Reconstruction of Late Cretaceous Magmatic Arcs in the Northern Andes: Single Versus Multiple Arc Systems

Abstract:

Although magmatic rocks are major tracers of the geological evolution of convergent margins, pre-collisional events such as subduction erosion, collisional thrusting or late collisional strike slip segmentation may difficult the recognizing of multiple arc systems and therefore the existence of paleogeographic scenarios with multiple subduction systems. New field, U-Pb geochronology and whole rock geochemistry constraints from the northwestern segment of the Central Cordillera in the states of Antioquia and Caldas (Colombia) are used to understand the nature of the Late Cretaceous arc magmatism and evaluate the existence of single or multiple Pacific and Caribbean arc systems in the growth of the Northwestern Andes. The new results integrated with additional field and published information is used to suggest the existence of at least three different magmatic arcs. (1) An Eastern Continental arc built within a well defined Permian to Triassic continental crust that record a protracted 90-70 Ma magmatic evolution, (2) a 90-80 arc formed within attenuated continental crust and associated oceanic crust, (3) 90-88 Ma arc formed over a Late Cretaceous plateau crust. The eastern arcs were formed as part of double eastern vergent subduction system, where the most outboard arc represent a fringing arc formed over detached fragments of continental crust, whereas the easternmost continental arc growth by the closure an subduction of and older and broad Triassic to Early Jurassic back-arc ocean. Its closure also end up in ophiolite emplacement. The third allochtonous oceanic arc was formed over the Caribbean plateau crust and was accreted to the continental margin in the Late Cretaceous. Ongoing paleomagnetic, deformational, gravimetric and basin analysis will be integrate to test this model and understand the complex Late Cretaceous tectonic evolution of the Northern Andes.