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Ancient crystalline basement provinces in the north chilean central andes — relics of continental crust development since the mid proterozoic

  • A: Pre-Andean Evolution
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The Southern Central Andes

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences ((LNEARTH,volume 17))

Abstract

Ancient crystalline basement provinces are found only rarely in the North Chilean parts of the Central Andes and they show only diffuse structural similarities due to multiphase tectonic and metamorphic reworking. Radiometric dating of supracrustal series and intrusive cycles point to a crustal creation history reaching back as far as the Mid-Proterozoic (1460±448 Ma: BELÉN metabasalts; 1254+97/−94 Ma: CHOJA migmatite; 1213+28/−25; CHOJA orthogneiss). The oldest rock records are of mostly low- to medium-grade metamorphic volcanic-clastic sequences with intrusive granitic pulses. High-grade metamorphic rocks occur only in few sites as granulitic gneisses and migmatites. Most of the radiometric data suggest various phases of metamorphic formation (Brazilian, Caledonian and Variscan events). Primary ages shown to be Mid-Proterozoic by the depositional events of basic to intermediate volcanic and volcanic-clastic rocks. Amphibolitic metabasalts are of primitive type, comparable to modern tholeiitic rocks of CFB (continental flood basalts) affinities. Shallow seated granitic bodies intruded the supracrustals during syn- to postkinematic stages of various orogenic cycles. The oldest intrusive cycles can be identified as "Brazilian", "Caledonian" and "Variscan" and vary in different provinces. The "Andean cycle" is responsable for the main tectonic kinematics and continuous magmatic pulses. The characteristics of granitic rocks vary only slightly. Geochemical data indicate complex magmatic systems with possible crustal contaminants (transition from WPG to VAG trace element affinities; Sri values from 0.7051 to 0.7062).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Geociencias, Universidad del Norte, Casilla 1280, Antofagasta, Chile

    L. Baeza

  2. Institut für Geologie, Freie Universität, Altensteinstr. 34a, 1000, Berlin 33, Federal Republic Germany

    S. Pichowiak

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  1. L. Baeza
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Heinrich Bahlburg Christoph Breitkreuz Peter Giese

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Baeza, L., Pichowiak, S. (1988). Ancient crystalline basement provinces in the north chilean central andes — relics of continental crust development since the mid proterozoic. In: Bahlburg, H., Breitkreuz, C., Giese, P. (eds) The Southern Central Andes. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences, vol 17. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0045171

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0045171

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