Tectonic Processes along the South America Coastline Derived from Quaternary Marine Terraces

• Published in: Journal of Coastal Research
• Main Authors: Isla, Federico Ignacio, Angulo, Rodolfo José
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Coastal Education & Research Foundation
• Subjects: HOLOCENE HIGHSTAND; QUATERNARY HIGHSTANDS; SOUTH AMERICA; TECTONICS; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1; Antarctic; Patagonia; Pacific; Argentina; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11336/75980

South America is overriding the Nazca, Antarctic, and Cocos plates, and at the same time is moving along the Caribbean and Scotia plates. Quaternary sea-level highstands are ideal benchmarks to estimate tectonic uplifts considering altitude differences along the coast. The Sangamonian highstand, corresponding to the Marine Isotopic Stage 5, is the most helpful indicator for these purposes as it is more easily preserved and spanning a record of 120,000 years. The Mid-Holocene highstand leads to errors assigned to tidal-range variations, estuarine floods, and meteorological effects; however, its maximum altitudes could confirm faster uplifting rates. The major uplifting trends were estimated in relation to the subduction of seismic or aseismic ridges along the Pacific Ocean coast. The Quaternary uplifted terraces of the Atlantic coast at Patagonia were explained by the decreasing uplift induced by the subduction of the Chile Ridge, and related to a very modern volcanic field. Fil: Isla, Federico Ignacio. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario; Argentina Fil: Angulo, Rodolfo José. Universidade Federal do Paraná; Brasil