Subduction initiation triggered the Caribbean large igneous province

Nicolas Riel (), João C. Duarte, Jaime Almeida, Boris J. P. Kaus, Filipe Rosas, Yamirka Rojas-Agramonte and Anton Popov
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Nicolas Riel: Johannes Gutenberg-University
João C. Duarte: Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
Jaime Almeida: Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
Boris J. P. Kaus: Johannes Gutenberg-University
Filipe Rosas: Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
Yamirka Rojas-Agramonte: Johannes Gutenberg-University
Anton Popov: Johannes Gutenberg-University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Subduction provides the primary driving force for plate tectonics. However, the mechanisms leading to the formation of new subduction zones remain debated. An example is the Lesser Antilles Arc in the Atlantic. Previous initiation mechanisms have implied the transmission of subduction from the Pacific Ocean or the impact of a plume head. Here, we use geodynamic models to simulate the evolution of the Caribbean region during the Cretaceous, where the eastern Pacific subduction triggered the formation of a new subduction zone in the Atlantic. The simulations show how the collision of the old Caribbean plateau with the Central America margin lead to the formation of a new Atlantic subduction zone by polarity reversal. The results further show how subduction renewal on the back of the old Caribbean plateau (present-day Central America) resulted in a major mantle flow reorganization that generated a subduction-induced plume consistent with the formation of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36419-x

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