Sierra de Catorce: Remnants of the ancient western equatorial margin of Pangea in central Mexico Article uri icon

abstract

  • The Sierra de Catorce in northern San Luis Potosí, Mexico, represents an uplifted block with exposures of the oldest rocks of the region which include Upper Triassic turbidites interpreted as deposits of a submarine fan system (Potosí Fan) and overlying Lower Jurassic volcanic and volcaniclastic strata interpreted as a record of the Early-Middle Jurassic volcanic arc (Nazas Arc) of western North America. These lower Mesozoic units, recognized in several exposures in the region, are interpreted as remnants of the ancient western margin of Pangea prior to accretion of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous magmatic arc complexes and associated marginal basins that constitute the Guerrero composite terrane in western Mexico and that resulted in construction of a new Pacific margin. A field trip in the Sierra de Catorce and surrounding exposures of the Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic succession allows observation and discussion of key features that demonstrate the sedimentary and tectonic history of the western equatorial margin of Pangea. © 2012 The Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

publication date

  • 2012-01-01