Andean Tectonics

Book excerpt: Andean Tectonics addresses the geological evolution of the Andes Mountains, the prime global example of subduction-related mountain building. The Andes forms one of the most extensive mountain belts on Earth, spanning approximately an 8,000 km distance along the western edge of South America, from 10°N to 55°S. The tectonic history of the Andes involves a rich record of diverse geological processes, including crustal deformation, magmatism, sedimentary basin evolution, and climatic interactions. This book addresses the range of Andean tectonic processes and their temporal and spatial variations. This critical resource is ideal for researchers interested in the causes and consequences of Andean-type orogenesis and the long-term evolution of fold-thrust belts, magmatic arcs, and forearc and foreland basins. Evaluates the history of Andean mountain building over the past 250 million years (the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras) Integrates recent results and provides new perspectives on the complementary records of deformation, magmatism and sedimentary basin evolution, along with their interactions in time and space Provides insights into the development of the northern, central and southern Andes, all of which have typically been considered in isolation