San Rafael Block

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The San Rafael Block or San Rafael Massif (Spanish: Bloque de San Rafael or Macizo de San Rafael) is an uplifted area in central Mendoza Province, Argentina. The San Rafael Block is both a geographic and a tectonic unit. From a tectonostratigraphic view, some geologists consider it an exposure of the Cuyania (Precordillera) terrane being its southern extension. The San Rafael Block crops out 200 kilometres (120 mi) to the south of the other exposures of Cuyania. The San Rafael Block forms the northeastern boundary of the Neuquén Basin. [1] [2]

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The Precordillera Terrane or Cuyania was an ancient microcontinent or terrane whose history affected many of the older rocks of Cuyo in Argentina. It was separated by oceanic crust from the Chilenia terrane which accreted into it at ~420-390 Ma when Cuyania was already amalgamated with Gondwana. The hypothesized Mejillonia Terrane in the coast of northern Chile is considered by some geologists to be a single block with Cuyania.

Precordillera is a Spanish geographical term for hills and mountains lying before a greater range, similar to foothills. The term is derived from cordillera —literally "pre-mountain range"—and applied usually to the Andes.

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