Neogene Caribbean Plate rotation and associated Central American tectonic evolution

Wadge, G.; Burke, Kevin

doi:10.1029/tc002i006p00633

Cited by 140 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Concerning the progressive collision of Panama with Colombia, the tectonic escape model employed by Wadge & Burke (1983), Mann & Corrigan (1990) and Pindell (1993) probably occurred during the Early and Middle Miocene rather than being active today. The NW-trending faults in Panama that those authors employed as escape structures are apparent on radar topography images (e.g.…”

Section: Eocene -Middle Miocene Transcurrence and Oblique Collision Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Tectonic evolution of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and northern South America in the mantle reference frame: an update

Pindell

Kennan²

2009

573

627

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We present an updated synthesis of the widely accepted 'single-arc Pacific-origin' and 'Yucatán-rotation' models for Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico evolution, respectively. Fourteen palaeogeographic maps through time integrate new concepts and alterations to earlier models. Pre-Aptian maps are presented in a North American reference frame. Aptian and younger maps are presented in an Indo-Atlantic hot spot reference frame which demonstrates the surprising simplicity of Caribbean-American interaction. We use the Müller et al. (Geology 21: 275-278, 1993) reference frame because the motions of the Americas are smoothest in this reference frame, and because it does not differ significantly, at least since c. 90 Ma, from more recent 'moving hot spot' reference frames. The Caribbean oceanic lithosphere has moved little relative to the hot spots in the Cenozoic, but moved north at c. 50 km/Ma during the Cretaceous, while the American plates have drifted west much further and faster and thus are responsible for most CaribbeanAmerican relative motion history. New or revised features of this model, generally driven by new data sets, include: (1) refined reconstruction of western Pangaea; (2) refined rotational motions of the Yucatán Block during the evolution of the Gulf of Mexico; (3) an origin for the Caribbean Arc that invokes Aptian conversion to a SW-dipping subduction zone of a trans-American plate boundary from Chortís to Ecuador that was part sinistral transform (northern Caribbean) and part pre-existing arc (eastern, southern Caribbean); (4) acknowledgement that the Caribbean basalt plateau may pertain to the palaeo-Galapagos hot spot, the occurrence of which was partly controlled by a Proto-Caribbean slab gap beneath the Caribbean Plate; (5) Campanian initiation of subduction at the Panama-Costa Rica Arc, although a sinistral transform boundary probably pre-dated subduction initiation here; (6) inception of a north-vergent crustal inversion zone along northern South America to account for Cenozoic convergence between the Americas ahead of the Caribbean Plate; (7) a fan-like, asymmetric rift opening model for the Grenada Basin, where the Margarita and Tobago footwall crustal slivers were exhumed from beneath the southeast Aves Ridge hanging wall; (8) an origin for the Early Cretaceous HP/LT metamorphism in the El Tambor units along the Motagua Fault Zone that relates to subduction of Farallon crust along western Mexico (and then translated along the trans-American plate boundary prior to onset of SW-dipping subduction beneath the Caribbean Arc) rather than to collision of Chortis with Southern Mexico; (9) Middle Miocene tectonic escape of Panamanian crustal slivers, followed by Late Miocene and Recent eastward movement of the 'Panama Block' that is faster than that of the Caribbean Plate, allowed by the inception of east-west trans-Costa Rica shear zones. The updated model integrates new concepts and global plate motion models in an internally consistent way, and can be used to test and guide more local ...

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Section: Eocene -Middle Miocene Transcurrence and Oblique Collision Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Tectonic evolution of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and northern South America in the mantle reference frame: an update

Pindell

Kennan²

2009

573

627

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“…The latter occurrences establish that the Atlantic forests had a greater species richness in the recent past, Base map is a composite of maps of Amazonia by Wesselingh et al (2010), the Early Miocene Paranense Sea by Dávila et al (2010Dávila et al ( , 2013 the Early Miocene Patagonian region by Malumián (1999) and Cuitiño and Scasso (2013). For the Caribbean and Central America, see (Pindell et al, 1988;Wadge and Burke, 1993;Iturralde-Vinent and MacPhee, 1999;Kirby et al, 2008;Pindell and Kennan, 2009). Light outlines represent the modern position of land masses.…”

Section: Crown Platyrrhinesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeography in deep time – What do phylogenetics, geology, and paleoclimate tell us about early platyrrhine evolution?

Kay

2015

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

112

170

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a b s t r a c tMolecular data have converged on a consensus about the genus-level phylogeny of extant platyrrhine monkeys, but for most extinct taxa and certainly for those older than the Pleistocene we must rely upon morphological evidence from fossils. This raises the question as to how well anatomical data mirror molecular phylogenies and how best to deal with discrepancies between the molecular and morphological data as we seek to extend our phylogenies to the placement of fossil taxa.Here I present parsimony-based phylogenetic analyses of extant and fossil platyrrhines based on an anatomical dataset of 399 dental characters and osteological features of the cranium and postcranium.

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“…Thus, the uplift of the Cordillera de Talamanca must have started as early as the late Miocene. This early uplift may have been a side-effect of the collision between the Panama block and northwest South America (Wadge & Burke, 1983;Pindell et 01., 1988). According to S. Mora (1979), Rivier (1985), and Rivier & Seyfried (1985), the imbrication of the Fila Costefia and Lim6n thrust belts along the flanks of the Cordillera de Talamanca (see Fig.…”

Section: Southern Costa Ricamentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomy of an Evolving Island Arc: Tectonic and Eustatic Control in the South Central American Fore‐Arc Area

Seyfried

Astorga

Amann

et al. 1991

Sedimentation, Tectonics and Eustasy

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The southern part of the Central Ameriean isthmus is the product of an island arc. It evolved initially as a ridge of primitive island-arc tholeiites at a collision zone between the Farall6n plate and protoCaribbean crust (Albian-Santonian). During the Campanian. a major tectonic event (most probably subduction reversal) causcd decollement of differcnt units of the former plate margin. The rcsultmg structural high was covered by a carbonate platform. From Maastrichtian to Eocenc times continuous subduetion produced a stable morphotcctonic configuration (trench-slope-outer-arc-fore-arccalcalkaline-arc). Fore-arc sedimentation was controlled by volcaniclastic input and tectonic activity along the outer arc's inner margin. Eustatic control is essentially recognized through lowstand sIgnals such as extensive turbidite sand lobes. Steady accretionary uplift of the outer arc gradually closed the bypasses between fore-arc and trench slope. Eustatic control is verified by lowstand signals (sands) on the trench slope and highstand signals on the outer arc (carbonate ramps). During the Oligocene another major tectonic event affected the entire system: accretion ceased, segments decoupled, and regional compression resulted in general uplift and erosion. From latest Oligocene to Pliocene times, three episodes of tilting created a series of fault-angle depressions. Subsidence varies enormously among these basins. but sedimentation is largely shallow marine. Facies architecture reflects complex interactions between tectonic processes, changes in volcaniclastic sediment supply. and eustasy. Subsequently. very strong explosive volcanic activity resulted in excessive sediment input that overfilled most basins. The history of the island arc shows that tectonic processes largely controlled composition. distribution. and geometry of the major sedimentary units. Eustatic signals do indeed occur when they are expected, but may be considered as an overprint rather than a dommating factor.

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Neogene Caribbean Plate rotation and associated Central American tectonic evolution

Cited by 140 publications

References 56 publications

Tectonic evolution of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and northern South America in the mantle reference frame: an update

Tectonic evolution of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and northern South America in the mantle reference frame: an update

Biogeography in deep time – What do phylogenetics, geology, and paleoclimate tell us about early platyrrhine evolution?

Anatomy of an Evolving Island Arc: Tectonic and Eustatic Control in the South Central American Fore‐Arc Area

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