Tectonic correlations of pre-Mesozoic crust from the northern termination of the Colombian Andes, Caribbean regin Correlaciones tectnicas

de la corteza pre-Mesozoico de la terminacin norte de los Andes colombianos, en la regin del Caribe

Agustin Cardona Molina a,*,1, Umberto G. Cordani a,1, William D. MacDonald b a University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Rua do Lago 562, CEP 05508-080, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil b State University of New York, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA Received 1 October 2004; accepted 1 December 2005

Abstract Reconnaissance zircon U/Pb SHRIMP, ArAr, and SmNd geochronology, petrological, and geochemical data were obtained from selected localities of two pre-Mesozoic metamorphic belts from the northern termination of the Colombian Andes in the Caribbean region. The older Proterozoic belt, with protoliths formed in a rift- or backarc-related environment, was metamorphosed at 68 kb and 760810 _C during Late Mesoproterozoic times. This belt correlates with other high-grade metamorphic domains of the Andean realm that formed a Grenvillian-related collisional belt linked to the formation of Rodinia. The younger belt was formed over a continental arc at <530450 Ma in a Gondwanide position and metamorphosed at 5 8 kb and 500550 _C, probably during the Late Paleozoic Triassic, as part of the terranes that docked with northwestern South America during the formation of Pangea. A Mesozoic Ar Ar tectonothermal evolution can be related to regional magmatic events, whereas Late Cretaceous Paleocene structural trends are related to the accretion of the allocthonous Caribbean subduction metamorphic belts. Lithotectonic correlations with other circum-Caribbean and southern North American pre-Jurassic domains show the existence of different terrane dispersal patterns that can be related to Pangeas breakup and Caribbean tectonics. _ 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Resumen Anlisis geo cronolgicos, petrolgicos y geoqumicos fueron realizados en dos cinturones metamrficos Pre-Mesozoicos, localizados en la terminacin de los Andes Colombianos. Los resultados indican la existencia de un cinturn Meso proterozoico tardo, con protolitos formados en un ambiente de rift o backarc, y metamorfoseados en condiciones de 6 8 kb y 760810 C. Este cinturn es correlacionable con otros dominios metamrficos localizados en los Andes Colombianos, que en conjunto forman un cinturn Grenvilliano, relacionado con la formacin de Rodinia. El otro cinturn hara parte de un arco magma tico continental formado en la margen de Gondwana a <530450 Ma, y sera metamorfoseado en condiciones de 5 8 kb y 500550 C posiblemente durante el Permo-Triasico. Este evento estara relacionado con la acrecin de terrenos en la margen continental suramericana, durante la formacin de Pangea. La evolucin tectono- termal registrada por la geo cronologa Ar Ar muestra un evento del Mesozoico Medio relacionado con actividad magmtica regional, y otro Cretcico tardo, asociado a la acrecin de los cinturones metamrficos de la placa del Caribe. Las correlaciones geolgicas con otros dominios Pre-Mesozoicos del Caribe y del sur de Norte Amrica, muestran la existencia de procesos de dispersin de terrenos, relacionados con la separacin de Pangea y la evolucin Meso-Cenozoica del Caribe. _ 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

1. Introduction The pre-Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the northern Andes is recorded in various tectonostratigraphic terranes (Fig. 1) that were accreted to the continent in Proterozoic to Mesozoic times (Restrepo and Toussaint, 1988; Bellizzia and Pimentel, 1994; Litherland et al., 1994). These

terranes bear some of the effects of tectonic interactions recorded in eastern North America and western South America from Late Proterozoic to Late Paleozoic times during the development of the Rodinia, Gondwana, and Pangea supercontinents (Rowley and Pindell, 1989; Restrepo-Pace et al., 1997; Keppie and Ramos, 1999). The northern termination of the Andes was affected by complex Meso-Cenozoic crustal redistributions of the pre-Mesozoic crust, associated with the development of the Caribbean plate since the breakup of Pangea. The present study provides new petrological, geochronological, and geochemical data from representative outcrops of the pre-Mesozoic basement domains of isolated massifs in the northern termination of the Colombian Andes in the Caribbean region (Fig. 1). These new results, combined with other available data, permit the recognition of the tectonic development of two metamorphic belts of Proterozoic and Paleozoic ages and correlates them in a terrane perspective. Insights into patterns of Meso-Cenozoic terrane dispersion emerge from the distribution of these and correlated cristal domains in the Caribbean realm. The next sections provide more details regarding the regional tectonic framework and geology of the two main metamorphic belts that characterized the composite pre- Mesozoic domain from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Guajira massifs, incorporating new petrological, geochemical, and geochronological data from selected localities of the different units.

Fig. 1. Pre-Mesozoic terrane and crust exposures from the Northern Andes (soft gray). Northernmost Andean massifs are also included: (1) Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, (2) Guajira Serranias. L-A, Loja- Amotape; T, Taham; CH, Chibcha; M-C, Merida-Caparo; C-T, CaucaguaTinaco. Amazon Craton is hatched. figura 1. Terranos Pre-Mesozoico y afloramiento de la corteza del Norte de los Andes (gris claro). Macizos andinos ms septentrional tambin se incluyen: (1) Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, (2) Serranas Guajira. LA, Loja-Amotape, T, Tahami ', CH, Chibcha, MC, Mrida-Caparo, CT, Caucagua-Tinaco. Amazon Cratn est sombreado.

Introduccin La evolucin tectnica pre-Mesozoico de los Andes del norte se registra en varios terrenos tectonoestratigrficos (Fig. 1), que fueron acrecionados en el continente desde el Proterozoico hasta el Mesozoico (Restrepo and Toussaint, 1988; Bellizzia and Pimentel, 1994; Litherland et al., 1994). Estos terrenos tienen registrados algunos de los efectos de las interacciones tectnicas en el este de Amrica del Norte y el oeste de Amrica del Sur del Proterozoico y el Paleozoico tardo durante el desarrollo de los supercontinentes Rodinia, Gondwana y Pangea (Rowley and Pindell, 1989; Restrepo-Pace et al., 1997; Keppie and Ramos, 1999). La terminacin del norte de los Andes fue afectada por la redistribucin de complejos de corteza Meso-Cenozoico de la corteza pre-Mesozoico, asociados con el desarrollo de la placa del Caribe desde la desintegracin de Pangea. El reciente estudio proporciona nuevos datos petrolgicos, geo cronologa y geoqumica de afloramientos representativos de los campos del basamento pre-Mesozoico de macizos aislados en la terminacin norte de los Andes de Colombia en la regin del Caribe (Fig. 1). Estos nuevos resultados, junto con otros datos disponibles, permiten el reconocimiento de la evolucin tectnica de los dos cinturones metamrficos de edad Proterozoico y Paleozoico y los correlaciona desde una perspectiva en el campo. Ideas sobre los patrones de dispersin en el terreno MesoCenozoico surgen de la distribucin de stos y los dominios de cristales correlacionados en el campo del Caribe. Las siguientes secciones proporcionan ms detalles sobre el marco tectnico regional y la geologa de los dos principales cinturones metamrficos, que caracterizan las principales composiciones pre-mesozoic de los macizos de la sierra nevada de santa marta y la guajira, incorporando nuevos datos petrolgicos, geoqumicos y geo cronolgicos de las localidades seleccionadas de las diferentes unidades. 2. Geological setting The northern termination of the Andean chain in Colombia is characterized by several isolated massifs (Fig. 1). This configuration is related to the multiple plate boundaries and associated MesoCenozoic escape and transpressive tectonics that accompanied Andean terrane accretionary events and the NE migration of the Caribbean Plate in an oblique regime (Pindell, 1994; Colletta et al., 1997; Taboada et al., 2000). The massifs (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and several smaller serranias of the Guajira Peninsula, Figs. 2 and 3) are composed of three correlatable lithotectonic belts (Alvarez, 1971; MacDonald et al., 1971; Tschanz et al., 1974), which from NW to SE include (1) Cretaceous lowgrade volcanosedimentary metamorphic rocks, with intercalated mafic and ultramafic plutonic rocks, related to a subduction front formed as part of the allocthonous Caribbean plate arc domains (MacDonald et al., 1971; Pindell, 1994; Ave Lallement, 1997); (2) a composite pre-Mesozoic domain, with Proterozoic high-grade rocks and a younger amphibolite facies belt, considered as lateral extensions of the two main continental crustal terranes that constitute the basement of the Eastern and Central cordilleras of the Colombian Andes (Alvarez, 1971; Toussaint, 1993); and (3) an undeformed to weakly deformed belt of Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, with the same depositional patterns as the autocthonous South American margin (MacDonald, 1965).

Marco geolgico. La terminacin norte de la cordillera de los Andes en Colombia se caracteriza por varios macizos aislados (Fig. 1). Esta configuracin est relacionada con los mltiples lmites de las placas y asociado la migracin Meso-Cenozoico y la tectnica transpresiva que acompaaron eventos de acrecin de terrenos andinos y la migracin NE de la Placa del Caribe, en un rgimen oblicuo (Pindell, 1994; Colletta et al., 1997; Taboada et al., 2000).

Los macizos (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta y varias serranas ms pequeas de la pennsula de la Guajira, las figuras 2 y 3.) son tres cinturones litotectonicos correlacionables (Alvarez, 1971; MacDonald et al., 1971; Tschanz et al., 1974), que a partir de NW a SE incluyen (1) del Cretcico bajo grado rocas metamrficas volcanosedimentarias, intercaladas con rocas mficas y ultramficas plutnicas, relacionados con un frente de subduccin formada como resultado de los principales cambios del arco de la placa Caribe (MacDonald et al., 1971; Pindell, 1994; Ave Lallement, 1997), (2) un principal compuesto pre-Mesozoico, con rocas del Proterozoico de alto grado y un cinturn de facies de anfibolita jvenes, considerados como extensiones laterales de los dos principales terrenos de corteza continental que constituyen el subsuelo de las cordilleras Oriental y Central de los Andes colombianos (lvarez, 1971; Toussaint, 1993), y (3) la parte no deformada a la dbilmente deformada del cinturn de rocas sedimentarias mesozoicas, con los mismos patrones de depositacion propios del margen sudamericano (MacDonald, 1965).

3. Analytical techniques 3.1. Geochemistry Fourteen whole-rock samples were analyzed for major elements, trace elements, and rare earth elements (REE) by XRF and ICP-OES in the chemical laboratory of the Geoscience Institute of the University of Sao Paulo. The obtained data appear in Table 1. Sample preparation included pressed powder pellets and fused glass discs for major and trace element determination and dissolution and cationic exchange column separations for REE. X-ray flourescence analyses were done in a wavelength- dispersive Philips PW 2400 XRF spectrometer, and ICP-OES occurred within the sequential spectrometer ARL 3410 equipped with an ultrasonic CETAC Inc. nebulizer, model U-5000AT, and follows the procedures presented by Mori et al. (1999) and Navarro et al. (2002). Amphibole and plagioclase mineral pairs from three samples were analyzed with the electronic microprobe JEOL JXA-8600 from the same institute; results appear in Table 2. Additional amphibole grain separates from the same samples also were analyzed in the same microprobe and are available on request. The sample current was 20 nA, and 15 kV was the accelerating voltage, with a beam diameter of 5 nm. Analyses were done on core, border, and intermediate areas of the grains. Amphibole compositions were calculated following IMAA (Leake et al., 1997) with the AMPH program (Yavafuz, 1999) and the free Internet amphibole calculation spreadsheet for Excel (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/geology/profiles/analysis/software/amphibole-names.xls). Metamorphic conditions were defined by comparing the results from different empirical and experimental amphibole and amphibole-plagioglase thermobarometers, after Fershater (1990), Hammarston and Zen (1986), Hollister et al. (1987), Johnson and Rutherford (1989), Schmidt (1992), and Holland and Blundy (1994) for the high-grade rocks. The procedures of Plyusnina (1982) and Fershater (1990) were taken into consideration in analyzing the lower-grade greenschist-amphibolite rocks. Holland and Blundys (1994) thermometer was not employed for the greenschist and amphibolite facies rocks, because it overestimates temperature values (John et al., 1999). The results represent probable intervals of PT conditions, considering the differences in their internal errors and calibrations.

Tcnicas analticas Geoqumica. De catorce muestras fueron analizados los elementos principales, elementos traza y elementos de tierras raras (REE) por XRF e ICP-OES en el laboratorio de qumica del Instituto de Geociencias de la Universidad de Sao Paulo. Los datos obtenidos aparecen en la Tabla 1.

Granos adicionales de anfibolita separados de las mismas muestras tambin fueron analizados con la misma microsonda y estn disponibles bajo peticin. La corriente de muestra fue de 20 nA, y 15 kV era el voltaje de aceleracin, con un dimetro de haz de 5 nm. El anlisis se hace en el ncleo, el borde y zonas intermedias de los granos. Composiciones anfbol se calcularon siguiendo IMAA (Leake et al., 1997) con el programa de ANF (Yavafuz, 1999) y la hoja de clculo de Internet amphibole libre para Excel http://www.abdn.ac.uk/geology/profiles/analysis/software/amphibolenames.xls Condiciones metamrficas se definieron mediante la comparacin de los resultados de diferentes anfibolitas existentes y anfibolitas experimentales y termo-barmetros anfbol-plagioglase, despus Fershater (1990), Hammarston and Zen (1986), Hollister et al. (1987), Johnson and Rutherford (1989), Schmidt (1992), and Holland and Blundy (1994) para las rocas de alto grado. Se tomaron los procedimientos de Plyusnina (1982) y Fershater (1990) en consideracin en el anlisis de las rocas greenschist-amphibolite de menor grado. Holanda y (1994) termmetro de Blundy no se emple para la greenschist y facies anfibolita rocas, ya que sobreestima los valores de temperatura (John et al., 1999). Los resultados representan los intervalos de condiciones probables de P-T, teniendo en cuenta las diferencias en sus errores internos y calibraciones.