New Zircon U-Pb Ages for the Choiyoi Silicic Large Igneous Province of Argentina that Define a Strong Episodic History of Magmatism and Mass Extinction in the Permo-Triassic Time

Abstract

The Choiyoi magmatic silicic large igneous province (SLIP) of central and southern Argentina and Chile (23°S- 42°S) was emplaced along the eastern edge of Gondwana in Permo-Triassic time. This magmatic province qualifies as a SLIP due to: 1) aerial extent of ~500,000 km2 and variable thickness of at least two kilometers, 2) dominate rhyolite-ignimbrite composition, 3) the correlation of Choiyoi magmatism to widespread Permian ash falls, and 4) strong episodic magmatic record over ~30 m.y.