ha11hosc breccias re present h) drothennnl (dia1rcmc)
hrt.:t.:cias. 1l1ere is no r0t1nd1ng, cn1ruin111!t uf clasts i1l ven1cal zones or tn)Cct1on of ma1ri'< ma1cri11I intc> cla.~lS.

i\s "ell as 1he <JM!<W<:ula1 glory hole mrnerahsation. 'ein• arc dcvclupo:J in poorl) coosoliwted li1hic ruff-breccias
bcncnlh the more compacr rnfT,. CruJc b<:dding is defined by changes m clasr <i><, as well u.' cumfM"itiun. The larg.c,1
clnir,t'- tire about 0.25 m 1n d1:tmercr rhere i' ,,,me in<licntio1l of channell ing. The rutl'·brecc1as contaLn Sle-ep s'"'anns of
1h1n (5--tO mm) p lunar qunnz veins. ahgned nonh-nnrthc;i<t, Thc>c curiy s1nall amounts of galena. chnlcopyrite. pyrite
onJ sphalt-rite .~ ni'>anal 1nincrs 1·cpon gold grades ofabotn ll>(• g/t(ln. Vi,ihlc g.11l<l is cc11111rn>11 . The p1~~ence ofpla11ar.
\·CT) continuous quanz vein~ o,;,ug~c~t~ that t1\e rock \Vas on e~ n1ore 1ndura1ed ttnrl hrinle 1h;tn it is n11\11. Thi..:. may
1nd1ca1c ..;ubsct.iuent \\•eak propylit1c altertt1ion .

Tlu.:re Jre c;.J1ta.rtd. foliated l't>ncJr. , ... ithi11 the incrusions :md along the fatilterl contact~. They mainly ~trike 11orth--:.asl aruJ
thp "ccpl' 10 shallowly non hwcSt The) an: >cl) "'eathered ond rich rn hmon1te An adn which curs one • 7one ran
2 7 g. ton ~old uvcr a horizontal. cross-srrrke disl3nce nf 10 m (per> comm. Granmiinin~. December. 1'196•

/ ,1f'lma ,\fme [6520 96430] llu~ •ito. 12 km suulh"'cst of Tres Chorreras, was nor v1s1ted because ir was recent!)
1n"ad<d by· artisanal 1niners. It compr1sts 3 or 4 sub·vcnical hri.:ci.;iu '1ip<.:~. i11 a 1lo1 th\\.tSl·trendi11g line. \\·ithin a
~runvJiorite: cupola. I he c11p(>lu i:-. c.,t1 ~1nely close to the contact \Vith the La Fonuna F<lrr11nL1<1r1. a 111dj,1r ang_ulur
unconformil~. II is therefore possib le tha11he mineralisa1io11 rc l1.:c1s some type of fluid barrier. l::ach pipe is roughly
100 m m diameter and cnmpri>es 1ounnaline (schorl) and q uan z breccia' w ith variable cnntc11l' o f •ulphides aod
'"'d"s. Samples from rhe sue include 'uhstuntia l chakop)rite. specular hnematue. scheeh1e("). sphaleri1e a nd homire
Secondary min"rals include azume and malachite. l:>ur rhe <upcrgcne cnriclunent zone h:is long bffn stripp<'d off the La
Pla\a Prpe. the mosr important of the pipes. Other gangue minerals include well-fonncd amclh}'I cry>1a.li.

The La Piaya breccia' urc Vdl ioble in gram srze and illusrrarc SC\ era I ~cn<:rations of tounnoline ~'0" th. earlier phases
arc rt:presented b~· angular cla''' \i.·itl1in iint: bceccia. tile final ph~ by large radial sprn~·s sro" ·1ng alc>ng j<>int surfat.:~~-
1 here 1~ no 'ign. within any of the samples. o f inclusion' uf lhc l1u•t )!.ranodiorite or of the ash- ltow ruff ( La romma
Tull) which th~ pipe< prohahly imrude. Gold from the Site rs Vcf)' line. h may ho free ur as i11e lu, iu11• w ithin su lphides.
45
Uradc> rccm<led from some of the sulphide-rich ponion• of lhc ripes urc .l-4 giLnn. wilh c. 40 g,'1 Ag (pcrs cumm.
f.1.uanor. April t996).

La /i~r~r,1 \/me [6511 96446/. Occurs across the watershed from I a Plaia. and i• luc:Hc<l i11 lhc ,amc granodiorite
intru,ion. At least one quan1 to11nn.iline b1eccia is e•ploited. '1)!3in "nh common sulphides and 'cry line gold. There is
less tounnaline than at La Pia) a. I he brecciit pipe « th<>ufthl lo he vertical and lie:. 'irtuall) at the cootac1 b..>t" <-cn the
cupola ~nd the I a Fortuna Funnauon.

l /:lu.. urrl1n11 \ 1cirl dC!)OSits hnve been \\'Orked formerl}· ar11und t 11'ht:urrumi und there nr~ se,eraJ indication:-. t>f
r11l)lltt lall ic and gold m ineral i~utit)fl, Visible gold. in i1Te~ular veins \\tllh green C.Opper m1ner~1s ~nd possibl~ c1nnab:i.r.
was found ul Lucny (6588 963291, in a newly opene<t road, during the present sun·cy. It occurs in clay-ahercd J ucitic
tuflS close 10 a large gruntJ<liu1it1: intrusion. "'hich is app3rently offset by a nonheast fault ln1cnse silicification 1s
cv1dc111 in Saraguro acid 111IT• 2 k111 tu the we>t (6570 9633 11. Around the north !Tinge or the same granodiorite
1ntn1s1<>n prtlp)·litic alteration of both the inm1sive facic\ an<l tl'c C\.>un lr)' 1ocks i> ob~erved .. l1lc:1e ar1: al~ veins that
have bttn "orl<e<l h) lc\d•. At (6592 96343 I joint zones and narro" veins a few ccmimcrrc< 1h1ck arc mineralised woth
chalcopynte. ep1d()(t. p)Tile. 1num1ulinc. !(alena and mol)bdenite. Ille main srrucrures s1nke 032" and dip 82° \\C<I. J\
Joo<c block of soli<I galena. 0 Im m diameter. is apparc111ly Jcri•ed from the hillside above the Je,els. Nearby Je•els
16613 ~6.M 1] arc drhen on veined Jault gouges with quan>. pyri1e aml galena.

Other' Other examples or quan1/1oum1:ilinc!scrici1e pods . pipes and dykes have been located and deserve follow-up
work. J'hcy urc I btc<l b) I:50.000 sheet:

I ) lllhcu1rumi. A foot traverse downstrcum of Tres Chorr~rns encountered [9636 Q()476j a tounnalimzed tulf with
cotlrse ')l!r1citc:n1u~uvite (WP 24-4) \\'Ith in the Saraguro Circlup.
2) Uzhcurrum1 Thin quartL.'lou1111aline •eins occur in quanz,feldspar Cl) Sl31-rich a,h.flow !Un' (Saragum Gmup) ""'t
ufS.ut Rafael [6589 <16366)
_;) l~1ccha. A breccia pipe ol 1ounnaline. quart7, 'cricitc. cpiJutc anJ abundant arsenop)rlle occurs at Rio Cristal
16488 <160-1']. near Pitccha. TI1e brecciated rock fragments are a fine grnn<Klioritc. The uulcrop i' Jb<iul 150 m by 70 m.
The 3D ~eomerry ts not kn"""· A " iJe halo of tounnaline occurs in the country rocks A much smal Jer pipe crops out
near!>) (6493 960431. The pipes occur within a grunudiurilc intrusion and alongside a hom telsed microdiorite intrusion
(also tounnalinc.: -beari1l.g). The age relations berween 1he ''"<l i111r11'\it1n lyre~ is n<>t pr<>vcn. t,ut th..: hurnfeJsing su~.g.~sts
tllnt 1he t'lltcrodiorilc is the <>Ider, perhaps an earlier intrusive phase {lf lhe granorliorite. 1\ l(n1rn,;Jli11c-rich gran<><-t i,lri1e
ubu c1ops out near the antenna< [6464 96074). north of Pnccha.
I) ~cl' a Aleg.re. A d~ ke like zone of hydro1hennal ahcratiun uccurs wi1hin a porphyritic andesiteim icrodiorite sill(7) on
a cres1[673695988) >0u1heast ofTaurococ.ha. ·111e "dyke" ~trike< nonh and continues fur 111 lcJ.'t I km. The width;,
appro"mately 100 m. The tune comprises limonite st.lined. s1hc1t~d mtrus1ve rock wnh '<•gs and Jomrs lined by
cuhedrnl 4u.utz and tounnahnc The intru•ivc ruck hns a >Utttll). s1licified texrure. No sulpludes "ere Sttn. Jn 1hm
section. the rock db.plays a 2ranoblas11c quanzose mosaic with coarse 1ounnaline srruY' (\VP 1631 ). Original mu fie
phcnoc~sts are complete!> chluritiLe<l. TI1c matri.\ is rich in senc 11e and chlorite. rhe host 1n1n1sion has a wide extent
rind di,pl•y> mild (regional or local''! propyli1ic altcrution.

6A Co n1binecl epithcnnnl nnd mesothermal, bas1: mt!lal-poor, ~old-bcarin~ vei ns

Oeta1/s

Zurimtu-Purt<11'<!!0. I bis his1oricully imponan1 mining zone (Andr3de. I91 I: Barag"anath. I912: Blihngsley. 19~6:
U\oOP. 1969b) comprises s"am1s of gold-bearing •eins within rhyoli1c >tucks and ande>ucs of1he Ponovelo Unit. The
\'tins are ma1nl~· nonh ..,,,uth·,lri"-inti.. The 111ineralisation setms to drop off rap1dl) to 1hc \\'c~t <>f the Ri'> Cralcru
[65 17 959 t Of in the outcrop of the less indurated, undc,itic J11d Jacitic ru!Ts of the Saraguro Group.

Two vein rypes have befn rcc11t1ni1.cd by the Misi6n Belga ( 1989a. b) wuhin the Lan1ma-l'onovelo field. r>oJymernll ic
46
(aunferrous) me,.>Lhcnnal veins contatn quan1 and a wide nlll~c of sulphides (pyrue. chalcop~ rite. sphalcritc. ~ukua.
bomitc. chakocue. covellilc and o~idised equtvalentS. malachue. haematite and limonueJ. "uh refractorv Au comamed
"tthm the p}ritc and chalcopyrite Free Au i' JI'° present. Fluid incluston studies in<l1<11Lc dcp<biliun tctnperatutes of
3~0-380"C fo r these vein' (Shepherd In Luherland. 1987). which al"c best exemplitied m the Pono,elo-7anima-l\1alvu>
belt. L:ptthennul qua11L calc ite veins aro sulphide-poor ahd ncher m precious rnct>1ls, 1>ith Au typically tree. Sparse
>e1lµhides include p}ritc. chalcopyrlle. galena. <phulcritc. Sulphosahs include prousrne (Ag <11lph11<alt). Adularin in the
\\allrnck,. <md absence of ulunite. implies an adularia-serici1c type cpit~ennal model (Heald et al . 1987 ) Fluid
inclusion studic' b) the Misic>n Ilelgu suyg~st that the precious metals pre~pirn1cd hc1wcc11 200-300' b) bothng. An
NaCl cqui•alent to 2 S· 7A• • "eight percent ts prc><:nl in the inclusions. A strong mtluen~ from mctc,>ric \\,lie" i'
tmphed fhe c11k:ula1ed depth of mincrali""1iut1 in the epitherrnal veins i' 100-600 m.

I he mos! recent m1ncra hs;lliun 1110Jel for Zaruma: Ponovelo (Mi'"'" Belg«. I989a. b; Van rhoumollt et al.. I'19 l)
delines a circular \C3ldern) Stntclure '""'" 9- 10 km in diame1er. lO which the 1.cmc of p1upylilic alteration Of the
Po1lovelo L'n1t andc"iitcs is considered ro he cc>nl1ncd. The contrasting minerali'iiUic>n a'scrrlhlagc!-1 pr~'\cnl arc
intcrprclod within the model as reflecting pre-caldera me«ilhcrmal and post-caldera ep1therrnal sys1ems. and the
f11~ol1te innusions a1e correlated with Chinchillo (now Saraguro Umup) vnlcani.111. From infonnation collated during
the prestnt srudy. she validity ofthts model may be questionable. Propyhuc alrera1inn ha• fur c'JJnple. been found to
ctN1~t1tute a regional c:haructeris.ti(: of Pono,·elo Unit. ~,, topogrnphic evidence or a caldern·t}pe sm1cturc h;L, b.:cr1
n01ed. and di>plaLemem of li1hologicul boundaries a1 the supposed caldera margin has nowhere been ob~"'ed Whtie
she numerous rhyulilc ;Locks are consistent \\ilh the presence o l a volcanic centre (pus,ibl} a caldera), the current
cvi<l1.:nce is not sttttic1cn1 tu define it1s IO<C\tion or size. Such n cc1,1re n1a):, lherrore. pl:"tu~ihl~ he interpreted as Lhc
southernmost express ton of 1hc Ga1luriu Belt (Secuon 6.:?.).

/kllu Rica a1Jd /rt•< Rand"" Gold-bearing quan1 vein.' al Bella Rica and Tres Ranchos (rigure 'l). 'oulh of the Gab)
porphyry (Section 61 ). are emplaced within basalts of she J>allaum!cl" t:nit. T)pical exposures (6·HK 96588) comprise
green ba<Jth<. duI.: rile and h~alocla<titc-s with an irregular stock" ork of epidote. quurlL J1Kl d1lor ile •eins up to 10 mm
thick. Alteration ~fH>I~ uf epidote are commtln antl reach 50 n11n in diameter. Suntlar 7f1nc-.. c>f \!pi<lotc surrou1tJ )Ulllt:"
veins. The rock has an apparent magnetic susccpubtlity of2>.-I omu (Appendix 4).

Dissen1inated py·r11..: und p)'rite stock\\'nrk't ari.: '"iJcspread at Bella Rica Altho11.gh 1"ri111Hr-y (.;li11upyroxe11e ~enel'nlly
rcmdulS in1>c1. 1htn <cerium. from Bella Rtca display variable propyli1ic nltera1ion (\\/I' 11>1>4 11>116. Jli67J. Aclinulilc
and albi<c arc widespread within , ,cinlet.s tn the prop)liuzed wallrock:. of a nonheast 'e1n at 16-1~51165118) ( \"I' 44K)
Actmolue al"' 1cplnccs hornblende phcnocl'}sts. Towards the Gaby porph)ry. un the Bella Rica access road
[64j6 966131. '"~' filkd b) tourmaline. eptdotc and >ulphides appe3r (\VP 1668).

rhe area i' bounded by a series uf rnuju1 west· northwcst-strikini; fault' (Figure 9). In the south. 3 fault follows the Rto
Margarita; m 1hc 11u11h. 3 fauh follows lho Riu Tcng;uel. /\ third major fault. she scrpcnlinilc· lilled Rio Chico Fnult.
nc"urs in the San vermtlu (Pinglio) to Tenguehllo areas. Wi1hin lhi> block. most veins and faults. including 1ho 111ujur
1res de l'vfa)O Fault. strike nonh or nm1h-nonhwest. The bulk of mincmli7.c<l »cin> dip 45-65' towards the cas1. I here
Ole also lh~• imp<>!TWlt traJlS\e<SC. broadly ""l·,lrikinJ! faults. Guan:xhe. Los Ratone< and ruoblu Nuc•u.

The most important mmerahsation in the Rella Rica concession LS a system of nonh-n<><th,..;st trendin!! >eins about
l k111 long. with n known width of 400 m (MLSL6n Aelga, 1996). lndi>idual veins have 'ariable dip and 'trike aml can
chan~e quite nu"'ptly. There are bctwcc11 6 ond I~ principal vein1, mainly less than 0.6 m. rarely up to I m. l'111ch n11d
S\Vell 1s com1n<>n . "1"11i..: n1ain n1inerals in or<lcr <>f' i111portancc are P>'r1te. pyhrrotite. arl\Cn<>pyrilt.:, ~phalerite. galena nnd
hac111atite. \ 'is1ble gold i\ rare. Supergene 31tcra11on producL~ include (halcocite. covellue. cuprue. malttchi1c, yc'1.!lhih;.
lep1docrocil\! a11d lirtton11~. Gangue mincrul~ aie n1ainf)· quan.z \Vith minor calcite. unkcrne. terro-d0Jom1rt. chlorue.
11\USCO\ 1te- and ep1<f<,h.:

S<111<.ierordn1Pmy,/1ui tv Te11g11e/il/o Thi' tune i, probably an extension of the Rella Rieu <li>tri~t. The stratigraphy of
Lhc 01ea is com pie~ Tho lower flanks of the hilly area arc fnnnotl uf basalts. while the h1~hest pans cnmpriw 1>clJcd
47
dacitic 1ult's and d.eply 1Vcalhercd a11dcsi1ic ruffs (probabl)' l'epresenting an outlier of lhe Saraguro Group) Most of the
vein deposits occur wi1hm the former. As at llella Rica. the zone is constrained between two east-southeast faults: the
Rfo Tenguel Faull and 1hc cast-southeast-striking. serpentinite-lilled Rio Chico Fault. Lillie is known ahoul Lhc slylc of
g.t>l<l nl inerali:.ation. ottter lhiln th<it it is <Jf ,,.ein t).:pe. TI1ere is a varicl)" c>I' vein ;ind fault orientation. but rhe bulk are
11onheast-sou1hwcs1. some are nonh-striking and a few are parallel 10 1he Rio Chico Fault. The occu1Tence along the
11 0 1111-east t3ults of serpen1 in itc filrr1~ in<licutcs th111 ut lcnsl st>rr1...: \vCrc acti ,·e <luring mtJvc1ncnts t>n th..: Rfc> Chic<> Faul1
They can i11us be considered as a complementary set to the latter.

\irccn. sheared rocks along a nonheasi fau h near San Gerardo (6.54 1 966.10) display serpentinitc-coatcd surfaces A 1hm
secuon shows a line-grained intrusive rock. probably dolerite, rich in clinopyroxene (WP 152). It shows prnpyl itic
alteration. \\'ith e-p1dote and c<tlcire \'einl~ls and rn11<.:h t:hhlritc/<.:al<.:ite rcplaccn1cnt t>f the naatrix. 1\ lcvt!I (652:? <.>665 1J
display' silicified green andesne or microchorite with numerous irregular shear zones and shckensided faults. The
tunnel is driven nn" mineralized fault (173i66 \li).

A large b<l<ly ofserpentinice occurs within Uella Rica Uasalts at tengueli llo (6605 96600). It is elongated nonheast and
has a nonheasL l'<»liuLion a1td is probably· another exan1ple of 3 serpentinite·tilled nonheast con1pler11e11tary fracture. A
window of metamorphic rocks, interpreted as sheared Pnllatanga Unit basalts. crops out to the "est (Section 3. 1). To
the east, a large granodior1te intrusion probabl}· links \1,·ith the. Chaucha batht)lith. The granodiorite and su1Tot1nding
basalts are wi<lcl)' hornfelsed (cordierite + muscovite), for example at (6614 96602 j (WP 1657). There is widespread
disseminated pyrite in 1hc country rucks. for e~ample at 166 17 96584], and the g1ar1odiorite. The po,itiun of the
Tcnguel illo serpentinite bod::. " !ithin Oella Rica Ra.salL5 anti at the li<.luLhcastcm Jim iL t)f the Rfo Chic:o fault. a sm1crure
that 1na\' ha\'e hccn
. in~tru1ne ntal
-
in r11i11eralisation. suggests that this area is \VOrth)'' of fUrther in\•esti!lation .

1lvlodelling the Bella Rica/San Gerardo 111ineralisation ll is tempting lo include the serpentinite·
filled faults in any modelling of Lhe vein rnineralisation. Their general steep allitude implies strike-
slip (ve11ical intennediate compressivt'. stress, cr~). There are two theoretical strike-slip models
(Figure 9): a) simple conjugate faulting, b) Riedel shear. The first requires the hori;:onlal maximum
coinpressive stress (cr 1) to bisect the acute anglt>. between the fault sels (Figure 9). It would hence be
aligned at about 080°. Jn the se<.:ond model , the Rio Chico Faull rn ighl be intt>.rpreted as an R 1
(synchecic) shear and Lhe <.:ompkntentary faults as R~ (antithetic) shC'ars (Figure 9). Both models
could mean only si nistral movement on the Rio Chico and parallel fau lts (Rio Tengud, Rio
l'v1argarita). I Iowever. the north-south veins at Bella Rica irnply east-v.:cst extension and a major
problem \Vith strike-s lip 1nodcls is that they are not strongly dilational. ·1his suggests the
mineralisation is not associated \Vith serpentinite e1nplace1nent anrl strike-s lip. tvlore likely, faults
that developed in a strike-sl ip rcgin1c suffered later east-w•est extension.

The association of gold mineralisation with the Bella Rica Basalts. at both Bdla Rica and San
Gerardo. rnay reilect the gr.:ater abundance of backgro"'' gold in basic rocks cornpan:d with a<.:id
rocks (Tilling et al.. 1973). If the basal ts provid<.:d ,,1.: sour<:.: of the go ld, then large-scale
circulat ion of meteoric/submarine waters would be r~quired. It is easi~r to imagine this in a
subnrn rine seni ng than a terrestrial vokanic ar<.:.
~

6.5 Volcauogcnic n1assive sulp hides (V'.\llS)

A pos~iblc Vl\.1S type occuiTence has been seen northwest of San f'emando (6886 96558). It occurs
in the Tunrparnba Fon11ati on. and may be an ep ithern1al-re lated deposit of the Ganarin Relt. Road

48
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60
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Figure: 9 J'eclunic nh"-!ds for the faulling around Ponce Enriquc1:. Scrpc:1111ni1c in bl.icl.. Hbnl. .ireas ;1rc f)<)Sl· Bdl
Rica s1ra1a .inJ 1111ru,ions. lns.:b ohn" <lc:1.1ils or the loha1cJ serpcntinnc» Two poss1hk mouc:b :or :he
serpcniinite-lil k d Rio Chico Faull nnd complcmencary non hcasl liiuhs are shown: al cu njug:11c s1rike., Jip. l'i l
Ri~d shear tTchalcnko. 1970: Tchalcnko and .-\mhrase~ s. 19701 Se~ :~xt for ~xplanation.
exposures show distorted, slun1ped pyritous fine ;1cid tuffs with sparse coal frng111e11ts. There an::
also pyritous co11glon1erntes \Vith an unusual lumt: all clasts arc of fine 1uff ond the matrix is
virtually ind1stinguishnhlc. We interpret them as intr<ifunnational. Veins ofkn11lin n l ~o occur.

The l.'nited ~ations Development Programme (lNDP. 1969a) drilled sulph1dc-nch 111incralisation
northeast [6961 96585] of San Fernando. in andesites and andesitic dcbritcs of the Qui1nsacocha
and Turi Formations. It is interpreted as exhalative (Gooss.:ns. 1972). Tho.: u:-. LlP 1.kpuoit has not
b<:<.:n visited. hut it lies a shurt <listru1ce fro111 Qui1nsacocha and '"e suspect that it may related to the
bdt of cpithern1al minerali sation of the Gaiinrin Flclt.

6.6 Travertine

I rnvertine. a source uf on1aincntal stone and of lime for cement. is found along the major faults and
thrusts of the district. Uranin 1te has been reported from some (UNDP. 1971). La Cri<i [6837 96232].
the largest deposit. is bo.:ing worked for cen1ent. Like Oanos (near Cuenc;1) (DGG~I. I 980c), it
comprises a narrow. stccp-s1clcd ridge v1ith an axial fracture through 'vhich hot springs t'mt'rgt'd. L;1
<'ria is developed on i1 111ftjor. 11011hv;est-verging thrust within the Giron Faull Systo.:rn (Section 5).
fhis structure marks the eastern li1nit of the 1\yancay inlermunlane basin. A vc:ry >rnall dt:pusit of
trn\·ertine [6814 962391 occurs on another thrust, marking 1he western limit or the Ayan<.:a) basin.
\\'ithin the basin. the \VCll-kno\~n ·~tina de Mmnol' [6836 962301 " ·orkc<l 1nato.:rial "hich " as
deposited along the steeply-dipping. faulted contact bct"ecn the Juboncs J'ull and the A}llneay
Group. on the west flank of the I .a Cria 1\nticline. Veino art' n1ainly concordant. I he travcrtincs of
Saraguro [6971 96018] were not visited. but appear tu lie on a north-striking fault.

The trav<.:rtincs represent recently expirt:d. or olill-activc, hydrotbermnl systems. Remnnnt

magmatic heat drove. and is sti ll driving. cir.:ulating meteoric \Vnter. The ca rbonate is probably
lcach1:<l ftom the andesites (Santa Isabel Andcsites. Sacapnlca Andesices) in the volcanic pile.
C;1lcitc-\ cmed andesites crop out in the vicinity of 111ost of 1he travertine deposits. The faults that
fring..: the fom1er Santa Isabel scdin1cntary basin were clearly important tluid path'"l)'S.

6. 7 Bui lding stone

The b1:~t building stone is probably the intrusive dacitc south of Sarnguro. lt is a non-joi111ed
freestum: and easily ~n,vn. i\ sn1all quarry l694 I 95954 1 provides pavin~ stone for 1he streets of
Saraguro. !'he poten1ial re~ource is enom1ous.

49
7. GF.OPllYSICS

i\.nalysis of the total n1agnetic lidd tor southt:m Ecuador (Figueroa. 1995). corrected for the near
equatorial latitude. produces a good corrdation.with the major structures. Figure I0 is a 1nap of the
total niagnetic field \Vith the digitised geological map overlain. In this way. it is possible to
appreciate hovo1 \11ell the regional structures. such as the Gaiiarin and Giron fault systems.
corn:spond vvith niagnetic discontinuities. The map shows a distinct east-west grain. perhaps
reflecting the grain of the metamorphic basement. In general, area~ of metan1orphic rocks sho\v
Jo\ver gradients and higher values than the volcanic rocks. The \Vide spacing bet\veen isolincs
shows that. not surprisingly. the 1netamorphic rocks are deeply rooted. The paran10 south of tvlar1(1
and Chilla is rnarkcd by a sim ilar response: high n1agnetisn1 and lo\v gradients. This iniplics that
the Saraguro Group/Celica Andesites n1ust he thin, an ohservation suppo11ed by the occurrence of
metamorphic windows in the area. A similar anon1aly is present at the junction of the Rios Narn.njo
and Leon. suggesting that metamorphic rocks may be present at shallo\v depth beneath the
Sacapaka A.nclcsites. In contrast to the paramo of tv1anti, the paramo of Pedemales, Quinuas and
San Femarido. north of Santa Isabel, gives a large negative anomaly, probably reflecting a great
thickness uf volcanic rock.

Crossing the east-west grain, the Gaiiarin Oelt cuts various saddles. In the south of the area. the
prolound contrast in n1agnetic properties between the metan1orphic and volcanic rocks (Celica
Andesitcs) is obvious, although the strongest gradients occur a le\v kilometres north of the Pina~­
Portovclo Fault System. This supports our model of a gently north-dipping thrust. with
111cta1nofJJhic rocks in the toot\vall (Section 5).

Unfortunately, insutlicient magnetic susceptibility readings (Appendix 4) are available to model the
data ;;et in detail. However. it is ckar that the volcanic rocks. whil:h are mainly !lat-lying. have very
variable magnetism. That is partly why 1nost sharp grad ients occur in the volcanic outcrop.
Depending on the derivative used in future asscss1ncnts, it \Vil! be in1portaru to consider the ellects
of these shallow sources.

8. GEOLOGICAi. HISTORY

The oldest rocks of the mapped area. present 10 the south of the l'iiias-l'ortovelo Fault. belong Lo
the mernmorphic hasement of the Cordillera Real-El Oro structural block. mt'.Lamorphosed during
a regional event in the Late Triassic. The diverse. predominantly n1etasedi1nentary. rocks of the
El Oro 1neran1orphic complex (Aspden et al. 1995) are interpreted as part of an accretionary
pris1n cornplex. that includes the above high-grade rocks of Triassic age. most probably from a
Palaeozoic protolith. lower grade rocks of probable Jurassic-Cretaceous age that con1prise the
matrix to the prism!inelange and high -pressure rocks of Early Cretaceous age tectonically
emplaccd into the melange. North of the .lubones Fault, the niajority of the metamorphic rocks
present bdong to the lower-grade .Jurassic-Cretaceous units of the accretionary prisn1 com plex.

50
 CHIUJ.

--··-

Figure 10 Map of the total magnetic field grid with the digitised geological map overlain
upon it. Pink corresponds with positive (high) values, blue with negative (low) values.
the probable \\·cstcm limit of which i~ the ~ulubulu fault (Dunkley and uaibor in press) that
separates it fron1 the oceanic rocks of the l'a lhtlanga Unit to the nonhv:est.

The Della Rica Oasalts of the Pallatanga .\ /nit. interpreted a~ oceanic (MORA) cru~l . are
considered to be part of an opho lite sequence that was accreted to the South A n11.:ril:;m
continenta l niargin in the Late Cretaceous most probably in the Campanian. The ci1 lc-alkaline
volcanic~ of the poorl y defined C'e lica l111it. \VCrc· tk posil.:d in a terrestial to marine i:-nsi;tl ic arc
and an.: perhaps. at least in part. contc1nporancous with the Bella Rica Basalt~.' Cessation of
activity in the- Cd ica arc in the Carnpanian (Feininger and BristO\v l 980) 1nay •1:1lect the aho'c
accretion of the l'allatanga (Pinon) tcrranc. The overlying Maestritchian Yunguilla llnit i~ a
turbiditt· ~cqucncc derived frorn tht· cru~ion of <ire material (?Celica) and the mcl<imorphic rocks
of the Cordillera Real-El Oro block fo1lo"ing uplift as a result of the accretion of the oceanic
rocks of 1hc l'allaranga terrane.

The Quingco Formation and the (?)contemporaneous and younger continental volcani c arc rocks of
the S<1c;1paka Unit and Saraguro Group accumulated in a trough bctv<een the \Vestern Cordi llera
and the uplil\cd Cordillera Real. The Sacapalca Unit andesi1es may be the southern eq uivalents of
the M.rc11d1i island <tr<: bas<tlts. Syn-depositional faults, developed above major basement faults.
su1.:h a~ the Uaiiarin Bdt and Giron Fault System. constrained basins. vokanic centres and high-
kvel intrusions. During the Oligocent: ;md Miocene the foc us of deformation :1ppears to ha\'e
moved ca~t\Htrd. with tiliting lirsl at Narihuii\a. Pedernales. San Pablo de Ccbadas and Chauc ha. at
about 24-:!6 IVta. A niajor rhyolitit· ~h-llow luff province developed in latest Oligocene and earl i<!sl
!'vtioccnc tune. tollo"·cd shortly alicr ( 19-16 Nia) by a phase of granitoid ernplaccment. i\ major
caldera tic' doped soutll\\CSt of Santa Isabel and was the source of at least one major ash-flO\\ tu ff
(Juboncs ~orn1a11on). At about 18 f\.la. accckr,ue<l east-\\'est extension resulted in int.:rmontane
ha~in ~c111nenrn1ion at Santa Isabel, Uir6n. Cuenca and Catamayo. This may reflect a change in the
direction of plate convergence bet,veen the mainland and the Nazca Plate or hecnusc of rollback of
1he subd11c1ion 7.one. At ahout 10 v111 a major t'·Otnpressive event. dated hy the truncation of
defon11ed Ayancay Group hy the l lchucay Formation. inv(;rtcd Lhe basins and thnis1 ~nrocuro and
Sacapalca strata over the intermontane ha.~ins.

The Turi and Tarqui Formarions are probabl y at k:a~t in part contemporaneous. ·1he lormer
represents our,va~h from an andesitic \O lcano ('!Quimsac.: ocha.l. The Tarqui Formation was
depo~itcd in an environment thm varied l'f<:l\\Ct'Il dclt<tit-. lacuslrine and fluvial and u is possible
that Quimsacocha may have been a source for some of the acid ash-flo>\' ruffs of this fonrmtion.

51
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ASPDEN. J A. 801\!LLA.. \V mid DUQUF., P. 1995. The Fl Oro n1et,1n1orphic com plex. Ecuador:
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1987. Un nuevo cintur6n ofiolfcico en la Cordillera Real, Ecuador. y su posible sign ificaci6n
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53
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58
 APPtNOIX 1. OAT£0$AMPLl!!S f+'t • Ziu:vn ri,,ivn 1111.<:..,, KIA( • Po••tlh1r'IVAl"90n

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APPENDIX 2 WHOLE ROCK GEOCHEMISTRY
Sheet ST ISABEL UZHCUR. UZCUR. MACHALA SAN FERN. PONCE ENR YARITZ. MANU PONCE ENR. N AHU MANU SELVA ALEG
COOldenadas 676396363 6635 96347 6S41 96327 632• 96:>54 6793 965'3 6619 96509 6982 96<31 69)7 96293 64-48 96586 6!i02 96297 6817 96203 694 1 95954
Unit 1 Gp t fm Jubones Sa1agtJro SaragLro SI Isabel Saraguro Ile la Rica Saraguto SaC<>palca
.
Roek type Tuff 0 td00d. Granod Rhy. tuff Oz. dionte Tuff And tuft L1th tuff Hya oclast1e Oac1hc tuff Andes te Oac1re

S1111ple WP 10 WPl4 WP21B WP 176 WP 233 WP 275 WP278 WP 298 WP452A WP 509 WP 620 WP653
S.02 7125 5923 5367 nn ss ·e 71 53 s·
87 6645 • 6 71 68 19 5627 69C9
T102 0 22 0 81 064 0 10 0 88 0 33 0.53 0 58 0 75 0 32 093 0 41
Al203 12 21 16 92 16.64 12 77 17.84 14 07 11. 12 15 77 11 66 14 13 16.59 17.65
Fe203 1 88 7 57 9 51 0.98 849 3 15 538 4 92 1t 33 3.76 7 85 2.10
MnO 003 c 14 015 002 0•6 007 0 12 0.10 023 0 25 0'3 002
MgO 0 30 3 47 4 71 007 4 59 0 76 264 0.81 9.11 0 !>'- 362 l)G)
Cao 1 53 6 62 e 14 046 808 21)6 5 87 2 70 11.43 3 15 63~ 3€S
Na20 2 50 2 54 2 03 2 21 2.31 3 13 2.60 2 28 1 64 1 88 2 25 4.13
K20 3.20 1.67 0 .54 4 27 1 09 300 0 77 4 66 022 3 '3 1 37 1.€9
P205 0.00 017 0·2 002 020 0 06 0 13 0 13 007 006 018 0.15
LOI 0 73 036 3 11 083 093 1 62 2.97 1 21 6 80 4 4E 2 27 OEO
Total 99 90 99.54 99.47 99.50 99.73 9977 100 01 99 65 100 15 99 89 99 80 99.52
Ba 782 587 169 1•62 377 1192 376 792 45 946 597 903
Ce 39 33 15 <6 15 19 8 27 11 33 2~ 12
Co 0 ;;3 34 0 31 6 13 11 32 0 i3 0
Cr 5 26 74 4 66 7 58 10 167 0 39 7
c. 1 1 2 1 2 0 1 0 1 5 ' 0 2
Hf
la
5
16
0
12 6
5 0
32
5
7
9
24
7
12
0
16
9
5
0
22
0
16
•
16
Nb 8 6 5 9 5 10 4 6 5 9 6 c

Nd
N.i
20
5
20
22
8
25
29
5
15
24
16
6
10
6
19
11
5
57
22
5
. 17
21
17
0
Rb
~
121)
1
67
21
19
36
178
4
30
26
119
10
16
18
169
15
• 127
14
48
24
•3
•3 9
Sm 3 0 0 6 12 0 12 7 2 a 13 8
Sr 145 339 164 62 •69 184 470 202 79 411 300 681
Ta 0 I) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Th 8 I 2 14 2 s 1 4 . 5 1 3
u
v '
25
2
169
1
248
2
0
0
2'3
4
39
0
92
2
88
2
295
•26. 3
17C
0
55
y 20 27 23 23 16 2• 10 19 21 25 23 4
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 MANU ZARUMA ELVA ALEG ZARUMA PACCHA PONCE ENR. P ONCE ENR. PONCE ENR. PONCE ENR.
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 Thin Sections

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 Thin Sections

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APPENDIX 4 Kappameter (apparent magnetic susceptibility. emu) a nd scintollometer readings
Coordenates
Map sheet Sample TC1(cps TC2(cps K(cps) U(cps) Th(cps k (emu) Rock type

Ponce Enriqu 96515 6587 8 0 14 Acid luff

Ponce Enriqu 96506 6594 8 81 Granodiorite
Sta Isabel 96363 6763 10 3106 77 1 29.9 2 23 2.4 Jubones T uff
Uzhcurrumi 96347 6635 14 158 1 77 8 13.1 1.1 08 32.9 Diorite
Uzhcurrum1 96327 6541 21 78 7 12 3 1.5 0.9 05 29.5 Oiorite
Uzhcurrumi 96328 6573 23 302.5 102.4 12 3.3 18 0.41 Tuff breccia
'
Sta Isabel 96319 6806 114 152.7 618 63 2 06 4 .62 Jubones Tuff
Ma chala 96354 6324 176 227.3 101 9 83 2 .6 08 4.2 Acid tuff
San Fernando 96518 6793 233 91 .2 20 75 11 06 55 Granodiorite
Ponce Eriqu 96509 6619 275 10.7 Oacitic tu'f
Yantzagua 96431 6982 278 128.3 92.7 19.9 24 07 15 9 Andesitic l uff
Ma~u 96293 6907 298 251.2 80.3 15.4 16 0 .6 14 9 Oacit1c tuff
Sta. Isabel 96474 6908 326 176 Microdiorite
Ponce Enriqu 96589 6448 452 28.B 14.1 4 08 0.4 25 4 Basal!
Ma nu 96297 6902 509 203.9 47.6 19 2.4 0.6 5 77 Pumice tuff
' I
Mam) 96203 6817 620 121.7 28.5 2 1.2 08 19 2 Andesite
Ma nu 96144 6792 623 312.2 61 5.5 2 1.1 028 Gneiss
'
Manu 96144 6727 717 236 5 48.6 4.5 1.1 03 24.3 Andldac lava
Selva Alegi e 96127 6713 718 203 2 48 5 31 2.5 0 .7 27 Pumce tuff
Zaruma 95907 6517 750 1634 46 3.5 1.7 06 10.4 Dac1tic luff
Zaruma 95904 6498 75' 1036 94 5 96 1.9 11 0 .21 Acid tuff
Zaruma 95916 6502 765 170 3 93 8 13 5 1 0.4 10.2 Acid luff
Yaritzagua 96476 7066 766 105 3 81 5 9.8 2 .1 07 7.88 La Paz Tuff
Chaucha 96693 6887 773 2066 112 9.3 1.8 0.8 13.7 'Jubones Tuff