Río de la Plata craton
Quick Summary
The R\u00edo de la Plata craton is one of the five Precambrian cratons that form the core of South America. These cratons represent ancient blocks of continental crust that have undergone complex geological processes over billions of years. The R\u00edo de la Plata craton, located in present-day Uruguay, was involved in the Brazilian cycle of crustal deformation, which occurred between approximately 900 and 570 million years ago. This cycle contributed to the amalgamation of Precambrian cratons into the supercontinent Gondwana. The dating of Archean rocks within the R\u00edo de la Plata craton has been inconclusive, unlike some other cratons where rocks dating back billions of years have been identified. The R\u00edo de la Plata itself is an estuary formed by the Paran\u00e1 and Uruguay rivers on the east coast of South America.123
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