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Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana
Print version ISSN 1405-3322
Bol. Soc. Geol. Mex vol.57 n.1 Ciudad de México Jan. 2005
https://doi.org/10.18268/bsgm2005v57n1a3
Artículos
La zona de falla Tosco-Abreojos: un sistema lateral derecho activo entre la placa Pacífico y la península de Baja California
The Tosco-Abreojos fault zone: an active dextral system between the Pacific plate and the Baja California peninsula
1Géosciences Azur, La Darse, BP48, Villefranche/Mer, 06235, Francia.
2Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Hermosillo, 83000, México.
3Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Domaines Océaniques, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané, F-29280, Francia.
4Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., 04510, México.
5Institut Physique du Globe de Paris, 4 place Jussieu, Paris, 75252, Francia.
A los 12.5 Ma, después del cese de la subducción de la placa Guadalupe debajo de la placa América del Norte, el margen continental actuó como frontera transformante entre las placas Pacífico y América del Norte. La zona de falla Tosco-Abreojos localizada a lo largo de dicho margen fue interpretada como el mejor candidato para acomodar este movimiento transformante antes del Plioceno. A principios del Plioceno la ruptura continental tierra adentro induce la transferencia de la frontera de placas hacia el Golfo de California, y el cese consecuente de la actividad de la zona de falla Tosco-Abreojos como tal. Sin embargo, esta falla presenta una morfología y una actividad sísmica que sugieren la permanencia en la actualidad de un movimiento lateral derecho. Así mismo, la zona de falla Tosco-Abreojos se caracteriza por una alternancia de escarpes y de cuencas asimétricas en las cuales los sedimentos recientes están deformados. Estos resultados son compatibles con los datos cinemáticos (modelos globales y GPS) que indican que el movimiento relativo de la placa Pacífico con respecto a la placa América del Norte está distribuido a lo largo de algunas estructuras, entre ellas la zona de falla Tosco-Abreojos, y el corredor del Golfo de California el cual absorbe la mayor parte de dicho movimiento. La península de Baja California no está totalmente solidaria a la placa Pacífico y aparece como un bloque continental limitado por el Golfo de California al este y la zona de falla Tosco-Abreojos al oeste.
Palabras Clave: Falla Tosco-Abreojos; piso oceánico; límite de placas; península de Baja California; placa Pacífico
At 12.5 Ma, after the subduction of the Guadalupe below North America plate has stopped, a right lateral transform motion occurred along the margin, between Pacific and North America plates. The Tosco-Abreojos fault zone, located along the margin of present southern Baja California has been interpreted as the main transform fault between both plates until early Pliocene, when the transform plate boundary has been transferred to the east along the Gulf of California, with the capture of Baja California Peninsula by the Pacific plate. Nevertheless, the morphology and the seismic activity of the Tosco-Abreojos fault zone suggest a present-day right lateral strike-slip motion. The Tosco-Abreojos fault zone is characterized by bathymetric scarps and asymmetric basins filled by recent sediments which are deformed. These observations are compatible with cinematic data (GPS and global cinematic models) which suggest that the relative motion of the Pacific plate with respect to the North America plate is partitioned along faults among which the Tosco-Abreojos fault zone, that is not a relict structure, even if the main right-lateral motion is absorbed by the Gulf of California faulted and spreading system. In that way the Baja California Peninsula is considered as an individualized block limited to the west by the Tosco-Abreojos and San Benito fault zones and by the Gulf of California transform boundary to the east.
Key words: Tosco-Abreojos fault; Seafloor morphology; plate boundary; Baja California peninsula; Pacific plate
Agradecimientos
Agradecemos a la tripulación y al equipo técnico del N/O L’Atalante (Genavir/Ifremer), a Luc Beaufort, Jefe de la Misión MONA a bordo del N/O MARION DUFRESNE II (Genavir/Ifremer), así como a Lex VanGreen, Jefe de la Misión OXMZ01MV swl N/O MELVILLE y a Barry Eakins. Este trabajo se ha beneficiado del apoyo del Instituto Nacional de Ciencias del Universo del Centro Nacional de Investigación Científi ca de Francia. Los autores agradecen a Susana A. Alaniz Alvarez y a José Rosas Elguera por las sugerencias que permitieron enriquecer el presente trabajo.
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Recibido: 09 de Agosto de 2004; Revisado: 30 de Abril de 2005; Aprobado: 03 de Mayo de 2005
Este es un artículo publicado en acceso abierto bajo una licencia Creative Commons
