The XIV Latin-American Geological and XIII Colombian Geological Congresses will be held in Medellin, Colombia, during August 29 - September 2 2011 under the auspices of the Sociedad Colombiana de Geología.

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The northwestern margin of South America has been characterized by the interaction of the South American, Caribbean and Pacific plates. This interaction involved multiple episodes of accretion of oceanic terranes (MORB, island arc and plateau) against the Pre-Mesozoic continental margin, since the Lower Cretaceous. This interaction resulted in formation of subduction-accretion complexes that suffered a complex transition from primitive to more evolved crust, through differentiation and magma genesis.

In the last years, new radiometric, geochemical and field data, has enabled the revision of current geodynamic models for the northwestern Andean and Caribbean realms and has addressed standing questions regarding subduction-accretion models including the nature of accreted terranes, the growth of batholiths within continental and oceanic plates, the role of major shear zones responsible for the redistribution of the margin and the formation of several styles of sedimentary basin.

During the XIV Latin-American Geological and XIII Colombian Geological Congresses, held in Medellin, Colombia in 2011, IGCP 546 "Subduction Zones of the Caribbean" offers one event:

• A Special Session “Crustal growth and modification at the Caribbean plate margins”, which will focus on the complex interaction of the Caribbean plate with the south American and north American plates. Contributions dealing with the identification of accreted terranes, sutures and remobilization shear zones, the teconometamorphic evolution of subduction-accretion complexes, basin analysis, the formation of new granitoid crust and the paleogeographical reconstructions are welcome.

  The session is convened by: Agustin Cardona (Smithsonian Institution), Marion Weber (UNALMED) and Antonio García-Casco (Univ Granada).

However, we shall offer the IGCP-546-only 3-day fieldtrip “Geological transect through the evolution of an accretionary margin” that will guide us through the various elements that formed the current western South American margin. These include:

• the pre-Mesozoic South American basement rocks,

• accreted metamorphosed mixed oceanic domains (Arquia Complex),

• an earlier Cretaceous unit with arc-affinity (Quebradagrande Complex),

• the Colombian-Caribbean plateau (CCP),

• Cretaceous intra-oceanic and continental margin sedimentary sequences,

• and various magmatic rocks that range from Cretaceous to Miocene, suggesting active magmatic activity through time.

This trip will take us from modern Medellín to the historical colonial town of Santa Fe de Antioquia, along the Cauca river, heading afterwards to the mountainous city of Manizales, where coffee and volcanoes are part of the landscape. It will probably be held during

The fieldtrip leaders are Cesar Vinasco (UNALMED), Mario Moreno (Univ. Caldas) and James Pindell (Tectonic Analysis).

In addition, we are planning to offer a IGCP-546-only Course for students. At this stage, we are contacting potential lecturers. More information is to come.

 

Want a poster of the event?

Funds provided by IUGS-UNESCO to IGCP 546 will help cover part of the expenses of the attendants to the workshop and associated field trip. Contact project leader Uwe Martens for application.

We look forward to seeing you in Medellin in August 2011!

last modified: 09.09.11 12:53 +0200