Caribbean large igneous province
The Caribbean large igneous province (CLIP) consists of a major
Proto-Caribbean Seaway
Divergence between the
LIP formation
CLIP formed as a large igneous province and now forms a thickened zone of oceanic crust between the North American and South American Plates.[3] In some places the oceanic crust is 2–3 times as thick as normal oceanic crust (15–20 km (9.3–12.4 mi) vs 7 km (4.3 mi). Its composition is similar to that of the Ontong Java Plateau.[4]
Geochemical and geochronological evidences clearly indicate that the Galápagos hotspot initiated the formation of the CLIP 95-90 Ma in the eastern Pacific. From there it move north-east with the Farallon Plate between the two American plates until it collided with a
92–63 Ma
The margins of the CLIP have been uplifted and are exposed above sea level, which makes it unique among oceanic plateaus. It stretches 2,500 km (1,600 mi) east to west and 1,300 km (810 mi) north to south.
The CLIP was created during three phases of eruptions dating between the Aptian and the Maastrichtian: a first phase 124–112 Ma; the main magma production phase 94–83 Ma; and an 80–72 Ma phase. The youngest igneous rocks, in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, are from 63 Ma. That the CLIP originated in the Pacific is obvious because fragments of oceanic crust accreted to the margins of the Caribbean, for example on Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, contain fauna of Pacific provenance.[9]
The Farallon Plate's eastward movement forced the northern half of the CLIP into the ocean basin that had opened between North and South America starting in the Jurassic. However, the mechanisms causing the NE movement of the CLIP remains unclear, especially considering the subduction in the Costa Rica-Panama arc initiated during the Campanian (83–72 Ma). The Galápagos hotspot is probably responsible for the main plume-related magmatic event 90 Ma, whilst the 76 Ma and 55 Ma event are related to lithospheric thinning in the Central Caribbean.[9]
Seismic and geochemical analyses, on the other hand, suggest the CLIP consists of several oceanic plateaus and palaeo-hotspot tracks formed 139-83 Ma some of which have been overprinted by later magmatism.[6][10] If these first volcanic activities were generated by the Galápagos hotspot, it would make it the oldest still active hotspot on Earth.[10]
See also
- Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event, also known as the second Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE-2)
References
Notes
- ^ Courtillot & Renne 2003; Hoernle, Hauff & van den Bogaard 2004
- ^ Serrano et al. 2011, 5.2. Geodynamic setting during the formation of the CLIP, p. 332; Fig. 8, p. 333
- ^ a b Loewen et al. 2013, Introduction, pp. 4241–4242
- ^ Hauff et al. 2000, 2. Geological background, pp. 248–249
- ^ Loewen et al. 2013, Conclusions, pp. 4256–4257
- ^ a b c d Courtillot & Renne 2003, Introduction, p. 697
- ^ a b Geldmacher et al. 2003, Introduction
- ^ Serrano et al. 2011, Introduction, pp. 324–325
- ^ a b Escuder-Viruete et al. 2011, The Caribbean large igneous province, p. 309
- ^ a b Courtillot & Renne 2003, p. 700
Sources
- . Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- Escuder-Viruete, J.; Pérez-Estaun, A.; Joubert, M.; Weis, D. (2011). "The Pelona-Pico Duarte basalts Formation, Central Hispaniola: an on-land section of Late Cretaceous volcanism related to the Caribbean large igneous province" (PDF). Geologica Acta. 9 (3–4): 307–328. . Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- Geldmacher, J.; Hanan, B. B.; S2CID 13509777.
- Hauff, F.; Hoernle, K.; Tilton, G.; Graham, D. W.; Kerr, A. C. (2000). "Large volume recycling of oceanic lithosphere over short time scales: geochemical constraints from the Caribbean Large Igneous Province" (PDF). Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 174 (3): 247–263. . Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- Hoernle, K.; Hauff, F.; van den Bogaard, P. (2004). "70 m.y. history (139–69 Ma) for the Caribbean large igneous province". Geology. 32 (8): 697–700. doi:10.1130/G20574.1. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- Loewen, M. W.; Duncan, R. A.; Kent, A. J. R.; Krawl, K. (2013). "Prolonged plume volcanism in the Caribbean Large Igneous Province: New insights from Curaçao and Haiti" (PDF). Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. 14 (10): 4241–4259. S2CID 56052663. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- Serrano, L.; Ferrari, L.; Martínez, M. L.; Petrone, C. M.; Jaramillo, C. (2011). "An integrative geologic, geochronologic and geochemical study of Gorgona Island, Colombia: Implications for the formation of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province" (PDF). Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 309 (3): 324–336. . Retrieved 9 August 2015.