Abstract
The continental margin of the west coast of South America marks the seismically active, tectonic boundary between the converging Nasca and South American plates. The Peru-Chile Trench is the dominant morphologic element of the margin and persists as a structural feature from the coast of western Colombia to Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. Variations in the trench morphology, sediment distribution, volcanism and orogenesis in the Andes, and the seismicity are interpeted to be the likely consequence of variations in the rate and direction of plate convergence and the effectiveness of geologic boundary conditions within the continental lithosphere. Some outstanding problems are cited also.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Bibliography
Aldrich, L. T., Tatel, H. E., Tuve, M. A., and Wetherill, G. W., 1958, The earth’s crust: Carnegie Inst. Wash. Yearbook, v. 57, p. 104–111.
Allen, C. R., 1965, Transcurrent faults in continental areas: Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London, v. 258, p. 82–89.
Atwater, T., 1970, Implications of plate tectonics for the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of western North America: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 81, p. 3513–3536.
Barker, P. F., 1970, Plate tectonics in the Scotia Sea region: Nature, v. 228, p. 1293–1296.
Benioff, H., 1954, Orogenesis and deep crustal structure-additional evidence from seismology: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 65, p. 385–400.
Casertano, L., 1963, Catalogue of the active volcanoes of the world including Solfatara Fields, pt. XV: Rome, Internati. Assoc. Volcanology, 55 p.
Dalziel, I. W. D., and Elliot, D. H., 1973, The Scotia arc and Antarctic margin, in Nairn, A. E. M., and Stehli, F. G., eds., The ocean basins and margins, v. 1: New York, Plenum, p. 171–246.
Fisher, R. L., and Raitt, R. W., 1962, Topography and structure of the Peru-Chile Trench: Deep-Sea Research, v. 9, p. 423–443.
Forsyth, D., and Chapman, E., 1974, Focal Mechanisms in the South Atlantic and Scotia Sea (abstr): Am. Geophys. Union Trans., v. 55, no. 4, p. 446.
Grow, J. A., and Bowin, C. O., 1974, Evidence for high density mantle beneath the Chile Trench due to the descending lithosphere: Jour. Geophys. Res., in press.
Hantke, G., and Parodi, I. A., 1966, Catalogue of the active volcanoes of the world including Solfatara Fields, pt. XIX: Rome, Internatl. Assoc. Volcanology, 73 p.
Hayes, D. E., 1966, A geophysical investigation of the Peru-Chile Trench: Marine Geology, v. 4, p. 309–351.
Hayes, D. E. and Ewing, M., 1970, Pacific boundary structure, in Maxwell, A., ed., The sea, v. 4: New York, Wiley, p. 29–72.
Hayes, D. E., and Talwani, M., 1972, A geophysical study of Macquarie-Ridge-Complex, in Hayes, D. E., ed., Antarctic oceanology: II. The Australian-New Zealand sector: Washington, D.C., Am. Geophys. Union, Antarctic Res. Ser., v. 19, p. 211–234.
Hayes, D. E., Talwani, M., Houtz, R., Pitman, W. C. III, and Meijer, R. R. II, 1972, Preliminary report of volume 22, U.S.N.S. ELTANIN, in Ewing, M., ed., Lamont-Doherty survey of the World Ocean: Tech. Rept. CU-1–72, 232 p.
Heezen, B. C., Tharp, M., and Ewing, M., 1959, The floor of the oceans: I. The North Atlantic: Geol. Soc. America Spec. Paper 65, 122 p.
Herron, E. M., 1971, Crustal plates and sea floor spreading in the southeastern Pacific, in Reid, J. L., ed., Antarctic oceanology I: Washington, D.C., Am. Geophys Union, Antarctic Res. Ser., v. 15, p. 229–237.
Herron, E. M.,1972a, Sea-floor spreading and the Cenozoic history of the east-central Pacific: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 83, p. 1671–1692.
Herron, E. M., 1972b, Two small crustal plates in the South Pacific near Easter Island: Nature Phys. Sci., v. 240, p. 35–37.
Herron, E. M.,, and Hayes, D. E., 1969, A geophysical study of Chile Ridge: Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters, v. 6, p. 77–83.
Herron, E. M., and Heirtzler, J. R., 1967, Sea-floor spreading near the Galapagos: Science, v. 158, p. 775–780.
Houtz, R., Ewing, M., Hayes, D., and Naini, B., 1973, Sediment isopachs in the Indian and Pacific ocean sectors (195°E to 70°W): New York, Am. Geogr. Soc., ntarctic Map Folio Ser., Folio 17, p. 9–12.
International Upper Mantle Project Scientific Report 1970, Planning seminar on the Andean geophysical program and geologic and geophysic related problems: Conf. on Solid Earth Problems, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Oct. 26–31, Rept. 37-I, v. 1, 232 p.
James, D. E., 1971, Andean crustal and upper mantle structure: Jour. Geophys. Res., v. 76, p. 3246–3271.
Julivert, M., 1973, Les traits structuraux et revolution des Andes Colombiennes: Rev. Geogr. Phys. et Geol. Dynamique, v. XV, p. 143–156.
Karig, D., 1974, Tectonic erosion at trenches: Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters, v. 21, p. 209–212.
Katz, H. R., 1971, Continental margin in Chile-is tectonic style compressional or extensional?: Am. Assoc. Petr. Geol. Bull., v. 55, p. 1753–1758.
Kulm, L. D., Resig, J. M., Moore, T. C., Jr., and Rosato, V. J., 1974, Transfer of Nazca Ridge pelagic sediments to the Peru continental margin: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 85, p. 769–780.
Lister, C. R. B., 1971, Tectonic movement in the Chile Trench: Science, v. 173, p. 719–722.
Mammerickx, J., Smith, S. M., Taylor, I. L., and Chase, T. E., 1974, Bathymetry of the South Pacific: Scripps Inst. Oceanography, IMR Tech. Rept. 48A, 52A, 53A, 54A.
Myers, J. S., 1974, Cretaceous stratigraphy and structure, western Andes of Peru between latitudes 10°-10°30’: Am. Assoc. Petr. Geol. Bull., v. 58, p. 474–487.
Nazca Plate Project Progress Report, 1973, Appendix A: Joint Proj. Hawaii Inst. Phys. and Oregon State Univ., Program Internatl. Decade Ocean Expl., 128 p.
Noble, D. C., McKee, E. H., Farrar, E., and Petersen, U., 1974, Episodic Cenozoic volcanism and tectonism in the Andes of Peru: Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters, v. 21, p. 213–220.
Ocola, L. C., Meyer, R. P., and Aldrich, L. T., 1971, Gross crustal structure under Peru-Bolivia altiplano: Earthquake Notes, v. XLII, no. 3–4, p. 338–48.
Raff, A. D., 1968, Sea-floor spreading: another rift: Jour. Geophys. Res, v. 73, p. 3699–3706.
Sass, J. H., Munroe, R. J., and Moses, T. H., Jr., 1974, Heat flow from eastern Panama and northwestern Colombia: Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters, v. 21, p. 134–142.
Scholl, D. W., von Huene, R., and Ridlon, J. B., 1968, Spreading of the ocean floor: undeformed sediments in the Peru-Chile Trench: Science, v. 159, p. 869–871.
Scholl, D. W., von Huene, R., and Ridlon, J. B., Christensen, M. N., von Huene, R., and Marlow, M. S., 1970, Peru-Chile Trench sediments and sea-floor spreading: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 81, p. 1339–1360.
Sillitoe, R. H., 1972, A Plate Tectonic Model for the Origin of Porphyry Copper Deposits, Economic Geology, v. 67, pp. 184–197.
Stauder, W., 1973, Mechanism and spatial distribution of Chilean earthquakes with relation to subduction of the oceanic plate: Jour. Geophys. Res., v. 78, p. 5033–5061.
Sykes, L. R., and Hayes, D., 1971, Seismicity and tectonics of South America and adjacent oceanic areas (abstr.): Geol. Soc. America, v. 3, p. 206.
Vergara, M., and Munizaga, F., 1974, Age and evolution of the Upper Cenozoic andesitic volcanism in central-south Chile: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 85, p. 603–606.
Watts, A., and Taiwan, M., 1974, Gravity anomalies seaward of deep sea trenches: Geophys. Jour., v. 36, p. 57–90.
Wuenschel, P. C., 1952, Gravity measurements and their interpretation in South America between latitudes 15° and 33° south [thesis]: Columbia Univ., New York, 191 p.
Zeigler, J. M., Athearn, N. D., and Small, H., 1957, Profiles across the Peru-Chile Trench: Deep-Sea Res., v. 4, p. 238–249.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1974 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hayes, D.E. (1974). Continental Margin of Western South America. In: Burk, C.A., Drake, C.L. (eds) The Geology of Continental Margins. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-01141-6_41
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-01141-6_41
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-01143-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-01141-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive