The reasons for, and mechanisms of, continental margin truncation in SW Mexico where Mesozoic-Cenozoic plutons are situated directly on the Pacific coast, are not yet well understood. Large-scale dextral and/or sinistral displacements of the continental margin terranes, now forming parts of Baja California or the Chortis block, have been proposed. The well-defined along-coast NW-SE decreasing granitoid intrusion age trend (-q.2 cm/yr in the 100 Ma-40 Ma time interval) between Puerto Vallarta and Zihuatanejo is interpreted by us to be a geometric artifact of oblique continental margin truncation rather than the consequence of a sinistral offset of the Chortis block from those latitudes toward the SE. Changes in the dip and velocity of the NNW-SSE trending Cretaceous-Tertiary subduction zone resulted in a landward migration of the magmatic arc. Taking into account certain stratigraphic affinities of Chortis and the Oaxaca and Mixteca terranes, together with the known displacement rates along the North America-Caribbean Plate boundary, the northwesternmost paleoposition of the Chortis block with respect to SW Mexico was near Zihuatanejo. In contrast, between Zihuatanejo and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the cessation of the Tertiary magmatism decreased more rapidly (-7.7 cm/yr), although the trend is not so obvious. Starting in the late Eocene, Chortis moved about 1100 km to the SE along a transform boundary associated with the opening of the Cayman Trough. Based on our geochronological data and structural relationships between mylonite zones and plutons in the Acapulco-Tehuantepec area, we propose an approximately 650 km SE movement of Chortis from about 40-25 Ma, with a velocity of 6.5-4.3 cm/yr. Since this is considerably slower than the decreasing age trend obtained by us using the geochronological data, we consider batholith formation in this segment to predate and postdate the offshore passage of the North America-Farallon-Caribbean triple junction. Geological observations and paleomagnetic data do not give strong support for large-scale right-lateral displacements of crustal blocks like the Baja California. Given the isotopic data presented, the 1Now at Instituto de Geologia, Universidad Naeional Aut6noma de M6xieo, Mexico City. Paper number 95TC01928. 0278-7407/95/95 TC-01928510.00 continental margin truncation in SW Mexico seems to be the consequence of an interaction of mechanisms. Of these, we regard tectonic erosion associated with the subduction process to be the most important in the northwestern segment. On the other hand, the lateral removal of material associated with the displacement of Chortis is more important in the southeastern segment. The tectonic evolution of the SW Mexican Pacific coast has been linked to the development of the Caribbean Plate and the displacement of the Chortis block to its present position [Malfait and Dinkelman, 1972; Pindell and Dewey, 1982; Anderson and Schmidt, 1983], including southeastern Guatemala, all of Honduras, E1 Salvador, and probably most of Nicaragua [Donnell...

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The histories of the pre-Mesozoic landmasses in southern Mé xico and their connections with Laurentia, Gondwana, and among themselves are crucial for the understanding of the Late Paleozoic assembly of Pangea. The Permian igneous and metamorphic rocks from the Chiapas massif as part of the southern Maya block, Mé xico, were dated by U-Pb zircon geochronology employing the SHRIMP (sensitive high resolution ion microprobe) facility at Stanford University. The Chiapas massif is composed of deformed granitoids and orthogneisses with inliers of metasedimentary rocks. SHRIMP data from an anatectic orthogneiss demonstrate that the Chiapas massif was part of a Permian (~272 Ma) active continental margin established on the Pacific margin of Gondwana after the Ouachita orogeny. Latest Permian (252-254 Ma) medium-to high-grade metamorphism and deformation affected the entire Chiapas massif, resulting in anatexis and intrusion of syntectonic granitoids. This unique orogenic event is interpreted as the result of compression due to flat subduction and accretionary tectonics. SHRIMP data of zircon cores from a metapelite from the NE Chiapas massif yielded a single Grenvillian source for sediments. The majority of the zircon cores from a para-amphibolite from the SE part of the massif yielded either 1.0-1.2 or 1.4-1.5 Ga sources, indicating provenance from South American Sunsá s and Rondonian-San Ignacio provinces.

Pelado, Guespalapa, and Chichinautzin monogenetic scoria cones located within the Sierra del Chichinautzin Volcanic Field (SCVF) at the southern margin of Mexico City were dated by the radiocarbon method at 10,000, 2,800-4,700, and 1,835 years b.p., respectively. Most previous research in this area was concentrated on Xitle scoria cone, whose lavas destroyed and buried the pre-Hispanic town of Cuicuilco around 1,665€35 years b.p. The new dates indicate that the recurrence interval for monogenetic eruptions in the central part of the SCVF and close to the vicinity of Mexico City is <2,500 years. If the entire SCVF is considered, the recurrence interval is <1,700 years. Based on fieldwork and Landsat imagery interpretation a geologic map was produced, morphometric parameters characterizing the cones and lava flows determined, and the areal extent and volumes of erupted products estimated. The longest lava flow was produced by Guespalapa and reached 24 km from its source; total areas covered by lava flows from each eruption range between 54 (Chichinautzin) and 80 km 2 (Pelado); and total erupted volumes range between 1 and 2 km 3 /cone. An average eruption rate for the entire SCVF was estimated at 0.6 km 3 /1,000 years. These findings are of importance for archaeological as well as volcanic hazards studies in this heavily populated region.

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