DESCRIPTION OF A NEW LAVA UNIT NAMED EL MORITO BASALTIC ANDESITE - REGIONAL CORRELATION WITH ARCH MAGMATIC EVENTS.

Abstract

El Morito basaltic Andesite unit outcrops in the converging zone of the oceanic basement of the western cordillera and the continental basement of the central mountain range, beside the Combia Formation. It is formed by basalt and basaltic andesite with porphyritic texture, it has phenocrysts of plagioclase and clinopyroxene mainly, and occasionally olivine and orthopyroxene that float on a microcrystalline matrix with a fluidal texture to phyllotaxis; they correspond to shoshonitic magma series with highest values in K2O, Na2O, P2O5 and major values in the elements Rb, Ba, Th, U, K, La, Ce, Pr, Sr, P, Nd, Zr, Sm and Eu and minor values in Ti, Y, Yb y Dy, than the calc-alkaline magmas of the Combia Formation. The age of the units of the Arco de El Botón which has shoshonitic affinity, corresponds to a range between 9 and 12.5 Ma, including the basaltic andesite of El Morito, while the ages of the units belonging to the Combia Formation are located in the range from 6 to 8.5 Ma.