Distribution and petrography of the mesozoic basic dykes of the San Gregorio de Polanco, Parana magmatic province, Uruguay

The tectonomagmatic events developed in the lower Cretaceous, predating the South Atlantic Ocean opening, generated an intensive magmatic activity that covered an important surface of the South American platform (Parana-Etendeka Magmatic Province). Both the instability and rupture of the continental crust, as well as magma rising are registered by the presence of basic intrusions (dykes and sills), and lava flows located in the central-north portion of Uruguay. This paper deals with a detailed petrologic study focused on the San Gregorio de Polanco Dyke Swarm (Department of Tacuarembo). As result of semidetailed geological mapping, 17 dyke segments with 12km length and 20m width maximum have been identified. These dykes are concentrated in four main geographic zones named: Achar, San Gregorio de Polanco, La Paloma and San Jorge. The dykes define parallel to sub parallel trends, with a zig-zag pattern (N140°-170° and N080°-110°) controlled by basement lineaments. Their mineralogy includes calcic plagioclases (labradorite and andesine), calcic clinopyroxene (augite-pigeonite), opaques minerals (two populations), olivine; glass and apatite as accessories. In turn, the SEM-EDS analyses of the opaque minerals (modal 15%) of both populations allowed their classification as titanomagnetite correspondent to different crystallisation stages. The first population of titanomagnetite would correspond to the main crystallisation stage while the second one would be generated by partial dissolution of the former under low oxygen fugacity conditions and temperatures around 450°C