The Arcabuco Formation (Spanish: Formación Arcabuco, Jar, JKa) is a geological formation of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The formation consists of thick beds of light-coloured quartzitic sandstones and conglomerates with occasional shales and dates to the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods; Tithonian to Berriasian epochs. Dinosaur footprints have been found in the Arcabuco Formation near the Iguaque anticlinal outside Chíquiza, Boyacá.

Etymology

The formation was first defined by Scheibe in 1938 and named after Arcabuco, Boyacá. The type section of the Arcabuco Formation was redefined in 1985 by Galvis and Rubiano around Villa de Leyva.

Description

Lithologies

The Arcabuco Formation is characterised by a sequence of light- to pink-coloured fine quartzitic sandstones and conglomerates with red shales up to 50 metres (160 ft) in thickness intercalated. In the Arcabuco Formation, in the Iguaque Anticlinal, dinosaur tracks have been found. The overhanging rock shelter of Sáchica in Sáchica, Boyacá, consists of the sandstones of the Arcabuco Formation.

Stratigraphy and depositional environment

The 500 to 800 metres (1,600 to 2,600 ft) thick Arcabuco Formation unconformably overlies the Girón Formation and is overlain by the Rosablanca and Cumbre Formations. The age has been estimated to be Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. Stratigraphically, the formation is time equivalent with the Guavio and La Naveta Formations of the eastern and southern Altiplano respectively. The Arcabuco Formation has been deposited in a rift basin setting.

Outcrops

Arcabuco Formation is located in the Altiplano Cundiboyacense
Redefined type locality of the Arcabuco Formation on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense

The Arcabuco Formation is found apart from its original type locality near Arcabuco, in the anticlinal of Lake Iguaque between Villa de Leyva, Sáchica and Chíquiza, where the formation has been redefined in the Arcabuco Anticlinal.

Regional correlations

Stratigraphy of the Llanos Basin and surrounding provinces
MaAgePaleomapRegional eventsCatatumboCordilleraproximal Llanosdistal LlanosPutumayoVSMEnvironmentsMaximum thicknessPetroleum geologyNotes
0.01HoloceneHolocene volcanism Seismic activityalluviumOverburden
1PleistocenePleistocene volcanism Andean orogeny 3 GlaciationsGuayaboSoatá SabanaNecesidadGuayaboGigante NeivaAlluvial to fluvial (Guayabo)550 m (1,800 ft) (Guayabo)
2.6PliocenePliocene volcanism Andean orogeny 3 GABISubachoque
5.3MessinianAndean orogeny 3 ForelandMarichuelaCaimánHonda
13.5LanghianRegional floodingLeónhiatusCajaLeónLacustrine (León)400 m (1,300 ft) (León)Seal
16.2BurdigalianMiocene inundations Andean orogeny 2C1Carbonera C1OspinaProximal fluvio-deltaic (C1)850 m (2,790 ft) (Carbonera)Reservoir
17.3C2Carbonera C2Distal lacustrine-deltaic (C2)Seal
19C3Carbonera C3Proximal fluvio-deltaic (C3)Reservoir
21Early MiocenePebas wetlandsC4Carbonera C4BarzalosaDistal fluvio-deltaic (C4)Seal
23Late OligoceneAndean orogeny 1 ForedeepC5Carbonera C5OritoProximal fluvio-deltaic (C5)Reservoir
25C6Carbonera C6Distal fluvio-lacustrine (C6)Seal
28Early OligoceneC7C7PepinoGualandayProximal deltaic-marine (C7)Reservoir
32Oligo-EoceneC8UsmeC8onlapMarine-deltaic (C8)Seal Source
35Late EoceneMiradorMiradorCoastal (Mirador)240 m (790 ft) (Mirador)Reservoir
40Middle EoceneRegaderahiatus
45
50Early EoceneSochaLos CuervosDeltaic (Los Cuervos)260 m (850 ft) (Los Cuervos)Seal Source
55Late PaleocenePETM 2000 ppm CO2Los CuervosBogotáGualanday
60Early PaleoceneSALMABarcoGuaduasBarcoRumiyacoFluvial (Barco)225 m (738 ft) (Barco)Reservoir
65MaastrichtianKT extinctionCatatumboGuadalupeMonserrateDeltaic-fluvial (Guadalupe)750 m (2,460 ft) (Guadalupe)Reservoir
72CampanianEnd of riftingColón-Mito Juan
83SantonianVilleta/Güagüaquí
86Coniacian
89TuronianCenomanian-Turonian anoxic eventLa LunaChipaqueGachetáhiatusRestricted marine (all)500 m (1,600 ft) (Gachetá)Source
93CenomanianRift 2
100AlbianUneUneCaballosDeltaic (Une)500 m (1,600 ft) (Une)Reservoir
113AptianCapachoFómequeMotemaYavíOpen marine (Fómeque)800 m (2,600 ft) (Fómeque)Source (Fóm)
125BarremianHigh biodiversityAguardientePajaShallow to open marine (Paja)940 m (3,080 ft) (Paja)Reservoir
129HauterivianRift 1Tibú- MercedesLas JuntashiatusDeltaic (Las Juntas)910 m (2,990 ft) (Las Juntas)Reservoir (LJun)
133ValanginianRío NegroCáqueza Macanal RosablancaRestricted marine (Macanal)2,935 m (9,629 ft) (Macanal)Source (Mac)
140BerriasianGirón
145TithonianBreak-up of PangeaJordánArcabucoBuenavista BatáSaldañaAlluvial, fluvial (Buenavista)110 m (360 ft) (Buenavista)"Jurassic"
150Early-Mid JurassicPassive margin 2La QuintaMontebel NoreánhiatusCoastal tuff (La Quinta)100 m (330 ft) (La Quinta)
201Late TriassicMucuchachiPayandé
235Early TriassicPangeahiatus"Paleozoic"
250Permian
300Late CarboniferousFamatinian orogenyCerro Neiva ()
340Early CarboniferousFossil fish Romer's gapCuche (355-385)Farallones ()Deltaic, estuarine (Cuche)900 m (3,000 ft) (Cuche)
360Late DevonianPassive margin 1Río Cachirí (360-419)Ambicá ()Alluvial-fluvial-reef (Farallones)2,400 m (7,900 ft) (Farallones)
390Early DevonianHigh biodiversityFloresta (387-400) El TíbetShallow marine (Floresta)600 m (2,000 ft) (Floresta)
410Late SilurianSilurian mystery
425Early Silurianhiatus
440Late OrdovicianRich fauna in BoliviaSan Pedro (450-490)Duda ()
470Early OrdovicianFirst fossilsBusbanzá (>470±22) ChuscalesOtengáGuape ()Río Nevado ()Hígado ()Agua Blanca Venado (470-475)
488Late CambrianRegional intrusionsChicamocha (490-515)Quetame ()Ariarí ()SJ del Guaviare (490-590)San Isidro ()
515Early CambrianCambrian explosion
542EdiacaranBreak-up of Rodiniapre-Quetamepost-ParguazaEl Barro ()Yellow: allochthonous basement (Chibcha terrane) Green: autochthonous basement (Río Negro-Juruena Province)Basement
600NeoproterozoicCariri Velhos orogenyBucaramanga (600-1400)pre-Guaviare
800Snowball Earth
1000MesoproterozoicSunsás orogenyAriarí (1000)La Urraca (1030-1100)
1300Rondônia-Juruá orogenypre-AriaríParguaza (1300-1400)Garzón (1180-1550)
1400pre-Bucaramanga
1600PaleoproterozoicMaimachi (1500-1700)pre-Garzón
1800Tapajós orogenyMitú (1800)
1950Transamazonic orogenypre-Mitú
2200Columbia
2530ArcheanCarajas-Imataca orogeny
3100Kenorland
Sources

Legend

  • group
  • important formation
  • fossiliferous formation
  • minor formation
  • (age in Ma)
  • proximal Llanos (Medina)
  • distal Llanos (Saltarin 1A well)

See also

Notes

Bibliography

  • Galvis Arenas, Beatriz Elena; Valencia Escobar, José Leonardo (2009), Contribución en la determinación de los posibles paleoambientes de las rocas Cretáceas Tempranas sobre la vía Tunja-Villa de Leyva (entre Alto del Arrayán - Peaje Sáchica) y sectores aledaños, departamento de Boyacá, Universidad de Caldas, pp. 1–127
  • Moreno Sánchez, Mario; Gómez Cruz, Arley de Jesús; Gómez Tapias, Jorge (2012), , Boletín de Geología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, 33: _
  • Rodríguez Parra, Antonio José; Solano Silva, Orlando (2000), Mapa Geológico del Departamento de Boyacá - 1:250,000 - Memoria explicativa, INGEOMINAS, pp. 1–120
  • Villamil, Tomas (2012), Chronology Relative Sea Level History and a New Sequence Stratigraphic Model for Basinal Cretaceous Facies of Colombia, Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM), pp. 161–216

Maps

  • Beltrán, Alejandro; Lancheros, José Alfredo; López, Carolina; Chaquea, Claudia; Patiño, Alejandro; Guerra, Angela; Cabrera, Julio C.; Quintero, Claudia I.; Molano, Simón Emilio (2008), , INGEOMINAS, p. 1
  • Angarita, Leonidas; Carrillo, Víctor; Castro, Alfonso; Daconte, Rommel; Niño, Mario; Pulido, Orlando G.; Rodríguez, J. Antonio; Royero, José María; Salinas, Carlos Ulloa and Rodrigo Vargas, Rosalba (2009), , INGEOMINAS, p. 1
  • Beltrán, Alejandro; Lancheros, José Alfredo; López, Carolina; Chaquea, Claudia; Patiño, Alejandro; Guerra, Angela; Cabrera, Julio C.; Quintero, Claudia I.; Molano, Simón Emilio (2008), , INGEOMINAS, p. 1
  • Pulido González, Orlando (2009), , INGEOMINAS, p. 1
  • Ulloa, Carlos E; Rodríguez, Erasmo (2009), , INGEOMINAS, p. 1
  • Renzoni, Giancarlo; Rosas, Humberto (2009), , INGEOMINAS, p. 1
  • Renzoni, Giancarlo; Rosas, Humberto; Etayo Serna, Fernando (1998), , INGEOMINAS, p. 1

External links