Geochemistry of a Tidal Transgressive Heterolithic Succession：The Ituzaingo Formation （Middle Miocene）,Argentina

Geochemical analysis by means of XRF and ICP-AES was carried out on 35 selected saples,Major and trace elements were determined.They were:CaCO3,P2O5,Fe2Oe,TiO2,SiO2,Al2O3,CaO,K2O,MnO,Rb,Cs,Ga,Zr,Ta,Nb,Sr,Ba,Cr,Ni,Zn,Pb,Cu,V and B.The country rocks studied were of sandy-muddy lithofacies.belonging to a typical tide marine transgressive heterolithic succession of Middle Miocee age.They are called the Ituzatingo Formation.The formation outcrops in northeastern Argentina on the left of the Parana River Valley.The depositional setting largely depends on the outstanding internal structures and textures(i.e.,herringbone cross stratification,tidal bindles,reactivation surfaces).In the study area.loessial friable sediment was used as geochemical background because it overlies shallow marine sediments.The results show significant differences.Boron is absent in loessial sediments.On the other hand .several trace elements such as vanadium and chromium are concentrated in the shallow marine sediments.These results may be useful to discernuncertain beds in the area studied.