Geochemical and isotopic characteristics and evolution of the Jurassic volcanic arc between Arica (18°30′S) and Tocopilla (22°S), North Chilean Coastal Cordillera

The present-day North Chilean Coastal Cordillera between 18°30′S and 22°S records an important part of the magmatic evolution of the Central Andes during the Jurassic. Calc-alkaline to subordinate tholeiitic members from four rock groups with biostratigraphically constrained age display incompatible element pattern characteristic of convergent plate-margin volcanism, whereas alkaline basalts of one group occurring in the Precordillera show OIB-type trace element signatures. The correlation of biostratigraphic ages, regional distribution, and composition of the volcanic rocks provides a basis for the discussion on geochemical evolution and isotope ratios.Major and trace element distributions of the volcanic rocks indicate their derivation from mantle-derived melts. LILE and LREE enrichments in calc-alkaline basaltic andesites to dacites and some of the tholeiites hint at the involvement of hydrous fluids during melting and mobile element transport processes. A part of the Early Bajocian to ?Lower Jurassic and Oxfordian andesites and dacites are adakite-like rocks with a substantial participation of slab melt and are characterized by high Sr/Y ratios and low HREE contents. The Middle Jurassic tholeiitic and calc-alkaline basalts and basaltic andesites have been transported and partly stored within a system of deep-seated feeder fissures and crustal strike-slip faults before eruption.The isotopic composition of Sr (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i=0.7032-0.7056) and Nd (εNd_i=2.2-7.1) of the Jurassic volcanic rocks mostly fall in the range characteristic for mantle melts although some crustal components may have been involved. A few samples show slightly more radiogenic Sr isotopic composition, which is probably due to interaction with ancient sea-water. The Pb isotopic composition of the arc rocks is uncoupled from the isotopic composition of Sr and Nd and is dominated by the crustal component. Since the Cretaceous and Modern arc volcanic rocks show Pb isotopic compositions that can be largely explained by in situ Pb isotope growth of Jurassic arc volcanic rocks, we argue that the various Andean arc systems between 18°30′S and 22°S formed on the same type of basement.Most of the investigated samples have high Ba, Zr, and Th concentrations compared to island arc mafic volcanic rocks. About 20% of the Jurassic arc volcanics comprise of dacitic to rhyolitic rocks. These characteristics combined with the Pb isotopic composition that shows the influence of a Palaeozoic (or partly older) basement point to a continental margin setting for the North Chilean Jurassic arc. The distribution of the magmatic rocks throughout time, their textures, and the character of intercalated sedimentary rocks reflect westward movement of the magma sources and of the arc/back-arc boundary relative to the current coast line during the Early Bajocian on a broad front between 19°30′ and 21°S.     

Dynamics of sedimentary environments in the accelerated siltation of a reservoir: the case of Alhama de Granada,southern Spain

An analysis has been made of sedimentary systems involved in the rapid silting of a reservoir constructed in 1974 in Alhama de Granada (S. Spain); in only 30 years the storage capacity of the reservoir has shrunk by 80% and its perimeter has decreased by 64%. A study of sediment lithofacies identified in a series of shallow trenches and of georadar facies identified in a series of almost 900 m lines of ground penetrating radar (GPR) images, together with a survey of surface geology, has identified 3 alluvial systems (2 transversal systems and a longitudinal system) whose deltas have filled in the reservoir. Thus, there are three phases in the evolution of the reservoir siltation: (1) an initial stage (1974–1977) typified by northward progradation of the longitudinal river delta of about 100 m year⁻¹ and an eastward progradation of the transversal system delta of about 20 m year⁻¹; (2) an intermediate stage (1977–1984) in which the longitudinal river delta progradation slowed to 25 m year⁻¹ and the axial drainage became obstructed due to the considerable eastward progradation of the transversal delta; and (3) a final phase (1984–present) in which there have been few changes in the areal distribution of the deltas apart from a southeastward expansion of the transversal delta. Generally, aggradational growth patterns (vertical accretion) have dominated in this final phase. The lithology of the source area, the slope and precipitation distribution has a significant effect not only on the sediment supply, but also indirectly on the creation of accommodation space and on the evolution of stratal growth patterns.     

Avenir des ressources en eau glaciaire de la Cordillère Blanche / On the future of the water resources from glacier melting in the Cordillera Blanca,Peru

Abstract

The hydrological data (since 1953) of the Llanganuco basin (87.0 km², 39% glacierized) show an increase of the glacial melting during the last quarter of the 20th century. These results were supplemented (since the end of 2000) by the data of the small basin of Artesoncocha (8.4 km², 79% glacierized). The basin runoff is well correlated to the atmospheric temperature derived from the NOAA-NCEP re-analysis above the Cordillera Blanca. At the monthly time scale, the temperature is a good proxy of the glacier melting. The retreat of several glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca has been well documented for 50 years, highlighting an acceleration of the deglaciation in the mid-1970s. The use of these data of various origins permits one to model the behaviour of glaciers, especially the meltwater production, and then to predict their future evolution. The model was calibrated over the 1950–2000 period, thus providing a possible optimistic evolution range (underestimation if the climate change becomes more intense). The forcing of the model by forecasts of the future temperature evolution above the Cordillera Blanca, derived from the regionalization of global climatic models, allows improvement of the estimations only based on past glacial behaviour.     

Rheological evolution of a Mediterranean subduction complex

We use field and microstructural observations, coupled to previously published P-T-time histories, to track the rheological evolution of an intracontinental subduction complex exposed in the Betic Cordillera in the western Mediterranean region. The body of rock we focus on, known as the Nevado-Filabride Complex (NFC), was originally part of the upper crust of the Iberian margin. It was subducted into hot asthenospheric mantle, then exhumed back toward the surface in two stages: an early stage of fast exhumation along the top of the subducting slab in a subduction channel, and a late stage of slower exhumation resulting from capture by a low-angle detachment fault rooted at the brittle-ductile transition. Each stage of deformation in the NFC was punctuated by changes in the dominant deformation mechanism. Deformation during initial subduction of the complex was accommodated by pressure-solution creep in the presence of a fluid phase – the grain sizes, stress magnitudes, and estimated strain rates for this stage are most consistent with a thin-film model for pressure solution in which the diffusion length scale is controlled by the grain size. During the early stages of exhumation within the subduction channel, deformation transitioned from pressure solution to dislocation creep due to increases in temperature, which resulted in increases in both water fugacity and grain size, each of which favor the dislocation creep mechanism. Differential stress magnitudes for this stage were ∼10 MPa, and are consistent with simple models of buoyancy-driven channel flow. With continuing subduction-channel exhumation, deformation remained within the dislocation creep field because sequestration of free water into hydrous, retrogressive minerals suppressed the pressure-solution mechanism. Differential stresses progressively increased to ∼100 MPa near the mouth of the channel during cooling as the rocks moved into mid-crustal levels. During the final, core-complex stage of exhumation, deformation was progressively concentrated into a narrow zone of highly localized strain beneath a mid-crustal detachment fault. Localization was promoted by a transition from dislocation creep to dislocation-creep-accommodated grain boundary sliding at temperatures of ∼350–380 °C, grain sizes of ∼4 μm and differential stress magnitudes of ∼200 MPa. Peak differential stress magnitudes of ∼200 MPa recorded just below the brittle-ductile transition are consistent with Byerlee's law in the upper crust assuming a vertical maximum principal stress and near-hydrostatic pore fluid pressures. Overall, the distribution of stress with temperature, coupled to independent constraints on strain rate from field observations and geochronology, indicate that the naturally calibrated Hirth et al. (2001) flow law for wet quartzite accurately predicts the rheological behavior of mid-crustal rocks deforming by dislocation creep.     

Age and depositional setting of the Permian Black Dyke Formation: implications for the paleogeography and structural evolution of western Nevada

Abstract

In western Nevada, the Black Dyke Formation includes volcanic rocks overlain conformably by volcaniclastic sediments. At the base, hornblende-phyric basalts with cognate hornblende-bearing gabbroic cumulates are interbedded with tuffs and pyroclastic breccia. Amphiboles give ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages of 276 Ma. Clinopyroxene-phyric pillow basalts and plagioclase-phyric andesitic lava flows are present higher in the section. Facies changes between exposures reflect development near volcanic centers.

According to our investigations, the Black Dyke Formation is involved in east–west-trending folds overturned toward the south, and overlain unconformably by the Mesozoic Dunlap Formation, which unconformably overlies the Mississippian–Permian Mina Formation. Interpreted until now as tectonic slices within the Luning allochthon, we suggest that the Black Dyke Formation is part of the Sonoma allochthon associated with the Mina Formation. The Sonoma records closure of the Havallah basin (Golconda allochthon), and collision of an arc- trench system with the North American margin.

The Black Dyke Formation exhibits similarities with the Permian arc sequence of the northern Sierra Nevada. Both sequences are characterized by amphibole-bearing breccias, clinopyroxene-phyric pillow-basalts, plagioclase-phyric andesites and overlying volcaniclastic sediments. These sequences developed in the same geodynamic environment (an island- arc). © Elsevier, Paris     

Shallow Seismic Velocity Structure of the Betic Cordillera (Southern Spain) from Modelling of Rayleigh Wave Dispersion

A detailed dispersion analysis of Rayleigh waves generated by local earthquakes and occasionally by blasts that occurred in southern Spain, was undertaken to obtain the shear-wave velocity structure of the region at shallow depth. Our database includes seismograms generated by 35 seismic events that were recorded by 15 single-component short-period stations from 1990 to 1995. All these events have focal depths less than 10 km and body-wave magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0, and they were all recorded at distances between 40 and 300 km from the epicentre. We analysed a total of 90 source-station Rayleigh-wave paths. The collected data were processed by standard digital filtering techniques to obtain Rayleigh-wave group-velocity dispersion measurements. The path-averaged group velocities vary from 1.12 to 2.25 km/s within the 1.0-6.0 s period interval. Then, using a stochastic inversion approach we obtained 1-D shear-wave velocity–depth models across the study area, which were resolved to a depth of circa 5 km. The inverted shear-wave velocities range approximately between 1.0 and 3.8 km/s with a standard deviation range of 0.05–0.16 km/s, and show significant variations from region to region. These results were combined to produce 3-D images via volumetric modelling and data visualization. We present images that show different shear velocity patterns for the Betic Cordillera. Looking at the velocity distribution at various depths and at vertical sections, we discuss of the study area in terms of subsurface structure and S-wave velocity distribution (low velocity channels, basement depth, etc.) at very shallow depths (0–5 km). Our results characterize the region sufficiently and lead to a correlation of shear-wave velocity with the different geological units features.     

Structural evolution of the Llanos foothills, Eastern Cordillera, Colombia

The Llanos foothills are located in the frontal thrust zone of the Eastern Cordillera in Colombia in a complex environment that BP has been exploring actively since 1988. This exploration has resulted in the discovery of several fields with a variety of hydrocarbon fluids (gas condensate and volatile oil) in very tight quartz-arenites. The structural style and complexity of this fold-and-thrust belt changes along the trend from single frontal structures to an imbricate of up to five thrust sheets in a triangle zone. In highly complex environments, the seismic image quality is poor, and interpretation becomes very challenging. The structural models of the area have evolved as more data have been acquired. The initial structural model required inversion of the basin at the end of the Andean orogeny. The structural style changed to an in-sequence imbricate thrust stack with very long, trailing back limbs that return to regional elevation and finalize in a tighter structures with short back limbs. The concept of early deformation and multiple phases has been introduced. Three main phases have been distinguished: (1) an early event during the deposition of the Lower Carbonera (39–29 Ma), with incipient structures formed to create syntectonic deposition; (2) a phase of steady subsidence that increased notably at the end of the period (29–7 Ma); and (3) the latest phase (7–0 Ma), when most deformation and uplifting occurred. The migration of hydrocarbons happened simultaneously with the deformation, and its final distribution, amount, and variation in composition is related to the structural evolution of the area.     

An autochthonous geological model for the eastern Andes of Ecuador

We describe a traverse across the Cordillera Real and sub-Andean Zone of Ecuador, poorly known areas with very little detailed mapping and very little age control. The spine of the Cordillera comprises deeply eroded Triassic and Jurassic plutons, the roots of a major arc, emplaced into probable Palaeozoic pelites and metamorphosed volcanic rocks. The W flank comprises a Jurassic (?) submarine basaltic–andesitic volcanic sequence, which grades up into mixed Jurassic/Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Inter-Andean Valley. The sub-Andean Zone, on the E flank of the Cordillera, comprises a newly recognized Cretaceous basin of cleaved mudrocks, quartz arenites and limestones. East of the syndepositional Cosanga Fault, the Cretaceous basin thins into a condensed sequence that is indistinguishable from the rocks of the adjacent hydrocarbon-bearing Oriente Basin. The principal penetrative deformation of the Cordillera Real was probably latest Cretaceous/Palaeocene. It telescoped the magmatic belts, but shortening was largely partitioned into the pelites between plutons. The plutons suffered inhomogenous deformation; some portions completely escaped tectonism. The pelites conserve two foliations. The earliest comprises slaty cleavage formed under low- or sub-greenschist conditions. The later is a strong schistosity defined by new mica growth. It largely transposed and obliterated the first. Both foliations may have developed during a single progressive deformation. We find inappropriate recent terrane models for the Cordillera Real and sub-Andean Zone of Ecuador. Instead we find remarkable similarities from one side of the Cordillera to the other, including a common structural history. In place of sutures, we find mostly intrusive contacts between major plutons and pelites. Triassic to Cretaceous events occurred on the autochthonous western edge of the Archaean Guyana Shield. The latest Cretaceous–Paleocene deformation is interpreted as the progressive collision of an oceanic terrane(s) with the South American continent. Young fault movements have subsequently juxtaposed different structural levels through the Cordillera Real orogen.     

Quantitative subsidence-uplift analysis of the Bajo Segura Basin (eastern Betic Cordillera, Spain): tectonic control on the stratigraphic architecture

The Bajo Segura Basin is located in the eastern Betic Cordillera, at present connected with the Mediterranean Sea to the east. It has a complete stratigraphic record from the Tortonian to the Quaternary, which has been separated into six units bounded by unconformities. This paper is concerned with the northern edge of the basin, controlled by a major strike–slip fault (the Crevillente Fault Zone, CFZ), where the most complete stratigraphic successions are found. The results obtained (summarised below) are based on an integrated analysis of the sedimentary evolution and the subsidence-uplift movements. Unit I (Early Tortonian) is transgressive on the basin basement and is represented by ramp-type platform facies, organised in a shallowing-upward sequence related to tectonic uplift during the first stages of movement along the CFZ. Unit II (lower Late Tortonian) consists of shallow platform facies at bottom and pelagic basin facies at top, forming a deepening-upward sequence associated with tectonic subsidence due to sinistral motion along the CFZ. Unit III (middle Late Tortonian) is made up of exotic turbiditic facies related to a stage of uplift and erosion of the southern edge of the basin. Unit IV (upper Late Tortonian) consists of pelagic basin facies at bottom and shallow platform facies at top, defining a shallowing-upward sequence related to tectonic uplift during continued sinistral movement on the basin-bounding fault. Units V (latest Tortonian–Messinian) and VI (Pliocene–Pleistocene p.p.) consist of shallowing-upward sequences deposited during folding and uplift of the northern margin of the basin. No definitive evidence of any major eustatic sea-level fall, associated with the ‘Messinian salinity crisis’, has been recorded in the stratigraphic sections studied.