paleogene synorogenic sedimentation in the altiplano plateau and implications for initial mountain building in the central andes sedimentologic data and palynological ages from paleogene clastic deposits of the northern and central altiplano plateau suggest foreland basin development in the central andes by mid paleocene time the nonmarine potoco formation 3000 6500 m thick constitutes the majority of cenozoic basin fill the potoco overlies the santa lucia formation 50 300 m thick previously dated as mid paleocene by mammal fossils and magnetostratigraphy new geochronologic data for the potoco formation include late eocene to oligocene palynomorph assemblages recovered throughout lower to upper stratigraphic levels these ages and published 40 ar 39 ar and k ar ages from overlying upper oligocene lower miocene volcaniclastic rocks indicate 1 nondeposition or greatly reduced deposition average sediment accumulation rates 10 m m y from mid paleocene to middle eocene time top santa lucia to lowermost potoco formation followed by 2 rapid deposition average sediment accumulation rates up to 500 m m y throughout late eocene and oligocene time majority of potoco formation lithofacies and paleocurrent data confirm both depositional phases a 20 100 mthick interval of superimposed paleosols in the basal potoco supports reduced sediment accumulation and low rates of subsidence during mid paleocene to middle eocene time the overlying main body of the potoco contains facies assemblages and stratigraphic architecture dominantly nonero

relations among subduction parameters clues to the dynamics of the subduction process are found in the many measurable parameters of modern subduction zones based on a critical appraisal of the geophysical and geological literature 26 parameters are estimated for each of 39 modern subduction zones to isolate causal relationships among these parameters multivariate analysis is applied to this data set this analysis yields empirical quantitative relations that predict strain regime and strike slip faulting in the overriding plate maximum earthquake magnitude benioff zone length slab dip arc trench gap and maximum trench depth excellent correlation is found between length of the benioff zone and the product of convergence rate and age of the downgoing slab this relationship is consistent with the conductive heating model of molnar et al 1979 if the model is modified in one respect the rate of heating of the slab is not constant it is substantially slower during passage of the slab beneath the accretionary prism and overriding plate the structural style in the overriding plate is determined by its stress state though the stress state of overriding plates cannot be quantified one can classify each individual subduction zone into one of seven semiquantitative strain classes that form a continuum from strongly extensional class 1 back arc spreading to strongly compressional class 7 active folding and thrusting this analysis indicates that strain class is probably determined by a linear combination of convergence rate slab age and shallow slab dip interplate coupling controlled by convergence rate and slab age is an important control on strain regime and the primary control on earthquake magnitude arc parallel strike slip faulting is a common feature of convergent margins forming a forearc sliver between the strike slip fault and trench optimum conditions for the development of forearc slivers are oblique convergence a compressional environment and a continental overriding plate the primary factor controlling presence of strike slip faulting is coupling strongly oblique convergence is not required the rate of strike slip faulting is affected by both convergence obliquity and convergence rate maximum trench depth is a response to flexure of the underthrusting plate the amount of flexural deflection at the trench depends on the vertical component of slab pull force which is very sensitive to slab age and shallow slab dip shallow slab dip conforms to the cross sectional shape of the overriding plate which is controlled by width of the accretionary prism and duration of subduction deep slab dip is affected by the mantle trajectory established at shallow depth but may be modified by mantle flow much of the structural complexity of convergent margins is probably attributable to terrane juxtaposition associated with temporal changes in both forearc strike slip faulting and strain regime empirical equations relating subduction parameters can provide both a focus for future theoretical studies and a conceptual and kinematic link between plate tectonics and the geology of subduction zones

the role of subduction induced subsidence in the evolution of the karoo basin abstract the stratigraphic record indicates that during the late carboniferous to early triassic south africa experienced an episode of large scale subsidence that resulted in the development of the karoo basin the southern margin of the region was contemporaneously dominated by an episode of compressional tectonics and there is evidence for subduction of the paleo pacific plate beneath the karoo basin we propose that the long wavelength component of the basin subsidence resulted from the deflection of the lithosphere due to mantle flow coupled to the adjacent subduction this was followed by a recovery phase during which the entire region was uplifted on cessation of subduction and subsequent loss of dynamic support for subsidence contributing to the present day high elevation topography of south africa numerical models of mantle convection are presented and show that a shallow dipping slab is able to reconcile the observed long wavelength subsidence of the basin a significant component of the n

cuyania an exotic block to gondwana review of a historical success and the present problems abstract a review of the early history of the cuyania terrane and the numerous pioneering works of the past century provides the present robust framework of evidence supporting a derivation from laurentia travel towards gondwana as an isolated microcontinent and final amalgamation to the protomargin of western gondwana in middle to late ordovician times the major remaining uncertainties and inconsistencies such as the time of deformation and collision with gondwana the lack of evidence of famatinian derived zircons the effects of strike slip displacements proposed along the suture as well as the potential sutures defined by ophiolite assemblages are discussed the precise boundary along the northern and southern limits is not yet well defined the most suitable hypothesis based on present data is that cuyania originated as a conjugate margin of the ouachita embayment south of the appalachian platform during early cambrian times the subsequent travel toward the gondwana protomargin is clearly depicted by the changing faunal assemblages in the carbonate platform new geochemical and age data on k bentonites presented by several authors reinforce the strong connection between cuyania ash fall tuffs and famatina volcanics by 468 470 ma indicating cuyania and gondwana were in close proximity at that time extension related to flexural subsidence preceded by the drowning of the carbonate platform in early llanvirnian times is recorded by abrupt facies changes in the sedimentary cover during late llanvirnian and early caradocian times this episode marked the beginning of contact between cuyania and gondwana the subsequent evolution of the foreland basin indicates that deformation lasted until latest silurian early devonian times the time of collision is tracked by the cessation of arc related magmatic activity in the upper plate gondwana protomargin at about 465 ma in western sierras pampeanas and ages around 454 ma corresponding to syncollisional and postcollisional magmatism the age of the collision is also preserved in the lower plate cuyania where both angular unconformities in the sedimentary cover and the ages of peak of regional metamorphism in the basement rocks point to 460 ma as the most probable age for the beginning of the collision evidence from the upper plate is essentially identical with an age of 463 ma thermal gradients along this suture vary from 13 c km in the lower plate to 18 c km in the fore arc upper plate reaching more than 30 c km along the famatinian arc based on these data a llandelian caradocian age for the collision can be postulated on firm grounds deformation continued through most of the early paleozoic until amalgamation of the chilenia terrane by the late devonian

growth and erosion of fold and thrust belts with an application to the aconcagua fold and thrust belt argentina 1 the development of topography within and erosional removal of material from an orogen exerts a primary control on its structure we develop a model that describes the temporal development of a frontally accreting critically growing coulomb wedge whose topography is largely limited by bedrock fluvial incision we present general results for arbitrary initial critical wedge geometries and investigate the temporal development of a critical wedge with no initial topography increasing rock erodibility and or precipitation decreasing mass flux accreting to the wedge front increasing wedge sole out depth decreasing wedge and basal decollement overpressure and increasing basal decollement friction lead to narrow wedges large power law exponent values cause the wedge geometry to quickly reach a condition in which all material accreted to the front of the wedge is removed by erosion we apply our model to the aconcagua fold and thrust belt in the central andes of argentina where wedge development over time is well constrained we solve for the erosional coefficient k that is required to recreate the field constrained wedge growth history and these values are within the range of independently determined values in analogous rock types using qualitative observations of rock erodibilities within the wedge we speculate that power law exponents of 1 3 m 0 4 and 2 3 n 1 characterize the erosional growth of the aconcagua fold and thrust belt this general model may be used to understand the development of mountain belts where orogenic wedges grow as they deform at their coulomb failure limit

seismicity and shape of the subducted nazca plate an updated compilation of earthquake locations and focal mechanism solutions from the international seismological centre and preliminary determination of earthquakes is the basis of a comprehensive study of the geometry of the wadati benioff zone beneath western south america the new data support previous mapping of a sharp flexure rather than a tear in the subducted nazca plate beneath southern peru and provide evidence for a similar flexure in the southward transition from nearly horizontal subduction to a slab with 30 dip at latitude 33 s in contrast the transition from 30 slab dip beneath bolivia to a nearly horizontal dip in the region between 28 s 32 s is more gradual occurring over several hundred kilometers of along strike distance between 20 s and 32 s this southward flattening corresponds to a broadening of a horizontal benchlike part of the subducted plate formed between 100 and 125 km depth the transition in continental tectonic style near 27 s 28 s from a wide volcanically active plateau to a narrow nonvolcanic cordillera appears not to be associated with the main slab flattening which begins to the north of these latitudes but with a more abrupt change in curvature of the subducted slab from convex upward to concave upward immediately below the plate boundary interface the concept of gaussian curvature is applied to slab bending to explain how subduction geometry is affected by the shape of the south american plate we hypothesize that the polarity of vertical curvature in the subducting slab is governed by the orientation of lateral curvature of the plate margin focal mechanism solutions for intermediate and deep earthquakes are grouped by geographic region and inverted for the orientation and relative magnitudes of the principal stresses results of the inversion indicate that downdip extension dominates in the slab above 350 km while downdip compression dominates at greater depths

andean flat slab subduction through time the analysis of magmatic distribution basin formation tectonic evolution and structural styles of different segments of the andes shows that most of the andes have experienced a stage of flat subduction evidence is presented here for a wide range of regions throughout the andes including the three present flat slab segments pampean peruvian bucaramanga three incipient flat slab segments carnegie guanacos tehuantepec three older and no longer active cenozoic flat slab segments altiplano puna payenia and an inferred palaeozoic flatslab segment early permian san rafael based on the present characteristics of the pampean flat slab combined with the peruvian and bucaramanga segments a pattern of geological processes can be attributed to slab shallowing and steepening this pattern permits recognition of other older cenozoic subhorizontal subduction zones throughout the andes based on crustal thickness two different settings of slab steepening are proposed slab steepening under thick crust leads to delamination basaltic underplating lower crustal melting extension and widespread rhyolitic volcanism as seen in the caldera formation and huge ignimbritic fields of the altiplano and puna segments on the other hand when steepening affects thin crust extension and extensive within plate basaltic flows reach the surface forming large volcanic provinces such as payenia in the southern andes this last case has very limited crustal melt along the axial part of the andean roots which shows incipient delamination based on these cases a palaeozoic flat slab is proposed with its subsequent steepening and widespread rhyolitic volcanism the geological evolution of the andes indicates that shallowing and steepening of the subduction zone are thus frequent processes which can be recognized throughout the entire system

neogene paleoelevation of intermontane basins in a narrow compressional mountain range southern central andes of argentina the topographic growth of mountain ranges at convergent margins results from the complex interaction between the motion of lithospheric plates crustal shortening rock uplift and exhumation constraints on the timing and magnitude of elevation change gleaned from isotopic archives preserved in sedimentary sequences provide insight into how these processes interact over different timescales to create topography and potentially decipher the impact of topography on atmospheric circulation and superposed exhumation this study uses stable isotope data from pedogenic carbonates collected from seven different stratigraphic sections spanning different tectonic and topographic positions in the range today to examine the middle to late miocene history of elevation change in the central andes thrust belt which is located immediately to the south of the altiplano puna plateau the world s second largest orogenic plateau paleoelevations are calculated using previously published local isotope elevation gradients observed in modern rainfall and carbonate formation temperatures determined from clumped isotope studies in modern soils calculated neogene basin paleoelevations are between 1 km and 1 9 km for basins that today are located between 1500 and 3400 m elevation considering the modern elevation and 18o values of precipitation at the sampling sites three of the intermontane basins experienced surface uplift between the end of deposition during the late miocene and present the timing of elevation change cannot be linked to any documented episodes of large magnitude crustal shortening paradoxically the maximum inferred surface uplift in the core of the range is greatest where the crust is thinnest the spatial pattern of surface uplift is best explained by eastward migration of a crustal root via ductile deformation in the lower crust and is not related to flat slab subduction

upper mantle structure in the south central chilean subduction zone 30 to 36 s 1 regional p and s wave travel time data were used to obtain three dimensional seismic tomography models for vp vs and vp vs above the subducting slab in central chile and argentina in this region there is an abrupt change from a normal subduction geometry south of 33 s to a flat subduction geometry to the north we find low vp low vs and high vp vs ratios in the southern half of our study area directly beneath the modern active volcanic arc which we interpret as localized pockets of melt in the northern half of our study area above where the subducting nazca plate flattens at 100 km depth we find low vp high vs and low vp vs ratios these unusual results point to a lack of melt or hydrated mineralogies such as serpentine both of which are characterized by high vp vs values the only mantle rocks that have low vp vs and high vs are mg rich compositions such as dehydrated serpentinite or orthopyroxenite we suggest that significant portions of the mantle overlying the flat slab consist of orthopyroxenite formed by a transient fluxing of silica rich fluids such fluids may have come from sediments that were subducted during the initiation of flat subduction at this latitude at 10 ma this would imply that the hydration of mantle material above a flat slab can be a transient phenomenon which leaves little residual free water behind but significantly alters the mantle chemistry

tectonic and dynamic controls on the topography and subsidence of the argentine pampas the role of the flat slab abstract we analyze the pampean foreland the pampas along the modern flat slab segment of the south central andes between 31 and 33 south latitude and to the east of the argentine flat slab province using flexural and gravity studies and computations of dynamic topography bouguer anomalies and flexural analysis predict a foredeep of 250 km width and a peripheral bulge amplitude of 25 m which match the regional morphologies of the modern argentine pampean plain however these studies do not account for the subsurface miocene quaternary basin preservation represented by sedimentary thicknesses 400 m and with depocenters 400 km eastward with respect to flexural models the discrepancy suggests that two mechanisms acting at different wavelengths influence the argentine pampas the basin preservation is likely the result of a large scale geodynamic forcing models of mantle flow driven by realistic flat slab subduction geometry and density contrasts reproduce the depocenter location and the wavelength of subsidence as well as most of the remaining amplitude nonetheless more sophisticated studies e g considering lateral viscosity variations in the mantle wedge might help reduce the dynamic amplitudes and better reproduce the observed geological record

controls of subduction geometry location of magmatic arcs and tectonics of arc and back arc regions most variation in geometry and angle of inclination of subducted oceanic lithosphere is caused by four interdependent factors combinations of 1 rapid absolute upper plate motion toward the trench and active overriding of the subducted plate 2 rapid relative plate convergence and 3 subduction of intraplate island seamount chains aseismic ridges and oceanic plateaus anomalously low density oceanic lithosphere cause low angle subduction under conditions of low angle subduction the upper surface of the subducted plate is in contact with the base of the overlying plate the wedge of low density asthenosphere is replaced by subducted lithosphere and the width of the arc trench gap either is significantly increased or a magmatic arc is not developed within the overlying plate the fourth factor is age of the subducting lithosphere subduction of young lithosphere produces two opposing tendencies 1 low angle subduction and increased arc trench distance owing to its low density and 2 decreased arc trench distance owing to its higher temperature two factors of secondary importance contribute to variation in subduction zone geometry and arc trench distance accretion of sediment in trenches depresses the upper portion of the subducting oceanic plate and causes the trench axis to migrate seaward prolonged subduction thickens the upper plate depresses the isotherms in the subducted plate and may create a broader arc both factors increase the arc trench gap the four primary factors also control development of other tectonic elements such as regional subsidence for example the amazon basin and a portion of the cretaceous interior seaway of western united states intra arc extension for example the basin and range province foreland fold and thrust belts and laramide style tectonics

paleogeographic and paleotectonic setting of laramide sedimentary basins in the central rocky mountain region in the rocky mountain region between central montana and central new mexico sedimentologically isolated nonmarine basins were produced by basement deformation during the laramide orogeny within the area formerly occupied by a broad late cretaceous foreland basin in which laterally continuous marine facies had accumulated previously laramide structures of varying trend and scale reflect heterogeneity of crustal strain caused by shear between the continental lithosphere and an underlying subhorizontal slab of subducted oceanic lithosphere laramide basins include perimeter basins along the cratonic periphery of the arcuate laramide province axial basins along a north south intramontane trend and ponded basins located farther west closer to the overthrust belt twelve specific stratigraphic and sedimentologic criteria for the onset duration and termination of laramide deformation allow the chronology of basin development to be inferred independently for each basin maastrichtian initiation of laramide deformation was approximately synchronous throughout the laramide province but termination of laramide deformation was systematically diachronous from north to south between early and late eocene time widespread eocene erosion surfaces truncate syntectonic laramide sequences and are overlain by largely volcanic and volcaniclastic post laramide strata of eocene age in the north and oligocene age in the south fluvial depositional systems draining toward the great plains were dominant in perimeter and axial basins but ponded basins were occupied at times by large lakes that served as regional sediment traps paleocene drainages from ponded basins also led eastward toward the continental interior but partly interconnected lakes that developed within several ponded basins by mid eocene time were either closed hydrologically or else they drained westward into the tyee paleoriver of the pacific northwest

early permian to late triassic batholiths of the chilean frontal cordillera 28 31 s shrimp u pb zircon ages and lu hf and o isotope systematics abstract one of the major geological units of the main andean range frontal cordillera of north central chile is a group of composite and heterochronous late paleozoic early mesozoic batholiths that extends for 500 km roughly ns along from 26 to 31 s ten new shrimp zircon crystallization ages together with 11 recently published u pb zircon ages by other authors indicate an episodic intrusion history which can be divided in 4 groups mississippian earliest carboniferous 330 326 ma cisuralian earliest permian 301 284 ma latest permian to middle triassic 264 242 ma and late triassic 225 215 ma volcanic rocks in the area span a similar time lu hf and o isotopic systematics in zircon grains from eight of the plutonic rocks indicate the magma source areas have contributed variable amounts of crustal and mantle components zircon 18 o values evolve from crustal values 7 in the earliest permian intrusives to mantle values in the latest permian to upper triassic including evidence for likely hydrothermal alteration of the source 4 zircon ehf values vary in a good linear correlation with the 18 o isotopes from 6 to 0 in rocks older than 270 ma increasing to 2 to 7 from lower to upper triassic 250 to 215 ma the petrogenetic constraints indicated by these values suggest that the influence of magma sources varied with time from predominantly crustal to mantle like in accord with the regional tectonic models the earliest permian rocks were generated in a subduction related magmatic arc which varied towards an extension related environment in the latest permian and triassic

late cretaceous early eocene laramide uplift exhumation and basin subsidence in wyoming crustal responses to flat slab subduction low angle subduction of the farallon oceanic plate during the late cretaceous early eocene is generally considered as the main driver forming the high rocky mountains in wyoming and nearby areas how the deformation was transferred from mantle to upper crust over the great duration of deformation 40 myr is still debated here we reconstruct basin subsidence and compile paleoelevation thermochronology and provenance data to assess the timing magnitude and rates of rock uplift during the laramide deformation we reconstruct rock uplift as the sum of surface uplift and erosion constrained by combining paleoelevation and exhumation with regional stratigraphic thickness and chronostratigraphic information the amount and rate of rock uplift of individual laramide ranges was less than 2 4 4 8 km 0 21 0 32 mm yr during the early maastrichtian paleocene stage 1 and increased to more than 3 km 0 38 0 60 mm yr during the late paleocene early eocene stage 2 our quantitative constraints reveal a two stage development of the laramide deformation in wyoming and an increase of rock uplift during stage 2 associated with enhanced intermontane basin subsidence exhumation and uplift during stage 1 is consistent with eastward migration of cordilleran deformation associated with low angle subduction whereas the change in exhumation during stage 2 seems to follow a southwestward trend which requires an alternative explanation we here suggest that the increase of rock uplift rate during the late paleocene early eocene and the southwestward younging trend of uplift may be a response to the rollback and associated retreating delamination of the farallon oceanic slab

thick skinned and thin skinned thrusting in the la ramada fold and thrust belt crustal evolution of the high andes of san juan argentina 32 sl abstract the cenozoic structural evolution of the la ramada fold and thrust belt in the high andes of argentina between 32 00 s and 32 30 s shows in time and space the interaction of thin skinned and thick skinned deformations based on geometric and kinematic constraints three different deformation stages have been recognized the first began with thin skinned nnw trending structures detached in upper jurassic gypsum in the second stage the basement was involved by tectonic inversion of triassic normal faults producing a thick skinned fold and thrust belt this inversion combined with the ductile rheology of the jurassic gypsum resulted in refolding of older structures the uplift of the basement by high angle reverse faults at the ramada espinacito massif produced a sticking point in the foreland propagation of the thrust belt this was responsible for the third stage of deformation characterized by thin skinned nnw out of sequence thrusts developed in the westernmost sector the total andean shortening calculated in the area was 21 24 km near 30 the structure of the la ramada fold and thrust belt was integrated into a crustal scale cross section at 32 s latitude based on gravimetric models and surface geology a crustal model is proposed for the andes of chile and argentina a shortening of 180 km was calculated between the chile trench and the sierra de pie de palo this implies a mean deformation rate of 2 8 mm year 1 during cenozoic times an initial crustal thickness of ca 33 km was computed a two layer model with a middle detachment level is proposed to explain the spatial decoupling between maximum shortening at the surface and maximum crustal thickening the upper layer was balanced based on surface structural information the lower layer is interpreted to have been constructed by an imbricate thrust system controlled by the mercedario rift master shear and the precordillera chilenia suture

rossby wave propagation into the tropics in two gfdl general circulation models during the northern winter the eastern pacific is characterized by upper level westerly flow extending from the equator into the midlatitudes of both hemispheres theoretical and simple modeling studies suggest that such a region should favor the penetration of rossby waves into the tropics from higher latitudes observational results by kiladis and weickmann using 200 mb data indicate that rossby waves do indeed propagate freely into the tropical eastern pacific during the northern winter from the asian jet exit region they also confirmed that cross equatorial dispersion of energy from the northern into the southern hemisphere occurs frequently the present study examines these interactions in climatological runs of two gfdl gcms the northern wintertime mean states of these models are characterized by a rather realistically simulated upper level westerly regime in the tropical pacific despite the relative weakness of the asian jet and wave activity with respect to observations propagation of rossby waves into the tropics is present in both models and these waves are strongly positively tilted as seen in the observations a momentum budget of the zonal wind and e vector diagnostics over the tropical pacific indicate that these transients are an important component of the momentum balance of the equatorial westerlies in both the observations and in the models

structural evolution of the argentine precordillera the rio san juan section abstract the argentine precordillera ap represents a high level fold and thrust belt which was formed during the andean tertiary crustal shortening in a w e transect studied mostly e directed imbrications are combined with folding and involve a pile of cambrian to tertiary sediments the thrust belt is detached above a main decollement within the ordovician to lower devonian strata to the east it is bounded by a back thrust zone directed westwards restored sections allow an estimate of crustal shortening and also provide insight into the structural development during pre tertiary times carbonate platform sequences of cambrian to ordovician age grade into a volcani clastic succession with transitional melanges representing deposits along a western continental slope in the western and easternmost parts of the ap cambrian to silurian deposits are affected by a first folding which to the west is combined with a slight metamorphic overprint during carboniferous to permian times intensified mobility along the eastern rim and in the western parts of the ap leads to crustal extension which partly was triggered by the formation of synsedimentary normal faults in the central ap no angular unconformities at the base of carboniferous permian deposits were found there was no field evidence found to postulate a terrane boundary within the ap area and an onset of thrust tectonics during cretaceous to early tertiary times

magmatic evidence for neogene lithospheric evolution of the central andean flat slab between 30 s and 32 s abstract geochemical data from andean miocene magmas erupted through the now volcanically inactive flat slab between 30 s to 32 s coupled with geological and geophysical data illuminate details on magmatic and continental lithospheric evolution over a progressively shallowing subduction zone pb sr and nd isotopic and trace element data show that main cordilleran precordilleran and pampean magmas were contaminated in both the mantle and crust and that the nature of the contaminants varied in time and space reflecting tectonic events contaminants included both enriched high lil element high sr and pb and low nd isotopic ratios and depleted low lile element low sr and pb and high nd isotopic ratios types in the western region main cordilleran earlier miocene lavas had contaminants with less enriched signatures than later miocene lavas progressive enrichment is attributed to a increasing amounts of sediment and tectonically eroded crust being subducted into the mantle wedge and b contamination in a thickening main cordilleran lower crust whose composition was progressively enriched this enrichment occurred through addition of upper crust by an intracrustal mixing process driven by a propagating wedge tip associated with westward wedging heating and deformation of crust from beneath the shortening precordillera thrust belt to the east further east magmas erupted through back arc crust have more depleted signatures those erupted in the central part through the evolving precordilleran thrust belt were contaminated by an older thinner grenville 1100 ma basement whose depleted signature is unique among central andean terranes late miocene pocho lavas erupted further east in conjunction with uplift of the sierras pampeanas show enrichment through time arguably these magmas could contain a component mechanically removed from the base of the thinning continental lithosphere to the west and progressively incorporated into the convecting asthenosphere first order mass balance calculations comparing the lithospheric geometry proposed for 20 ma with that today suggests that 60 of the lithosphere within 600 km of the trench at 20 ma has been lost this lithospheric loss is required to accommodate simultaneous shallowing of the oceanic slab and thickening and shortening of the crust continental lithosphere recycled into the asthenosphere could contribute to the sources of the enriched em1 and em2 mantle components in oceanic island basalts

surface uplift and erosion of the southernmost argentine precordillera article i nfo article history the timing of uplift of the precordillera is important for understanding the linkages if any between slab dynam ics shortening and topography the study region between 32 and 33 s latitude liesat the southern end of the flat slab where the subducting nazca plate is nearly horizontal south of the study region subduction occurs at normal subduction angles of around 30 while north of the study region the slab subducts at around 5 we use the geomorphology of the region to date the initiation of surface uplift and the ensuing landscape adjustment the topography of the precordillera of the argentine andes consists of both remnants of a low relief miocene landscape developed when the region was at a lower elevation and rapidly eroding fluvial systems that have been dissecting this surface since uplift this study utilizes 26 al and 10 be concentrations in stream sediment quartz to calculate erosion rates of the miocene remnant paleo landscape as well as incision rates within the ac tively incising post uplift fluvial system the remnant landscape is eroding at b10 m my while the surrounding landscape is eroding an order of magnitude faster approaching 100 m my these values show the transition from a rapidly eroding system adjusting to uplift to a system where rates of uplift approach those of erosion we used a locally determined relationship between average upstream slope and erosion rate to model erosion across the landscape dem analyses of modern river profiles are used to reconstruct paleo river profiles which suggest an average of 1 3 km of uplift uplift of the southernmost argentine precordillera is constrained to have initiated by 10 ma demonstrating that under the arid conditions typical of the southernmost precordil lera millions of years are needed for a landscape to reach equilibrium

tectonic and magmatic evolution of the andes of northern argentina and chile abstract two orogenic cycles both with different evolution are developed in the western margin of the south american continent in northern argentina and chile the paleozoic hercynic cycle and the meso cenozoic andean cycle the hercynic cycle a wide marine basin extending westward of the cordillera oriental which developed in cambrian ordovician times marks the beginning of this cycle in contrast to peru and bolivia where this basin developed between two precambrian blocks the western margin of this basin in northern argentina and chile is still unknown the ordovician sedimentation and accompanied volcanism ends with the ocloyic deformation phase and its synkinematic granitic plutonism two basins were developed in the silurian devonian separated by the puna arc uplifted during this ocloyic phase the shallow water marine terrigeneous sediments which were deposited in them were deformed by a new tectono magmatic associated phase chanic phase carboniferous to lower permian marine carbonates were deposited west of the puna arc and red beds east of it later on during the permian to triassic a magmatic belt was developed along the cordillera occidental the rhyolites ignimbrites and the granitic to granodioritic related intrusives are well represented in chile although the overall geologic history of this period is known many problems concerning its origin and relations to plate tectonics are still unsolved the andean cycle during this cycle a series of magmatic arc systems related to the subduction of the pacific crust was built up along the western margin of south america huge volumes of calc alkaline lavas and related plutons were emplaced since the jurassic along belts parallel to the present coastline showing a general eastward migration trend up to the lower cretaceous an ensialic back arc basin was formed east of this magmatic arc thousands of meters of marine and continental sediments were deposited in it this basin disappeared during the middle cretaceous probably as a result of the final opening of the atlantic and the active westward movement of the south american plate since middle cretaceous times the magmatic arc has been the fundamental paleogeographic element the arc progressively migrated stepwise eastward each step marked by a tectonic phase subduction related crustal erosion could explain the lack of fore arc petrotectonic assemblages the eastward magmatic polarity which characterizes this section of the andes could also be explained by such a mechanism

anatomy and global context of the andes main geologic features and the andean orogenic cycle the andes make up the largest orogenic system developed by subduction of oceanic crust along a continental margin subduction began soon after the breakup of rodinia in late proterozoic times and since that time it has been intermittently active up to the present the evolution of the pacifi c margin of south america during the paleozoic occurred in the following stages 1 initial proterozoic rifting followed by subduction and fi nal re amalgamation of the margin in early cambrian times as depicted by the puncoviscana and tucavaca basins and related granitoids in southern bolivia and northern argentina 2 a later phase of rifting in the middle cambrian and subsequent collisions in middle ordovician times of parautochthonous terranes derived from gondwana such as paracas arequipa and antofalla and exotic terranes originating in laurentia such as cuyania chilenia and chibcha 3 fi nal permian collision between south america and north america to form pangea during the alleghanides orogeny leaving behind rifted pieces of laurentia as the tahami and tahuin terranes in the northern andes and other poorly known orthogneisses in the cordillera real of ecuador in the late permian early triassic and 4 amalgamation of the mejillonia and patagonia terranes in early permian times representing the last convergence episodes recorded in the margin during the gondwanides orogeny these rifting episodes and subsequent collisions along the continental margin were the result of changes of the absolute motion of gondwana related to global plate reorganizations during proterozoic to paleozoic times generalized rifting during pangea breakup in the triassic concentrated extension in the hanging wall of the sutures that amalgamated the paleozoic terranes the opening of the indian ocean in early jurassic times was associated with a new phase of subduction along the continental margin the northeastward absolute motion of western gondwana produced a negative trench roll back velocity that controlled subduction under an extensional regime until late early cretaceous times the northern andes of venezuela colombia and ecuador record a series of collisions of island arcs and oceanic plateaus from the early cretaceous to the middle miocene as a result of interaction with the caribbean plate the remaining central and southern andes record periods of orogenesis and mountain building alternating with periods of quiescence and absence of deformation as recorded in parts of the oligocene based on the generalized occurrence of fl at slab subduction episodes through time as recorded in most ramos v a 2009 anatomy and global context of the andes main geologic features and the andean orogenic cycle in kay s m ramos v a and dickinson w r eds backbone of the americas shallow subduction plateau uplift and ridge and terrane collision geological society of america memoir 204 p 31 65 doi 10 1130 2009 1204 02 for permission to copy contact editing geosociety org 2009 the geological society of america all rights reserved

magnetic anomaly interpretation across the southern central andes 32 34 s the role of the juan fernandez ridge in the late tertiary evolution of the margin marine and terrestrial magnetic surveys have been integrated to study the tectonic structure of the convergent margin of chile between 32 34 s three magnetic domains have been identified oceanic continental margin and subaerial the oceanic domain has seafloor spreading anomalies 16 37 ma to 18 39 5 ma disturbed by anomalies of the juan fernandez hot spot chain in the continental margin the most prominent fabric are e w anomalies in the upper slope corresponding to onshore e w anomalies of large intrusive bodies onshore a n s lineament of short wavelength anomalies defines the roots of a cretaceous volcanic arc a resembling lineament offshore indicates a submerged older volcanic arc and that continental basement extends to 50 km landward of the trench absolute cenozoic plate motion for nazca and south american plates and dating of the juan fernandez chain provide a kinematic model of ridge continent collision the reconstruction indicates rapid southward migration of the collision point along 1400 km of the margin from 20 to 11 ma 20 cm yr 1 from 11 ma to present the collison point has migrated at a slower rate along 375 km of the margin 3 5 cm yr 1 the predicted location of the subducted portion of the juan fernandez chain coincides with the south edge of the southward migrating flat slab segment of the subducted lithosphere and with a cluster of deep earthquakes indicating a causal relationship in the last 10 myr the ridge has separated a sediment starved trench to the north where subduction erosion may dominate from a sediment filled trench to the south where recent sediment accretion dominates these observations indicate that subduction of the juan fernandez chain plays a major role in arc forearc tectonics

late paleozoic to jurassic silicic magmatism at the gondwana margin analogy to the middle proterozoic in north america a vast region of upper paleozoic to middle jurassic 300 150 ma silicic magmatic rocks that erupted inboard of the gondwana margin is a possible phanerozoic analogue to the extensive middle proterozoic 1500 1350 ma silicic magmatic province that underlies much of the southern mid continent of north america like the north american rocks the gondwana silicic magmas appear to be melts of crust that formed about 200 300 m y earlier in the north american case this older crust formed and was accreted to the continent during a major period of crustal formation 1700 1900 ma whereas in the gondwana case the crust that melted consisted mainly of magmatic are terranes accreted to the continental margin during the paleozoic in both cases basic to intermediate magmatic rocks are extremely rare and magmatism is less abundant in regions that contain older and previously melted crust the similarities between the north american and gondwana silicic rocks suggest that both suites formed in extensional settings where basaltic magmas ponded at the base of the preheated crust caused extensive crustal melting that inhibited upward passage of the basalts in both cases silicic volcanism occurred after major assembly of a supercontinent by subduction and accretion processes and before breakup of the supercontinent by analogy with the polar wander curves for gondwana the granite rhyolite provinces may have formed during a period of very slow motion of the supercontinents relative to the poles

neogene deformation of the flat subduction segment of the argentine chilean andes magnetostratigraphic constraints from las juntas la rioja province argentina substantial neogene deformation occurred in the part of the andes mountains and the sierras pampeanas that overlie a subhorizontal segment of the subducting nazca plate in northern argentina the history of the volcanic arc suggests that the nazca plate attained the present low angle inclination between about 17 and 10 ma with the region underlain by the flat nazca plate widening eastward thereafter we compare the history of deformation provided by magnetostratigraphy of miocene strata in foreland and intermontane basins to the history of the subducting plate at las juntas in the precordillera thin skinned thrust belt 4 780 m of neogene nonmarine strata record the initiation and termination of sedimentation in a segment of a foreland basin magnetostratigraphic data complemented by fission track dating of an interbedded tuff indicate that the strata span from 18 to 9 ma the earliest strata correlate to the end of a time of volcanic activity in the magmatic arc and the beginning of reverse faulting in the frontal cordillera subsequently the deformation front migrated eastward generating the precordillera thrust belt and finally the sierras pampeanas basement uplifts the rate of strata accumulation varied systematically as new uplifts arose with a maximum rate exceeding 1 0 mm a between 15 and 12 ma a correlation between the deformational history and the geometric history of the subducted slab suggests that thrusting migrated eastward as the angle of subduction shallowed although large scale factors affecting the plate margin beyond the flat slab segment may have partly induced the compressional deformation this correlation suggests that processes related to flat subduction are of importance in deforming the continental plate

andean tectonics related to geometry of subducted nazca plate seismological and geological data show that tectonic segmentation of the andes coincides with segmentation of the subducted nazca plate which has nearly horizontal segments and 30 east dipping segments andean tectonics above a flat subducting segment between 28 s to 33 s are characterized by from west to east 1 a steady topographic rise from the coast to the crest of the andes 2 no significant quaternary and possibly neogene magmatism 3 a narrow belt of eastward migrating apparently thin skinned neogene to quaternary shortening of the andes and 4 plio pleistocene uplift of the crystalline basement on reverse faults in the pampeanas ranges from about 15 to 24 s over a 30 dipping subducted plate a west to east andes cross section includes 1 a longitudinal valley east of coastal mountains 2 an active neogene and holocene andesitic volcanic axis 3 the altiplano puna high plateau 4 a high neogene but inactive thrust belt eastern cordillera and 5 an active eastward migrating subandean thin skinned thrust belt tectonics above a steeply subducting segment south of 33 s are similar west of the volcanic axis but quite different to the east early cenozoic tectonics of western north america were quite similar to the neogene andes however duration of segmentation was longer and the width of deformation was greater in the western united states patterns of crustal seismicity are systematically related to plio quaternary structural provinces implying that current deformational processes have persisted since at least the pliocene horizontal compression parallel to the plate convergence direction is indicated to a distance of 800 km from the trench above flat subducting segments crustal seismicity occurs over a broad region whereas over steep segments it is confined to the narrow thrust belt strain patterns in the forearc region are complex and perhaps extensional and a broad region of the altiplano puna and eastern cordillera appears to be aseismic

variations of slab dip and overriding plate tectonics during subduction insights from analogue modelling we present small scale laboratory models of oceanic subduction in which plates motion is imposed by lateral boundary conditions the oceanic plate moves trenchward at constant speed and subducts below a fixed overriding plate in this configuration the long term process of subduction is not steady state slab interaction with the upper mantle lower mantle boundary results in periods of slab flattening during which the dip of the slab diminishes followed by periods of slab steepening the overriding plate tectonic regime is influenced by the dynamics of subduction slab anchoring favouring trench perpendicular shortening when the slab is anchored slab flattening further favours shortening while slab steepening favours extension or smaller shortening rates non steady state long term subduction may explain part of the variability of slab geometries evidenced by statistical analyses of present day subduction zones experiments suggest that despite boundary conditions applied on the converging plates do not change tectonics pulses within the overriding plate may be caused by this non steady state behaviour

timing constraints on building an intermediate plutonic arc crustal section u pb zircon geochronology of the sierra valle fertil la huerta famatinian arc argentina 1 the sierra valle fertil range in northwestern argentina exposes a tilted crustal section through the ordovician famatinian arc from 25 km to shallow crustal paleodepths fourteen new u pb zircon crystallization ages of magmatic rocks from sierra valle fertil area show that this section of the arc was built over a short time interval during the ordovician between 485 and 465 ma zircon rim ages demonstrate that high grade metamorphism and migmatization were synchronous with magmatic emplacement inherited ages in some of the plutonic rocks as well as detrital zircons in the metasedimentary framework suggest that the famatinian arc was emplaced into a thick miogeoclinal cover to the thinned margin of the proto south american continent in the ordovician which represents a part of gondwana docking of the precordilleran terrane outboard of proto south america led to the cessation of arc magmatism in the valle fertil area and preservation of the arc in its early stages after 60 myr of subduction during the pampean and famatinian magmatic stages our age data from the sierra valle fertil indicate that wet mafic magmas were emplaced into the section at a rate typical for modern island arcs 30 km3 km 1 myr 1 the production of intermediate to felsic magmas in the upper plate was a result of partial melting of the metasedimentary framework and hybridization with mantle derived melts and resulted in the generation of tonalites granodiorites and granites in the upper crust at a rate of 100 km3 km 1 myr 1 similar to major magmatic flare ups in the mature arcs of north american cordillera the sierra valle fertil arc section is a type example of an immature cordilleran arc before major crustal thickening and crustal overturn takes place in the upper plate the famatinian arc section may also be an equivalent to the crustal architecture of more mature modern island arcs such as parts of the aleutians caribbean and japan

sedimentology of a lacustrine fan delta system miocene horse camp formation nevada usa a 1600 m thick succession of the miocene horse camp formation member 2 exposed in east central nevada records predominantly terrigenous clastic deposition in subaerial and subaqueous fan delta environments and nearshore and offshore lacustrine environments these four depositional environments are distinguished by particular associations of individual facies 14 defined facies subaerial and subaqueous fan delta facies associations include ungraded matrix and clast supported conglomerate normally graded matrix and clast supported conglomerate ungraded and normally graded sandstone and massive to poorly laminated mudstone subaqueous fan delta deposits typically have dewatering structures distorted bedding and interbedded mudstone the subaerial fan delta environment was characterized by debris flows hyperconcentrated flows and minor sheetfloods the subaqueous fan delta environment by debris flows high and low density turbidity currents and suspension fallout the nearshore lacustrine facies association provides examples of deposits and processes rarely documented in lacustrine environments high energy oscillatory wave currents probably related to a large fetch reworked grains as large as 2 cm into horizontally stratified sand and gravel offshore directed currents produced uncommonly large typically 1 2 m thick trough cross stratified sandstone in addition stromatolitic carbonate interbedded with stratified coarse sandstone and conglomerate suggests a dynamic environment characterized by episodic terrigenous clastic deposition under high energy conditions alternating with periods of carbonate precipitation under reduced energy conditions massive and normally graded sandstone and massive to poorly laminated mudstone characterize the offshore lacustrine facies association and record deposition by turbidity currents and suspension fallout a depositional model constructed for the horse camp formation member 2 precludes the existence of all four depositional environments at any particular time rather phases characterized by deposition in subaerial fan nearshore lacustrine and offshore lacustrine environments alternated with phases of subaerial fan delta subaqueous fan delta and offshore lacustrine deposition this model suggests that high energy nearshore currents due to deep water along the lake margin reworked sediment of the fan edge thus preventing development of a subaqueous fan delta environment and promoting development of a well defined nearshore lacustrine environment low energy nearshore currents induced by shallow water along the

magnetostratigraphy of neogene andean foreland basin strata lat 33 s mendoza province argentina neogene nonmarine strata in the southernmost part of the precordillera thrust belt of the andes of argentina accumulated during the miocene and pliocene in response to eastward advance of thrust sheets located to the west to link the sequence of deformational events with the sedimentary record five stratigraphic sections in the mendoza province were dated using magnetic polarity stratigraphy calibrated with 40 ar 39 ar dates from interbedded tephras these data establish age control on tectonic activity volcanism and deposition the existence of a backarc foreland basin that developed prior to or ca 16 ma is recorded by the oldest strata the ca 15 7 12 2 ma baksi time scale marino formation deposition of this unit is linked to a major phase of thrust activity in the central part of the aconcagua fold and thrust belt in the principal cordillera initiation of deposition coincides with an eastward shift of the subduction related magmatic foci to the argentine principal cordillera the overlying ca 11 7 9 0 ma la pilona formation is thought to record the initiation of exhumation of the frontal cordillera to the northwest of the study region an extensive ash rich unit the 8 9 locally 9 5 to 8 7 ma tobas angostura formation is correlated with the latest and probably the largest extrusive episode in the principal cordillera chronologic data constrain the timing of oil generation in the cuyo basin and development of prospective closures the new data also require that land mammalian fossils found in the rio de los pozos formation are late miocene rather than pliocene as previously believed

laramide crustal thickening event in the rocky mountain foreland and great plains the rocky mountain foreland and great plains of the western united states were formerly part of a continental platform adjusted by erosion and deposition in cambrian through jurassic time to near mean sea level and therefore to a near uniform crustal thickness of approximately 33 km today the region stands at regional elevations up to 2 km isostatically supported by a crust exceeding 50 km in thickness reasonable estimates of tertiary sedimentation and laramide strain do not account for more than 15 of the implied thickening however from approximately 70 40 m y b p this region was underlain by a horizontally subducting slab of farallon plate lithosphere moving northeast this slab could have been the cause of the thickening finite difference thermal models with specified kinematics show only a temporary cooling of the base of the north american lithosphere by this slab the excess weight of the slab would have depressed the region plate bending calculations show a quantitative agreement of predicted depression with upper cretaceous isopachs since depression by this slab lasted until the eocene at least the latest cretaceous regression was probably caused by a laramide crustal thickening event the farallon slab might have caused crustal thickening in two ways its excess weight would have drawn in ductile lower crust from surrounding regions however calculations show that this effect is too slow too local and too reversible to explain most of the crustal thickening therefore it seems likely that ductile lower crust was transported from sw to ne by shear stresses which the farallon plate exerted on the base of the north american lithosphere a preliminary finite element calculation based on this hypothesis shows the correct general pattern of crustal thickening an unexpected but encouraging result is that predicted principal compression directions are orthogonal to many laramide basement uplifts

post laramide removal of the farallon slab western united states i propose that post laramide removal of the subhorizontally subducting farallon slab occurred by buckling downward along an approximately east northeast trending axis this process was accomplished by a tearing or necking separation of the subducted slab near the northern and southern boundaries of the united states and propagation of the separated edges toward the central axis of downwelling accompanied by aesthenosphic upwelling behind the trailing edges initial buckling probably began near 50 ma and slab removal was complete by 20 ma this model is based primarily on the space time evolution of the ignimbrite flare up a major mid tertiary igneous event of mantle origin which involved two propagating fronts of initiation of volcanism that followed the proposed motions of the separated slab edges as they converged on central nevada from the north and southeast post laramide uplift extension establishment of the cascadia subduction zone and active magmatism may be consequences of lithosphere scale modifications caused by the laramide removal of the slab and the resulting asthenospheric upwelling

tectono stratigraphic evolution of the andean orogen between 31 and 37 s chile and western argentina fil charrier reynaldo universidad de chile facultad de ciencias fisicas y matematicas departamento de geologia chile universidad andres bello chile

apatite fission track thermochronology of the sierras pampeanas central western argentina implications for the mechanism of plateau uplift in the andes over much of its length the andean orogen is characterized by a generally east vergent geometry and a progressive eastward cratonward migration of individual arc orogenic elements a departure from this model occurs in the sierras pampeanas region of central western argentina where a terrane of active basement uplifts is currently developing to the east of the main cordillera apatite fission track data from uplifted precambrian and phanerozoic basement rocks of the sierras pampeanas constrain the tectonic development of this terrane and indicate that deformation associated with exhumation may have propagated broadly westward since the late miocene two pre andean cooling events during the carboniferous permian ca 300 280 ma and the early jurassic middle jurassic ca 200 174 ma have been identified the onset of andean deformation is represented by a cooling event during the late paleocene middle eocene this cooling was followed by a period of middle miocene late miocene reheating during foreland basin style sedimentation exhumation and possible westward migration of the exhumation front in the sierras pampeanas commenced during the late miocene pliocene to the east of the dominantly east vergent precordillera fold and thrust belt the apparent convergence of deformation in these two terranes and the progressive closure of miocene pliocene intermontane basins in the sierras pampeanas may reflect the early stages of andean plateau uplift the relative timing of plateau development along strike suggests that lateral thickening of the orogen is progressing southward at least from the latitude of central bolivia ca 20 s furthermore the time space coincidence between basement uplift and flattening of the subducted slab beneath the sierras pampeanas suggests that a relationship exists between westward displacement of the terrane and the dynamics of plate interaction

flexural versus dynamic processes of subsidence in the north american cordillera foreland basin 1 dynamic subsidence related to subduction is an important process in retroarc foreland basin systems dynamic subsidence in the north american retroarc foreland has been proposed as dominant in the late cretaceous however questions remain about the nature of the subcrustal load and the basin response to such processes we present new isopach data using 130 data points covering a large portion of the u s and a revised flexural analysis of the sevier foreland higher rigidity associated with the wyoming craton can best model flexural subsidence directly prior to 81 ma we constrain the transition from flexural to nonflexural subsidence to 81 ma and correlate this with large late cretaceous progradation the locus of subsidence and the location of the subducted shatsky oceanic plateau suggest that dynamic loading from viscous flow above the subducting plate is the mechanism driving dynamic subsidence in the retroarc foreland basin of the north american cordillera

shear wave velocities in the pampean flat slab region from rayleigh wave tomography implications for slab and upper mantle hydration 1 the pampean flat slab region located in central argentina and chile between 29 and 34 s is considered a modern analog for laramide flat slab subduction within western north america regionally flat slab subduction is characterized by the nazca slab descending to 100 km depth flattening out for 300 km laterally before resuming a more normal angle of subduction flat slab subduction correlates spatially with the track of the juan fernandez ridge and is associated with the inboard migration of deformation and the cessation of volcanism within the region to better understand flat slab subduction we combine ambient noise tomography and earthquake generated surface wave measurements to calculate a regional 3d shear velocity model for the region shear wave velocity variations largely relate to changes in lithology within the crust with basins and bedrock exposures clearly defined as low and high velocity regions respectively we argue that subduction related hydration plays a significant role in controlling shear wave velocities within the upper mantle in the southern part of the study area where normal angle subduction is occurring the slab is visible as a high velocity body with a low velocity mantle wedge above it extending eastward from the active arc where flat slab subduction is occurring slab velocities increase to the east while velocities in the overlying lithosphere decrease consistent with the slab dewatering and gradually hydrating the overlying mantle the hydration of the slab may be contributing to the excess buoyancy of the subducting oceanic lithosphere helping to drive flat slab subduction

dynamic uplift during slab flattening subduction exerts a strong control on surface topography and is the main cause of large vertical motions in continents including past events of large scale marine flooding and tilting the mechanism is dynamic deflection the sinking of dense subducted lithosphere gives rise to stresses that directly pull down the surface here we show that subduction does not always lead to downward deflections of the earth s surface subduction of young lithosphere at shallow angles flat subduction leaves it neutrally or even positively buoyant with respect to underlying mantle because the lithosphere is relatively warm compared with older lithosphere and because the thickened and hence drier oceanic crust does not undergo the transformation of basalt to denser eclogite accounting for neutrally buoyant flat segments along with large variations in slab morphology in the south american subduction zone explains along strike and temporal changes in dynamic topography observed in the geologic record since the beginning of the cenozoic our results show that the transition from normal subduction to slab flattening generates dynamic uplift preventing back arc marine flooding