Meso-Cenozoic Basin Formation and Destruction Associated to the Interaction of Pacific, Caribbean and South American Plates
Ecopetrol – ARES – Universidad del Norte – Universidad Nacional de Colombia – ACGGP
Sunday, 17 April – Monday, 18 April 2022, 6:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. | Valledupar, Colombia
Who Should Attend
This field trip is addressed to geologist interested in sedimentary basins formed along collisional margins with temporal and spatial variation of tectonic settings, as extension, contraction and transtension. Participants will get an integrated review of the tectonic evolution of northern Andean and Caribbean regions, showing the implication in the exploration of hydrocarbons both in onshore and offshore areas.
Objectives
An integrated review of the tectonic evolution of northern South America and the Caribbean region, showing the implication in the exploration of hydrocarbons both in onshore and offshore areas, with emphasis in the basins surrounding the Santa Marta massif.
Course Content
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, earth tallest coastal mountain and its bounding Cretaceous to Neogene sedimentary basins are a unique record of the tectonic and hydrocarbon evolution of northern South America and the Caribbean region.
This field trip will review key exposures of the Jurassic, Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene extensional, contractional and transtensional basins that have growth in the Southern Margin of the Caribbean as a consequence of Caribbean plate formation and subsequent orthogonal to oblique convergence, and with variation from normal to shallow subduction. An actualized review of their stratigraphy, sedimentary petrology, chronology and structural peculiarities including discussion on specific seismic and well data from the offshore region will provide a critical review of the paleogeographic and hydrocarbon habitat of each of the onshore and offshore basins and its record of the Caribbean tectonics.
Itinerary Roster
Day 1
The field trip will start at Hotel Tativan in Valledupar.
In the morning, we will visit the older Mesozoic stratigraphic record including the transition from a volcanic dominated extensional and continental environment towards the Early Cretaceous marine invasion and its associated calcareous record. Contrast between the Santa Marta and Perija Mesozoic record and their implications for regional correlations will be discussed.
In the afternoon we will visit outcrops of La Luna Formation, one of the most important source rocks in the world, and the mixed to siliciclastic orogenic wedge covering this unit. Discussion of the origin of onshore basins and their relationship with oblique Caribbean convergence will be complemented by reviewing seismic and well information.
We will see outcrops on the roads between Valledupar-El Copey and Valledupar-Fonseca.
We will spend the night near la Mina El Cerrejón.
Day 2
We will start the day with a review and discussion on the stratigraphy, basin formation mechanism in the Paleogene and the subsequent Eocene to Oligocene basin inversion of the Perija and Rancheria basins as well as comparison on the Eocene record of northern South America.
As we move westward to Santa Marta, we will see evidence of Oca Fault activity and its paleogeographic meaning by visiting the older basement (Jurassic and older rocks), available onshore remnants of Miocene fluvial siliciclastic rocks, Paleocene intrusive bodies and the record of the low-grade metamorphosed Cretaceous sequence recorded at the NW corner of the Santa Marta massif. We will discuss the role of the first collision with the Caribbean front in controlling the character and age of the older preserved basins.
On our trip to Cartagena, we will see the Miocene-Pliocene sedimentary record of the Lower Magdalena basin. Discussion on the origin of offshore basins and their relationship with oblique Caribbean convergence will be complemented by reviewing seismic and well information.
The field trip will end at the Cartagena Convention Center, home of the AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, which starts the following day.
Fees
- Fees:
- $1500 USD
- Attendee Limit:
- 15 People
- Fee Includes:
- Transportation expenses
- Food and lodging
- Field trip material (maps, guides)
Venue
Hotel Tativan
Cl. 16a #9-50
Valledupar,
Cesar
Colombia
+5755732929