Transient slab flattening beneath Colombia

Abstract Subduction of the Nazca and Caribbean Plates beneath northwestern Colombia is seen in two distinct Wadati Benioff Zones, one associated with a flat slab to the north and one associated with normal subduction south of 5.5°N. The normal subduction region is characterized by an active arc, whe...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: L. S. Wagner, J. S. Jaramillo, L. F. Ramírez‐Hoyos, G. Monsalve, A. Cardona, T. W. Becker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2017-07-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073981
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849321314264809472
author L. S. Wagner
J. S. Jaramillo
L. F. Ramírez‐Hoyos
G. Monsalve
A. Cardona
T. W. Becker
author_facet L. S. Wagner
J. S. Jaramillo
L. F. Ramírez‐Hoyos
G. Monsalve
A. Cardona
T. W. Becker
author_sort L. S. Wagner
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Subduction of the Nazca and Caribbean Plates beneath northwestern Colombia is seen in two distinct Wadati Benioff Zones, one associated with a flat slab to the north and one associated with normal subduction south of 5.5°N. The normal subduction region is characterized by an active arc, whereas the flat slab region has no known Holocene volcanism. We analyze volcanic patterns over the past 14 Ma to show that in the mid‐Miocene a continuous arc extended up to 7°N, indicating normal subduction of the Nazca Plate all along Colombia's Pacific margin. However, by ~6 Ma, we find a complete cessation of this arc north of 3°N, indicating the presence of a far more laterally extensive flat slab than at present. Volcanism did not resume between 3°N and 6°N until after 4 Ma, consistent with lateral tearing and resteepening of the southern portion of the Colombian flat slab at that time.
format Article
id doaj-art-474ebbae65d24935841fcf1462c08dbf
institution Kabale University
issn 0094-8276
1944-8007
language English
publishDate 2017-07-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-474ebbae65d24935841fcf1462c08dbf2025-08-20T03:49:46ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072017-07-0144136616662310.1002/2017GL073981Transient slab flattening beneath ColombiaL. S. Wagner0J. S. Jaramillo1L. F. Ramírez‐Hoyos2G. Monsalve3A. Cardona4T. W. Becker5Department of Terrestrial Magnetism Carnegie Institution for Science Washington District of Columbia USADepartamento de Geociencias y Medio Ambiente Universidad Nacional de Colombia Medellin ColombiaDepartamento de Geociencias y Medio Ambiente Universidad Nacional de Colombia Medellin ColombiaDepartamento de Geociencias y Medio Ambiente Universidad Nacional de Colombia Medellin ColombiaDepartamento de Procesos y Energía Universidad Nacional de Colombia Medellin ColombiaInstitute for Geophysics and Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USAAbstract Subduction of the Nazca and Caribbean Plates beneath northwestern Colombia is seen in two distinct Wadati Benioff Zones, one associated with a flat slab to the north and one associated with normal subduction south of 5.5°N. The normal subduction region is characterized by an active arc, whereas the flat slab region has no known Holocene volcanism. We analyze volcanic patterns over the past 14 Ma to show that in the mid‐Miocene a continuous arc extended up to 7°N, indicating normal subduction of the Nazca Plate all along Colombia's Pacific margin. However, by ~6 Ma, we find a complete cessation of this arc north of 3°N, indicating the presence of a far more laterally extensive flat slab than at present. Volcanism did not resume between 3°N and 6°N until after 4 Ma, consistent with lateral tearing and resteepening of the southern portion of the Colombian flat slab at that time.https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073981Colombiaflat slabvolcanism
spellingShingle L. S. Wagner
J. S. Jaramillo
L. F. Ramírez‐Hoyos
G. Monsalve
A. Cardona
T. W. Becker
Transient slab flattening beneath Colombia
Geophysical Research Letters
Colombia
flat slab
volcanism
title Transient slab flattening beneath Colombia
title_full Transient slab flattening beneath Colombia
title_fullStr Transient slab flattening beneath Colombia
title_full_unstemmed Transient slab flattening beneath Colombia
title_short Transient slab flattening beneath Colombia
title_sort transient slab flattening beneath colombia
topic Colombia
flat slab
volcanism
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073981
work_keys_str_mv AT lswagner transientslabflatteningbeneathcolombia
AT jsjaramillo transientslabflatteningbeneathcolombia
AT lframirezhoyos transientslabflatteningbeneathcolombia
AT gmonsalve transientslabflatteningbeneathcolombia
AT acardona transientslabflatteningbeneathcolombia
AT twbecker transientslabflatteningbeneathcolombia