Paleomagnetism of the Carboniferous-Permian Patquia Formation, Paganzo basin, Argentina: implications for the apparent polar wander path for South America and Gondwana during the Late Palaeozoic

The magnetic properties of the Carboniferous-Permian red beds of the Patquía Formation at Punta del Viento, Sierra de Umango and some previously reported localities, all in the Paganzo Basin (Argentina), have been studied. Whereas all sites are characterized by hematite as the main magnetic carrier and a reversed-polarity magnetic remanence, we found a pattern of variation in magnetic properties along the integrated column for Patquía Formation. The Lower Member (Late Carboniferous) showed higher intensity of natural and saturation isothermal remanent magnetisation (NRM and SIRM, respectively) than the Permian Upper Member. The fall in NRM intensity from the Lower to Upper Member of the Patquía Formation may be related to a change in quantity and/or grain-size of the hematite pigment, which may reflect the change in environmental and/or depositional setting. As for directional values of NRM, paleomagnetic poles reported for both sections are clearly different. The lower section provided a pole position coincident with Late Carboniferous poles for Gondwana, while the upper section poles are departed from the Early Permian position. We cannot decide whether the Upper Member pole is due to a primary magnetisation at 290 Ma or to a remagnetisation at ~260-270 Ma; even so, the obtained paleomagnetic pole is robust and indicates a rapid apparent polar wander in a ~30o counter clockwise rotation of the region, after deposition of the Late Carboniferous lower section, and in coincidence with the San Rafael Orogenic Phase