Tectonic subsidence, geoid analysis, and the Miocene-Pliocene unconformity in the Rio Grande rift, southwestern United States: Implications for mantle upwelling as a driving force for rift opening
Abstract
We use tectonic subsidence patterns from wells and stratigraphic sections to describe the mid-Miocene to present tectonic subsidence history of the Rio Grande rift. Tectonic subsidence and therefore rift opening were quite fast until ca. 8 Ma, with net subsidence rates (~25–65 mm/k.y.) comparable to those of the prerupture phase of rifted continental margins. The rapid subsidence was followed by a late Miocene–early Pliocene unconformity that developed mainly along the flanks of most rift basins. The age of its associated lacuna is spatially variable but falls within 8–3 Ma (mostly 7–5 Ma) and thus is synchronous with eastward tilting of the western Great Plains (ca. 6–4 Ma). Tectonic subsidence rates either remained similar or decreased after the Miocene-Pliocene unconformity. North of 35°N, our analysis of geoid-to-elevation ratios suggests that, at present, topography of the Rio Grande rift region is compensated by a component of mantle-driven dynamic uplift. Previous work has indicated that this dynamic uplift is caused by focused vertical flow in the upper mantle resulting from slab descent and fragmentation of the Farallon slab, and Rio Grande rift opening, which affected the Rio Grande rift area beginning in the late Miocene. The spatial distribution and timing of the unconformity,more »
- Authors:
-
- New Mexico Inst. of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM (United States)
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1463507
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-18-22965
Journal ID: ISSN 1553-040X
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Geosphere
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 14; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1553-040X
- Publisher:
- Geological Society of America
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; Earth Sciences
Citation Formats
van Wijk, Jolante, Koning, Daniel, Axen, Gary, Coblentz, David, Gragg, Evan, and Sion, Brad. Tectonic subsidence, geoid analysis, and the Miocene-Pliocene unconformity in the Rio Grande rift, southwestern United States: Implications for mantle upwelling as a driving force for rift opening. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1130/GES01522.1.
van Wijk, Jolante, Koning, Daniel, Axen, Gary, Coblentz, David, Gragg, Evan, & Sion, Brad. Tectonic subsidence, geoid analysis, and the Miocene-Pliocene unconformity in the Rio Grande rift, southwestern United States: Implications for mantle upwelling as a driving force for rift opening. United States. https://doi.org/10.1130/GES01522.1
van Wijk, Jolante, Koning, Daniel, Axen, Gary, Coblentz, David, Gragg, Evan, and Sion, Brad. Sun .
"Tectonic subsidence, geoid analysis, and the Miocene-Pliocene unconformity in the Rio Grande rift, southwestern United States: Implications for mantle upwelling as a driving force for rift opening". United States. https://doi.org/10.1130/GES01522.1. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1463507.
@article{osti_1463507,
title = {Tectonic subsidence, geoid analysis, and the Miocene-Pliocene unconformity in the Rio Grande rift, southwestern United States: Implications for mantle upwelling as a driving force for rift opening},
author = {van Wijk, Jolante and Koning, Daniel and Axen, Gary and Coblentz, David and Gragg, Evan and Sion, Brad},
abstractNote = {We use tectonic subsidence patterns from wells and stratigraphic sections to describe the mid-Miocene to present tectonic subsidence history of the Rio Grande rift. Tectonic subsidence and therefore rift opening were quite fast until ca. 8 Ma, with net subsidence rates (~25–65 mm/k.y.) comparable to those of the prerupture phase of rifted continental margins. The rapid subsidence was followed by a late Miocene–early Pliocene unconformity that developed mainly along the flanks of most rift basins. The age of its associated lacuna is spatially variable but falls within 8–3 Ma (mostly 7–5 Ma) and thus is synchronous with eastward tilting of the western Great Plains (ca. 6–4 Ma). Tectonic subsidence rates either remained similar or decreased after the Miocene-Pliocene unconformity. North of 35°N, our analysis of geoid-to-elevation ratios suggests that, at present, topography of the Rio Grande rift region is compensated by a component of mantle-driven dynamic uplift. Previous work has indicated that this dynamic uplift is caused by focused vertical flow in the upper mantle resulting from slab descent and fragmentation of the Farallon slab, and Rio Grande rift opening, which affected the Rio Grande rift area beginning in the late Miocene. The spatial distribution and timing of the unconformity, as well as eastward tilting of the western Great Plains, can be explained by this dynamic mantle uplift, with contributions from variations in rift opening tectonics and climate. The focused mantle upwelling is not associated with increased rift opening rates.},
doi = {10.1130/GES01522.1},
journal = {Geosphere},
number = 2,
volume = 14,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Sun Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}
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