New paleomagnetic data from Upper Oligocene–Lower Miocene rocks of the Northern Argentine Puna–Southern Bolivian Altiplano: Constraining the age of vertical axis rotations

•Upper Oligocene–Lower Miocene rocks.•Northern Argentine Puna–Southern Bolivian Altiplano.•Paleomagnetism.•Vertical axis rotations.•Southern Central Andes.

Along the Central Andes a pattern of vertical axis rotations has been paleomagnetically identified. Such rotations are counterclockwise north of Arica Deflection (∼19° S) and clockwise to the south. Different hypothesis and models have been proposed to explain the Central Andean Rotation Pattern (CARP). However, the origin of the CARP is a subject of ongoing debate. Recently, different authors have proposed the possible existence of a close correlation between the time–space distribution of deformation and the amount of registered vertical axis rotations in the Southern Central Andes. In order to further investigate such relationship, new paleomagnetic studies were carried out in Upper Oligocene–Lower Miocene rocks of the Northern Argentine Puna and the Southern Bolivian Altiplano. Our results indicate that while one of the sampled localities did not undergo significant vertical axis rotations, the other two recorded clockwise vertical axis rotations larger than 30°. These results suggest the occurrence of small-block rotations in the Southern Bolivian Altiplano–Northern Argentine Puna prior to 15 Ma, which would correspond to the local accommodation of the regional deformation field.