Keywords
Olvido Formation
lithostratigraphy
Middle Jurassic
Upper Jurassic
correlations
U-Pb dating
Mexico
How to Cite
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Abstract
The names Novillo and Olvido were proposed as formations for successions of sedimentary rocks (as lithostratigraphic units) of Jurassic age. The Stratigraphic Lexicon of Nomenclature of Mexico recognizes the name Novillo to designate a Precambrian lithodemic unit formed of gneiss; however, it does not record the name for the Jurassic sedimentary unit, citing the nomenclature as a synonym. The same Lexicon does not accept the Olvido Formation because it does not meet the requirements established by the North American Stratigraphic Code for designating formal units. The name Novillo was originally given to strata of limestone, sandstone, and marl with mollusks. This definition included a sandstone body at the base, which was later segregated and included as the La Joya Formation. Details were omitted from this definition to modify the overlying stratigraphic unit. The upper contact of the Novillo Formation was described as underlying terrigenous rocks with evaporite and limestone of the Olvido Formation. The stratigraphic relationships of the Novillo strata (continental layers below and gypsum above) led to the erroneous replacement of the name Novillo with Zuloaga, and the erroneous confinement of its fossil content to the Oxfordian. This erroneous criterion led to inappropriate regional stratigraphic correlations. The Olvido Formation was succinctly defined to designate strata of gypsum, sandstone, and limestone, which is why it cannot be accepted as a formal lithostratigraphic category.
This work describes the lithological and chronostratigraphic characteristics of the Novillo and Olvido formations to formalize their lithostratigraphic classification and allow for their inclusion in the Lexicon of Stratigraphic Nomenclature of Mexico. Three members are recognized within the Olvido Formation. U/Pb isotopes in zircons from the Olvido Formation yield a date of approximately ~164 Ma at the base and 155.5 Ma towards the top, placing its deposition between the Callovian and Oxfordian stages. The studied outcrops allow for the interpretation of the depositional environments and the establishment of appropriate regional stratigraphic correlations with isochronous deposits. For the lithodemic unit Novillo Gneis, the designation as Novillo Metamorphic Complex is accepted. The stratigraphic revision of the Novillo and Olvido formations is justified by their economic importance for natural resource exploration.
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