Tectonic evolution of western Amazonia from the assembly of Rodinia to its break-up

Abstract

Plate tectonic reconstructions of the late Mesoproterozoic–Neoproterozoic supercontinent of Rodinia juxtapose the western margin of Amazonia against eastern Laurentia based on palaeomagnetic, isotopic, and geological evidence. Mesoproterozoic (‘Grenvillian’) orogenic belts are of crucial importance to these reconstructions as they act as key tectonic tracers for Amazonia–Laurentia interactions. They include orogenic belts sited on Amazonia (such as the Sunsás Orogen), para- autochthonous elements such as the Mesoproterozoic metamorphic basement inliers within the Andean Belt (e.g. in the Colombian Andes), exotic terranes accreted to Amazonia during Rodinia assembly (such as the Arequipa Massif), and orphaned fragments of Amazonian basement in Central and North America. A review of the timing of Sunsás orogenesis demonstrates that it occurred from about 1.2–1 Ga in eastern Bolivia and the western Amazon region of Brazil. This is significantly older than the timing of metamorphism in Mesoproterozoic basement inliers of the Colombian Andes, which record a late metamorphic event between 0.9 and 1.0 Ga. Orphaned fragments of Amazonian basement in Laurentia (such as the Blue Ridge/Mars Hill terrane) suggest collision between southeastern Laurentia and Amazonia at ca. 1.15 Ga. The Arequipa Massif (and Antofalla Basement) most likely represents an exotic basement terrane that was caught up in the collision of southeastern Laurentia with western Amazonia. Recent palaeomagnetic data suggest that Amazonia moved northeastwards along the eastern Laurentian margin during Grenvillian collision. Amazonia evidently collided with southern Laurentia at ca. 1200 Ma and, as a result of progressive dextral transcurrent movement, it encountered the Labrador–Greenland sector of eastern Laurentia (and possibly Baltica) by 980 Ma. The timing of the Rodinia break-up in western Amazonia is poorly constrained. Evidence exists supporting a Neoproterozoic western Amazonian active margin, which would imply its at least partial separation from the conjugate rift margin of eastern Laurentia (i.e. formation of a proto-Iapetus Ocean) prior to ca. 650 Ma. This rifting event may be linked to A-type magmatism at ca. 770–690 Ma which is documented in both southeast Laurentia and western Amazonia. Final separation must have been completed by Early Cambrian times based on the unequivocal evidence for drift-related sedimentation on the Laurentian margin of the Iapetus Ocean.