How Alpine or Himalayan are the Central Andes?

 Although non-collisional mountain belts, such as the Andes, and collisional mountain belts, such as the Alps and the Himalayas–Tibet, have been regarded as fundamentally different, the Central Andes share several features with the Himalayas–Tibet. The most important of these are extremely thickened (≥70 km) continental crustal roots supporting high plateaus and mountain fronts characterized by large basement thrusts. The main prerequisite for very thick crustal roots and extreme mountainous topography appears to be large-scale underthrusting of continental crust of normal thickness, irrespective of whether the crustal thrusts are antithetic with respect to subduction as in the Andes, or synthetic with respect to preceding subduction of oceanic lithosphere as in the Himalayas. In both cases sole thrusts near the base of the continental crust nucleated in thermally anomalous zones of the hinterland and then propagated across ramps into shallower detachments located within thick sedimentary or metasedimentary cover rocks. In contrast to the Central Andes and the Himalayas, the Alps are characterized by intracrustal detachment which allowed both the subduction of lower crust and a stacking of relatively thin upper crustal slivers, which make up a narrow mountain chain with a more subdued topography. Received: 10 August 1998 / Accepted: 1 March 1999     

Considerations about the plate tectonic model, volcanism and continental crust in the southern part of the Central Andes

Mesozoic and Cenozoic volcanism in the Central Andes occurs near the boundary of convergent oceanic and continental lithospheric plates. The rocks show a chemical and temporal zonation with respect to the present Chile-Peru trench. It is inferred that the geometry of the subduction zone has not changed in the last 190 m.y.; the continental crust during Jurassic time in northern Chile may have been between 15 and 27 km thick.     

Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the Aegean

The Aegean region is a concentrate of the main geodynamic processes that shaped the Mediterranean region: oceanic and continental subduction, mountain building, high-pressure and low-temperature metamorphism, backarc extension, post-orogenic collapse, metamorphic core complexes, gneiss domes are the ingredients of a complex evolution that started at the end of the Cretaceous with the closure of the Tethyan ocean along the Vardar suture zone. Using available plate kinematic, geophysical, petrological and structural data, we present a synthetic tectonic map of the whole region encompassing the Balkans, Western Turkey, the Aegean Sea, the Hellenic Arc, the Mediterranean Ridge and continental Greece and we build a lithospheric-scale N-S cross-section from Crete to the Rhodope massif. We then describe the tectonic evolution of this cross-section with a series of reconstructions from ~70 Ma to the Present. We follow on the hypothesis that a single subduction has been active throughout most of the Mesozoic and the entire Cenozoic, and we show that the geological record is compatible with this hypothesis. The reconstructions show that continental subduction (Apulian and Pelagonian continental blocks) did not induce slab break-off in this case. Using this evolution, we discuss the mechanisms leading to the exhumation of metamorphic rocks and the subsequent formation of extensional metamorphic domes in the backarc region during slab retreat. The tectonic histories of the two regions showing large-scale extension, the Rhodope and the Cyclades are then compared. The respective contributions to slab retreat, post-orogenic extension and lower crust partial melting of changes in kinematic boundary conditions and in nature of subducting material, from continental to oceanic, are discussed.     

The tectonic regime along the Andes: Present‐day and Mesozoic regimes

The analyses of the main parameters controlling the present Chile‐type and Marianas‐type tectonic settings developed along the eastern Pacific region show four different tectonic regimes: (1) a nearly neutral regime in the Oregon subduction zone; (2) major extensional regimes as the Nicaragua subduction zone developed in continental crust; (3) a Marianas setting in the Sandwich subduction zone with ocean floored back‐arc basin with a unique west‐dipping subduction zone and (4) the classic and dominant Chile‐type under compression. The magmatic, structural and sedimentary behaviours of these four settings are discussed to understand the past tectonic regimes in the Mesozoic Andes based on their present geological and tectonic characteristics. The evaluation of the different parameters that governed the past and present tectonic regimes indicates that absolute motion of the upper plate relative to the hotspot frame and the consequent trench roll‐back velocity are the first order parameters that control the deformation. Locally, the influences of the trench fill, linked to the dominant climate in the forearc, and the age of the subducted oceanic crust, have secondary roles. Ridge collisions of seismic and seismic oceanic ridges as well as fracture zone collisions have also a local outcome, and may produce an increase in coupling that reinforces compressional deformation. Local strain variations in the past and present Andes are not related with changes in the relative convergence rate, which is less important than the absolute motion relative to the Pacific hotspot frame, or changes in the thermal state of the upper plate. Changes in the slab dip, mainly those linked to steepening subduction zones, produce significant variations in the thermal state, that are important to generate extreme deformation in the foreland. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Early Stage in the Evolution of the Paleoasian Ccean at the Western Margin of the Siberian Craton: Geochemical and Geochronological Evidence

The discovery of glaucophane relicts in the high-pressure tectonites of the Yenisei suture zone of the Yenisei Ridge suggests the manifestation of the “Chilean-type” convergent margin on the western Siberian Craton, which was controlled by subduction of oceanic crust beneath the continental margin. These rocks are restricted to the tectonic suture between the craton and the Isakovka ocean-island terrane and experienced two metamorphic stages. Petrogeochemical characteristics of the mafic tectonites indicate that their protoliths are N-MORB and E-MORB basalts. More primitive N-MORB basalts were formed at the initial spreading stages through melting of the upper depleted mantle. Higher Ti basalts were formed by melting of enriched mantle protolith at the later spreading stages. U–Pb zircon age of 701.6 ± 8.4 Ma of the metamorphosed analogues of normal basalts marks the initiation of oceanic crust in the region. Revealed sequence of spreading, subduction (640–620 Ma), and shear deformations (~600 Ma) records the early stages in the evolution of the Paleoasian ocean in its junction zone with the western margin of the Siberian craton: from formation of fragments of oceanic crust to the completion of accretionary–subduction events.     

The westward lithospheric drift,its role on the subduction and transform zones surrounding Americas:Andean to cordilleran orogenic types cyclicity

We investigate the effect of the westerly rotation of the lithosphere on the active margins that surround the Americas and find good correlations between the inferred easterly-directed mantle counterflow and the main structural grain and kinematics of the Andes and Sandwich arc slabs.In the Andes,the subduction zone is shallow and with low dip,because the mantle flow sustains the slab;the subduction hinge converges relative to the upper plate and generates an uplifting doubly verging orogen.The Sandwich Arc is generated by a westerly-directed SAM(South American) plate subduction where the eastward mantle flow is steepening and retreating the subduction zone.In this context,the slab hinge is retreating relative to the upper plate,generating the backarc basin and a low bathymetry single-verging accretionary prism.In Central America,the Caribbean plate presents a more complex scenario:(a) To the East,the Antilles Arc is generated by westerly directed subduction of the SAM plate,where the eastward mantle flow is steepening and retreating the subduction zone.(b) To the West,the Middle America Trench and Arc are generated by the easterly-directed subduction of the Cocos plate,where the shallow subduction caused by eastward mantle flow in its northern segment gradually steepens to the southern segment as it is infered by the preexisting westerly-directed subduction of the Caribbean Plateau.In the frame of the westerly lithospheric flow,the subduction of a divergent active ridge plays the role of introducing a change in the oceanic/continental plate's convergence angle,such as in NAM(North American)plate with the collision with the Pacific/Farallon active ridge in the Neogene(Cordilleran orogenic type scenario).The easterly mantle drift sustains strong plate coupling along NAM,showing at Juan de Fuca easterly subducting microplate that the subduction hinge advances relative to the upper plate.This lower/upper plate convergence coupling also applies along strike to the neighbor continental strike slip fault systems where subduction was terminated(San Andreas and Queen Charlotte).The lower/upper plate convergence coupling enables the capture of the continental plate ribbons of Baja California and Yakutat terrane by the Pacific oceanic plate,transporting them along the strike slip fault systems as para-autochthonous terranes.This Cordilleran orogenic type scenario,is also recorded in SAM following the collision with the Aluk/Farallon active ridge in the Paleogene,segmenting SAM margin into the eastwardly subducting Tupac Amaru microplate intercalated between the proto-LiquineOfqui and Atacama strike slip fault systems,where subduction was terminated and para-autochthonous terranes transported.In the Neogene,the convergence of Nazca plate with respect to SAM reinstalls subduction and the present Andean orogenic type scenario.     

MINERAL ZONING OF THE QUATERNARY LAVAS OF THE KURILE ISLAND ARC

Geologic mapping in the Bolivian Andes and balanced cross-section construction permit the determination of bounds on the amount of crustal shortening that has occurred in the mountain belt. Assumptions are carefully selected in the cross-section interpretations so that a precise minimum is calculated, as well as larger, more plausible estimates. The minimum bound on crustal shortening within the Cordillera Oriental and Subandean Zone is 210 km. Relaxation of specific assumptions yields estimates of 325 and 670 km; independent estimates cluster in the range of 300 to 350 km. The estimates are used to evaluate the contribution of crustal shortening to the present crustal thickness in the central Andes, and, by inference, that of magmatic addition. The minimum estimate of crustal shortening accounts for at least two-thirds of the present cross-sectional area, whether the entire crust across the width of the mountain belt is considered, or just the sedimentary wedge within the Cordillera Oriental and Subandean Zone. Magmatic addition is volumetrically less important in thickening the crust. Consideration of the deformation in the Altiplano indicates that crustal shortening has been an important process there as well. The balance between magmatic and crustal shortening in creating the thickened crust also may be affected by other processes. Tectonic erosion may augment the thickening, suggesting that magmatic addition would make an even smaller volumetric contribution. Strike-slip faulting or delamination (for shortening estimates greater than 300 km) may thin the crust laterally or vertically, respectively; these processes either allow greater amounts of magmatic addition or accommodate larger amounts of shortening. The shortening that has occurred across the mountain belt has been driven neither by magmatic intrusion nor by continental collision; it has occurred in response to subduction of only oceanic lithosphere.     

燕辽地区燕山期火成岩与造山模型

通过与安第斯、青藏北缘、大陆裂谷带火成岩的比较，阐述了燕辽地区燕山期火成岩具活动大陆边缘靠内陆一侧的构造属性。提出了三种可能的母岩浆（玄武质、粗面质与花岗质）以及它们的混合作用是制约以壳幔混合型为主、组成谱系宽的火成岩的主要机制。基于实验岩石学成果，论述了无负Ｅｕ异常的中酸性火成岩类（正长岩、二长岩、石英闪长岩类）形成于加厚陆壳底部（或山根带）。主要基于岩石学成果，讨论了燕山期本区陆壳厚约６０～７０ｋｍ，岩石圈厚约１００～１５０ｋｍ。通过与印支期岩石圈（厚约１５０～２００ｋｍ）的对比，提出了造山岩石圈的拆沉－去根作用，使岩石圈减薄了约５０ｋｍ。由此，提出了一个大洋俯冲与岩石圈拆沉相结合的造山模型，称为华北式（或燕辽式）造山带模型。这一模型不但可以满意地解释为什么弧火成岩属性的岩浆活动可深入远离海沟达一千多公里的内陆地区以及挤压与拉伸交替的反转构造的发育，而且还可以比较满意地解释为什么火成岩组成极性极不明显，伴随岩浆活动的陆壳不断抬升等，并指出燕山期地幔岩石圈减薄，山根仍存在，所以造山后Ａ型花岗岩（指碱性正长岩类）仍保持无负Ｅｕ异常，而本区新生代处于大陆裂谷发育环境，地幔岩石圈与陆壳均减薄。     

安第斯埃达克岩 :三种成因模式

在安第斯埃达克岩是常见的。由这种岩石的痕量元素特征揭示的高压组成矿物 ,表明其有三种可能的成因。这三种成因按相对重要性依次为 :安第斯地壳的构造加厚 ;弧前壳的俯冲 -侵蚀 ;年轻洋壳的俯冲。在过去 30 Ma,每种成因模式的埃达克岩在智利 -阿根廷安第斯地区均有喷发。它们的产状与智利 -阿根廷边缘快速变化的构造背景中特定构造条件和事件相吻合。埃达克岩在过去安第斯边缘的产状可望成为矿化的优异构造标志 ,也可用于指导找矿     

From oceanic plateaus to allochthonous terranes: Numerical modelling

Large segments of the continental crust are known to have formed through the amalgamation of oceanic plateaus and continental fragments. However, mechanisms responsible for terrane accretion remain poorly understood. We have therefore analysed the interactions of oceanic plateaus with the leading edge of the continental margin using a thermomechanical–petrological model of an oceanic-continental subduction zone with spontaneously moving plates. This model includes partial melting of crustal and mantle lithologies and accounts for complex rheological behaviour including viscous creep and plastic yielding. Our results indicate that oceanic plateaus may either be lost by subduction or accreted onto continental margins. Complete subduction of oceanic plateaus is common in models with old (> 40 Ma) oceanic lithosphere whereas models with younger lithosphere often result in terrane accretion. Three distinct modes of terrane accretion were identified depending on the rheological structure of the lower crust and oceanic cooling age: frontal plateau accretion, basal plateau accretion and underplating plateaus.Complete plateau subduction is associated with a sharp uplift of the forearc region and the formation of a basin further landward, followed by topographic relaxation. All crustal material is lost by subduction and crustal growth is solely attributed to partial melting of the mantle.Frontal plateau accretion leads to crustal thickening and the formation of thrust and fold belts, since oceanic plateaus are docked onto the continental margin. Strong deformation leads to slab break off, which eventually terminates subduction, shortly after the collisional stage has been reached. Crustal parts that have been sheared off during detachment melt at depth and modify the composition of the overlying continental crust.Basal plateau accretion scrapes oceanic plateaus off the downgoing slab, enabling the outward migration of the subduction zone. New incoming oceanic crust underthrusts the fractured terrane and forms a new subduction zone behind the accreted terrane. Subsequently, hot asthenosphere rises into the newly formed subduction zone and allows for extensive partial melting of crustal rocks, located at the slab interface, and only minor parts of the former oceanic plateau remain unmodified.Oceanic plateaus may also underplate the continental crust after being subducted to mantle depth. (U)HP terranes are formed with peak metamorphic temperatures of 400–700 °C prior to slab break off and subsequent exhumation. Rapid and coherent exhumation through the mantle along the former subduction zone at rates comparable to plate tectonic velocities is followed by somewhat slower rates at crustal levels, accompanied by crustal flow, structural reworking and syndeformational partial melting. Exhumation of these large crustal volumes leads to a sharp surface uplift.     

Low-pressure evolution of arc magmas in thickened crust: The San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain,Central Andes,Northern Chile

Magmatism at Andean Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ), or Central Andes, is strongly influenced by differentiation and assimilation at high pressures that occurred at lower levels of the thick continental crust. This is typically shown by high light to heavy rare earth element ratios (LREE/HREE) of the erupted lavas at this volcanic zone. Increase of these ratios with time is interpreted as a change to magma evolution in the presence of garnet during evolution of Central Andes. Such geochemical signals could be introduced into the magmas be high-pressure fractionation with garnet on the liquidus and/or assimilation from crustal rocks with a garnet-bearing residue. However, lavas erupted at San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain show no evidence of garnet fractionation in their trace element patterns. This volcanic chain is located in the active volcanic arc, between 22°00^′S and 22°30^′S, over a continental crust ∼70 km thick. Sampled lavas show Sr/Y and Sm/Yb ratios <40 and <4.0, respectively, which is significantly lower than for most other lavas of recent volcanoes in the Central Andes. In addition, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios from San Pedro–Linzor lava flows vary between 0.7063 and 0.7094. This is at the upper range, and even higher than those observed at other recent Central Andean volcanic rocks (<0.708). The area in which the San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain is located is constituted by a felsic, Proterozoic upper crust, and a thin mafic lower crustal section (<25 km). Also, the NW–SE orientation of the volcanic chain is distinctive with respect to the N–S orientation of Central Andean volcanic front in northern Chile. We relate our geochemical observations to shallow crustal evolution of primitive magmas involving a high degree of assimilation of upper continental crust. We emphasize that low pressure AFC- (Assimilation Fractional Crystallization) type evolution of the San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain reflects storage, fractionation, and contamination of mantle-derived magmas at the upper felsic crust (<40 km depth). The ascent of mantle-derived magmas to mid-crustal levels is related with the extensional regime that has existed in this zone of arc-front offset since Late-Miocene age, and the relatively thin portion of mafic lower crust observed below the volcanic chain.     

An Andean tectonic cycle:From crustal thickening to extension in a thin crust(34°-37°SL)

Several orogenic cycles of mountain building and subsequent collapse associated with periods of shallowing and steepening of subduction zones have been recognized in recent years in the Andes.Most of them are characterized by widespread crustal delamination expressed by large calderas and rhyolitic flare-up produced by the injection of hot asthenosphere in the subduction wedge.These processes are related to the increase of the subduction angle during trench roll-back.The Payenia paleoflat-slab,in the southern Central Andes of Argentina and Chile(34°—37°S) recorded a complete cycle from crustal thickening and mountain uplift to extensional collapse and normal faulting,which are related to changes in the subduction geometry.The early stages are associated with magmatic expansion and migration,subsequent deformation and broken foreland.New ages and geochemical data show the middle to late Miocene expansion and migration of arc volcanism towards the foreland region was associated with important deformation in the Andean foothills.However,the main difference of this orogenic cycle with the previously described cycles is that the steepening of the oceanic subducted slab is linked to basaltic flooding of large areas in the retroarc under an extensional setting.Crustal delamination is concentrated only in a narrow central belt along the cordilleran axis.The striking differences between the two types of cycles are interpreted to be related to the crustal thickness when steepening the subducting slab.The crustal thickness of the Altiplano is over 60-80 km,whereas Payenia is less than 42 km in the axial part,and near 30 km in the retroarc foothills.The final extensional regime associated with the slab steepening favors the basaltic flooding of more than 8400 km~3 in an area larger than 40,000 km2,through 800 central vents and large fissures.These characteristics are unique in the entire present-day Andes.     

英云闪长岩奥长花岗岩花岗闪长岩(TTG)岩石构造组合及其亚类划分

TTG岩石构造组合(或岩类)表征洋壳俯冲作用。本文提出TTG岩类的4个亚类：(1)镁安山岩系列(MA)低压型TTG亚类,形成于非常年轻和很热的洋壳俯冲,压力≤1 500~1 600 MPa,深度≤50~60 km,例如活动洋中脊俯冲的板片窗的边缘;(2)镁安山岩系列(MA)高压型TTG亚类,形成于比较年轻和较热的洋壳俯冲,压力≥1 500~1 600 MPa,深度≥50~60 km;(3)低镁(或非镁)安山岩系列(LMA)低压型TTG亚类,形成于洋内弧下地壳,压力≤1 500~1 600 MPa,深度≤50~60 km;(4)低镁(或非镁)安山岩系列(LMA)高压型TTG亚类,形成了大陆边缘弧山根带,压力≥1 500~1 600 MPa,深度≥50~60 km。对TTG岩类4个亚类的研究,并结合对无TTG形成的老的冷的俯冲带洋壳和冷的弧地壳以及幔楔有无岩浆产生等方面的研究,可以重建岩浆弧的壳幔结构和热结构,进而可为与洋俯冲有关的成矿作用提供地质背景。     

Tectonic evolution of the southwestern margin of Pangea and its global implications: Evidence from the mid Permian–Triassic magmatism along the Chilean-Argentine border

The tectonic evolution of the southwestern margin of Pangea supercontinent is represented by the extensive late Paleozoic–Triassic magmatism along the southwestern margin of South America, including the Chilean Frontal Andes batholiths as part of the Choiyoi province. Several models have proposed cessation of subduction as the reason behind the vast amounts of felsic magmatism and apparent lack of typical arc magmas. Here, new U-Pb in zircon ages, and geochemical and isotope analyses (Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, Re-Os) indicate that mid Permian–Triassic granitic magmatism originated in a subduction-related extensional setting (slab rollback). Subduction and anatexis of lower continental crust were the main magma-generation mechanisms, the latter caused by asthenospheric upwelling, decompression and subsequent accumulation of underplated basalts. A comparison with coeval igneous units along the Chilean-Argentine border allows extension of this model from at least 21° to 40°S. The key elements triggering slab rollback are low subduction plate velocities and convergence rates, which can be attributed to the assembly of Pangea supercontinent (mid Permian–Triassic). Therefore, subduction of the oceanic plate beneath South America has been a continuous process from early Paleozoic times onwards—rather than having a period without subduction before the onset of the Andean cycle as previous models have invoked. New geochronological constraints indicate that the peak of the voluminous crustal-derived magmatism and related explosive volcanism (Choiyoi province) was contemporaneous with the emplacement of the Emeishan and Siberian Traps LIPs, potentially conditioning the Earth system for the environmental collapse and biotic crises related to those LIPs. The observed tectonic changes, magmatism and related environmental implications could potentially be linked to the assembly of Pangea supercontinent.     

Fission track and fault kinematics analyses for new insight into the Late Cenozoic tectonic regime changes in West-Central Sulawesi (Indonesia)

A 3-D density model for the Cretan and Libyan Seas and Crete was developed by gravity modelling constrained by five 2-D seismic lines. Velocity values of these cross-sections were used to obtain the initial densities using the Nafe–Drake and Birch empirical functions for the sediments, the crust and the upper mantle. The crust outside the Cretan Arc is 18 to 24 km thick, including 10 to 14 km thick sediments. The crust below central Crete at its thickest section, has values between 32 and 34 km, consisting of continental crust of the Aegean microplate, which is thickened by the subducted oceanic plate below the Cretan Arc. The oceanic lithosphere is decoupled from the continental along a NW–SE striking front between eastern Crete and the Island of Kythera south of Peloponnese. It plunges steeply below the southern Aegean Sea and is probably associated with the present volcanic activity of the southern Aegean Sea in agreement with published seismological observations of intermediate seismicity. Low density and velocity upper mantle below the Cretan Sea with ρ  3.25 × 10³ kg/m³ and V_p velocity of compressional waves around 7.7 km/s, which are also in agreement with observed high heat flow density values, point out at the mobilization of the upper mantle material here. Outside the Hellenic Arc the upper mantle density and velocity are ρ ≥ 3.32 × 10³ kg/m³ and V_p = 8.0 km/s, respectively. The crust below the Cretan Sea is thin continental of 15 to 20 km thickness, including 3 to 4 km of sediments. Thick accumulations of sediments, located to the SSW and SSE of Crete, are separated by a block of continental crust extended for more than 100 km south of Central Crete. These deep sedimentary basins are located on the oceanic crust backstopped by the continental crust of the Aegean microplate. The stretched continental margin of Africa, north of Cyrenaica, and the abruptly terminated continental Aegean microplate south of Crete are separated by oceanic lithosphere of only 60 to 80 km width at their closest proximity. To the east and west, the areas are floored by oceanic lithosphere, which rapidly widens towards the Herodotus Abyssal plain and the deep Ionian Basin of the central Mediterranean Sea. Crustal shortening between the continental margins of the Aegean microplate and Cyrenaica of North Africa influence the deformation of the sediments of the Mediterranean Ridge that has been divided in an internal and external zone. The continental margin of Cyrenaica extends for more than 80 km to the north of the African coast in form of a huge ramp, while that of the Aegean microplate is abruptly truncated by very steep fractures towards the Mediterranean Ridge. Changes in the deformation style of the sediments express differences of the tectonic processes that control them. That is, subduction to the northeast and crustal subsidence to the south of Crete. Strike-slip movement between Crete and Libya is required by seismological observations.     

Cenozoic geodynamics of the Bering Sea region

In the Early Cenozoic before origination of the Aleutian subduction zone 50–47 Ma ago, the northwestern (Asian) and northeastern (North American) parts of the continental framework of the Pacific Ocean were active continental margins. In the northwestern part, the island-arc situation, which arose in the Coniacian, remained with retention of the normal lateral series: continent-marginal sea-island arc-ocean. In the northeastern part, consumption of the oceanic crust beneath the southern margin of the continental Bering shelf also continued from the Late Cretaceous with the formation of the suprasubduction volcanic belt. The northwestern and northeastern parts of the Paleopacific were probably separated by a continuation of the Kula-Pacific Transform Fracture Zone. Change of the movement of the Pacific oceanic plates from the NNW to NW in the middle Eocene (50–47 Ma ago) was a cause of the origin of the Aleutian subduction zone and related Aleutian island arc. In the captured part of the Paleopacific (proto-Bering Sea), the ongoing displacement of North America relative to Eurasia in the middle-late Eocene gave rise to the formation of internal structural elements of the marginal sea: the imbricate nappe structure of the Shirshov Ridge and the island arc of the Bowers Ridge. The Late Cenozoic evolution was controlled by subduction beneath the Kamchatka margin and its convergence with the Kronotsky Terrane in the south. A similar convergence of the Koryak margin with the Goven Terrane occurred in the north. The Komandorsky minor oceanic basin opened in the back zone of this terrane. Paleotectonic reconstructions for 68–60, 56–52, 50–38, 30–15, and 15–6 Ma are presented.     

Two-dimensional numerical modeling of tectonic and metamorphic histories at active continental margins

The evolution of an active continental margin is simulated in two dimensions, using a finite difference thermomechanical code with half-staggered grid and marker-in-cell technique. The effect of mechanical properties, changing as a function of P and T, assigned to different crustal layers and mantle materials in the simple starting structure is discussed for a set of numerical models. For each model, representative P–T paths are displayed for selected markers. Both the intensity of subduction erosion and the size of the frontal accretionary wedge are strongly dependent on the rheology chosen for the overriding continental crust. Tectonically eroded upper and lower continental crust is carried down to form a broad orogenic wedge, intermingling with detached oceanic crust and sediments from the subducted plate and hydrated mantle material from the overriding plate. A small portion of the continental crust and trench sediments is carried further down into a narrow subduction channel, intermingling with oceanic crust and hydrated mantle material, and to some extent extruded to the rear of the orogenic wedge underplating the overriding continental crust. The exhumation rates for (ultra)high pressure rocks can exceed subduction and burial rates by a factor of 1.5–3, when forced return flow in the hanging wall portion of the self-organizing subduction channel is focused. The simulations suggest that a minimum rate of subduction is required for the formation of a subduction channel, because buoyancy forces may outweigh drag forces for slow subduction. For a weak upper continental crust, simulated by a high pore pressure coefficient in the brittle regime, the orogenic wedge and megascale melange reach a mid- to upper-crustal position within 10–20 Myr (after 400–600 km of subduction). For a strong upper crust, a continental lid persists over the entire time span covered by the simulation. The structural pattern is similar in all cases, with four zones from trench toward arc: (a) an accretionary complex of low-grade metamorphic sedimentary material; (b) a wedge of mainly continental crust, with medium-grade HP metamorphic overprint, wound up and stretched in a marble cake fashion to appear as nappes with alternating upper and lower crustal provenance, and minor oceanic or hydrated mantle interleaved material; (c) a megascale melange composed of high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic oceanic and continental crust, and hydrated mantle, all extruded from the subduction channel; (d) zone represents the upward tilted frontal part of the remaining upper plate lid in the case of a weak upper crust. The shape of the P–T paths and the time scales correspond to those typically recorded in orogenic belts. Comparison of the numerical results with the European Alps reveals some similarities in their gross structural and metamorphic pattern exposed after collision. A similar structure may be developed at depth beneath the forearc of the Andes, where the importance of subduction erosion is well documented, and where a strong upper crust forms a stable lid.     

Mesozoic to Cenozoic retroarc basin evolution during changes in tectonic regime,southern Central Andes (31–33°S): Insights from zircon U-Pb geochronology

The southern Central Andes of Argentina and Chile (27–40°S) are the product of deformation, arc magmatism, and basin evolution above a long-lived subduction system. With sufficient timing and provenance constraints, Andean stratigraphic and structural records enable delineation of Mesozoic-Cenozoic variations in subsidence and tectonic regime. For the La Ramada Basin in the High Andes at ∼31–33°S, new assessments of provenance and depositional age provided by detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology help resolve deformational patterns and subsidence mechanisms over the past ∼200 Myr. Marine and nonmarine clastic deposits recorded the unroofing of basin margins and sediment contributions from the Andean magmatic arc during Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous extension, thermal subsidence, and possible slab rollback. Subsequent sediment delivery from the Coastal Cordillera corresponded with initial flexural accommodation in the La Ramada Basin during Andean shortening of late Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous age. The architecture of the foreland basin was influenced by the distribution of precursor extensional depocenters, suggesting that inherited basin geometries provided important controls on later flexural subsidence and basin evolution. Following latest Cretaceous to early Paleogene tectonic quiescence and a depositional hiatus, newly dated deposits in the western La Ramada Basin provide evidence for a late Paleogene episode of intra-arc and proximal retroarc extension (development of the Abanico Basin, principally in Chile, at ∼28–44°S). Inversion of this late Paleogene extensional basin system during Neogene compression indicates the southern Central Andes were produced by at least two punctuated episodes of shortening and uplift of Late Cretaceous and Neogene age.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S167498711400108X

We present three 3D numerical models of deep subduction where buoyant material from an oceanic plateau and a plume interact with the overriding plate to assess the influence on subduction dynamics,trench geometry,and mechanisms for plateau accretion and continental growth.Transient instabilities of the convergent margin are produced,resulting in:contorted trench geometry;trench migration parallel with the plate margin;folding of the subducting slab and orocline development at the convergent margin;and transfer of the plateau to the overriding plate.The presence of plume material beneath the oceanic plateau causes flat subduction above the plume,resulting in a "bowed" shaped subducting slab.In plateau-only models,plateau accretion at the edge of the overriding plate results in trench migration around the edge of the plateau before subduction is re-established directly behind the trailing edge of the plateau.The plateau shortens and some plateau material subducts.The presence of buoyant plume material beneath the oceanic plateau has a profound influence on the behaviour of the convergent margin.In the plateau + plume model,plateau accretion causes rapid trench advance.Plate convergence is accommodated by shearing at the base of the plateau and shortening in the overriding plate.The trench migrates around the edge of the plateau and subduction is re-established well behind the trailing edge of the plateau,effectively embedding the plateau into the overriding plate.A slab window forms beneath the accreted plateau and plume material is transferred from the subducting plate to the overriding plate through the window.In all of the models,the subduction zone maintains a relatively stable configuration away from the buoyancy anomalies within the downgoing plate.The models provide a dynamic context for plateau and plume accretion in Phanerozoic accretionary orogenic systems such as the East China Orogen and the Central Asian Orogen(Altiads),which are characterised by accreted ophiolite complexes with diverse geochemical affinities,and a protracted evolution of accretion of exotic terranes including oceanic plateau and terranes with plume origins.     

The Late Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the central segment of the Andean subduction zone

The presented model of the Late Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the central Andes and the complex tectonic, geological, and geophysical model of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle along the Central Andean Transect, which crosses the Andean subduction zone along 21°S, are based on the integration of voluminous and diverse data. The onset of the recent evolution of the central Andes is dated at the late Oligocene (27 Ma ago), when the local fluid-induced rheological attenuation of the continental lithosphere occurred far back of the subduction zone. Tectonic deformation started to develop in thick-skinned style above the attenuated domain in the upper mantle and then in the Earth’s crust, creating the bivergent system of the present-day Eastern Cordillera. The destruction of the continental lithosphere is correlated with ore mineralization in the Bolivian tin belt, which presumably started at 16° S and spread to the north and to the south. Approximately 19 Ma ago, the gently dipping Subandean Thrust Fault was formed beneath the Eastern Cordillera, along which the South American Platform began to thrust under the Andes with rapid thickening of the crust in the eastern Andean Orogen owing to its doubling. The style of deformation in the upper crust above the Subandean Thrust Fault changed from thick- to thin-skinned, and the deformation front migrated to the east inland, forming the Subandean system of folds and thrust faults verging largely eastward. The thickening of the crust was accompanied by flows at the lower and/or middle crustal levels, delamination, and collapse of fragments of the lower crust and lithospheric mantle beneath the Eastern Cordillera and Altiplano-Puna Plateau. As the thickness of the middle and lower crustal layers reached a critical thickness about 10 Ma ago, the viscoplastic flow in the meridional direction became more intense. Extension of the upper brittle crust was realized mainly in gliding and rotation of blocks along a rhombic fault system. Some blocks sank, creating sedimentary basins. The rate of southward migration estimated from the age of these basins is 26 km/Ma. Tectonic deformation was accompanied by diverse magmatic activity (ignimbrite complexes, basaltic flows, shoshonitic volcanism, etc.) within the tract from the Western Cordillera to the western edge of the Eastern Cordillera 27–5 Ma ago with a peak at 7 Ma; after this, it began to recede westward; by 5 Ma ago, the magmatic activity reached only the western part of the Altiplano-Puna Plateau, and it has been concentrated in the volcanic arc of the Western Cordillera during the last 2 Ma.