Seamount, ridge, and transform subduction in southern Central America

Abstract

Understanding the factors that control subduction zone processes is a first-order goal in the study of convergent margins. In southern Central America, a growing body of research reveals strong links between the character of the subducting slab and the mechanics of important processes that include subduction erosion, fluid flow, deformation, and seismogenesis. In this paper, I evaluate the role that seamount, ridge, and transform subduction have in the development of upper plate deformation and volcanism by summarizing previous work across a >500 km long region of Central America where each of these three scenarios are present along strike. The data show that the subduction of short-wavelength bathymetry (e.g., seamounts and faults on the seafloor) produces short-wavelength deformation that persists for relatively short timescales (104-105 years), whereas the subduction of longer-wavelength bathymetry (e.g., the aseismic Cocos Ridge) results in longer-wavelength deformation that endures over a longer time scale (106 years). The timing and distribution of upper plate deformation are consistent with subhorizontal Cocos Ridge subduction driving upper plate deformation, and the increased crustal thickness (>20 km) of the subducting Cocos Ridge is likely one of the most important factors in the production of upper plate contraction and crustal thickening. The data illustrate a fundamental connection between lower plate properties and upper plate deformation and highlight the profound influence that bathymetry and crustal thickness have in the localization and kinematics of upper plate strain and volcanism in Middle America.