Mesozoic and Cenozoic Magmatism in the Betics

Abstract

Metamorphosed mafic igneous rocks (blueschists and eclogites) of the Nevado-Filábride Complex mainly occur as subparallel, multiple-injection dikes crosscutting shallow marine, Permo-Triassic metasediments or, locally, metaperidotites (rodingites). Radiometric data yields magmatic ages for zircons at around 185 ± 3 Ma. Chemical data indicate an E-MORB affinity of the melt. A continental or oceanic-continental transition setting is proposed for this magmatism. On the other hand, the volcanic region of SE Spain developed from 15 to 2.8 Ma producing four main groups of rocks: crustal contaminated , mantle derived, calc-alcaline andesitic to rhyolitic series; peraluminous volcanic rocks formed by anatectic processes of crustal sources; small ultrapotassic (lam-proite) volcanic centres and intraplate alkaline basalts and basanites. Most models have explained this volcanism in relation to subduction processes.