343

Geologische Rundschau 74/2 I 343-351 I Stuttgart 1985

Pre-orogenic volcanic assemblages and structure in the Western Cordillera

of Ecuador between 1~ and 2~
By M. LEBRAT, Paris, F. MEGARD, Montpellier, T. JUTEAU, Strasbourg and J. CALLE, Guayaquil*)

With 7 figures and 1 table

Zusammenfassung block to the east of the fault are MORBthat had not yet been
identified and (ii) that a volcanic island-arc assemblage ex-
Die Gesteine einer bei 2~ Siidlicher Breite in der West-
tensively outcrops in the downthrust block west of the
kordillere Ecuadors zu Tage tretenden und um mehrere
fault.
tausend Meter versetzten Verwerfung wurden in geochemi-
The fault therefore bounds a steeply east-dipping
scher Hinsicht untersucht. Die Verteilung der seltenen Er-
thrustsheet comprising the arc and its basement. Thrusts-
den und der anderen inkompatiblen Elemente in den Pro-
heets of the same type are known farther north in Ecuador.
ben zeigte 5stlich dieser Verwerfung das Vorkommen von
They were stacked in a presently inactive subduction-zone
Tholeiiten des MORB-Typs auf, deren Auftreten hier his
during the early Tertiary when the island-arc, drifting from
jetzt unbekannt war. Angerdem konnten die westlich der
the west, finally collided with continental south America.
Verwerfung auftretenden Diabase, Andesite und Rhyolite
The large dextral-slip Guayaquil-Dolores fault system,
dem Typ eines Inselbogens zngeordnet werden.
traditionally but possibly erroneously thought to be the su-
Diese Verwerfung begrenzt infolgedessen eine stark nach
ture-zone between continental south America and the oce-
Osten einfallende Schuppe des Sockels. Andere Schuppen
anic allochthone blocks collided during the Cretaceous and
dieser Art treten welter im Norden Ecuadors auf, wo sie zu
Tertiary, subsequently disrupted most of that structural ar-
Beginn des Terti~irs wiihrend des Zusammentreffens des
rangement.
von Westen ankommenden, ans der Kreidezeit stammen-
den Inselbogens mit dem siidamerikanischen Kontinent in R~sum~
eine Pal~iosubduktionszone eingebettet worden sind.
Dieses Strukturgefiige ist anschliegend zum grSgten Tell Une faille inverse expos& dans la cordill~re occidentale
durch das System der rechtsseitigen Verwerfnngen yon Gu- de l'Equateur vers 2% a un rejet de plusieurs milliers de m&-
ayaquil- Dolores verdeckt worden. Dieses System wird fiir res. L'&ude g~ochimique des terres rares et autres 616ments
gewShnlich - aber wahrscheinlich zu Unrecht - fiir die incompatibles permet de reconnaltre ~ l'est de la faille des
Nahtstelie des kontinentalen Siidamerikas und der w~ihrend thol4iites de ride m~dio-oc~anique jusqu'alors non identifi-
der Kreidezeit und des Terti~irs gegen den Kontinent sto- 6es, alors que les diabases, and&ires et rhyolites prtsentes
genden und/oder obduzierten allochtonen Blrcke ozea- l'ouest de la faille appartiennent ~ une formation d'arc insn-
nischen Substrats gehalten. laire.
Cette faille d~limite donc une &aille de socle ~tfort pen-
dage vers l'est. D'autres &ailles de ce type sont connues
Abstract plus au nord en Equateur. Elles se sont imbriqu&s au dtbut
du Tertiaire dans une pal~ozone de subduction, lots de la
A major reverse fault with a separation of at least a few
collision de l'arc insulaire, venu de l'ouest, avec le continent
thousand meters is exposed in the western Cordillera of
sud-amtricain.
Ecuador near 2~ REE and other incompatible elements
Ce dispositif structural a &6 ensnite oblittr4 en majeure
patterns show (i) that the rocks exposed in the upthrust
partie par le syst~me faille dextre de Guayaquil-Dolores,
qui passe classiquement, mais probablement ~t tort, pour
&re la suture entre l'Amtrique du sud continentale et les
*) Addresses of the authors: M. LEBRAT, ORSTOM, 24, rue blocs allochtones ?l substratum oc4anique coll& au conti-
Bayard, 75008 Paris, France; present address: CNRS, nent et/ou obduct4s durant le Cr&ac6 et le Tertiaire.
Centre G~ologique et Grophysique, USTL, place Eu-
gene Bataillon, 34060 Montpellier, France, F. MEGARD, FxpaTKOe co~ep~KaHHe
CNRS, Centre G~ologique et Grophysique, USTL,
place Eugene Bataillon, 34060 Montpellier, France. Th. IIpoBe~II,I FCOX!/IMHX-IeCKI/IeI,ICCJIeZIOBaHHItHop02{ B 3OHe
JUTEAU,Laboratoire de Cristallographie, Minrralogie et TeKTOH/4qeCKOFOcrpoca, pacIIO.rIo)KeHHOFO y 2~ to. tu. B
P&rographie, Universit~ Louis Pasteur, 1, rue Blessig, 3arlaa21-IblX Kop/IHnbepax 9KBaJlopa H IlepeMelReHHOrO
67084 Strasbourg, France. J. CALLE, Departamento de Ha I-IeCKOJII,KO TbICSI~MeTpOB. PacnpeseneHue PeaxI(!4x
Ingenierfa de Geologia, Minas y Petroleo, Escuela Supe- 3eMeJIb !4 JlpyFItX HeCOBMeCTHMbIX 3JIeMeHTOB B I ~ p o 6 a x
rior Polit&nica dei Litoral, casilla 5863, Guayaquil, yKa3bIBaeT Ha IIOaBJIenHe TOTIeHHTOB M O P B c K o F o TItIIa
Ecuador. BOCTOqHee E)TOFO c r p o c a , NTO yCTaHOB;IeHO aBTOpaMH
344 M. LEBRATet al.
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qemye~ tmKoJm, qeLuy~ TaKOFOme THna BcTpeqaeTc~
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r p e S ~ e H H O H B ~xpeBHefi 30He 3acachlBaHHfl B Haqaoie Tpe-
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raroma~cu c 3anaaa BMe.rlOBOMnepaoae CTOJIKHy~acbC
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r o M a T e p H a n a , 062IyIIHpOBaHHOFO BO BpeMfl MeJIOBOFO
r~ep~oAa ~/~r TpeTHqHOFO nep~o~a.
1. Introduction
The Dolores-Guayaquil megashear is commonly
interpreted as a right-lateral major fault separating
accreted terranes consisting mostly of oceanic crust,
to the west, from continental South America to the
east (CASE et al., 1971; CAMPBELL,1974; MOBERLY et
al., 1982). This nearly vertical shear zone strikes ab-
out N-S in central Ecuador between Quito and Rio-
'S--
Fig. 1. Major structural units of the Ecuadorian Andes.
Q = Quito. G = Guayaquil. R = Riobamba. The box
locates the Bucay-rio Pangor area.
bamba and bends to a N N E to N E direction farther
south (fig. 1). According to the 1:100000 scale geo-
logical maps of the Bucay (GuevARA & CORDE~O,
1979), Alausi (SosA & LONGO, 1975) and Riobamba
(SosA & GUEVARA,1978) quadrangles, the depressed
Bucay-rio Pangor area (fig. 1 and 2) is delineated by
NNE-trending vertical faults considered to be parts
of the Dolores-Guayaquil megashear zone.
During a first survey of this area in 1975, F. M~-
CARD and Th. JuTzAu observed an about N-S tren-
ding steeply east-dipping reverse fault underlined by
serpentinite slices near km 109 of the E1 Triunfo-
Riobarnba road (fig. 2). Along the fault, pillow-lavas
are upthrust westward upon flysch series. In recent
years, M. LEBRAT,F. M~GARDand J. CALLEhave col-
lected more field data in this and nearby areas and M.
LEB~T has studied the geochemistry of the volcanic
rocks.
The purpose of this paper is to present new data
that help demonstrating that the km 109 fault is actu-
ally a major compressive structui'e that was active
prior to the Dolores - Guayaquil megashear fault-
zone.
2. Geology of the Bucay-Rio Pangor Area
At km 109 of the E1 Triunfo-Riobamba road the
reverse fault between the flysch series and the pil-
low-lavas dips at about 50 ~ east. The fault's trace can
be followed for about 5 km south of km 109 (fig. 2).
Farther south, in the surroundings of Pallatanga, this
upthrust is locally displaced by a younger E-W tren-
ding fault and is also concealed by Tertiary silicic in-
trusives (fig. 2).
South of Pallatanga, near Multitud, pillowed ba-
salts and dolerites again crop out in a high topogra-
phic location in the mountains east of the depression,
this latter being floored by flysch series. This is
well-evidenced by the section of the Multitud-Si-
bambe dirt-road (fig. 3), along which the following
rock assemblages are exposed from west to east:
- tn the vicinity of Multitud and along the E1
Triunfo-Riobamba asphalted road below Multitud, a
volcaniclastic flysch series is outcroping. It consists
of regularly alternating graywackes and siltstones in
beds 10 to 30 cm thick, locally interbedded with deb-
ris flows. They are thrown into upright to slightly
asymmetric folds with flanks dipping commonly
between 40 and 60 ~. Their amplitude and wavelength
vary from a few ten to a few hundred meters and their
axes trend N 120 ~ E. They vary from the parallel to
the chevron type and a fracture cleavage forming di-
vergent fans is associated to them. The cleavage-bed-
 Pre-orogenic volcanic assemblage 345

~. / I
79~20"W
~/v ~2 ~" /" 1
--I 40s ..['.''" "' O-

It ./
r,

t,

& v q
++~, ~
9 .'.'... ..,
> L~L_ 9 9 .' ' . .'... .

/1
t-
L_ 4
-/
4, A "1
~ Pallatanga
?'< 7 :
Z-
4
4

iultitud
<
i.[. ii .
Buca, ....
Y:'.: :"......Alau~
''" '"~i.[.[..[...[
9 .' '[... ;.-.-..0 . . 9 ..

0 5 10 15 20 K m ~ .-. ". ..0 Sibambe..:. :.. .. . ./

/S-
./F
,,87-8s[891_A
EloTriunfo ./ ~

Quaternary deposits [ •
Tertiary intrusive rocks

Tertiary volcanic and

sedimentary rocks Dolores Guayaquil megashear
/
Late Cretaceous to early
Tertiary Yunguilla flysch series f Km 109 reverse fault

Volcanic assemblage of the 9 MORB samples from the

Macuchi arc Macuchi basement

MORB of the Macuchi basement 9 Samples from the Macuchi arc

Fig. 2. Geological map of the Bucay-rio Pangor area after the 1:1000000 scale geological map of Ecuador (Direccion Gene-
ral de Geologia y Minas, 1982), modified.

ding intersection commonly defines a pencil-struc-
ture in the siltstones. Around Multitud the dips of
the strata decrease down to 10 to 20 ~ east. This flysch
series has been logically ascribed to a part of the Yun-
guilla Formation which elsewhere has yielded Ma-
estrichtian to Eocene fossils (FAucHER & SAVOYA%
1973; HENDERSON, 1979). In the Riobamba qua-
drangle the flysch overlies conformably or discon-
formably volcanic assemblages belonging to the Ma-
cuchi Formation (SosA & GUEVARA, 1978) and con-
tains fragments of volcanic rocks from these assem-
blages, as in many other places of the Western Cor-
dillera (HE~ERSON, 1979). West of Multitud the fol-
ded flysch series are unconformably overlain by an
unnamed unit mainly made of mudflow deposits of
red colour. These are cut by some nearly vertical
faults and their dips range from 0 to 20 ~ They are
probably part of the latest Tertiary or earliest Qua-
346 M. LEBRATet al.

WNW ESE
. ~ - - " - --- ~- 4 0 0 0 n
Mu Itltud ,-1 ..i ~-~..~-~'~'1- 3000m
/
/
I,~' +- ~- Z-. I-lOOOm

V,-'," 0 5Kin

" .

Late Tertiary to early Quaternary ~ Massive diabases 1

mud-flow deposits ~.
rnllow- lavas ~Macuchi
t Formation
basement
[ ~ ONgocene turfs and lavas of the Sedimentary rocksJ
Alausi Formation

Early Tertiary conglomerates and sandstones , ~ Tertiary tonalite

Late Cretaceous to earty Tertiary flyschs ~"

of the Yunguilla Formation . ~ Km 109 reverse fault

Volcanic island arc assemblage of the ~ Unconformities

Macuchi Formation

Fig. 3. WNW-ESE cross-section along the Multitud-Sibambe road.

ternary infilling of local intermontane continental
basins.
- F r o m about 2 km to 10 km east of Multitud avol-
canic pile is exposed. It comprises layers of massive
dolerites and pillow-lavas interspersed with rare
black siliceous shales which are only a few meters
thick. This assemblage is lithologically identical to
parts of the Macuchi Formation which extends in
the Western Cordillera from the Colombian border
to 3~ S.
The contact between the basic volcanic assemblage
and the flysch series is not exposed along the Multi-
tud-Sibambe road. Nevertheless it should be noted
that, despite their closeness in the field, neither a
single volcanic intercalation in the flysch series nor
any flysch interspersed in the basic volcanics has
been observed. Moreover, the physiographic featu-
res suggest that the flysch series systematically com-
prise the smooth lower slopes of the mountains and
enter deeply in the valleys around Multitud whereas
the steeper upper slopes correspond to dolerites and
basalts. Our contention is therefore that the km 109
reverse fault has to be extended southward at least to
a place 2 km east of Multitud (fig. 2 and 3). The pil-
lowed basalts and dolerites of the eastern upthrust
block are unconformably overlain by outliers of light
to dark purple fluviatile conglomerates and sandsto-
nes. These rocks contain volcanic cobbles and gravels
coming both from the Macuchi dolerites and basalts
of Cretaceous age and from coarse phenoblastic an-
desites which are common in the Tertiary formations
of the Ecuadorian Cordillera. These rocks are pre-
sumably of early Tertiary age. They are preserved in
a few open synclines that are located along N-S tren-
ding vertical faults.
- To the east, the Macuchi basic assemblage is co-
vered unconformably by the thick mostly andesitic
Alausi Formation considered to be Paleogene in age
by SOSA& LONGO(1975) and most probably Oligo-
cene by Bt~IsTow& HO~FSTETT~R(1977). This forma-
tion is only warped in the Sibambe-Alausi area and
therefore is probably younger than the above men-
tioned purple fluviatile series which are more stron-
gly deformed.
3. Petrography
3.1. S a m p l e s from the upthrust block
Among the rocks collected in this block (fig. 2),
the samples 120 and 126 are pillow-basalts which ex-
hibit a typical microlitic texture. Sample 126 shows
scattered doleritic clusters of plagioclase and idio-
morphic augite in a microlitic matrix showing sphe-
rolitic structures. Sample 120 shows micropheno-
 Pre-orogenicvolcanic assemblage 347

crysts of fresh augite and of olivine completely repla- fine-grained, epidote-rich rhyolitic tuff which pre-
ced by calcite, in a microlitic matrix made of arbores- sents the same mineralogy as sample 87.
cent plagioclase skeletal microlites, associated with In summary, the samples from the upthrust block
tiny grains of augite and Ti-Fe oxydes. Sample 122 is comprise basalts, pillow-basalts and one quartz-dia-
an hyper-vesicular microlitic basalt with tiny micro- base. All are devoid of or poor in primary quartz and
lites of plagioclase and augite. The numerous and some contain olivine. The samples from the down-
large vesicles are filled with quartz, calcite and chlo- thrust block are more varied in composition, from
rite. This sample was collected near the thrust at km quartz-rich diabase to rhyolitic tuff. This varied as-
109 of the E1Triunfo-Riobamba road, and the abun- semblage is similar to that described by HENDZRSON
dance of secondary quartz is probably due to the cir- (1979) for rocks of the Macuchi arc.
culation of Si-rich fluids during the tectonic activity
along the fault. Samples 92 and 119 are doleritic ba- 4. Geochemistry
salts. They exhibit microlites of plagioclase (sericiti- Twelve samples from the Bucay-rlo Pangor area
zed in sample 93) and fresh augite. Interstitial chlo- have been analyzed for major and trace elements at
rite is also present. Additionally sample 93 contains
the Geochemistry Laboratory of the ~Centre G4olo-
small quantities of secondary sphene, actinolite and
gique et G6ophysique((, Montpellier, France. SiO2,
calcite while some titano-magnetite grains are pre-
TiO2 and P2Os analyses were performed using the
sent in sample 119. Sample 92 is a fine-grained urali- colorimetric method. The remaining major elements
tized quartz diabase. It shows intersertal texture
and the trace elements Li, Rb, Sr, Ba, V, Cr, Co, Ni,
between a sericitized plagioclase and an actinolite Cu and Zn were analyzed using atomic absorption
phase (uralitized clinopyroxene). Fresh clinopyro-
spectrophotometry with a precision better than 2 %.
xene is not visible. Interstitial quartz and titano-ma-
Six representative samples were then selected for ana-
gnetite grains are abundant. Secondary phases are
lyzing rare earth elements Sc, Hf and Th using the in-
mainly actinolite, chlorite and calcite.
strumental neutron activation method which preci-
3.2. S a m p l e s from the downthrust sions varying from 5 to 10% depending on the ele-
block ments. Additionally, Y, Zr and Nb were analyzed by
X-ray fluorescence at the Department of Geology of
Samples 89 and 90 collected in the surroundings of St. Mary's University, Halifax, Canada.
Bucay (fig. 2) are quartz-diabases. They show saus-
The major and trace elements analyses are given in
suritized plagioclase and rather fresh to uralitized Table I along with the Mg number differentiation in-
augite phenocrysts, exhibiting an ophitic texture. In-
dex. According to their SiO2 content, these rocks
terstitial quartz is abundant. Titano-magnetite grains
may be divided in two groups. The first one corres-
are present in sample 90. Secondary phases are chlo-
ponds to basalts, the second one to rocks of andesitic
rite, actinolite, talc and leucoxene sphene (as tiny
to rhyolitic composition. It is noteworthy that all the
grains outlining the margins of primary titano-ma-
rocks of the basaltic group were collected in the up-
gnetite crystals) in sample 89 while in sample 90 chlo-
thrust block east of the km 109 fault whereas the an-
rite and actinolite are associated with scattered epi-
desites and rhyolites come from the downthrust
dote (pistacite). Some veins are filled with prehnite in
block west of the fault.
sample 89. Sample 114 is a fine grained equivalent of
samples 89 and 90. Sample 115 is a phyric amphibo-
4.1. T h e b a s a l t i c g r o u p
le-andesite dike intruding the quartz-diabases. It
shows abundant and large idiomorphic phenocrysts In an AFM diagram (fig. 4) the basalts display a
of sericitized plagioclase and green hornblende, in a strong iron enrichment associated with increasing
matrix made of the same minerals, plus magnetite values of Ti and V with progressive differentiation.
grains. Some secondary actinolite and quartz are de- This demonstrates the tholeiitic affinity of these ba-
veloped. Some silicic tufts are interspersed in the salts, which is further confirmed by the diagram
quartz diabases. They are represented by samples 87 FeO*/MgO versus SiO2 (fig. 5) and also by the low
and 88. Sample 87 is a rhyolitic tuff, made of 25 to values of Sr and Other trace elements. The Ti/V ratios
30% of quartz and orthoclase phenocrysts, small of about 19 to 20 are slightly lower than those repor-
fragments of quartz, alkali feldspars and plagiocla- ted for mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) by SH~RVAIS
ses, set in a fine-grained matrix of quartz, sphene, (1982) but comparable to those of some T-type
chlorite, abundant pistacite and clinozoisite. The MORB from the Kolbeinsey Ridge in the northern
quartz phenocrysts exhibit the typical rounded and Atlantic (SuN et al., 1979). The low ratios of large
corroded ~,rhyolitic~ morphology. Sample 88 is a ions lithophiles (LIL) elements (ScHI~LINC,1973) to
 i~ --I r - r - r - r - ~'~ - I ~

O ~ O 0 0 N N 0
| . . . . . O. 0.0 .N g
,.~ ~r ~

o ~ E o--~-- o o o o ~= p
~ o ~ o ~ o o

N ~ ~-~ PO~ ~, ~ ~
o ~ o ~ o o N ~ ~ o o ~
. . . . ~ P ~ P ~ M ~
~hjb~
o
~ bUb~ bUbu u

e ~2g ~ o o ~ o ~ o o ~

~.~
. z
. . . . o Nw~N~N ~
~.~
+ . . . . ~ 0 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ ~
cn~oor~ uacou~c~ ro cn

%
+ ~o' ~

2 ~ : a.
o oo o ~ o o ~ ~ ~ o o o ~
ge~ ~ 0

N ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~

.o~,
~ 0 ~ 0
o~
m~e
o ~ ..... ~ ~
~2-" z
m

o @ . . . . o ~ ~

~.EA o ~ o ~ o ~ ~ o ~ o ~ ~ o

~ ~ o o 0 0 ~ N o o ~
 Pre-orogenic volcanic assemblage
F than N-type MORB (0.4 to 0.7) as shown by SvN et
A M SiO2 diagrams (fig. 5) the basaltic andesites of the se-
Fig. 4. Distribution of the Bucay-rlo Pangor area volcanic
rocks in an AFM diagram. Solid line delimits the tholeiitic
(TH) and calcalkaline (CA) fields (after IRVlNE& BARA-
GAIL1971). Black dots represent the basaltic group, open
circles denote the basaltic andesites and squares the more si-
licic rocks of the andesite-rhyolite group.
5_
4
FeO*i
~o 6'o 7o
Si02 {WEIGHT %)
Fig. 5. Distribution of the Bucay-rlo Pangor area volcanic
rocks in the FeO*/MgO versus SiO2 diagram. Solid line de-
limits the tholeiitic (TH) and calc-alkaline (CA) fields (after
MIYASFIIRO,1974). Same symbols as in figure 4. Note that
the ~,anomalous,, position of sample 122 in the calc-alkaline
field is due to the abundance of secondary quartz in this ha-
salt.
* Total iron as FeO.
'moderate LREE depletion with overall abundances
ranging between 7 and 15 times the chondritic values.
These samples show a light negative Eu anomaly
ported by decreasing contents of Sr and A1203 with
progressing differentiation. Such patterns are com-
progressing differentiation. Such patterns are com-
mon in MORB series. The La/Sm normalized ratios
vary from 0.72 to 0.78 and are typical of moderately
enriched MORB which tend to exhibit larger values
349
al. (1979).
These basalts exhibit the typical features of
MORB, but with respect to N-type MORB they are
depleted in some elements such as Sr, K, Ce, Zr, Hf,
Sm, La, Ti or Yb and enriched in Ba, Th and Nb. In
fact, such patterns (fig. 7), together with La/Th ra-
tios of about 10 have been reported for some transi-
tional (T-type) MORB from the Reykjanes Ridge
(Wood et al., 1979). Therefore it may be concluded
that the chemistry of these basalts is characteristic of
slightly enriched (T-type) MORB.
4.2. T h e a n d e s i t e - r h y o l i t e group
Both in the AFM (fig. 4) and FeO*/MgO versus
cond group are located in the tholeiitic field. Their
high degree of differentiation contrasts with their
low concentrations in titanium, showing that they
are not differentiated components of a tholeiitic
mid-ocean ridge series since this shows high Ti con-
tents. In fact, these low Ti values associated with
high contents in normative quartz are commonly
found in island arc tholeiites (IAT). These basaltic
andesites display relatively low Ti/V ratios (of about
10 for samples 89 and 90), and high Sr/Ce (> 20) ra-
tios; such ratios are common in several IAT series
(SrtERVmS, 1982; DuPvY et al., 1982). In addition, the
La/Th ratios of about 4 are typical of an orogenic
context according to GrLL (1981). With respect to
N-type MORB, these samples show a relative en-
richment of low field strength (LFS) elements (SAvN-
20
|
10
E 5
z~
o
o
\ 20
|
~-
<~ 10
o~
5
I I I I I I
La Ce Sm Eu Tb Yb Lu
Fig. 6. Rare earth elements patterns normalized to chondri-
tes (chondritic values from NAKAMURA,1974). a) Basaltic
group; b) Basaltic andesites of the andesite-rhyolite group.
350 M. LEBRATet al.

i I I r I I I I I I I t f /

2
T

rr"
9

1
; x //i \ _

I'-- ,8
7 .7
N .6
---~ .5
0_ 2.
E .4
CO
.3

.2

I I I I I I I I I I I I
Sr K Rb Ba Th Ta Nb Ce P Zr Hf Sm Ti Y Yb
Fig. 7. Multi-element pattern normalized to N-type MORB (normalizing values from PEARC~,1983). -- Open circles: Ba-
salts of the Bucay-rlo Pangor area. Mean values of samples 120, 126, 93 and 92 with standard deviation. - Stars: T-type
MORB from the Reykjanes-ridge (Wood et al., 1979). Mean values of samples 409-1 and 40%2.

DEt~Set al., 1980) such as Sr, K, Rb, Ba and Th and
depletion of Nb, Ce, P, Hf, Sin, Ti, Y and Yb. These
are typical features of IAT series (PEARCE,1983). The
REE patterns are relatively flat (fig. 6b) with overall
abundances ranging from 6 to 12 times the chondritic
values and the La/Sm normalized ratio close to 1.
Such values do not contradict the previous evidences.
The andesitic dike intruding the IAT and the two
rhyolitic tufts present, according to the major ele-
ments data, an affinity with calcalkaline series as sug-
gested for instance by the AFM diagram (fig. 4) and
by the FeO*/MgO versus SiO2 diagram (fig. 5).
In summary, the samples of the andesite-rhyolite
group are very similar to those of the Macuchi For-
mation which have a clear island arc affinity accor-
ding to HENDERSON(1979).
The difference in the nature of these rocks sugge-
sted by the petrographical study is confirmed by the
geochemical analyses which clearly allow to distin-
guish an upthrust MORB assemblage from a down-
thrust island-arc assemblage in the Macuchi Forma-
tion from the Bucay-rio Pangor area.
5. Discussion
The geochemistry of the upthrust MORB assem-
blage does not provide enough arguments for distin-
guishing whether it was formed in an expanding
marginal sea or at a mid-oceanic ridge. In both cases,
it should have been accreted as an east-dipping tecto-
nic slice caught between the continent and the in-
tra-oceanic Macuchi volcanic arc. Alternatively, this
MORB assemblage may be part of the basement of
the Macuchi arc, upthrust along the km 109 fault.
Regardless of the interpretation adopted, the km
109 reverse fault is a major west-vergent basement
fault involving a separation of at least a few thousand
meters. It is cut by and therefore older than the about
NNE-striking vertical faults that are part of the Gu-
ayaquil-Dolores fault-zone in the Bucay-r~o Pangor
area (fig. 1 and 2). Reverse longitudinal faults of the
same vergence have been recognized west of Quito
by JUTEAUet al. (1977). Along the major one, perido-
tites, layered gabbros and a diabasic dike complex
which are part of an ophiolitic suite are thrust west-
ward upon massive diabases. Our contention is that
the westward upthrusting of the basement along re-
verse faults results from the stacking of steep thrusts-
heets comprising the Cretaceous oceanic crust and
the overlying Macuchi volcanic arc and Yunguilla
flysch series in an east-dipping paleo-subduction
zone. This zone corresponds only very roughly to
the vertical Guayaquil-Dolores megashear, that ac-
tually has been superimposed over the earlier east-
dipping suture. This latter originated when the Ma-
cuchi arc collided with continental south America,
 Pre-orogenic volcanic assemblage
~:hat is to say during the lower Eocene according to
FEININGER & BRISTOW (1980).
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the co-operation agree-
ment between the Escueia Superior Polit6cnica del Litoral
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