CHARLES M .

T S C H A N Z
RICHARD F MARVIN

JAIME C R U Z B. Instituto
}
,
'

Nacional
, ,
Geological Survey,

de Investigaciones
Denver,
,
Colorado

Geolgico-Mineras,
,
80225

Bogot. Colombia
H A R A L D H. M E H N E R T
G E R A L D T. CEBULA f Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado 802 25

Geologic Evolution of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta,

Northeastern Colombia
ABSTRACT by the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones
Geolgico-Mineras (Tschanz and others,
New geologic, petrographic, and 1969) culminated 3 years ( 1 9 6 4 - 1 9 6 7 ) of
radiometric evidence (52 ages) f r o m the geologic mapping of 22,500 sq km by 15
Sierra Nevada suggest that plate tectonics Colombian geologists and C. M . Tschanz.
controlled the complex Mesozoic evolution Technical assistance was provided by the
of the Caribbean continental margin. U.S. Geological Survey under the auspices of
The triangular Sierra Nevada massif is the Republic of Colombia and the Agency
b o u n d e d by t h e O c a f a u l t , S a n t a for International Development, U.S. De-
M a r t a - B u c a r a m a n g a fault, and Cesar partment of State. The geologic mapping of
lineament. During the Tertiary, dextral and the northern Sierra Nevada de Santa M a r t a
sinistral movement of 65 and 110 km, re- partly overlapped independent reconnais-
spectively, o c c u r r e d along the O c a and sance studies by W. D. MacDonald of the
Santa MartaBucaramanga faults; subse- State University of New York at Bingham-
quently, several thousand meters of uplift ton, and preceded the detailed mapping and
produced the present geomorphic setting. petrographic studies of the Santa M a r t a area Figure 1. Index map showing location of Sierra
Three metamorphic terranes are present; by Doolan (1970). Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia (line pattern), and the
t h e y d i f f e r p e t r o g r a p h i c a l l y a n d geo- The Sierra Nevada de Santa M a r t a (Fig. 1) principal mountain systems in Colombia and Venezuela.
chronologically and are separated by the is a triangle-shaped mountainous region
Sevilla and Cesar lineaments (geosutures). that covers 13,700 sq km and rises from near lithologic units are not well mapped, and
T h e y o u n g e s t t e r r a n e consists of three sea level to a maximum altitude of 5,700 m many additional age determinations (Rb-Sr,
northeast-trending regional m e t a m o r p h i c (19,000 ft). The region is isolated from the U-Pb) are needed to unravel the early
belts ( P e r m i a n - T r i a s s i c gneiss, J u r a s s i c main mountain ranges of Colombia (Fig. 1) metamorphic history. A comprehensive
schist, a n d C r e t a c e o u s - P a l e o c e n e green by wide alluvial plains which are almost at report on the geology of the Sierra Nevada
schist) that formed in successive subductiori sea level. It is bounded on the north by the (to be published in Spanish by the Instituto
zones northwest of the Sevilla lineament. Caribbean Sea and the plains of the lower Nacional de Investigaciones Geolgico-
Tertiary plutons intrude this terrane. Guajira Peninsula, on the west by the broad Mineras) will present evidence in greater
M o s t of the Sierra Nevada massif consists; Magdalena River plain, and on the south- detail for the interpretations outlined in this
of l,300-m.y.-old granulite terrane overlair east by the valleys of the Rios Cesar and paper.
by u n m e t a m o r p h o s e d P a l e o z o i c a n d Ranchera.
Permian(?)-Triassic rocks and intruded by Approximately 80 percent of the exposed REGIONAL GEOLOGIC SETTING
four northeast-trending belts of plutons that rocks in the Sierra Nevada are metamorphic The Sierra Nevada de Santa M a r t a is a
filled successive d i l a t i o n a l r i f t s . These or igneous. The preponderance of such composite, fault-bounded structural ele-
plutonic belts become younger, shallower, rocks, together with the poorly exposed ment that lies far northwest of its proper
and more potassic in a southeastward direc- geologic contacts, the rugged, forested position within the large-scale geotectonic
tion. Extensional disruption, with transform terrain, and the extensive faulting, makes framework of northwestern South America
separations up to 4 6 km, culminated with the geologic history exceedingly difficult to (Fig. 1).
Middle Jurassic emplacement of two belts of unravel by field mapping alone. Therefore, It is bounded by major fault systems and
composite batholiths and extensive ignim- many of the major igneous and metamor- basins in which there are thick deposits of
britic eruptions. These events are related to phic units were radiometrically dated. Tertiary sediments. The Oca fault forms the
the same southeast-dipping subduction zone This paper presents the radiometric ages geologic boundary on the north; the Santa
t h a t p r o d u c e d the Jurassic schist in the of 36 samples obtained during our study and MartaBucaramanga fault system forms the
youngest metamorphic terrane. discusses the geologic evolution on the west boundary; and a structural trough
The third metamorphic terrane consists of Sierra Nevada de Santa M a r t a as deduced along an inferred northeast-trending fault
younger(?) Precambrian amphibolite-grade from radiometric ages and geologic evi- forms the boundary on the southeast (see
rocks overlain by Silurian phyllites and un- dence. The regional framework, major Fig. 2).
m e t a m o r p h o s e d Paleozoic and Mesozoic faults, and geotectonic provinces are briefly The basement of the Sierra Nevada
rocks t h a t are typical of the Cordillera described. O u r interpretations of orogenic consists of segments of four metamorphic
Oriental. and structural events are based on rapid belts that, similar to the bounding fault
regional mapping of very complex geology systems (Fig. 2), formerly extended as
INTRODUCTION and on radiometric ages which may reflect continuous, linear regional features far
Publication of the geologic m a p of the modification by subsequent dynamothermal beyond this region. These metamorphic
Sierra Nevada de Santa M a r t a region (Fig. 1) or m e t a s o m a t i c events. Some m a j o r belts were offset great distances along the

Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 85, p. 273-284, 2 figs., February 1974

273
274 T S C H A N Z A N D OTHERS

Oca and Santa M a r t a - B u c a r a m a n g a fault the Cordillera Oriental (Fig. 1) than they d o Nevada and Perija provinces suggest that a
systems in latest Mesozoic or earliest rocks of the Sierra Nevada massif. Precam- m a j o r northsast-trending fault system, the
Tertiary time. T h e massif was uplifted as a brian schist is .inconformably overlain by Cesar lineament, lies buried beneath the
horstlike unit, approximately along these phyllitic and cor.rse-grained clastic rocks of Cesar Valley (Fig. 2). The regional structural
same faults, beginning in earliest Miocene Cambrian(?) and Ordovician age (Fig. 2) pattern and the great lithological differences
time when the adjacent basins were formed. that were weakly metamorphosed by Early across the inferred lineament suggest thai:
The m a x i m u m structural relief on the Silurian time. These metasedimentary rocks the Cesar lineament may be comparable in
m e t a m o r p h i c basement between the uplifted are unconformably overlain by conglomer- importance and may be related to the Sevilla
block and the basins is a b o u t 12 km. ate, sandstone, shale, and limestone of lineament.
The n o r t h w e s t w a r d movement of the Devonian and l'ennsylvanian age that are
massif relative to the adjacent buried generally similar to, but thicker than, Sevilla and Santa Marta Provinces
s e g m e n t s of t h e northeast-trending equivalent rocks in the Sierra Nevada. T h e Sevilla and Santa M a r t a provinces are
m e t a m o r p h i c belts is partly revealed by Permian conglomerate, red sandstone, and parallel, northeast-trending metamorphic
radiometric ages and thin sections of limestone are present in Perija province but belts that ate intruded by Tertiary plutons
samples f r o m a few deep oil wells that absent in the Sierra Nevada. (Fig. 2). T h e Sevilla province consists mainly
penetrated the basement of the Tertiary The Paleozoic rocks are unconformably of a mafic basement gneiss and a possibly
basins (Fig. 2). The new evidence in this overlain by Mesozoic red beds that resemble younger schist which are not distinguished
paper suggests 100 to 115 km of left-lateral the Guatapuri f o r m a t i o n (Triassic) in the on Figure 2. The Santa M a r t a metamorphic
separation of the Santa M a r t a Schist along Sierra Nevada (Fig. 2), but contain fewer b e l t c o n s i s t s of an i n n e r belt of
the Santa M a r t a - B u c a r a m a n g a fault system volcanic rocks and may be mostly younger amphibolite-grade schist and a structurally
and at least 65 km of right-lateral separation in age. These Mesozoic red beds are complex outer belt of greenschist and
of these rocks along the Oca fault. West of unconformably overlain by sandstone or, phyllite (Fig. 2). T h e geological and
the Santa MartaBucaramanga fault system locally, by conglomerate and red beds. structural relations between the rocks in
and south of the massif, oil wells have These, in turn, are unconformably overlain these three belts are complex, but are
disclosed the presence of subsurface Pre- by the Golero Rhyolite (Cretaceous), which thought to result f r o m t w o distinct events
cambrian granulite and also gneiss and is succeeded by more unconformable red the Sevilla and Santa M a r t a orogenies.
schist that correlate with the Sevilla beds (Fig. 2). 'I he Golero Rhyolite is also
metamorphic belt of the Sierra Nevada present in the Sierra Nevada. RADIOMETRIC AGES
massif. Therefore, subsurface evidence Cretaceous limestones were deposited A total of 48 K-Ar ages (Table 1) and four
indicates that all four metamorphic belts are unconformably over the older Mesozoic Rb-Sr ages (Table 2) were determined for 3 6
offset a b o u t the same distance. rocks. Thick sedimentary rocks of latest samples. K-Ar and Rb-Sr ages were
T h e late Tertiary normal movement of Cretaceous, Pabocene, and F'ocene age were determined by the techniques described,
these faults has caused controversy. Camp- deposited in a n a r r o w structural trough in respectively, by Evernden and Curtis (1965)
bell (1968) suggested a b o u t 110 km of the Rancheria Valley (Fig. 2) along the and Peterman and others (1967).
left-lateral displacement on the Santa inferred fault separating the Perija and M o s t ages were determined by the K-Ar
M a r t a - B u c a r a m a n g a fault, but he thought Sierra Nevada provinces. age method, because specimens of the m a j o r
that this displacement was post-Miocene. metamorphic and igneous units were
Poison and H e n a o (1968) disproved this age Sierra Nevada Province generally not suitable for Rb-Sr dating. The
and did not accept Campbell's evidence for T h e Sierra Nevada province is the oldest K-Ar ages are minimum ages and thus may
large left-lateral wrench faulting. Both and largest p-ovince of the massif. Its not signify the time of mineral crystalliza-
interpretations were based mainly on the geologic history for late Precambrian and tion, but, instead, may signify the latest
stratigraphy of the Cretaceous and Tertiary much of Paleozoic times is obscure. M a r i n e thermal event, such as nearby igneous
rocks, whereas our interpretation is based Devonian (?) and Pennsylvanian sediments intrusions, dynamic metamorphism, fault-
on the lithology and geochronology of the were depositee and then were partially ing, or deep burial.
metamorphic basement. eroded. During the latest Paleozoic and early
Mesozoic, the province was a marine(?) INTERPRETATION OF
GEOTECTONIC PROVINCES platform on which spilitic rocks and RADIOMETRIC AGES
T h e Sierra Nevada de Santa M a r t a , graywackes were deposited. It was then
together with the adjacent part of the uplifted and intruded by numerous plutons Precambrian Rocks
Serrana de Perij, consists of four distinct and was covered by contemporaneous A Precambrian age for the granulite
geotectonic provinces. From southeast to ignimbritic rocks (Fig. 2). Volcanic erup- basement complex in the Sierra Nevada
northwest, these are the Perij, Sierra tions continued almost until the Cretaceous massif was established by radioactive datin g
Nevada, Sevilla, and Santa M a r t a provinces marine invasion, when limestone and shale (Tschanz arid others, 1969), but n o a t t e m p t
(Figs. 1 and 2). Each province contains a beds were deposited. was made to work out the Precambrian
distinctive metamorphic series not found in T h e Precar-.brian basement (the Los history of these rocks. T w o widely separated
the other provinces (Fig. 2). Lithologic and M a n g o s Grarulite; Fig. 2) consists of samples of similar quartz-perthite granulite
stratigraphic differences imply structural alternating layers of many types of felsic and (Iocs. 3 4 and 35, Fig. 2) gave Rb-Sr
discontinuities between the first three mafic rocks of the granulite f a d e s , many of whole-rock ages of 7 5 2 and 1,300 m.y.
provinces. The Sevilla lineament separates which contain orthopyroxene. The nearest (Table 2). The older age is a minimum for
the Sevilla and Sierra Nevada provinces; the k n o w n occurrence of granulite, outside the the Precambrian granulite and agrees,
Cesar lineament separates the Sierra Nevada Sierra Nevada, is 92 km to the south in within analytical uncertainty, with a Rb-Sr
and Perij provinces (Fig. 2). t h e s u b s u r f a c e w e s t of t h e S a n t a isochron age of 1,400 m.y. for the Dibulla
M a r t a - B u c a r a m a n g a fault system. Gneiss (same as Los M a n g o s Granulite) (B
Perij Province The differences in the metamorphic Iocs., Fig. 2; M a c D o n a l d and Hurley, 1969).
Generally, the Precambrian, Paleozoic, basement and the Permian, Triassic, Juras- Similar granulite in the fault-bounded
and Mesozoic rocks of the Perij province sic, and Lower Cretaceous volcanic and Imataca complex in the northern part of the
more closely resemble rocks of similar age in sedimentary rocks between the Sierra G u a y a n a Shield of Venezuela has given
 GEOLOGIC EVOLUTION OF THE SIERRA N E V A D A DE SANTA M A R T A, N O R T H E A S T E R N COLOMBIA 275

radiometric ages as old as 3,136 m.y. (1970) and by Dario Barrero (1968, oral dated rock typifies neither the western
(Martin-Bellizzia, 1968, map). It is likely commun.) and in the Garzon massif by T. border zone nor the nearby Tucurinca
that the granulite in Colombia and Ven- Feininger (1970, written commun.). The plutonic complex.
ezuela is all approximately the same age and k n o w n granulite areas are separated f r o m Although the Rio Piedras complex and the
is older than the lower grade Precambrian younger and lower grade metamorphic Tres Puntas pluton have not been dated, the
rocks between the G u a y a n a Shield and the rocks by faults trending N. 15 E., N . 70 E., petrographic evidence suggests that Rio
Sierra N e v a d a massif. and N . 15 W. Thus, the granulite in Piedras complex may be the age of the
The available Precambrian radiometric Colombia appears to be confined to a western border zone and that the Tres
ages f r o m the Sierra Nevada massif and discontinuous(P), faulted, narrow belt that Puntas pluton may be slightly(?) younger.
f r o m the b r o a d region between it and the extends f r o m the Sierra Nevada southward
G u a y a n a Shield suggest that the granulite along the eastern margin of the Cordillera Triassic Volcanic Rocks
ages in the Sierra Nevada massif were reset Central to the Garzon massif in the Spilitic volcanic rocks predate the Jurassic
by two or three subsequent Precambrian Cordillera Oriental, near the divergence of batholiths. The dark-gray spilites (Corual
metamorphic events a b o u t 1,200 to 1,400, the t w o Andean ranges (Fig. 1). Precambrian Formation) are inferred geologically to
940, and possibly a b o u t 752 m.y. ago. The rocks probably are absent west of this belt; range in age f r o m Late Permian(?) to Early
geologic and radiometric data further those in the Andean ranges east of the belt Triassic (approximately 2 4 0 to 2 1 0 m.y.);
suggest that t w o successive Precambrian are younger, lower grade Precambrian the red spilites of the Guatapuri Formation
metamorphic belts developed during these gneiss and schist. are inferred to be Early Triassic to possibly
orogenies a r o u n d the margin of the granulite T h e widely separated granulite areas in earliest Jurassic in age (200 to 185 m.y.).
nucleus of the ancestral G u a y a n a Shield. Colombia are probably tectonic fragments An impure plagioclase concentrate f r o m a
Rocks giving radiometric ages betweer. that were formerly contiguous and are basalt in or on the G u a t a p u r i Formation
1,200 and 1,400 m.y. are widespread near possibly part of the Imataca complex in the (loc. 20, Fig. 2 and Table 1) gave a K-Ar age
the western and northern margins of the G u a y a n a Shield. Martin-Bellizzia (1968, of 138 m.y. Another basalt (loc. 21, Fig. 2
G u a y a n a Shield in Colombia (Pinson and map) has shown that the Imataca complex is and Table 1), underlying the lowest red beds
others, 1962) and in Venezuela (Kal- bounded on the south by a major N . 70 E. in the Guatapuri Formation, gave whole-
liokoski, 1965, p. 1047), but rocks with fault that separates it from other Precam- rock K-Ar ages of 165 and 181 m.y.
radiometric ages older than 9 4 5 m.y. are not brian rocks. A parallel fault may extend Obviously, these three K-Ar ages fail to
k n o w n in the isolated Precambrian expo- along Rio M e t a into Colombia and form the substantiate the geologically inferred ages.
sures nearer the Sierra N e v a d a massif. The north boundary of the granulite in the The two most likely explanations for the
dated rocks are intrusive rocks and Garzon massif. The data suggest large-scale above ages are (1) either these dated basalts
amphibolite-grade gneiss and schist. tectonic transport of microcontinental are intrusive sills (loc. 21) or unconformable
The Precambrian metamorphic basement fragments of an Archean craton with a flows (loc. 20) related to numerous
consists of gneiss and schist with radiomet- granulite basement, but several subsequent postbatholithic mafic dikes, or (2) argon has
ric ages ranging f r o m 660 to 8 0 0 m.y. in the m a j o r periods of metamorphism and diffused f r o m the samples, because of
Serrania de Perija and adjacent regions of transcurrent faulting have produced a heating from the recurrent igneous activity
Venezuela (Martin-Bellizzia, 1968, p. 369, complex regional tectonic mosaic. during the Jurassic and (or) Early Creta-
Table 3) and f r o m 6 8 0 to 9 4 5 m.y. in the ceous.
Santander massif in the Cordillera Oriental Syntectonic Plutons
(Goldsmith and others, 1971). The Precam- We infer from geologic and petrographic Jurassic Batholiths
brian schists in the Colombian part of the evidence that the syntectonic plutons (Fig. 2) The radiometric ages indicate that the
Serrania de Perija have not been dated. were emplaced after the Sevilla orogeny, but m a j o r plutons in the central and southeast-
The K-Ar hornblende age of 9 4 0 m.y. for before the Jurassic batholiths and the Santa ern batholithic belts (Fig. 2) are Middle
a mafic granulite (loc. 31, Fig. 2 and Table 1) M a r t a orogeny. Because of fault contacts, Jurassic, ~ 1 6 5 to 175 m.y. old, b u t t h e s m a l l
may r e p r e s e n t a m e t a m o r p h i c event the age of the metadiorite relative to the Don Diego pluton in the central belt
localized along an ancient Santa Sevilla metamorphic complex cannot be apparently is Late Jurassic. In the southeast-
MartaBucaramanga lineament. A similar determined. A minimum age of 170 m.y. ern belt, both the Patillal and Pueblo Bello
K-Ar hornblende age for an amphibolite- (Middle Jurassic) for the metadiorite is batholiths have average K-Ar ages of ~ 175
grade gneiss near this lineament 2 7 5 km to taken f r o m a sample of hornblende from m.y. (Iocs. 28, 29, and 30, Fig. 2 and Table
the south (Goldsmith and others, 1971, p. near the western border (loc. 12, Fig. 2 and 1). The fair agreement between the K-Ar
D46) and K-Ar mica ages of 930 to 960 m.y. Table 1), which may have been affected by ages for coexisting biotite and hornblende,
for anorogenic tin-bearing granite in Ron- the Santa M a r t a orogeny (Jurassic). A combined with the Rb-Sr whole-rock ages
donia, northwestern Brazil (Priem and m a x i m u m age is given by a 250-m.y. K-Ar (Iocs. 32 and 33, Fig. 2 and Table 2),
others, 1966), provide some support for hornblende age for a dioritic rock of strongly suggests that these batholiths are
inferring a possible 940-m.y.-old postgranu- doubtful origin and correlation (loc. A, Fig. early Middle Jurassic. The Rb-Sr ages were
lite geologic event along this trend. The 2; M a c D o n a l d and Hurley, 1969). Some determined on late granophyre (162 to 167
940-m.y. ages are confined to this trend. dioritic rocks east of the Aracataca batholith 1 8 m.y.) of the Patillal batholith that
Granulite is not exposed or easily inferred and within the western border zone (Fig. 2) clearly intrudes the older quartz monzonite
north of the Oca fault or between the Sierra are tentatively correlated with the metadio- (174 m.y.). T h e radiometric ages of the
Nevada and the G u a y a n a Shield. In all this rite pluton to the north and are inferred to be Central and Ojeda batholiths (Gansser,
region, the Precambrian rocks are either older than the surrounding rocks. 1955), of the central belt, and of the
intrusive rocks or amphibolite-grade gneiss The western border zone is older than the aforementioned batholiths are in agreement.
and schist. The granulite in the Sierra Jurassic batholiths and is probably younger The biotite f r o m the Don Diego trondh-
Nevada massif appears to be an isolated than the metadiorite. A hornblende concen- jemite pluton (loc. 26, Fig. 2 and Table 1) in
tectonic block within a younger metamor- trate f r o m a pegmatitic biotite diorite gave a the Central batholith gave a K-Ar biotite age
phic basement. T o the south, similar late Middle Triassic age of 202 m.y. (loc. 14, of 138 m.y. (Late Jurassic). This age and the
granulite has been reported in the Cordillera Fig. 2, and Table 1). This is a minimum age 137-m.y. biotite age (loc. 14, Fig. 2 and
Central (Fig. 1) by T. Feininger and others for the western border zone, and yet the Table 1) of the pegmatitic diorite may
276 TSCHANZ A N D OTHERS

~> ' . / / !
Buried Santa
CARIBBEAN / N a r t o Schist
/ / . ' ! / / ?
7 ' , / / , Perico well
^ / / / ' '*6/'

2 0 KILOMETERS

Figure 2. Simplified geologic map of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta showing collection localities for radiomctrically dated samples (after Tschanz and others, 1969).

indicate limited p l u t o n i c and (or) Bolivar batholith (Gansser, 1955) is also T h e youngest pluton in the Sierra N e v a d a
metasomatic activity during the Late Juras- Jurassic. province is probably the Atanques lac-
sic. Possibly, one or both these K-Ar biotite Before we could state the sequence of coIith(?) (Fig. 2) of Paleocene(P) age, which
ages are reset ages. emplacement of the batholiths, the K-Ar is inferred to intrude the s u b h o r i z o r t a l
The K-Ar ages suggest that the Atanques biotite ages would have to differ by at least 5 contact between the Atanques batholith and
and Aracataca batholiths (Iocs. 23 and 22, m.y., and the ~ornblende ages must differ by the volcanic rocks. A m a x i m u m age for this
Fig. 2 and Table 1) are younger than the at least 10 m.y. (Dalrymple and Lanphere, pluton may be 5 7 m.y., as indicated by the
other dated Middle Jurassic batholiths. 1969, p. 120). Under these constraints, the K-Ar biotite age determination (loc. 23, Fig.
However, the 57-rn.y. biotite age (loc. 23, Aracataca batholith (and possibly the Atan- 2 and Table 1) f r o m the Atanques batholith.
Table 1) indicates that some geologic event, ques) appear to be the youngest Jurassic
such as emplacement of the nearby lac- batholiths. Jurassic and Cretaceous Volcanic Rocks
c o l i t h ^ ) (Fig. 2), caused loss of argon f r o m A small stock of gray granodiorite f r o m Although volcanic specimens suitable f o r
the Atanques batholith. T h e same event may locality 2 7 (?ig. 2 and Table 1), which isotopic dating were difficult to find, three
also have affected the 162-m.y. hornblende intrudes the Los Clavos Ignimbrite, gave ari samples were dated. The sample f r o m
age (loc. 23, Fig. 2 and Table 1); the age of 176 m.y., making the stock the same locality 19 (Fig. 2 and Table 1) is a typical,
Atanques batholith may, then, be somewhat age as most of the batholiths and almost unweathered, dark-gray, crystal-vitric ig-
older than 162 m.y. contemporaneous with the surrounding nimbrite from the Los Clavos Ignimbrite.
It seems reasonable to assume that the ignimbrite. T w o analyses of hornblende from this
 G E O L O G I C E V O L U T I O N OF T H E SIERRA N E V A D A DE S A N T A M A R T A, N O R T H E A S T E R N C O L O M B I A 277

E X P L A N A T I 0 N
SANTA MARTA PROVINCE SEVILLA PROVINCE SIERRA NEVADA PROVINCE PERI J A PROVINCE
POST-METAMORPHIC INTRUSIVE ROCKS POST-METAMOIPHIC INTRUSIVE ROCKS POST-METAMORPHIC INTRUSIVE ROCKS S T R A T I F I E D ROCKS

Cool-bearing clastic rocks

' Santo Marta bot hol i t h Buritoco pluton
. Quarti diorite, diorite, and pegmatite Quarti diorite, muscovite granite, ond
pegmatite

l.atal pluton tonques loccolith(?)

Diorite, hornlendite, pegmatite. Includes Gronodiorite porphyry Shale ond limestone
TuCurinquitc pluton of grcnodiorite
SS
Limestone ond shale of
Maesinchtian to Aption oge Limestone of Aptian age

Red beds, sandstones, ond

conglomerates

Socorro pluton Galilea pluton Golero Rhyolite Golero Rhyol ite

Gronodiorite Granite porphyry Ignimbrite

CENTRAL SOUTHEASTERN
PLUTONIC BELT PLUTONIC BELT

SANTA MARTA METAMORPHIC

BELT / Mzr
Gray gronodiorite Pink quartz mon- Volconic rocks
ond quartz mon- zonite, qronite, Includes Los Clavos Ignimbrite
Mesozoic red beds and
zonite and granophyre and porphyries volcanic rocks
Chiefly Jurassic, may
Santo Morto Schist
SYNTECTONIC PLUTONIC BELT include some Guata-
p, green schists ond phyllites puri Formation
s, mica and amphibolite

and Late Jurassic

schists
Metamorphosed between Paleocene

FOLDED AND METAMORPHOSED UNCONFORMITY OR FAULT

E3
Tres Puntas pluton
S
Guatapuri Formation
Red beds and red spilitic
SEVILLA METAMORPHIC volcanic rocks
Contoct BELT
Western border zone ond Rio Piedros
complex
Thrust fault
Quartz diorite and gronodiorite
Sawteeth on upper plate
f U
=" D Coruol Formotion
Sevilla metomorpt-ic Mefodiorite or Dork-gray spinile volconic
Major fault, showing direction
complex epidionfe rocks ond groywockes
of movement
Gneisses and schists, poly-
Dashed where approximately
metamorphic n part.
located or inferred; dotted
Metamorphosed in Per-
where hidden by younger
mian to Triassic time
rocks. U, upthrown side;
and ogain in Juros.vc zQcn
D, downthrown side Limestone, sandstone, .mestone, sandstone, o z z
time and shale shole, conglomerate, ><2
ond red beds

Localities of samples for which O

radiometric oge were determined
Metasedimentary rocks D<I O
W , - W 6 , Segments of disrupted and
dilated east wall of pre-
Triassic Sevilla Lineament NOTE Gneisses and schists
X-X'
of amphibolite focies UJCC
Aiiochthonous(?) Les Mangos Los Mangos Granulite outside mopped dreds
Lateral offset Granulite and anorthosite A/ternafing loyers of mafic are younger than the
S.Z
and felsic gronuh'tes Los Maggos Granulite -

Figure 2. Continued.

sample gave K-Ar ages of 175 and 180 m.y. (Early Cretaceous), according to a single complex, and (2) the 138-m.y. age from the
These ages indicate that the Los Clavos whole-rock K-Ar analysis (loc. 17, Fig. 2 and basement schist in the Perico well (loc. 6,
could have been contemporaneous with i:he Table 1). Fig. 2 and Table 1). These ages overlap the
emplacement of the batholiths, but do not Volcanic and intrusive activity during the probable age of the Mesozoic red beds in the
preclude its being older. Thus, as suggested Jurassic extended into the Early Cretaceous. Perija province.
by field relations, the possibility that the Los The volcanic activity between 142 and 129
Clavos Ignimbrite formed by vesiculation of m.y. ago may be related to the intrusive Sevilla Province
granodiorite or quartz monzonite in the activity that also occurred at almost the The basement of the Sevilla province is a
upper part of the Pueblo Bello and Patillal same time, as suggested by the following polymetamorphic mafic gneiss that is
batholiths is compatible with its apparent ages: the 138-m.y. Don Diego pluton (loc. overlain(P) structurally or stratigraphically
age. 26, Fig. 2 and Table 1); the 137-m.y. biotite by schist of uncertain metamorphic age and
An obsidian sample (loc. 18, Fig. 2 and in pegmatitic diorite (loc. 14); the 138-m.y. by allochthonous(?) blocks of Precambrian
Table 1) is from a flow-banded felsic dike, basalt intrusion(P) in the Guatapuri Forma- granulite (Fig. 2). Igneous activity produced
one of many intrusive domes and dikes and tion (loc. 20); the 133-m.y. alteration age of the synmetamorphic(P) metadiorite pluton
extrusive viscous flows of felsite of proba ble slightly saussuritized plagioclase from the along the Sevilla lineament and also
rhyodacitic or rhyolitic composition found Los Clavos Ignimbrite (loc. 19); and the produced several postmetamorphic plutons
near the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada. A 131-m.y. Socorro stock (loc. 15). (Fig. 2). A 170-m.y. hornblende age (loc. 12,
concentrate of anorthoclase(P) phenocrysts T h e postbatholithic intrusive and vol- Fig. 2 and Table 1) establishes a minimum
gave a K-Ar age of 142 m.y. A Late Jurassic canic activity southeast of the Sevilla linea- Jurassic age for the metadiorite, and the
age (142 m.y.) for these felsite domes, dikes, ment was almost synchronous with 147-m.y. hornblende age (loc. 13, Fig. 2 and
and flows seems geologically reasonable metamorphism northwest of the lineament, Table 1) is a minimum Jurassic age for the
The Golero Rhyolite, formed by the last as shown by t w o amphibole ages: (1) the ensimatic(P) basement gneiss. Nevertheless,
m a j o r volcanic activity in the Sierra Nevada 147-m.y. age f r o m amphibolite (loc. 13, Fig. these are most likely reset ages.
province, has a minimum age of 129 rn.y. 2 and Table 1) in the Sevilla metamorphic A Permian K-Ar age (250 m.y.) was
 278 T S C H A N Z A N D OTHERS

TABLE 1. ANALYTICAL DATA, K-Ar AGES, AND SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONS

AND C00RDINA1 ES FOR DATED SPECIMENS FROM THE
SIER-A NEVADA DE SANTA MARTA

Sample Material K0 + Ar" Ar-VK" Age (m.y.) Rock type

loc. analyzed (wt %) r~T~TT Total A r * 1 (2d) Geologic u n i t
( F i g . 2) Sample coordinates

Hocks from Santa Marta r tamorphic belt and their equivalents

I Blot He 9.27s 5.897 X 10" 1 0 0.90 0.00252 42.6 1.7 Biotite schist
High-grade s c h i s t
1059'37" N., 7408'07" W.
S Amphibolite s c h i s t
2 Amphibole 0.197 0.1503 X I O " " 0.70 0.00302 51.0 3.li
High-grade s c i i s t
1059'43" N., 7407'43" W.

3 Amphibole 5
0.260 0.1840 X IO" 1 0.59 0.00281 47.4 2.4 Amphibolite s c h i s t
High-grade s c h i s t
1106' N., 7403' W.
5
4 Amphibole 0.325S 0.2143 X 1 0 " " 0.69 0.00261 44.1 2.7 Amphibolite s c h i s t
High-grade s c h i s t
1113'20" N., 7353'30"W.
5 Amphibolite s c h i s t
5 Heavy f r a c t i o n of 0.191 0.1029 X 1 0 " " 0.35 0.00213 36.2 5.1
rock, c h i e f l y High-grade s c h i s t
amphibole 11 0 16 1 30" N., 7409'00" U.
5 Amphibolite s c h i s t
6 Amphibole 0.157 s 0.3329 X 1 0 " " 0.66 0.00838 138 7
Core, 1 1 , 1 7 0 - f t depth i n
Perico well
11-17' N., 73"09' W.

E. Phyl l i t e 2.45 3.19 0 X 10-" 0.87 0.00576 86.3 4 Fine-grained p h y l 1 i t i c s c h i s t

{whole rock) C u t t i n g s , 8 , 3 2 7 - f t depth i n
Algarrobo No. 1 well
1008'08" N., 7409'20" W.

TerHzry intrusive rockts

Biotite 5.430 X IO" 111 0.92 0.00286 48.4 1.8 Quartz d i o r i t e

7 s7'51
Hornblende 0.852 0.6246 X 1 0 - " 0.80 0.00290 49.0 2.0 Buritaca pluton
I T U ' N., 7344'00" W.

8 Biotite 9.38 6.185 X 1 0 - " 0.93 0.00261 44.1 1.6 Quartz d i o r i t e

Hornblende 1.328 0.9680 X 1 0 - " 0.84 0.00289 48.8 1.7 Santa Marta b a t h o l i t h
I T I ? ' N., 7356'30" W.

9 Muscovite 9.82 7.010 X 10-" 0.78 0.00283 47.8 1.9 Pegmatite i n s c h i s t

1114'20" N . , 7410'30" W.

Hornblende
5
0.354 0.3070 X 1 0 - " 0.66 0.00344 57.9 2.5 Hornblendite
10
Latal pluton
1047'39" N., 7405'46" W.

11 Biotite 8.62 6.967 X 10-" 0.90 0.00320 54.0 2.2 Granodiorite

Tucurinquita pluton
1040'10" N., 7404'40" U.

Rocke from Sevilla metamorphic belt

S
12 Hornblende 0.492 1.293 X 10-" 0.87 0.0104 170 6 M e t a d i o r i t e along S e v i l l a
1i neament
1053'20" N., 7359'30" W.

13 Hornblende S
0.382s 0.8624 X I O " " 0.85 147 6
0.00893 Amphibolite
Buritaca Gneiss
1053'10" N . , 7408'50" W.

14 Biotite 9.03 18.89 X IO"" 0.90 0.00828 137 5 Pegmatitic d i o r i t e intrudes

Hornblende 0.80 2.502 X 10"" 0.94 0.0125 202 13 Tucurinca p l u t o n i o complex
10-45' N., 7357' .

131 5 Granodiorite
15 Biotite 8.84s 17.68 X TO"" 0.96 0.00792 Socorro stock
1048'25" N., 7401'43" W.

37.8 1.7 B i o t i t e clots in granodiorite

16 Biotite 9.19s 5.187 X IO"" 0.68 0.00223 Socorro stock
1056'53" N . , 7401'40" W.

reported by M a c D o n a l d and Hurley (1969) metamorphic rocks, the age evaluation of lineament (loc. A, Fig. 2). T h e origin and
for a poorly foliated amphibolite or the Sevilla metamorphic complex is not correlation of the float are uncertain, as is
metadiorite (loc. A, Fig. 2). Pre-Triassic conclusive, because of the uncertainty of the the reliability of this age determination. The
metamorphic rocks ( > 1 9 5 m.y.) have been 250-m.y. age (iMacDonald and Hurley, sample probably is an epidiorite that
reported by M a c D o n a l d (1968) in a possibly 1969). Even a postgranulite, Precambrian intruded the Precambrian granulite or a
correlative m e t a m o r p h i c belt in the Guajira age for the basement gneiss is not excluded, fault block of metadiorite. T o consider the
Peninsula (Fig. 1). Metaigneous rocks with but, if true, a subsequent Permian to float to be retrograded granulite seems
Permian radiometric ages are present in a Triassic(?) metamorphism seems very prob- unreasonable, as similar retrograded granu-
possibly equivalent metamorphic complex able. lite has not been f o u n d elsewhere. If the
in the western Cordillera Central (Fig. 1), M a c D o n a l d and Hurley's (1969) dated dated sample is the same age as the
according to R. B. Hall (1968, written Permian rock is float f r o m a small drainage metadiorite (Fig. 2), it would indicate an
comraun.). Although there is strong regional area within the block of Precambrian important Permian intrusive event that
evidence for the presence of Permian granulite between branches of the Sevilla possibly occurred during o r shortly after the
 G E O L O G I C E V O L U T I O N OF T H E SIERRA N E V A D A DE S A N T A M A R T A, N O R T H E A S T E R N C O L O M B I A 279

TABLE 1 (conti

Sample Material M +
*Ar" 0 *AR" Ar'VK" Age (m.y. ) Rock type
loc. analyzed (Wt %) (moles/g) Total Ar'" (2o) Geologic u n i t
( F i g . 2) Sample coordinates

Mesozoic volcanic rocks, Sierra Nevada Province

17 Rhyoli t e 5.31 10.48 x 10"" 0.94 0.00781 129 5 Rhyolite ignimbrite

(whole rock) Golero R h y o l i t e
1037'35" N . , 7308'55" W.

18 Anorthoclase() 2.46 5.359 x 1 0 - " 0.90 0.00863 142 5 Obsidian

Glass 1.90 0.2805 x 1 0 - ' 0.24 0.000584 1 0 . 0 1.2 955'30" N . , 7352'20" W.
S
19 Plagioclase 1.24 2.277 X 10-' 0.59 0.00791 133 5 Rhyodacite i g n i m b r i t e
Hornblende 0.60 1.626 X 10"' 0.77 0.0107 175 i 13 Los Clavos Formation
Hornblende + epidote 0.56 1.540 x 10-" 0.77 0.0110 180 i 12 1031'07" N . , 7318'30" U.

20 Impure p l a g i o c l a s e 0.187s 0.3972 X IO'" 0.49 0.00839 138 i 9 B a s a l t , i n t r u d e s (?)

Guatapuri Formation
1004'15" N . , 7344'45" W.

S
21 Basalt 0.794 2.020 x 10-" 0.79 0.0101 165 6 B a s a l t , below red beds
Basalt* 0.746 2.088 x IO"" 0.74 0.0111 181 10 c o r r e l a t e d w i t h Guatapuri
1050'10" N . , 7302'00" W.

Rocks from central belt of gray mesozonal Jurassic batholiths

22 Biotite 7.54 19.29 x IO"10 0.98 0.0101 166 6 Granodiorite

Aracataca bathol i t h
1034 1 N . , 7358' U.

23 Biotite 7.90 6.784 x 10-" 0.92 0.00340 57.3 2.4 Granodiorite

Hornblende 0.50 1.245 X IO'" 0.84 0.00986 162 12 Atanques bathol i t h
1042'10" N . , 7321'15" W.

24 Biotite 7.06 18.76 X 10-" 0.95 0.0105 172 6 Quartz monzonite

Ojeda bathol i t h
1040' N . , 7345' W.

25 Biotite 8.72 23.24 x IO"10 0.94 0.0106 172 7 Granodiorite

Hornblende 0.74 2.024 X IO"" 0.75 0.0108 177 13 Central bathol i t h
1103'07" N . , 7327'27" W.

26 Biotite 9.23 s 19.55 x 10-" 0.97 0.00837 138 + 5 Trondhjemite

Don Diego p l u t o n
ll0r20" N., 7347'40" W.
27 Biotite 8.18 22.28 X IO"" 0.95 0.0108 176 7 G r a n o d i o r i t e stock i n
Los Clavos Formation
1023 1 20" N., 7321'35" U.

Rocks from southeastern belt of pink epizonal Jurassic batholiths

28 Biotite 7.90 s 21.50 x 10"" 0.95 0.0108 176 7 Granodiorite

P a t i l i a i bathol i t h
1051'33" N . , 7313'33" W.

29 Biotite 7.81s 21.09 x 10-" 0.94 0.0107 175 6 Quartz monzonite

Biotite* 7.76 21.49 x 10-" 0.92 0.0109 178 7 Patillal batholith
Hornblende 0.484 1.259 x 10-" 0.92 0.0103 168 5 H 0 8 ' N., 7259' W.

30 Biotite 5.80 15.41 x 10-" 0.97 0.0105 172 6 Quartz monzonite

15.56 x 10-" 0.95 0.0106 174 7 Pueblo B e l l o b a t h o l i t h
Biotite** 5.86 16.46 x IO"" 0.86 0.0111 181 T 6 1028' N., 7335'25"
Biotite* 5.51s 15.44 x IO"" 0.91 0.0110 179 8
Hornblende 0.40 1.166 x IO"10 0.72 0.0116 189 19

Precambrian granuli te

31 Hornblende 2.06 37.06 x 10-" 0.99 0.0712 940 30 Hornblende-pyroxene-garnet-

p l a g i o c l a s e gneiss
Los Mangos Granu l i t e
1040'40" N . , 7408' W.

Analysts: R. F. Marvin, H. H. Mehnert, violet Merritt, and w. T. Henderson, U.S. Geological Survey.
notes: Decay constants for K1*0: X = 0.584 x 10~ 1 / y r .
4.72 x 1CT1 /yr.
p
Atomic abundance: K*/K = 1.19 X 10~w.

*Radiogenic argon.
tAverage of two or more potassium analyses by flame photometry except where noted.
Average of two potassium analyses by Isotope dilution.
ItSpurious age caused by argon loss from glass.
"Analysis >y Ceochron, Inc., Cambridge, Mass.

f o r m a t i o n of the Sevilla m e t a m o r p h i c m e t a m o r p h i s m (the Santa M a r t a orogeny). phyllite f r o m the Algarrobo N o . 1 well (loc.
complex. T h e K-Ar ages (250, 170, a n d 147 m.y.) E, Fig. 2 a n d Table 1) generally display the
The schist overlying(?) the basement decrease n o r t h w e s t w a r d t o w a r d the Santa same p a t t e r n .
gneiss possibly f o r m e d f r o m m a r i n e sedi- M a r t a Schist at approximately right angles A similar pattern is s h o w n by the
m e n t t h a t w a s deposited on the basement to the n o r t h e a s t trend of the Sevilla m e t a m o r p h i c ages in correlative m e t a m o r -
gneiss following the Sevilla orogeny a n d w a s m e t a m o r p h i c belt (Fig. 2). The 138-m.y. age phic belts in the G u a j i r a Peninsula (Fig. 1).
m e t a m o r p h o s e d in Jurassic time at the same a n d the inferred original position of the There, the K-Ar ages decrease w e s t w a r d ,
time as the Santa M a r t a Schist. basement schist in the Perico well (loc. 6, obliquely crossing the northeast-trending
O u r K-Ar ages may not indicate the Fig. 2) are consistent with this age pattern m e t a m o r p h i c belts. Ages range f r o m 195 +
correct ages of the Sevilla m e t a m o r p h i c (250, 170, a n d 1 4 7 m.y.). T h e Cretaceous m.y. ( M a c D o n a l d , 1968) to 172 m.y.
c o m p l e x a n d the metadiorite, but they d o ages and inferred original positions of the (Lockwood, 1965) in the older belt, a n d
f o r m a p a t t e r n t h a t might reflect thermal schists in the Santa M a r t a province then t o 5 6 m.y. in the younger(?) belt nearer
gradients during a Jurassic regional ( M a c D o n a l d and others, 1971) and of the coast (Alvarez, 1967).
 280 T S C H A N Z A N D OTHERS

TABLE 2. ANALYTICAL DATA, Rb-Sr AGES, AND SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONS AND generated deep within the m e t a m o r p h i c belt
COORDINATES FOR DATED SPECIMENS FROM
THE SIERRA NEVADA DE SANTA MARTA during the last metamorphism (Paleocene?)
and then rose slowly to higher levels. T h e
Sample Rb Sr Rb /Sr Sr /Sr Radiogenic Sr Age Rock type
loc. (ppm) (ppm) Total Sr 7 (m.y.) Geologic u n i t postulated genetic relation of the quartz
( F i g . 2) Sample coordinates diorite to the Santa M a r t a metamorphic belt
Rooks from southeastern belt of pink. Jurassic batholiths is supported by a regional association of
qu artz diorite with this metamorphic belt. In
Granophyre
Patillal batholith the Guajira Peninsula (Fig. 1), a similar
1051'30" N . , 7316'57" W. quartz-diorite pluton (Parashi pluton) of the
Granophyre same age (48 4 m.y., L o c k w o o d , 1965)
Patillal batholith
1051'05" N . , 7317'33" W. intruded a belt of phyllite and greenschist
th at we and Doolan and M a c D o n a l d (1974)
Preoambrian granulites
correlate with similar rocks in the Santa
34 182 101 5.19 0.7575 752 73+ Q u a r t z - p e r t h i t e gneiss
Los Mangos G r a n u l i t e
M a r t a metamorphic belt.
1034'20" N . , 7324'53" W.

35 240 128 1,300 100+ Q u a r t z - p e r t h i t e gneiss

GEOLOGIC E V O L U T I O N OF THE
Los Mangos G r a n u l i t e SIERRA NEV/UDA MASSIF
1 0 o 5 r 0 5 " N . , 7304'27" W.
T h e triangular Sierra Nevada de Santa
Analysts: Z. E. Peternian, R. Ji. Hildreth, and W. T. Henderson, U.S. Geological purvey.
Notes: Decay constants for RbB7: Xg = 1.39 x 10~1'/yr. Isotopic abundance: Rb17/Rb - 0.2B3 g/g. M a r t a massif is divided into t w o very
*hge calculated with initial SrB7/SrBB ratio = 0.705.
iAge calculated with initial SrB7/SrB6 ratio = 0.703.
d i f f e r e n t s u b r e g i o n s by t h e a r c u a t e
northeast-trending Sevilla lineament (Fig.
2). The lineament may have been an
This pattern of decreasing ages in the Drill cuttings f r o m a depth of 8 , 3 2 7 ft in important plate b o u n d a r y f r o m Permian to
Sevilla province can be explained in two the Algarrobo N o . 1 well (loc. E, Fig. 2 and Eocene time. O n opposite sides of the
ways: (1) the decreasing ages reflect Table 1) consist of several types of phyllite l i n e a m e n t , b a s e m e n t r o c k s v a r y in
increasing argon loss t o w a r d the zone of that are correlated with the a u t o c h t h o n o u s metamorphic grade and age, and igneous
greatest m e t a m o r p h i c intensity in the Santa rocks beneath the thrusts in the outer belt of rocks vary in age. Sedimentary and volcanic
M a r t a metamorphic belt; or (2) the zone of greenschist and phyllite in the Santa M a r t a tocks are found only in the sub region
greatest metamorphic intensity in the Sevilla province (Fig. 2). According to T. V. s outheast of the lineament (Fig. 2). Sedimen-
m e t a m o r p h i c belt slowly migrated during Tolleson of Superior Oil Co. of Colombia, tation, volcanism, and plutonism in this
the Jurassic from southeast (near the Sevilla these cuttings are from a pre-lower Miocene subregion were partly c o n t e m p o r a n e o u s
lineament) to northwest. boulder conglomerate (E. M . Irving, 1971, with successive metamorphisms northwest
written commun.). The conglomerate in of the lineament. T h e post-Triassic exten-
Santa Marta Province nearby wells contains huge blocks of sional tectonic style of the southeastern
metamorphic rock and may be a lower subregion contrasts with the compressional
Seven samples of m e t a m o r p h i c rocks
Tertiary sedimentary or tectonic breccia. A style of the subregion northwest of the
(Iocs. 1 to 6 and E, Fig. 2 and Table 1) f r o m
heavy-mineral concentrate f r o m the drill lineament. The metamorphic, igneous, and
the parallel belts of greenschist and
cuttings gave a K-Ar age of 86 m.y. (Late tectonic evolution of these two subregions
amphibolite-grade schists and three samples
Cretaceous), an age that strongly suggests a f r o m Permian to early Tertiary was
of intrusive rocks (Iocs. 7 to 9, Fig. 2 and
pre-Paleocene metamorphism for the phyl- apparently very different, t h o u g h perhaps
Table 1) were dated radiometrically. Of
lite and greenschist. related to the same underlying subcrustal
these, five m e t a m o r p h i c rocks gave Eocene
processes. The separate evolution of the t w o
or Oligocene ages that probably date Ter- T h e above ages f r o m offset subsurface
subregions was structurally controlled, at:
tiary plutonic or tectonic activity and not segments of the Santa M a r t a metamorphic
least indirectly, by the Sevilla lineament
the m e t a m o r p h i s m . This conclusion is sup- belt suggest a Cretaceous minimum age for
during this interval.
ported by several Cretaceous and Paleocene the m e t a m o r p h ' s m of the rocks in the outer
ages (Iocs. C and D, Fig. 2), in addition to belt and a Late Jurassic minimum age for the
Eocene and Oligocene ages, reported from rocks in the inner belt. The metamorphic Northwest Subregion
the metamorphic belts northwest of the rocks in these belts are probably of different N o r t h w e s t of the Sevilla lineament are the
Santa M a r t a batholith by M a c D o n a l d and ages, based on the correlation of the following three ensimatic northeast-
others (1971). greenschist with similar Late Cretaceous trending Phanerozoic m e t a m o r p h i c belts:
N e w evidence f o r the age of metamor- greenschist in :he Guajira Peninsula, but (1) the Sevilla metamorphic belt, (2) the
phism comes f r o m drill cores and cuttings they are not necessarily so. inner belt of amphibolite-grade schist, and
f r o m the b o t t o m of t w o oil wells drilled T h e age of the quartz-diorite plutons in (3) the outer belt of greenschist and phyllite
through the Tertiary sediments in the basins the Santa M a _ t a and Sevilla provinces is (Fig. 2), both within the Santa M a r t a
north and west of the Sierra Nevada. A drill thought to be 49 m.y., based on the m e t a m o r p h i c belt. The first t w o belts have
core of amphibolite schist f r o m the b o t t o m radiometric ages of amphibole f r o m the been intruded by small plutons of Paleocene
of the Perico well (loc. 6, Fig. 2) is petro- Santa M a r t a batholith and the Buritaca diorite and large plutons of Eocene q u a r t z
graphically similar to the p r e d o m i n a n t pluton (Fig. 2). The batholith at locality 8 diorite (Fig. 2).
schist in the inner, higher grade belt of schist (Fig. 2 and Table 1) has discordant ages Possibly, the basement gneiss in the Sevilla
(Iocs. 2, 3, and 4, Fig. 2) with which it is (48.8 m.y. for hornblende and 4 4 . 1 m.y. for m e t a m o r p h i c belt is oceanic crust that was
correlated. An amphibole concentrate f r o m biotite) compared to concordant ages (49.0 m e t a m o r p h o s e d during the Sevilla orogeny
the Perico sample gave a K-Ar age of 138 and 48.4 m.y.) for the same minerals in the (Permian?). T h e gneiss w a s r e m e t a m o r -
m.y. (Late Jurassic). This indicates that the Buritaca pluton (loc. 7, Fig. 2 and Table 1). phosed during the Santa M a r t a orogeny
m e t a m o r p h i s m of the higher grade Santa The 44.1-m.y. biotite age is probably due to (Jurassic) when the overlying(?) schist may
M a r t a Schist (inner belt) is also Late shearing, accompanied by increased tem- have been formed, and when the inner belt
Jurassic. The Santa M a r t a m e t a m o r p h i s m peratures, w'thin a prominent east-west of amphibolite-grade schist in the Santa
could, however, have begun as early as zone of fractures (not shown on Fig. 2). M a r t a province definitely was formed.
Middle Jurassic in the Sevilla province. Quartz-diorite m a g m a was probably The outer belt of greenschist and phyllite
 GEOLOGIC EVOLUTION OF THE SIERRA N E V A D A DE SANTA M A R T A, N O R T H E A S T E R N COLOMBIA 281

consists of t w o structurally different keratophyre porphyry (Tschanz and others, contact with the Tucurinca plutonic com-
metamorphic elements. Near the coast, 1969) and then were covered by red volcanic plex (Fig. 2) is d r a w n on the basis of textural
polymetamorphic greenschist in two thrust rocks and graywacke of similar composition differences. The Tucurinca plutonic com-
plates was metamorphosed first by the (Gautapur! Formation, Fig. 2). Slump plex is locally foliated and consequently may
mid-Cretaceous, and again, under different textures suggest that deposition was suba- be a younger syntectonic pluton or a part of
physiochemical conditions that destroyed queous and probably marine until late the western border zone that was not
amphibole, during the early Tertiary G u a t a p u r i time when subaerial trachytic(P) protoclastically deformed, instead of a
(Doolan and M a c D o n a l d , 1974; Mac- ignimbrite was extruded. The Guatapuri postorogenic pluton as shown in Figure 2.
Donald and others, 1971). T h e autochtho- Formation may be contemporaneous with The Tucurinca plutonic complex and the
nous greenschist and phyllite farther inland the composite belt of syntectonic intrusive Tres Puntas pluton seem to have transitional
were metamorphosed by Late Cretaceous, rocks (Fig. 2), which had filled a wide rift lithologic characteristics and perhaps rep-
but were not visibly affected by the early zone along the Sevilla lineament by latest resent plutons of intermediate age (Late
Tertiary metamorphism. Within the outer Triassic. At this time, the east wall of this rift Triassic) between the Triassic syntectonic
belt, the metamorphic grade increases consisted of Precambrian granulite and was plutons and the Jurassic batholiths.
southeastward into the adjacent almost parallel to the west wall, which has The central and southeastern belts of
amphibolite-grade schist of the inner belt. apparently been stable since the early anorogenic Jurassic batholiths are lithologi-
M e t a m o r p h i c gradients, however, have not Mesozoic. cally distinct, but individual plutons in each
been recognized southeast of the Santa T h e numerous plutons in the Sierra belt are similar in color and composition.
M a r t a batholith. Nevada province form four northeast- The central belt consists of seven plutons of
The complex history of the Santa M a r t a trending intrusive belts: (1) the metadiorite gray quartz diorite and (or) granodiorite and
province is reflected by the wide range (Late belt of Permian(?) age, (2) the syntectonic one pluton (Ojeda batholith, Fig. 2) of
Jurassic to Oligocene) and erratic pattern of plutonic belt of Triassic age, and (3) the quartz monzonite that is transitional in
the available radiometric ages (Table 1; central and (4) southeastern belts of Jurassic color and composition to the pink, por-
M a c D o n a l d and others, 1971). T w o batholiths (Fig. 2). The rocks in the first phyritic granodiorite and quartz monzonite
Oligocene ages f r o m samples within or near three belts were intruded along the Sevilla (177 m.y.), slightly younger(P) undated
the t h r u s t plates suggest a possible lineament, and all these intrusive rocks may granite, and still younger granophyre (164
Oligocene age for the thrusting. Another be genetically related to it, as described m.y.) in the two composite batholiths of the
Oligocene age f r o m a sample close to an below. southeastern belt. These three pink rock
east-trending fault, which is inferred f r o m The metadiorite probably formed before types were mapped separately (Tschanz and
alined headlands on the north coast (Fig. 2), or during the Sevilla metamorphism, a b o u t others, 1969). In the Patillal batholith, the
may date a period of movement along the 250 m.y. ago, when katazonal(P) gabbro or granophyre forms a discontinuous roof
Oca trend. diorite filled the initial(P) rift along the facies. The pink rocks contain a b u n d a n t
A few small, poorly exposed masses of Sevilla lineament. Then, the Triassic syntec- pink potassic feldspar instead of the
ultramafic rocks in both the Sevilla and tonic plutons probably crystallized f r o m microcline that is c o m m o n in the gray rocks
Santa M a r t a provinces (Tschanz and others, anatectic quartz-diorite m a g m a that formed of the central belt. T w o magmas possibly
1969) include serpentine and harzburgite during the Sevilla orogeny, but were formed simultaneously(?) at different depths
peridotite that, near their margins, are partly emplaced after it in several stages between along a southeast-dipping structural discon-
replaced by tremolite, talc, chlorite, and the parallel walls of the southern part of the tinuity whose outcrop may be the Sevilla
serpentine. These secondary minerals are Sevilla lineament. The relative ages of the lineament.
much lower in grade than the enclosing Triassic plutons the western border zone,
metamorphic rocks and, if metamorphic, the Rio Piedras complex, the Tres Puntas Dilational Emplacement of
would belong to the greenschist facies. They pluton, and possibly the Tucurinca plutonic Jurassic Batholiths
can not be products of a widespread, c o m p l e x (Fig. 2) a r e u n c e r t a i n . Large The Mesozoic igneous evolution began
younger regional metamorphism. blocks of metadiorite were engulfed when with the intrusion of the metadiorite and the
the syntectonic western border zone (Fig. 2) syntectonic plutons into rifts along the
Southeast Subregion was emplaced. Then both the metadiorite Sevilla lineament. It culminated with the
Southeast of the Sevilla lineament, the and syntectonic belts were split apart when extensional disruption and dispersion of the
basement of the Sierra Nevada province the Aracataca batholith (166 m.y.) was pre-Jurassic rocks that accompanied the
consists of discontinuous blocks of Precam- emplaced (Fig. 2). emplacement of Jurassic batholiths in two
brian granulite separated by Jurassic intru- The Triassic syntectonic rocks, in contrast or more stages.
sive rocks (Fig. 2). Before the Permian, to the Jurassic intrusive rocks, are com- During the Jurassic, the granulite base-
however, these granulite blocks were monly metasomatized, recrystallized or ment, the overlying Triassic volcanic rocks,
probably continuous parts of a Precambrian protoclastically deformed, and occasionally and the metadiorite and the syntectonic
shield on which rested marine Devonian(P) weakly foliated. Also, in thin section, the plutonic belt along the Sevilla lineament
and Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks. Dur- plagioclases are not zoned. These plutonic were all disrupted by successive plutonic
ing the Permian(P), the Sevilla lineament rocks nowhere show compositional layering intrusions into dilational rifts, trending N.
came into being. At about the same time, this like that of the regional metamorphic rocks, 15 E. These rifts may be successively dilated
subregion was covered by dark-gray basaltic but contain inclusions of such rocks that segments of the Sevilla lineament. The
and spilitic volcanic rocks and interbedded probably were derived from the Sevilla dilational openings were partly bounded by
volcanogenic graywacke of spilitic composi- metamorphic belt. pre-existing(P) N. 70 E.-trending faults that
tion (Corual Formation, Fig. 2). The oldest The foliated rocks in the western border allowed very large synintrusive transform
of these volcanic rocks may be approxi- zone were protoclastically deformed and movements as successive Jurassic batholiths
mately contemporaneous with the forma- fractured before they were completely were emplaced. Both of these principal fault
tion of the Sevilla lineament, with the crystallized or metasomatized, presumably systems are parallel to opposite ends of the
intrusion of the metadiorite along it, and by movement along the Sevilla lineament. exposed segment of the arcuate Sevilla
with the metamorphism of the basement These distinctive rocks grade in composition lineament. T h e result was the formation of
gneiss in the Sevilla province (Fig. 2). These f r o m quartz diorite in the west to two composite northeast-trending belts of
volcanic rocks were intruded by green granodiorite in the east. The gradational contemporaneous Jurassic batholiths.
 282 T S C H A N Z A N D OTHERS

The west side of the Triassic rift zone are underlain by subcrustal rocks rather but vertical movements d o not readily
remained continuous; but the east side, than by Precambrian granulites. The greater explain the distribution of the separate
originally a c o n t i n u o u s block of granulite than + 7 5 mga' (Case and M a c D o n a l d , granulite blocks.
(see segments W r W 2 , W 3 -W 4 , W 5 -W 6 , Fig. 1973) of the only station on a Jurassic Synintrusive dilational displacement dur-
2), w a s subsequently disrupted by a batholith shows this is true for the Atanques ing the emplacement of the Central
two-stage eastward m o v e m e n t of the central batholith. The required platelike form of the batholith (Fig. 2) rather t h a n postintrusive
segment (W 3 -W 4 ). The first stage of this b a t h o l i t h s is n a g r e e m e n t w i t h t h e wrench faulting might explain the a p p a r e n t
eastward m o v e m e n t is probably explained batholithic model proposed by H a m i l t o n displacements on the southern branch. This
by synintrusive (transform) m o v e m e n t and Myers (1967, p. C I ) . Field evidence interpretation is consistent with the pos-
along inferred N. 70 E. faults (W 2 -W 3 , suggests that the Pueblo Bello and Patillal tulated process of extensional d i s r u p t i o n
W 4 -W 3 ) that accompanied the emplacement batholiths formed their o w n roofs of farther s o u t h a n d has several advantages.
of the Pueblo Bello batholith into a N. 15 E. c o n t e m p o r a n e o u s ignimbrites and have First, left-lateral displacement of the Per-
rift, which was b o u n d e d on the n o r t h a n d generally h o r i z o r t a l upper contacts. mian(?) metadiorites is not required along
south by these pre-existing(P) N . 70 E. The larger Precambrian granulite blocks the southern p a r t of the Sevilla lineament.
faults. The second stage accompanied the also probably rest on underlying mantle(?) Second, the only required active block
emplacement of the Aracataca batholith, rocks. The average density of the granulite is would be the granulite block and the
which isolated the metadiorite and Triassic greater than that of the batholithic rocks. overlying pre-Jurassic rocks at the northeast
syntectonic plutons east of it f r o m those Therefore, if the granulite masses within the end of the Central batholith (loc. B, Fig. 2).
west of it. batholiths did not rest on the mantle(?) Third, the required displacement on the
The Rio Piedras complex consists mainly rocks, they would have sunk into the m a g m a southern branch is similar to the dilational
of partly foliated syntectonic or cataclastic c h a m b e r ; conceivably, small blocks consist- separation of similar granulite blocks t h a t
q u a r t z d i o r i t e but i n c l u d e s r e g i o n a l ing wholly of quartz-perthite granulite, apparently accompanied the simultaneous
m e t a m o r p h i c rocks that are correlated with similar to t w o dated samples, might float. emplacement of the Pueblo Bello batholith.
those in the Sevilla province. From this we T h e thin crust indicated by the regional The above interpretation would not
conclude that the Rio Piedras complex and gravity data makes plausible the existence of explain approximately 28 km of a d o u b t f u l
the metadiorite farther south may have a shallow structural discontinuity beneath total 76 km of left-lateral displacement of
f o r m e d near the Sevilla lineament (Fig. 2), the Sierra N e v a d a province. Such a the undated Palomino pluton ( Z ' , Fig. 2)
and they were apparently displaced east- discontinuity would probably be a zone of f r o m a possible f o r m e r position at the n o r t h
w a r d by the intrusion of the Aracataca weakness t h a t separates the crustal and end of the Patillal batholith (Z, Fig. 2). This
batholith. subcrustal rocks and allows the dilational d i s p l a c e m e n t is s u g g e s t e d o n l y by t h e
Although left-lateral wrench faulting s e p a r a t i o n of l a u l t - b o u n d e d g r a n u l i t e litholcigic similarity of the quartz monzonite
along W 4 -W 5 (Fig. 2) might explain the blocks that is required by the p r o p o s e d in the Palomino pluton to that in the Pueblo
nearly equal e a s t w a r d displacements of both model of dilational emplacement. Bello and Patillal batholiths. This displace-
the Rio Piedras complex a n d the granulite ment along a pre-Eocene N. 70 E. fault
block (W3-W4), wrench faulting alone Possible Lateral Displacement would require a Middle Jurassic or younger
c a n n o t explain the a p p a r e n t unequal on the Sevilla Lineament displacement opposite to the larger early
displacements of both the metadiorite a n d T h e Sevilla lineament is the oldest and Tertiary displacement on the nearly parallel
granulite in opposite directions on a parallel most i m p o r t a n t structural discontinuity in O c a fault; therefore it seems very d o u b t f u l .
fault (W 2 -W 3 , Fig. 2). Such faulting would the Sierra N e v a d a massif, and it structural- T h e N . 70 E. and N. 15 E. trends of the
require a left-lateral displacement of the ly controlled the Permian and Mesozoic opposite ends; of the Sevilla lineament
metadiorite n o w on opposite sides of the igneous, metamorphic, and tectonic evolu- controlled the separation of the fault-
Aracataca batholith, assuming their former tion. T h e Sevilla lineament was intruded by b o u n d e d granulite blocks as m a g m a filled
continuity, and a m u c h larger right-lateral plutons of Permian (250 m.y.?), Triassic opening rifts. These trends might be m a j o r
displacement of the granulite segments (pre-202 m.y.), Middle Jurassic (166 to 1 7 7 zones of weakness inherited f r o m the
W r W 2 and W 3 -W 4 . This type of m o v e m e n t m.y.), Late Jurassic (138 m.y.), Early original Precambrian shield.
is n o t characteristic of wrench faults. The Cretaceous (131 m.y.), Paleocene (54 m.y.), The left-lateral(P) Sevilla lineament curves
displacements on both N. 70 E. faults can and Eocene (49 m.y.) ages. Protoclastic eastward into the east-west trend of the
be explained by a purely dilational model if d e f o r m a t i o n a p p a r e n t in thin sections f r o m younger right-lateral O c a fault and south-
the order of intrusion were as follows: the western border zone (pre-202 m.y.), the w a r d into the N . 15 W . trend of the left-
metadiorites (250 m.y.?); western border western margin of the Aracataca batholith lateral Santa M a r t a - B u c a r a m a n g a linea-
zone (pre-202 m.y.), Rio Piedras pluton, (166 m.y.), and from the Socorro p l u t o n ment. Because of covering Tertiary sedi-
Tres Puntas p l u t o n ; Pueblo Bello batholith (131 m.y.) (Fig. 2), indicates m o v e m e n t m e n t a r y rocks, it is uncertain but likely
(177 m.y. average); a n d Aracataca batholith along this lineament during the crystalliza- t h a t the Sevilla lineament has been cut by
(166 m.y.). This order of intrusion has not tion of some adjacsnt Mesozoic plutons. these younger faults.
been established. Large left-lateral displacements might be
A l t h o u g h speculative, the dilational inferred along the northern parts of both Relation to Plate Tectonics
model for the emplacement of the Jurassic principal branches of the Sevilla lineament
plutons in the belts described above is (Fig. 2), but other explanations are plausible Geologic features of the Sierra N e v a d a
compatible with the available radiometric, for each of four or five possible offset rock massif and of the surrounding region suggest
geologic, a n d gravity data. T h e large units. Left-lateral cisplacements totaling 4 6 t h a t its geologic evolution f r o m Permian to
positive Bouguer gravity values over the to 5 0 km can be inferred on the southern Eocene or Oligocene time was determined
entire Sierra N e v a d a massif require that the branch by assuming t h a t the Precambrian by subduction sind faulting along the f o r m e r
continental rocks exposed at the surface be granulites (X', Fig. 2) and Triassic and continental margin as a consequence of
underlain by very dense mantle or ultramafic Jurassic stratified rocks (Y', Fig. 2) were sea-floor spreading and continental drift
rocks at depths of less t h a n 15 k m (Case and dragged f r o m original positions opposite X during the opening of first the C a r i b b e a n
M a c D o n a l d , 1973). Apparently, the Jurassic and Y, respectively. The Triassic rocks and then the South Altlantic, and finally the
batholiths are rootless, platelike masses that u n d o u b t e d l y overlie Precambrian granulite, eastward m o v e m e n t of the Caribbean sea
 GEOLOGIC EVOLUTION OF THE SIERRA N E V A D A DE SANTA M A R T A, N O R T H E A S T E R N COLOMBIA 283

floor. T h e three parallel, successively Occidental (Fig. 1). The correlation of the massif is therefore an extreme, small-scale
younger Phanerozoic metamorphic belts latter rocks, however, is uncertain, because example of a much larger regional structural
and the compositional gradient in the t w o of lithologic differences and because of their mosaic.
parallel c o n t e m p o r a n e o u s belts of Jurassic probable formation in subduction zones Among possible explanations of the
batholiths would be very difficult to explain along the north-trending Pacific margin poorly dated, pre-Cretaceous(P) fragmenta-
otherwise. The extensional disruption of the instead of along the east-trending Caribbean tion of the granulite basement in northwest-
Sierra N e v a d a province and the dilational margin. ern South America and the possibly related
emplacement of the Mesozoic plutons d o M a j o r questions in thus relating the extensional disruption of the cratonic
not readily fit the accepted simple models of Phanerozoic metamorphic belts in the Sierra fragment in the Sierra Nevada in Jurassic
plate tectonics, but might be explained by Nevada to subduction along the former time, is sea-floor spreading, with resultant
the tectonic transport and reassembly of Caribbean continental margin are (1) the westward drift of the South American plate
microcontinental cratonic fragments along lack of h i g h - p r e s s u r e r o c k s of t h e over the older ancestral N o r t h Atlantic rift
transform fault systems that linked intersect- lawsonite-glaucophane-jadeite facies that which had earlier caused the development of
ing subduction systems. The emplacement are characteristic of subduction systems the Sevilla metamorphic belt. Sea-floor
of t w o coexisting granitic magmas in along the margins of the Pacific Ocean, and spreading during the Sevilla orogeny itself
successive stages into extensional rifts in the (2) the uncertain original orientation of the may have caused the initial fragmentation of
Sierra N e v a d a province is analogous to t'ae N . 30 E.-trending segments exposed in the northwestern South America but does not
emplacement of basaltic magmas into Sierra Nevada as compared to the N. 70 E. explain the Jurassic disruption of the Sierra
spreading rifts along mid-oceanic rifts. This t r e n d in the G u a j i r a Peninsula and the N e v a d a p r o v i n c e o r several s u b s e q u e n t
suggests a possible extension of the east-west trend f r o m Aruba east. The periods of transcurrent faulting. Whatever
sea-floorspreading hypothesis to a conti- arcuate pattern could be original or could the primary cause, the fragmentation was
nental environment rather than an reflect drag or rotation caused by left-lateral probably accomplished by large transcur-
oceanic environment. d i s p l a c e m e n t on the S a n t a Marta rent faulting on the Sevilla and Cesar
Since the Paleocene, the geologic evolu- Bucaramanga fault system. This fault lineaments as well as later large lateral
tion seems to have been controlled by m a j o r could have existed during the Sevilla d i s p l a c e m e n t s on the S a n t a Marta
lateral and vertical movements along the and Santa M a r t a orogenies as a transform Bucaramanga, Oca, and several other m a j o r
t r a n s f o r m ( ? ) O c a and Santa Marta fault that linked penecontemporaneous faults farther south the Romeral, Otu,
Bucaramanga fault systems. This movement subduction systems along the Pacific and and Palestine faults of Feininger (1970).
probably was a consequence of continued Caribbean continental margins. The prob- A genetic relation between the Sevilla
subduction along the Pacific continental lem is not easily resolved, because of the lineament or a related parallel subduction
margin and the eastward movement of the apparent fragmentation of northwestern zone and the intrusive rocks is suggested by
Caribbean plate relative to N o r t h and South South America by several periods of systematic variations in age, composition,
America t o w a r d a subduction zone in the transcurrent faulting on northeast-, east-, N. mineralogy or texture, and depth of
trench east of the Antilles Arc, as outline d by 15 W.-, and N. 15 E.-trending faults emplacement of the intrusive rocks relative
M o l n a r and Sykes (1969, p. 1649). (Campbell, 1968; Feininger, 1970). Because to distance f r o m the lineament. The older,
In o u r i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , t h e t h r e e of its arcuate pattern, left-lateral displace- more mafic, deeper seated rocks intruded
Phanerozoic metamorphic belts developed ment on the Sevilla lineament alone might the Sevilla lineament and are most closely
in the Sevilla and Santa M a r t a provinces in explain a possible 40 counterclockwise related to the Sevilla orogeny. The Mesozoic
successive subduction zones along the rotation of the metamorphic belts northwest intrusive rocks in the old craton generally
former Caribbean continental margin be- of it. become younger and more highly differen-
tween Late Permian(?) or Early Triassic and The former Caribbean continental margin tiated with increasing distance southeast of
Paleocene time. The postulated subduction was disrupted and reassembled more than the lineament; in contrast, the Tertiary
during the Sevilla orogeny may be related to once by large-scale transform faulting. This intrusive rocks are progressively younger
the original opening and subsequent de- was a result of the complex interaction and more differentiated with increasing
velopment of the ancestral Caribbean as the between partly simultaneous subduction distance northwest of the lineament. For
oldest part of the N o r t h Atlantic rift; the systems along the Pacific and Caribbean Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous rocks of the
subduction during the Santa M a r t a orogeny continental margins during the westward same age within the craton, the more highly
may be related t o the opening of the South drift of the South American plate and the differentiated and shallower seated rocks
Atlantic about 150 m.y. ago and the separation of N o r t h and South America. are farthest f r o m the lineament.
resultant westward drift of South America, This interaction has produced a complex The depth of emplacement of the
as outlined by Dietz and Holden (1970). tectonic mosaic of large, ancient, exotic Mesozoic plutons in the Sierra Nevada
We further suggest that not only was the cratonic fragments, such as the Sierra province, as inferred from petrographic
greenschist in the outer part of the Santa N e v a d a province, which are isolated within evidence (primarily textural), decreases
M a r t a metamorphic belt formerly continu- younger metamorphic belts; these belts were southeastward f r o m the Sevilla lineament.
ous with the belt of greenschist exposed in subsequently disrupted by large transcur- The porphyritic Jurassic batholiths of the
the Guajira Peninsula and Aruba, Nether- rent movements on transform faults. The southeastern belt are epizonal, whereas the
lands Antilles, as proposed by Doolan and Sierra Nevada province is a smaller scale batholiths in the central belt are mesozonal;
M a c D o n a l d (1974), but also that the other mosaic of granulite blocks that were the contemporaneous Jurassic volcanic
rocks in both the Sevilla and Santa M a r t a separated by the intrusion of successive rocks are subaerial ignimbrites.
metamorphic belts are exposed in the Mesozoic plutons into extensional rifts. The The strongest evidence for the genetic
Guajira Peninsula and that they formerly complexity of the Sierra Nevada massif relation inferred above is given by the
extended east along the former continental results f r o m its position near the leading mineralogical and textural characteristics of
margin to Trinidad. Rocks of both belts are (northwest) corner of the westward-drifting the rocks from the contemporaneous central
present just southwest of the Sierra Nevada Mesozoic continent and near the intersec- and southeastern belts of Middle Jurassic
(Fig. 2) and equivalent rocks are probably tion of the subduction systems along Pacific batholiths. T h e gray, equigranular, meso-
also present in the Cordilleras Central and and Caribbean margins. T h e Sierra Nevada zonal microcline-bearing rocks of the
 284 T S C H A N Z A N D OTHERS

c e n t r a l b e l t a r e r i c h e r in m a f i c m i n e r a l s a n d S u p e r i o r O i l C o . of C o l o m b i a t h r o u g h E. M . Hamilton, Warren, and Myers, W. B., 1967, The

relatively calcic plagioclase t h a n are the I r v i n g of t h e U.S. G e o l o g i c a l S u r v e y . T o m s nature of batholiths: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof.
more potassic, pink, mesozonal to epizonal F e i n i n g e r , R i c h a r d G o l d s m i t h , R . B. H a l l , Paper 5 5 4 - C , 3 0 p.
p e r t h i t i c o r t h o c l a s e - b e a r i n g r o c k s of t h e Hatherton, Trevor, and Dickinson, W. R., 1969,
a n d D . E . W a r d of t h e U.S. G e o l o g i c a l
The relationship between andesitic vol-
s o u t h e a s t e r n belt. T h e s e differences suggest S u r v e y a n d m a n y C o l o m b i a n g e o l o g i s t s of
canism and seismicity in Indonesia, the
t h a t t w o m a g m a s of d i f f e r e n t c o m p o s i t i o n the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Lesser A ntilles, and other island arcs: Jour.
f o r m e d s i m u l t a n e o u s l y ^ ) by anatexis at Geologico-Minsras supplied data f r o m the Geophys. Research, v. 74, no. 22, p.
different depths along a southeast-dipping f o u r a r e a s in C o l o m b i a t h a t w e r e s t u d i e d 5301-5310.
structural discontinuity beneath the old u n d e r the cooperative p r o g r a m of the Kalliokoski, ]., 1965, Geology of north-central
craton. Inventario Minero Nacional. Guayami Shield, Venezuela: Geol. Soc.
T h e progressive southeastward increase America Bull., v. 76, no. 9, p. 1 0 2 7 - 1 0 5 0 .
in K 2 0 ( p o t a s s i c f e l d s p a r ) in t h e J u r a s s i c REFERENCES CITED Lockwood, J. P., 1965, Geology of the Serrania de
batholiths and the Lower Cretaceous Jarara area, Guajira Peninsula, Colombia
Alvarez, W., 1967, Geology of the Simarua and (Ph.D. dissert.]: N e w Jersey, Princeton
i n t r u s i v e r o c k s is a n a l o g o u s t o t h e i n c r e a s e Carpintero areas, Guajira Peninsula, Univ., 2 3 7 p.
in t h e K 2 0 c o n t e n t of a n d e s i t e in v o l c a n i c Colombia [I'h.D. dissert.]: N e w Jersey, MacDonald, W. D., 1968, Geology of the
a r c s a b o v e s u b d u c t i o n ( B e n i o f f ) z o n e s a n d in Princeton Un v., 168 p. Serrania de Macuira area, Guajira Penin-
intrusive rocks behind subducted continen- Campbell, C. J., 1968, The Santa Marta wrench sula, northeast Colombia: Caribbean Geol.
tal m a r g i n s . H a t h e r t o n a n d Dickinson fault of Colombia and its regional setting: Conf., 4i:h, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and
( 1 9 6 9 , Figs. 1, 6 , a n d 7) s h o w e d t h a t t h e Caribbean Gsol. Conf., 4th, Port-of-Spain, Tobago 1965, Trans., p. 2 6 7 - 2 7 3 .
Trinidad, and Tobago 1965, Trans., p. MacDonald, W. D., and Hurley, P. M., 1969,
K 2 0 c o n t e n t of such andesites increases
247-261. Precambrian gneisses from northern Co-
p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y as the vertical distance
Case, J. E., and Macdonald, W. D., 1973, lombia, South America: Geol. Soc. America
a b o v e the inclined Benioff z o n e a n d as the
Regional gravity anomalies and crustal Bull., v. 80, no. 9, 1 8 6 7 - 1 8 7 2 .
horizontal distance f r o m the offshore trench structure in northern Colombia: Geol. Soc. MacDonald, W. D., Doolan, B. L., and Cordani,
t h a t m a r k s t h e o u t c r o p of t h e B e n i o f f z o n e . America Bull., v. 84, no. 9, p. 2 9 0 5 - 2 9 1 6 . U. G., 1971, Cretaceous-early Tertiary
They concluded that the andesite (or Dalrymple, G. B., and Lanphere, M. A., 1969, metamorphic K-Ar age values from the
quartz-diorite) m a g m a s were generated Potassium-argon dating Principles, tech- south Caribbean: Geol. Soc. America Bull.,
a l o n g Benioff zones at d e p t h s of 8 0 t o 2 9 0 niques, and applications to geochronology: v. 82, no. 5, p. 1 3 8 1 - 1 3 8 8 .
k m and that m a g m a s arriving at the surface San Francisco, W. H. Freeman and Co., Martin-Bellizzia, C., 1968, Edades isotopicas de
f r o m c o r r e s p o n d i n g l y d e e p e r sites h a v e 2 5 8 p. Rocas Venezolanas: Venezuela Bol. Geol., v.
Dietz, R. S., and Holden, J. C., 1970, 10, no. 19, p. 3 5 6 - 3 8 0 .
progressively h i g h e r p o t a s s i u m c o n t e n t s . By
Reconstruction of Pangea: Breakup and Molnar, Peter, and Sykes, L. R., 1969, Tectonics
analogy, the similar compositional changes
dispersion of continents: Jour. Geophys. of the Caribbean and Middle America
in t h e i n t r u s i v e r o c k s ( q u a r t z - d i o r i t e line) of Research, v. 75, no. 26, p. 4 9 3 9 ^ 9 5 6 . regions from focal mechanisms and seismi-
the western United States (described by Doolan, B. L., 1970, The structure and city: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 80, p.
M o o r e , 1959) p r o b a b l y can n o w be related metamorphism of the Santa Marta area, 1639-1684.
t o f o r m e r s u b d u c t i o n zones a l o n g t h e Pacific Colombia, South America [Ph.D. dissert.]: Moore, J. G., 1959, The quartz diorite boundary
c o n t i n e n t a l m a r g i n of N o r t h A m e r i c a . T h u s , Binghamton, N e w York, N e w York State line in the western United States: Jour.
t h e q u a r t z - d i o r i t e line a n d t h e similar Univ., 2 0 0 p. Geology, v. 67, no. 2, p. 1 9 8 - 2 1 0 .
c o m p o s i t i o n a l l i n e s s o u t h e a s t of t h e Sevilla Doolan, B. L., and MacDonald, W. D., 1974, Peterman, Z. E., Doe, B. R., and Bartel, Ardith,
l i n e a m e n t are a n a l o g o u s t o the andesite line Structure and metamorphism of schists of 1967, Data on the rock GSP-1 (granodio-
the Santa Martr. area, Colombia: Geologa rite) and the isotope-dilution method of
of H a t h e r t o n a n d D i c k i n s o n (1969) a n d
Colombiana, Colombian Geol. Cong., 1st, analysis for Rb and Sr, in Geological Survey
p r o b a b l y have a similar genetic relation to
Bogota, August 1969, Proc. (in press). research 1967: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper
subduction. Evernden, J. F., anc Curtis, G. H., 1965, The 5 7 5 - B , p. B:.81-B186.
T h e a r r a n g e m e n t a n d p a t t e r n of t h e potassium-argon dating of late Cenozoic Pinson, W. H., Jr., Hurley, P. M., Mencher, Ely,
M e s o z o i c p l u t o n s a n d m e t a m o r p h i c belts rocks in East Africa and Italy: Current and Fairbairn, H. W., 1962, K-Ar and Rb-Sr
relative t o t h e Sevilla l i n e a m e n t s u g g e s t t h a t Anthropology, v. 6, p. 3 4 3 - 3 8 5 . ages of biotites from Colombia, South
Feininger, Toms, 1970, The Palestina fault: America: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 73, no.
t h e Sevilla l i n e a m e n t m a y b e t h e o u t c r o p of a
Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 81, no. 4, p. 7, p. 9 0 7 - 9 1 0 .
f o s s i l s u b d u c t i o n z o n e . T h e e x a c t n a t u r e of
1201-1216.
t h e l i n e a m e n t , h o w e v e r , is u n c e r t a i n . Poison, I. L., and Henao, Diego, 1968, The Santa
F e i n i n g e r , T o m s , Barrero, D a r i o , C a s t r o , Marta wrench fault A rebuttal: Carib-
The foregoing preliminary interpretation Nestor, Ramirez, Octavio, Lozano, Her- bean Geol. Conf., 4th, Port-of-Spain,
is h i g h l y s p e c u l a t i v e a n d will u n d o u b t e d l y nando, Vesga, Jairo, and others, 1970, Trinidad, and Tobago 1965, Trans., p.
be substantially modified as n e w data Mapa Geologico del oriente del Depto. de 263-266.
become available. But an attempt to explain Antiochia: Colombia Inst. Nac. Inv. Priem, H.N.A., Boelrijk, N.A.I.M., Hebeda, E.
the p r i n c i p a l p a r a d o x i c a l geological rela- Geol.-Mineras, sheets 1 and 2, scale H., Verschure, R. H., and Bon, E. H., 1966,
t i o n s is c r i t i c a l in u n d e r s t a n d i n g the 1:100,000. Isotopic age of tin granites in Rondonia, N .
Gansser, August, 1955, Ein Beitrag zur Geologie W. Brazil: Geol. Mijnbouw, v. 45, p.
g e o l o g i c a l e v o l u t i o n of t h e n o r t h e r n S o u t h
und Petrographic der Sierra Nevada de 191-192.
A m e r i c a a n d t h e C a r i b b e a n Sea a n d m a y b e
Santa Marta (Kolumbien, Sudamerika): Tschanz, C. M., J i n e n o V., Andres, and Cruz B.,
useful to geologists and geophysicists Schweizer. Mineralog. u. Petrog. Mitt., v. Jaime, and others, 1969, Mapa Geologico
studying the region. 35, no. 2, p. 2 0 9 - 2 7 9 . de Reconocimiento de la Sierra Nevada de
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Goldsmith, Richard, Marvin, R. F., and Mehnert, Santa Marta-Colombia: Colombia Inst.
H. H., 1971, Radiometrie ages in the Nac. Inv. Geol.-Mineras, scale 1:200,000.
T h e s a m p l e f r o m the Perico well w a s Santander massif. Eastern Cordillera, Co-
s u p p l i e d b y C y r u s J a c o b s of C h e v r o n O i l lombia, in Geological Survey research 1971: MANUSCRIPT RECEIVED BY THE SOCIETY DE-
C o m p a n y . The sample from the Algarrobo U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 7 5 0 - D , p. CEMBER 7 , 1 9 7 2
N o . 1 w e l l w a s s u p p l i e d b y T . V . T o l l e s o n of D44-D49. REVISED M A N U S C R I P T RECEIVED JULY 2 6 , 1 9 7 3

Printed in U.S.A.