A paleomagnetic and magnetic fabric study of the Illapel Plutonic Complex, Coastal Range, central Chile: Implications for emplacement mechanism and regional tectonic evolution during the mid-Cretaceous

Abstract

The Illapel Plutonic Complex (IPC), located in the Coastal Range of central Chile (31 e33 S), is composed of different lithologies, ranging from gabbros to trondhjemites, including diorites, tonalites and granodiorites. U/Pb geochronological data shows that the IPC was amalgamated from, at least, four different magmatic pulses between 117 and 90 Ma (Lower to mid-Cretaceous). We present new paleomagnetic results including Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) from 62 sites in the plutonic rocks, 10 sites in country rocks and 7 sites in a mafic dyke swarm intruding the plutonic rocks. Remanent magnetizations carried by pyrrhotite in deformed country rock sediments nearby the intrusive rocks indicate that tilting of the sedimentary rocks occurred prior or during the intrusion. The paleomagnetic study shows no evidence for either a measurable tilt of the IPC or a significant rotation of the forearc at this latitude range. Moreover, new 40Ar/39Ar ages exclude any medium- to lowtemperature post-magmatic recrystallization/deformation event in the studied samples. AMS data show a magnetic foliation that is often sub-vertical. Despite an apparent NeS elongated shape of the IPC, the large variations in the orientation of the AMS foliation suggests that this plutonic complex could be made of several units distributed in a NeS trend rather than NeS elongated bodies. Previous works have suggested for this area a major shift on tectonic evolution from highly extensional during Lower Cretaceous to a period around 100 Ma, associated with exhumation and compressive deformation to conform the present day Coastal Range. The low degree of anisotropy and the lack of evidence for a tectonic fabric in the intrusive rocks indicate that the shift from extensional to compressional should postdate the emplacement of the IPC, i.e. is younger than 90Ma.