Pre-Neogene tectonics and early broken foreland basin stages in the Bermejo basin

IF 3 2区地球科学 Q2 GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Structural Geology Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-23 DOI:10.1016/j.jsg.2025.105612

Marcelo Gonzalez , Federico Lince Klinger , Cinthya Moreno , Franco Clavel , Federico Morales , Cristian Ortiz , Guido Gianni , Miguel Ramos

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Broken foreland basins develop in response to far-field compressional stresses from active margins, resulting in deep-seated intraplate contractional structures that fragment the original foreland basin. This study investigates the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Bermejo Basin, the first recognized broken foreland basin in South America, situated between the Eastern Precordillera and Western Pampean Ranges. Through the reprocessing of seismic data and gravity analyses, we identify three main tectono-sedimentary stages: Stage 1 (Pre-Neogene), Stage 2 (19-4 Ma), and Stage 3 (4–2.5 Ma to Present). Stage 1 generated structures that were buried and subsequently reactivated during Stage 2. This latter stage marked a significant reconfiguration of the basin with progressive northward propagation of compressional structures and a major shift in basin polarity around 6-5 Ma. These stages correspond to varying configurations of the Andean subduction zone, with strong foreland compression linked to flat subduction. However, the mild initial compression of a key structure active since 19-17 Ma, as evidenced by syntectonic strata, suggests that the foreland remained responsive to compressional forces transmitted from the plate margin during episodes of normal subduction. Our findings underscore the previously unrecognized role of inherited (or pre-Andean) compression in the evolution of the Bermejo Basin and provide evidence for a hybrid deformation style affecting the Eastern Precordillera, impacting the western margin of this basin. This study emphasizes the need for updated regional kinematic models that account for the interplay of ancient and more recent tectonic processes in the Bermejo Basin. Finally, our observations indicate that inherited compressional structures, such as the Carboniferous-Permian faults and the early Miocene Alto del Jumeal Range, have played a significant role in guiding subsequent deformation and sedimentation within the Bermejo basin.

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贝尔梅霍盆地前新近纪构造与早期破碎前陆盆地阶段

破碎前陆盆地是在活动边缘的远场挤压应力作用下发育的，形成了将原始前陆盆地破碎的深层板内收缩构造。本文研究了Bermejo盆地的构造-沉积演化。Bermejo盆地是南美洲第一个被发现的破碎前陆盆地，位于东部Precordillera山脉和西部Pampean山脉之间。通过对地震资料的再处理和重力分析，我们确定了三个主要的构造沉积阶段：第1阶段（前新近纪）、第2阶段（19-4 Ma）和第3阶段（4-2.5 Ma至今）。第一阶段产生了埋藏的结构，随后在第二阶段重新激活。这一阶段标志着盆地的重大重构，挤压构造向北扩展，盆地极性在6-5 Ma左右发生重大转变。这些阶段对应于安第斯俯冲带的不同构造，强烈的前陆挤压与平坦的俯冲有关。然而，同构造地层表明，19-17 Ma以来活跃的关键构造的轻微初始压缩表明，在正常俯冲期间，前陆仍然对板块边缘传递的挤压力作出反应。我们的发现强调了继承（或前安第斯）挤压在Bermejo盆地演化中的作用，并为影响东部前科迪勒拉的混合变形样式提供了证据，影响了该盆地的西缘。这项研究强调需要更新的区域运动学模型，以解释贝尔梅霍盆地古代和近代构造过程的相互作用。结果表明，石炭-二叠纪断裂和早中新世Alto del Jumeal山脉等挤压构造对Bermejo盆地的后续变形和沉积起着重要的指导作用。

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来源期刊

Journal of Structural Geology 地学-地球科学综合

CiteScore

6.00

自引率

19.40%

发文量

192

审稿时长

15.7 weeks

期刊介绍： The Journal of Structural Geology publishes process-oriented investigations about structural geology using appropriate combinations of analog and digital field data, seismic reflection data, satellite-derived data, geometric analysis, kinematic analysis, laboratory experiments, computer visualizations, and analogue or numerical modelling on all scales. Contributions are encouraged to draw perspectives from rheology, rock mechanics, geophysics,metamorphism, sedimentology, petroleum geology, economic geology, geodynamics, planetary geology, tectonics and neotectonics to provide a more powerful understanding of deformation processes and systems. Given the visual nature of the discipline, supplementary materials that portray the data and analysis in 3-D or quasi 3-D manners, including the use of videos, and/or graphical abstracts can significantly strengthen the impact of contributions.