Tertiary tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Central Andean forearc

The western margin of the Central Andean Plateau is widely covered by Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary deposits, which are excellently exposed in deeply incised valleys in Northern Chile (e.g. Azapa) and Southern Peru (e.g. Majes-Colca, Ocona-Cotahuasi) and at the Pacific coast (Camaná). These deposits record the evolution of magmatism, climate, and uplift of the Andean Cordilleras. In a series of projects we investigate these syntectonic archives in terms of depositional facies, chronostratigraphy, and sediment provenance. Methods include geologic field work, sequence stratigraphy, heavy mineral petrography and geochemistry, zircon U/Pb geochronology, and low-temperature thermochronology.

Funding: DFG (2007-2011), DAAD (2011-2014)