Geological Studies in eastern Venezuela and Trinidad from Cretaceous passive margin to Neogene transpressional thrust belt

Conference · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5904586

Algar, S T; Erikson, J E; Pindell, J L ^[1]

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1. Dartmouth Coll., Hanover, NH (United States)

Sedimentological and structural analyses of Trinidad's Northern and Central ranges and Venezuela's Serrania del Interior have led to new interpretations of northeastern. South America's tectonic evolution within the Southern Caribbean Plate Boundary Zone. Medial ( ) Jurassic through early Cenozoic passive margin sediments make up the majority of these areas and were deposited somewhat to the WNW (between 80 and 130 km for Northern Range of Trinidad) of their present positions prior to structural shortening. Neogene southeastward displacement of Jurassic-Cretaceous passive slope and rise sediments (Northern Range) drove propagation of thrusts southward into the Serrania and Central ranges. Displacements were driven by migration of the Caribbean Plate relative to South America. Thus, the Serrania and Central ranges are the western hemisphere's only exposed Mesozoic-Cenozoic passive Atlantic margin stratigraphic section. As such, they provide a Cretaceous-Paleogene record of passive margin sedimentation at a thermally subsiding margin where the complicating effects of tectonism are absent. This makes these sections especially suited for studies of eustatic sea level behavior. Preliminary assessments are shown which suggest that sea level changes for Cretaceous to Paleogene time are not as pronounced as the frequent large and rapid sea level falls and rises that are promoted by some.

• OSTI ID: 5904586
• Report Number(s): CONF-910403--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 75:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
ISLANDS
JURASSIC PERIOD
LATIN AMERICA
LESSER ANTILLES
LEVELS
MESOZOIC ERA
PLATE TECTONICS
SEA LEVEL
SOUTH AMERICA
TECTONICS
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
VENEZUELA
WEST INDIES