Collision of Manihiki Plateau fragments to accretional margins of northern Andes and Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract

The Manihiki Plateau, a large igneous province (LIP), was emplaced in the Early Cretaceous as a single plateau together with the Ontong Java Plateau and the Hikurangi Plateau. Additional to the present Manihiki Plateau, fragments to its northeast and east have been formed. Plate kinematic reconstructions suggest the capturing of these fragments by the Farallon Plate and the Phoenix Plate, respectively. By tracing these fragments, we report a Paleocene collision of the northeastern Manihiki Plateau fragment with the northern South American craton. The northern Andes exhibit multiple terranes of LIP origin. We infer, based on geophysical, petrological, and geochemical data, that the Pinon formation consists of crustal units of the former Manihiki Plateau. An Early Cretaceous collision of the eastern Manihiki Plateau fragment is reconstructed for West Antarctica. The subduction of this fragment in the Palmer Land region can be associated with the so-called Palmer Land Event and a flattening of the subduction slab. By reconstructing the dispersal of the fragments of the Manihiki Plateau, we provide a deeper insight in the possible subduction scenarios and buildup of the accretional margins of the northern Andes and the Antarctic Peninsula.