The Late Cretaceous batholithic massifs of Sierra La Laguna and Sierra La Trinidad, southern Baja California, Mexico: constraints on extensional structures from geology, geochronology, and thermobarometry

The Laramide orogeny is a pivotal time in the geological development of western North America, but its driving mechanism is controversial. Most prominent models suggest this event was caused by the collision of an oceanic plateau with the Southern California Batholith (SCB) which caused the angle of subduction beneath the continent to shallow and led to shut-down of the arc. Here, we use over 280 zircon and titanite Pb/U ages from the SCB to establish the timing and duration of magmatism, metamorphism and deformation. We show that magmatism was surging in the SCB from 90 to 70 Ma, the lower crust was hot, and cooling occurred after 75 Ma. These data contradict plateau underthrusting and flat-slab subduction as the driving mechanism for early Laramide deformation. We propose that the Laramide orogeny is a two-stage event consisting of: 1) an arc ‘flare-up’ phase in the SCB from 90-75 Ma; and 2) a widespread mountain building phase in the Laramide foreland belt from 75-50 Ma that is linked to subduction of an oceanic plateau.

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The Late Cretaceous batholithic massifs of Sierra La Laguna and Sierra La Trinidad, southern Baja California, Mexico: constraints on extensional structures from geology, geochronology, and thermobarometry

Cited by 2 publications

References 61 publications

Geochemistry of coastal geothermal systems from southern Baja California peninsula (Mexico): Fluid origins, water-rock interaction and tectonics

Geochemistry of coastal geothermal systems from southern Baja California peninsula (Mexico): Fluid origins, water-rock interaction and tectonics

Magmatic surge requires two-stage model for the Laramide orogeny

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