Provenance of the Ciénaga de Oro Formation: unveiling the tectonic evolution of the Colombian Caribbean margin during the Oligocene - Early Miocene

Abstract

A stratigraphic section in the San Jacinto fold and thrust belt located at northwestern Colombia was studied. This section displays part of the Oligocene-Early Miocene Ciénaga de Oro Formation (COF). This work analyses the sediments provenance using a multi-tool approach which include: (I) conglomerate and sandstone counting clast with mesh, (II) heavy minerals assemblages, (III) paleocurrents and (IV) U/Pb detrital zircon ages. The sedimentary sequence was deposited in deltaic to transitional environment deposition, with reduction in the waves and tidal effect, and increase in the dominance of transitional river processes upward the section. Two main source areas have been identified from a dissected arc province: a main granitic to pegmatitic and a secondary basic igneous source rocks, located to the east and southwest of the current position. Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology analysis display four age populations: (I) Devonian-Permian, (II) Permian-Triassic, (III) Jurassic and (IV) Cretaceous, with maximum deposition ages of 75.2±0.9 Ma in the lower part of the section, 68.9±0.6 Ma in the middle and 74.5±0.7 Ma for the upper part. It is proposed that COF was sediment-supplied by a south-to-north fluvial system, which drained exposed basement blocks and their late Cretaceous to Paleogene sedimentary cover during the Oligocene. This fluvial system carried sediments from late Cretaceous plutons like the Antioqueño Batholith and mafic/ ultramafic rocks, which make up the basement of the Western and Central Cordilleras.