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The Nequén Basin  has a broadly triangular shape and is located between 32° and 40°S latitude on the eastern side of the Andes in Argentina and central Chile ([[:File:1.png|Figure 1]]). It covers an area of over 120000 km2 and comprises a continuous record of up to 4000 meters of stratigraphy.<ref name=Veiga_et_al>Veiga, G. D., L. A. Saplletti, J. A. Howell, & E. Schwarz, 2005. The Neuquén Basin, Argentina: A Case Study in Sequence Stratigraphy and Basin Dynamics: Geological Society, London, Special Publications 252. </ref> This triangular basin is limited on its western margin by the Andean magmatic arc and on its southern and NE margins by  the cratonic areas of the North Patagonian Massif and the Sierra Pintada System, respectively ([[:File:1.png|Figure 1]]). This Late Triassic- Early [[Cenozoic]] succession includes continental and marine siliciclastics, carbonates and evaporites that accumulated under a variety of basin styles.<ref name=Veiga_et_al />  

The Nequén Basin  has a broadly triangular shape and is located between 32° and 40°S latitude on the eastern side of the Andes in Argentina and central Chile ([[:File:1.png|Figure 1]]). It covers an area of over 120,000 km² and comprises a continuous record of up to 4000 meters of stratigraphy.<ref name=Veiga_et_al>Veiga, G. D., L. A. Saplletti, J. A. Howell, and E. Schwarz, 2005, The Neuquén Basin, Argentina: A case study in sequence stratigraphy and basin dynamics: Geological Society (London) Special Publication 252</ref> This triangular basin is limited on its western margin by the Andean magmatic arc and on its southern and northeast margins by  the cratonic areas of the North Patagonian Massif and the Sierra Pintada System, respectively ([[:File:1.png|Figure 1]]). This Late Triassic-Early [[Cenozoic]] succession includes continental and marine siliciclastics, carbonates and evaporites that accumulated under a variety of basin styles.<ref name=Veiga_et_al />  

The evolution and development of the Nequén Basin c an be considered in three stages.  

The evolution and development of the Nequén Basin can be considered in three stages.  

* Stage 1. Late Triassic-Early Jurassic: prior to the onset of subduction on its western margin, this part of Gondwana was characterized by large transcurrent fault systems. This led to extensional tectonics whitin the basin and the evolution of a series of narrow, isolated depocentres ([[:File:2.png|Figure 2]]).<ref>Manceda, R., & D. Figueroa, 1995, [http://archives.datapages.com/data/specpubs/memoir62/18manced/0369.htm Inversion of the Mesozoic Neuquén rift in the Malargue fold and thrust belt, Mendoza, Argentina], in: A. J. Tankard, S. R. Suarez, & H. J. Welsink (eds), Petroleum Basins of South America, [http://store.aapg.org/detail.aspx?id=476 AAPG Memoir 62], pp. 369-382.</ref><ref name=Vergani>Vergani, G. D., A. J. Tankard, H. J. Belotti, & H. J. Welsink, 1995, [http://archives.datapages.com/data/specpubs/memoir62/19vergan/0383.htm Tectonic evolution and paleogeography of the Neuquén Basin, Argentina], in: A. J. Tankard, R. Suárez Soruco & H. J. Welsink (eds), Petroleum Basins of South America, [http://store.aapg.org/detail.aspx?id=476 AAPG Memoir 62], pp. 383-402. </ref><ref>Franzese, J. R., & L. A. Spalletti, 2001, Late Triassic –early Jurassic continental extension in southwestern Gondwana: tectonic segmentation and pre-break up rifting: Journal of South American Earth Sciences, vol. 4, pp. 257-270.</ref>  

* Stage 1. Late Triassic-Early Jurassic: Prior to the onset of subduction on its western margin, this part of Gondwana was characterized by large transcurrent fault systems. This led to extensional tectonics whitin the basin and the evolution of a series of narrow, isolated depocentres ([[:File:2.png|Figure 2]]).<ref>Manceda, R., & D. Figueroa, 1995, [http://archives.datapages.com/data/specpubs/memoir62/18manced/0369.htm Inversion of the Mesozoic Neuquén rift in the Malargue fold and thrust belt, Mendoza, Argentina], in: A. J. Tankard, S. R. Suarez, & H. J. Welsink (eds), Petroleum Basins of South America, [http://store.aapg.org/detail.aspx?id=476 AAPG Memoir 62], pp. 369-382.</ref><ref name=Vergani>Vergani, G. D., A. J. Tankard, H. J. Belotti, & H. J. Welsink, 1995, [http://archives.datapages.com/data/specpubs/memoir62/19vergan/0383.htm Tectonic evolution and paleogeography of the Neuquén Basin, Argentina], in: A. J. Tankard, R. Suárez Soruco & H. J. Welsink (eds), Petroleum Basins of South America, [http://store.aapg.org/detail.aspx?id=476 AAPG Memoir 62], pp. 383-402. </ref><ref>Franzese, J. R., & L. A. Spalletti, 2001, Late Triassic –early Jurassic continental extension in southwestern Gondwana: tectonic segmentation and pre-break up rifting: Journal of South American Earth Sciences, vol. 4, pp. 257-270.</ref>  

* Stage 2. Early Jurassic-Early Cretaceous: development of a steeply dipping, active subduction zone and the associated evolution of a magmatic arc along the western margin of Gondwana led to back-arc subsidence within the Neuquén Basin. This post-rift  stage of basin development locally accounts for more tan 4000 meters of the basin fill ([[:File:2.png|Figure 2]]).<ref name=Vergani />

* Stage 2. Early Jurassic-Early Cretaceous: development of a steeply dipping, active subduction zone and the associated evolution of a magmatic arc along the western margin of Gondwana led to back-arc subsidence within the Neuquén Basin. This post-rift  stage of basin development locally accounts for more tan 4000 meters of the basin fill ([[:File:2.png|Figure 2]]).<ref name=Vergani />

* Stage 3. Late Cretaceous-[[Cenozoic]]: transition to a shallowly dipping subduction zone resulting in compression and flexural subsidence, asocciated with 45-57 km of cristal shortening<ref>Introcaso, A., M. C. Pacino, & H. Fraga, 1992. Gravity, isostasy and Andean crustal shortening between latitudes 30° and 35°S: Tectonophysics, 205, pp. 31-48.</ref><ref>Ramos, V.A., 1999, Evolución Tectónica de la Argentina, in: R. Caminos (ed.) Geología Argentina. Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales, Anales, 29, 715-759. </ref> and uplift of the foreland thrust belt ([[:File:2.png|Figure 2]]).<ref name=Veiga_et_al />  

* Stage 3. Late Cretaceous-[[Cenozoic]]: transition to a shallowly dipping subduction zone resulting in compression and flexural subsidence, asocciated with 45-57 km of cristal shortening<ref>Introcaso, A., M. C. Pacino, & H. Fraga, 1992. Gravity, isostasy and Andean crustal shortening between latitudes 30° and 35°S: Tectonophysics, 205, pp. 31-48.</ref><ref>Ramos, V.A., 1999, Evolución Tectónica de la Argentina, in: R. Caminos (ed.) Geología Argentina. Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales, Anales, 29, 715-759. </ref> and uplift of the foreland thrust belt ([[:File:2.png|Figure 2]]).<ref name=Veiga_et_al />