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A recent study published in Earth and Planetary Physics has altered scientists’ understanding of the tectonic collision between Central and South America, indicating that significant phases of this collision occurred over 10 million years ago. Led by researchers Victor Piedrahita and J. Li, the study involved analyzing late Miocene volcanic rocks (12-6 million years old) from Colombia’s Combia Volcanic Province.
Using magnetic fabric analysis, the researchers studied the orientation of magnetic minerals in the rocks, which revealed insights into their geological history. Many rocks retained original magnetic fabrics, suggesting minimal tectonic deformation during their formation, indicating that by the late Miocene, the most intense phases of tectonic compression had already occurred.
The study concludes that major collision events between the two continents took place earlier than previously thought, primarily during the Oligocene to middle Miocene. This research enhances our understanding of the Andes’ formation and the dynamics of tectonic plate interactions in the Americas.
The work was funded by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
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