Geodynamic reconstructions of the South America-Antarctica plate system

• Published in: Journal of Geodynamics
• Main Authors: Vérard, C., Flores, K.E., Stampfli, G.M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: geo; art; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Discovery Bank; Drake Passage; Falkland Plateau; Georgia Rise; Pacific; Patagonia; Powell Basin; Sandwich Islands; Scotia Sea; South Sandwich Islands; The Antarctic; Weddell; Weddell Sea; Antarc*; Antarctica; Tierra del Fuego
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jog.2011.07.007; https://serval.unil.ch/notice/serval:BIB_18006840F814

The South America-Antarctica plate system shows many oceanic accretionary systems and subduction zones that initiated and then stopped. To better apprehend the evolution of the system, geodynamic reconstructions (global) have been created from Jurassic (165 Ma) to present, following the techniques used at the University of Lausanne. However, additional synthetic magnetic anomalies were used to refine the geodynamics between 33 Ma and present. The reconstructions show the break up of Gondwana with oceanisation between South America (SAM) and Antarctica (ANT), together with the break off of `Andean' geodynamical units (GDUs). We propose that oceanisation occurs also east and south of the Scotian GDUs. Andean GDUs collide with other GDUs crossing the Pacific. The west coast of SAM and ANT undergo a subsequent collision with all those GDUs between 103 Ma and 84 Ma, and the Antarctic Peninsula also collides with Tierra del Fuego. The SAM-ANT plate boundary experienced a series of extension and shortening with large strike-slip component, culminating with intra-oceanic subduction leading to the presence of the `V-' and anomalies in the Weddell Sea. From 84 Ma, a transpressive collision takes place in the Scotia region, with active margin to the east. As subduction propagates northwards into an old and dense oceanic crust, slab roll-back initiates, giving rise to the western Scotia Sea and the Powell Basin opening. The Drake Passage opens. As the Scotian GDUs migrate eastwards, there is enough space for them to spread and allow a north-south divergence with a spreading axis acting simultaneously with the western Scotia ridge. Discovery Bank stops the migration of South Orkney and `collides with' the SAM-ANT spreading axis, while the northern Scotian GDUs are blocked against the Falkland Plateau and the North-East Georgia Rise. The western and central Scotia and the Powell Basin spreading axes must cease, and the ridge jumps to create the South Sandwich Islands Sea. The Tierra del Fuego-Patagonia region has always ...