Carapacha Formation
The Carapacha Formation is a geological formation of the Sierra de Calencó, Carapacha Basin of La Pampa Province, Argentina whose strata date back to the Artinskian to Wuchiapingian of the Permian. The formation comprises two members, the lower Calencó member, named after the eponymous mountain range, and the Urre-Lauquen member, named after the Urre-Lauquen Lake bordering the range to the north.
| Carapacha Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Artinskian-Wuchiapingian ~ | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Sub-units | Calencó & Urre-Lauquen members |
| Underlies | Choiyoi Group (partially intruding) |
| Overlies | not observed |
| Thickness | 630 m (2,070 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone, mudstone |
| Other | Conglomerate, paleosols |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 38.2°S 65.9°W |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 51.6°S 43.1°W |
| Region | La Pampa Province |
| Country | Argentina |
| Extent | Sierra de Calencó, Carapacha Basin |
Carapacha Formation (Argentina) | |
The members are separated by an unconformity and represent a lacustrine (Calencó) and fluvial-dominated depositional environment. Ichnofossils of several groups of Permian reptiles and amphibians as well as flora have been retrieved from the formation. Traces on especially the Glossopteris leaves have been interpreted as suction tracks by arthropods.