Absence of Cocos plate subduction-related basic volcanism in southern Mexico: A unique case on Earth?

Abstract

Research Article| December 01, 2002 Absence of Cocos plate subduction-related basic volcanism in southern Mexico: A unique case on Earth? Surendra P. Verma Surendra P. Verma 1Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Mainz, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Surendra P. Verma 1Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Mainz, Germany Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 03 Apr 2002 Revision Received: 21 Aug 2002 Accepted: 22 Aug 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2002) 30 (12): 1095–1098. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<1095:AOCPSR>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 03 Apr 2002 Revision Received: 21 Aug 2002 Accepted: 22 Aug 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Surendra P. Verma; Absence of Cocos plate subduction-related basic volcanism in southern Mexico: A unique case on Earth?. Geology 2002;; 30 (12): 1095–1098. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<1095:AOCPSR>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The relationship between volcanism and subduction of the Cocos plate is examined on the basis of new as well as published Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic and geochemical data on late Miocene to Holocene (ca. 9–0 Ma) basic volcanic rocks from southern Mexico and Central America. Basic rocks (with SiO2 < 52%) were chosen in order to minimize the effects of crustal-assimilation processes and, therefore, to test the contribution from deeper sources: the subducted Cocos plate and the mantle wedge. By using fluid-mobile to relatively fluid-immobile elements and radiogenic isotope ratios for such rocks, I show that the subduction of the Cocos plate does not contribute to the basic volcanism in all of southern Mexico as opposed to that in Central America (from Guatemala to northwestern Costa Rica). South Mexican volcanism is related to ongoing rifting processes, inferred from field geology, seismology, gravity, tectonics, and volcano alignments. This lack of subduction relationship probably represents the first case on Earth where the ongoing subduction of an oceanic plate does not give rise to basic volcanism, such as is present throughout southern Mexico. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.