T11A-2873
Origin and Development of El Bajío Basin in the Central Sector of Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
Monday, 14 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Paola Andrea Botero1, Susana A. Alaniz Álvarez2, Ángel F. Nieto Samaniego1, Margarita López Martínez3, Gilles Levresse1, Shunshan Xu4 and Carlos Ortega Obregón2, (1)Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Querétaro, Mexico, (2)Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Quéretaro, Mexico, (3)Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Mexico, (4)Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Abstract:
Volcanism of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt has been placed on pre-existing tectonic basins; one of them is El Bajío Basin. We present the origin and evolution of this basin through the study of its deformation events occurring mainly on the El Bajío fault, at the boundary between the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and the Mesa Central. Detailed stratigraphy, and structural analysis suggest 4 deformation events in the northwest of the Sierra de Guanajuato. The first event (D1) with E-W shortening is characterized by the development of axial plane foliation (S1) with N-S direction, this event occurred between the Tithonian and Aptian age. In the second event (D2), occurred between the Albian and the early Eocene, foliations NW-SE (S2) were generated with a NE-SW shortening trend dated between the Albian and early Eocene, this deformation is related to the Laramide Orogeny. The Granito Comanja was emplaced during the third event (D3) and generated foliation (S3) in sediments of the complejo vulcanosedimentario Sierra de Guanajuato that circumscribes the Granito Comanja in response to its intrusion. After its emplacement, NW-SE normal faults were generated along the S-SE contact of the Granito Comanja, at that time El Bajío fault began. The fourth event (D4) has three phases that affected the sedimentary and volcanic Cenozoic rocks. D4F1 is marked by continental conglomerates deposition with variable thickness along of the main trace of the El Bajío fault. D4F2 affected the Oligocene volcanic rocks showing an important fault activity at that time, as evidenced the tilting above 45o in the Oligocene rocks, temporarily coincides with the triaxial extension to the Mesa Central. The direction of elongation of D4F3 is ESE-WNW, El Bajío fault had little movement. Since the Miocene the deformation was concentrated along the southern central sector of the Trans-mexican Volcanic Belt and there were few deformation in the Mesa central. During the three phases of deformation several faults were reactivated with N-S and NE-SW directions. The Taxco-San Miguel de Allende Fault System with N-S direction, and the El Bajio Fault with NW-SE trend, formed half grabens leading the formation of what is now known as El Bajio.
