Abstract
The tectonic history and geological factors, such as the present-day geomorphology and vertical motions of the coastline, influence the coastal and marine ecosystems of South America. The continent’s Phanerozoic tectonic history is dominated by its separation from Africa and the Mid-Miocene uplift of the Andes. Tectonically, South America is divided into two parts, the Andean chain to the west and a vast stable platform to the east, consisting of exposed Precambrian rocks and shallow sedimentary cover rocks. The Pacific Andean coastline is characterized by high relief, a relatively narrow shelf bordering a deep trench, small drainage basins, and rapid vertical motions of the coast. Low relief, a broad shelf, and extremely large drainage basins and alluvial fans characterize the Atlantic coastline. Today, approximately 93% of South America’s drainage is to the Caribbean and the Atlantic away from the Andes and provides the world’s best example of present-day continent-scale drainage control by plate tectonics (Inman and Nordstrom 1971; Hoorn et al. 1995; Potter 1997).
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Kellogg, J.N., Mohriak, W.U. (2001). The Tectonic and Geological Environment of Coastal South America. In: Seeliger, U., Kjerfve, B. (eds) Coastal Marine Ecosystems of Latin America. Ecological Studies, vol 144. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04482-7_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04482-7_1
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