Role of Extensional Structures in the development of the Middle Magdalena Valley Basin Colombia

L. Rolon and J. Toro Dept. of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506; U.S.A.

TECTONIC EVOLUTION OF THE MAGDALENA VALLEY BASIN (MMVB)

MIDDLE

The MMVB (Figure 1) constitutes what Kingston (1983) called a poly-historic basin, developed through different stages closely related with the tectonic events of the northwest corner of South America.

MIDDLE MAGDALENA VALLEY BASIN

Figure 1. Location of the MMVB During the late Triassic Early Jurassic the opening of the proto-Atlantic ocean and the breakup of Pangea were initiated, causing the initial separation of South America, North America and Africa. The extensional stresses within the Precambrian continental block resulted in the formation of a rift structure in central Colombia, which evolved to the stage of aulacogen (Etayo, Barrero and Renzoni, 1969, Etayo et al., 1983, Fabre, 1983). According to Fabre (1983), the rifting process was due to east-west extension that caused crustal and lithospheric thinning. Jurassic Cretaceous basic intrusions are consistent with the model of passive rifting (Turcotte and Oxburgh,

1978, McKenzie, 1978 and, Segnor and Burke, 1978) which consider this igneous activity due to the elevated position of the asthenosphere / lithosphere boundary under thinned areas, the partial mantle fusion, and the high heat flow. The syn-rift infill is represented by a tectonosequence that consists of fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary rocks (Jordan, Giron and Santos formations), overlain by limestones and shales (Rosablanca and Paja formations) (Figure 2). Seismically this sequence comprises irregular, discontinuous reflectors, rotated by normal-fault blocks, which get thicker to the south-east. Changes in thickness suggest that their accumulation took place while normal faults were still active. By Early Aptian the extension decreased, the heat flow declined (Fabre, 1983), and a post-rift phase controlled by thermal subsidence started. During this phase the Tablazo, Simit, La Luna and Umir formations were deposited. The dominant deformation style was still normal faulting but less pervasive than during the syn-rift phase. This caused the thickness of units to become more uniform along the basin. The seismic character of the post-rift sequence consists of continuous reflectors and slow changes in thickness. Three main transpessive deformation phases have been observed in the MMVB during late Cretaceous and Paleogene (e.g. Taboada et al., 2000, Rolon et al., 2001), which took place during Late Cretaceous Paleocene, early to middle Eocene, and Oligocene. The Late Cretaceous (Campanian Maastrichtian) Paleocene phase has been linked to the oblique collision of the Colombian Western Cordillera with the South American plate (Barrero, 1979), which caused thrusting and uplift of the Central Cordillera. This event also triggered deformation in the foothills of the present-day Eastern Cordillera (east edge of the MMVB) with formation of west-verging thrusts. In addition, inside the MMVB the highs of Cachira and La CiraInfantas were formed, by reactivation of the ancient normal faults. This tectonic phase developed major right-lateral structures in the MMVB, like the Palestina and Cimitarra faults, and also modified

the previous existing extensional style. Even thought there is no direct evidence that relates the occurrence of these faults with the stresses generated by the collision of the Western Cordillera, Feininger (1970) believes that the age of these faults range from Late Cretaceous to prePliocene (which agrees with the age of the collision). During the late Eocene-early Oligocene tectonic phases, transpressive right lateral deformation probably occurred along the Romeral and Salinas fault Systems as a result of the oblique convergence between the paleo-Caribean plate and the Northwestern South American plate (Taboada et al., 2000). Lately by Early Miocene, a second major compressional event began as a consequence of the collision of the Panama-Choco island arc with the northwestern edge of South America. This event had repercussions in the final configuration of the MMVB and allowed the deposition of the thick sedimentary sequence at the east of the basin (Dengo and Covey, 1993, Rolon et al., 2001). Finally the MMVB became an intermontane basin. The most dramatic deformation is evidenced in the Eastern Cordillera foothills, by the presence of imbricated fans, and triangle zones.
PERIOD

STRUCTURE OF THE RIFT Reconstruction of the rift structure is not an easy task since many of the structures of the extensional phase have been affected by later compression in most of the MMVB. However, some tectonic features remain well preserved in the northern part of the MMVB, which allows inferences to be made regarding the geometry of the rift. From the morphologic point of view, the northern portion of the MMVB is a monocline dipping southeastward representing a half graben inside the whole structure. There are normal and reverse faults, mainly oriented in northeastsouthwest trends with variable vergence. Nevertheless there are some structures whose orientation is northwest-southeast.The dip direction of the monocline structure as well as the tendency of the syn-rift sequence to get thicker southeastward (Figure 3), let conclude that the rift was deepening in south-eastern direction. The fact that the syn-rift section is pinching out northwestward, is just an indicator of an emerged area in that sector. The structural features aforementioned are in agreement with the typical geometry of a half graben described by Rosendahl (1987), for the Tanganika Lake in Africa. In this model half grabens switch their polarities and a transfer zone is created in the area where the main faults are overlapping (Figure 4). Reverse faults are a result of inversion tectonics on ancient normal faults and in some cases they were affected by the Palestina strikeslip fault system, during t e Late Cretaceous and h Paleocene (Ecopetrol, 2001). Following the model of kinematics evolution for the Coffee Soil fault, proposed by Cartwright (1992) the normal faults seemed to be rotational during the syn-rift accumulation and non-rotational during post-rift sedimentation. This can be inferred from the divergent pattern of the strata in reflectors that conform the syn-rift section and the parallel pattern at the post-rift section. INVERSION OF EXTENSIONAL STRUCTURES Experimental work of inversion structures shows that thrust and reverse faults commonly form and use existing extensional structures (McClay and Buchanan, 1991), especially where the original structures had a high-angle dip. Many smaller scale compressional structures in the MMVB are cored by high-angle reverse faults (Figure 5) are clearly inverted normal faults formed by this mechanism. In addition, there are basin

EPOCH / AGE

AGE Ma 0.01

FORMATION

LITHOLOGY

DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT

54.8

SB

PALEOCENE

L LISAMA
61.0

PARALIC

E
65.0 + 0.1

Maastrichtian
71.3 + 0.5

MARINE

Campanian Santonian Coniacian Turonian CRETACEOUS

93.5 + 0.2 83.5 + 0.5 85.8 + 0.5 89.0 + 0.5

UMIR

Delta front deposits

LA LUNA

MARINE Outer to Middle shelf

SB

Cenomanian
98.9 + 0.5

SIMITI

Albian TABLAZO
SB
121.0 + 1.4

MARINE Inner to middle shelf

MARINE Inner to middle shelf. Subtidal zone

112.2 + 1.1

Aptian PAJA Barremian

127.0 + 1.6

MARINE Middle shelf, storm dominated towards the top MARINE Calcareous platform. Sabka tidal flats CONTINENTAL

Hauterivian
132.0 + 1.9

SB

ROSABLANCA
CUMBRE

Valanginian
Ryazanian
J RA SSIC U

136.5 + 2.2 137.0 + 2.2 142.0 + 2.6 144.2 + 2.6 145.6

Berriasian Titonian

ARCABUCO LOS SANTOS GIRON

SB

Volgian

Fluvial systems to coastal deposits under tidal influence

150.7 + 3.0

Figure 2. Stratigraphic column for the MMVB

N
6000 5500 5000 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500

11905

42823

36976

95435

102826

130690

49850

94764

Norean-1

Crisol-2

Trigos1
15 60 10 70 10 80 15 80 10 90

Totumal-6
45 50 40 60 45 60

Torcoroma1
650 700 800 850 900

Gironda-1
50 70 55 70 50 80

Bosques3
45 50 40 60 45 60 45 70 40 80

Llanito-1
5450 5500

Infantas-1613
2450 2500 2550

5600

55 80
2650
5650

45 70

2700 40 80
5700

55 90
45 80 15 90
45 80

2750

60 00
40 90

C re t n or l i ao GR AI P S P -100 MV 10 5

D ph et

R ssi iy e i tvt Rs ( FU eS L ) S 0.2 OM H M Rs ( M e MI ) L OM H M R s (L ) e DI D OM H M 20 00

25 00 45 90

5800

1000

65 00
2850
5850

1050
2900 50 00
50 00

0 5

0.2

20 00
20 10

5900

1100
65 10
2950
55 00

0.2

20 00
25 10

55 00

5950

1150
60 20
50 10
50 10

3000

0 5
1200
65 20
55 10

6050

25 20 50 20

1250

60 30
3100
50 20

6100

0 5 1

20 30 55 20

1300
3150
55 20

6150

0 2

25 30 50 30

1350
60 40
50 30

3200

0 5 2

20 40

65 40
55 30

6250 C re t n or l i ao G ( /) RA N Dp et h R s tt es i iv iy ResS(SN)

1450
50 40 20 50

60 50
3300
6300

0 5 3
0 P S 150 02 . OHMM ResM(N/A) 2000

1500
3350 55 40
55 40

6350

0 4
-0 10 M V 5 0 02 . ResD(N/A) 02 . 2000 2000

25 50 50 50

1550
60 60
50 50

3400
6400

0 5 4

20 60 55 50

1600
65 60
55 50

3450

0 5
1650
5 0

60 70
50 60

6500

20 70
100

1700
55 60

65 70
3550
6550

0 6

25 70 50 70

1750
3600
50 70

Section Line

6600

0 5 6
200

20 80 55 70 25 80

1800
65 80
55 70

3650

0 7
250

60 90
50 80

6700

1900
300

65 90
3750
6750

55 80

0 8

25 90 50 90

1950
3800
50 90

6800

0 5 8
400

30 00 55 90 35 00

2000
75 00
55 90

3850
6850

0 9
450

70 10
60 00
60 00

3900

0 5 9
2100
500

75 10
65 00

6950

1000
550

35 10 60 10

2150

70 20
4000
7000

1050

30 20 65 10

2200
4050
65 10

7050

1100
650

35 20 60 20 30 30

2250
70 30
60 20

4100

1150
700

75 30
65 20
65 20

4150
7150

2350
750

70 40
4200
7200

60 30

1250

30 40 65 30

2400
4250
65 30

7250

1300
850

35 40 60 40 30 50

2450
70 50
60 40

4300
7300

1350
900

75 50
65 40
65 40

4350

2550
950

70 60
60 50

7400

1450
10 00

30 60 65 50

2600

75 60
4450
7450

1500

35 60 60 60

2650
4500
60 60

7500

1550
10 10

30 70 65 60 35 70

2700
75 70
65 60

4550
7550

1600
15 10

70 80
60 70
60 70

4600
7600

1700

1750

1800

Tertiary Unconformity
10 20

2800

75 80
4650
7650

35 80

2850
4700 60 80
60 80

7700

30 90

2900
75 90
65 80
65 80

4750
7750

10 30

35 90

80 00
15 30

4800
60 90

60 90 40 00

3000
10 40

85 00
65 90

7850

1900
15 40

45 00 70 00

3050

80 10
4900
7900

1950

40 10 75 00

3100
4950
75 00

7950

2000
15 50

45 10 70 10 40 20

3150
80 20
70 10

5000
8000

2050
10 60

3200
75 10

85 20
75 10

5050
8050

2100
15 60

3250

80 30
70 20

8100

2150

40 30 75 20

3300
5150
75 20

8150

2200
15 70

45 30 70 30 40 40

3350
80 40
70 30

5200
8200

2250
10 80

85 40
75 30 45 40

5250
75 30

3450
15 80

2350
10 90

40 50 75 40

3500

2400

45 50 70 50

3550

Tertiary
80 50 85 50 85 60 80 70 85 70 85 80 80 90 85 90 90 00

70 40

8300

5350
8350

5400
70 50

8400

2450
20 00

40 60 5450
75 50

75 50 45 60

8450

3650
25 00

5500
70 60

70 60

2550
20 10

2600
25 10

2650
20 20

2700
25 20

Upper Cretaceous
45 70 70 70 40 80 75 70 45 80 70 80 40 90 70 90 50 00 75 90 55 00 80 00 50 10 85 00 50 20 85 10 55 20 80 20 50 30

3700

75 60

8550

3750
5600
8600

3800
5650
75 70

8650

5700
70 80

3900
20 30

75 80

8750

2800
25 30

3950

5800
8800

2850

4000
5850
75 90

8850

2900
25 40

90 10
80 00

5900
8900

4100
20 50

95 10
85 00

5950

3000
25 50

4150

90 20
80 10

9000

3050
20 60

4200
6050
9050

3100

4250
90 30
80 20

6100
9100

3150
20 70

95 30
85 20 55 30
85 20

6150

4350
25 70

90 40
80 30

9200

3250
20 80

4400
85 30

95 40
6250
9250

3300

55 40 80 40

4450
6300
80 40

9300

3350
20 90

50 50

95 50
85 40 55 50
85 40

6350
9350

4550
25 90

90 60
80 50

6400

80 50

3450
30 00

4600

95 60
85 50

9450

3500
35 00

55 60 80 60

4650
6500
9500

3550

50 70 85 60 55 70

4700
95 70
85 60

6550
9550

90 80
35 10

6600
80 70

80 70 50 80

3650
30 20

4800

95 80
85 70

9650

3700
35 20

4850
80 80

90 90
6700
9700

3750

50 90 85 80

4900
6750
85 80

9750

3800
35 30

55 90

10 00 0
80 90 60 00
80 90

6800
9800

5000
30 40

15 00 0
85 90

6850

85 90

3900
35 40

5050

10 00 1
90 00

9900

3950
30 50

60 10 95 00

5100
6950
9950

4000

65 10 90 10 60 20

5150
10 00 2
90 10

7000
10000

5200
30 60

15 00 2
95 10

7050

95 10 65 20

4100
35 60

5250

10 00 3
90 20

10100

4150
30 70

5300
95 20

15 00 3
95 20

7150
10150

4200

65 30 90 30

5350
7200
90 30

10200

4250
30 80

60 40

15 00 4
95 30 65 40
95 30

7250
10250

5450
35 80

10 00 5
90 40

7300

90 40

4350
30 90

5500

15 00 5
95 40

10350

4400
35 90

65 50 90 50

5550
7400
10400

4450

60 60

15 00 6
95 50 65 60
95 50

7450
10450

5650
45 00

10 00 7
90 60

7500
10500

90 60 60 70

4550
40 10

5700
95 60

15 00 7
95 60

10550

4600
45 10

5750
90 70

10 00 8
90 70

7600
10600

4650

60 80 95 70

5800
7650
10650

4700
45 20

65 80

10 00 9
90 80 60 90
90 80

7700
10700

4750
40 30

5900
95 80

15 00 9
95 80

7750

4800
45 30

5950

10 10 0
90 90

10800

4850
40 40

70 00 95 90

6000
7850
10850

4900

75 00

10 10 1
10000 70 10
10000

7900
10900

6100
40 50

15 10 1
10050

7950
10950

5000
45 50

5050
40 60

5100
45 60

Simiti
75 10 75 20 70 30 75 30 75 40 70 50 75 50 70 60 70 70

10050

6150
10100

10 10 2
10100

11000

6200
10150

15 10 2
10150

8050
11050

6250
8100 10200
11100

15 10 3
40 70

8150
10250

10250

11150

5200
45 70

6350
10300

10 10 4
10300

8200

5250
40 80

6400

15 10 4
10350

11250

5300
45 80

6450
10400

10 10 5
8300
11300

5350

15 10 5
10450
10450

8350
11350

6550
45 90

10 10 6
10500

8400
11400

10500

5450
50 00

6600
10550

15 10 6
10550

8450

5500
55 00

6650

10 10 7
10600

8500
11500

5550
50 10

6700
8550 10650
11550

75 70

6750
55 10

10 10 8
10700

8600
11600

10700 70 80

5650
50 20

6800
10750 75 80

15 10 8
10750

8650

5700
55 20

6850

10 10 9
10800

11700

5750
50 30

70 90 10850

6900

15 10 9
8750
11750

5800

75 90

10 20 0
10900 80 00
10900

8800
11800

5850

7000
50 40

15 20 0
10950

8850
11850

-500

TD=5900

10950 85 00

7050
55 40

10 20 1
11000

8900

11000

7100
50 50

15 20 1
11050

8950
11950

85 10
55 50

7150
11100

80 20

7200
11150 85 20
55 60

TD=11184
80 30

7250

7300
50 70

Basal Lime Group

15 20 2 10 20 3 15 20 3 10 20 4 15 20 4 10 20 5 15 20 5 10 20 6

9000
12000

9050
11150

12050

9100
11200

TD=5724

TD=8329
7350

11250

12150
11300

9200
12200

9250
11350

12250

7450

9300
11400

12300

7500

9350
11450

-1000

7550

11500

9400
12400

9450
12450

7650

T D = 1 2 7 0 1
11600

9500
12500

7700
11650

9550

7750
11700

12600

7800
11750

9650
12650

TD=7859

9700
12700

9750
11850

12750

9800
11900

11950

-1500

12850

T D = 1 2 0 0 2

9900
12900

9950
12950

10000

13050

10100
13100

10150

Upper Jurassic
-2000

13150

10200
13200

10250

13300

10350
13350

10400
13400

10450

13500

10550
13550

TD=13561
10600 10650

10700

10800

10850

-2500

Figure 3. Cross section showing thickness changes in the basal lime group.

10900

11000

11050

11100

TD=11100

Figure 4. Structural map of the MMVB showing the hypothetical boundaries of the half graben.

inversion geometries (Holdsworth et al., 1997), represented by thicker rift strata on the hanging wall and by variation of fault throw with depth. The inversion process of the Jurassic rift in the northern MMVB was mild, since in most of the reversed faults, the syn-rift sequence has been extruded as a major fold, what is in accordance with the models of geometries of inversion proposed by Hayward and Graham (1989). The basement or pre-rift section acted in this case as a buttress against thrusting. Inversion came about from compressiontranspression deformation along the western and eastern edges of the basin. The compressional event started during Campanian time and continues until the Recent. Major pulses of thrust formation occured during the Paleogene and Middle Miocene. During this time, a great number of former extensional features are inverted (Rolon et al., 2001). Transpresion caused by the oblique collision of the Western Cordillera, mainly developed during Paleocene, added a strike-slip component to the reactivation process through the clockwise rotation of the blocks. The north-eastern trend, what is the orientation of the Palestina fault is especially evident in the western sector of the area, where Casabe and Cantagallo fields are located. Clockwise rotation is also observed at the scale of individual structures in the eastern side of the basin. Individual thrusts translate displacement between each other either through a transfer zone or a swarm of right-lateral tear faults (Rolon et al., 2001). CONCLUSIONS The MMVB was developed through different tectonic stages related with the interaction of the tectonic plates at the Northwestern corner of South America. During Jurassic and early Cretaceous the MMVB went through rift stage that evolved to an aulacogen. Many of the structures related with the extensional phase of the MMVB were modified after the Tertiary tectonics, however the rift structures in the northern portion of the basin are still well preserved. The northern part of the MMVB is a monocline dipping toward the southeast that represents a half graben inside the rift. The monocline structure is dipping south-eastern, as is the direction, where isopach contours thicken. Most of the structures present at the area are normal and reverse faults of variable vergence, oriented in northeast-southwest direction. Kinematics of the rift seemed to be rotational

during the syn-rift accumulation and non-rotational during post-rift sedimentation. Most of the faults remaining the rift structure were inverted after compressional tectonics that started at Late Cretaceous. According the model proposed by Hayward and Graham (1989), inversion seemed to be mild in the northern MMVB area. Transpresion caused by the oblique collision of the Western Cordillera, added a strike-slip component to the reactivation process, through the clockwise rotation of the blocks. Acknowledgments: We want to express our deepest gratitude to Ecopetrol and La Luna Oil Company for providing valuable information used for this work. In the same way we want to send special thanks to Dr. Dario Barrero for his contributions and comments. REFERENCES Barrero, D., 1979, Geology of the Central Western Cordillera, west of Buga and Roldanillo, Colombia: Publicaciones Geolgicas Especiales INGEOMINAS no.4, pp.1-75. Cartwright, J., 1992, The kinematic evolution of the Coffee Soil Fault: Roberts, A., Yielding, G., & Freeman, B. (eds) The Geometry of Normal Faults. Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, pp. 29-40. Dengo, C., and Covey, M., 1993, Structure of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia; Implications for trap styles and regional tectonics, AAPG, Bull., V.77, pp 1315-1337. Ecopetrol, 2001. Proyecto Evaluacin Regional Cuenca Valle Medio Del Magdalena - Cordillera Oriental, Colombia. Internal report. Etayo, F. et al., 1983. Mapa de Terrenos Geolgicos de Colombia; INGEOMINAS Publicaciones Especiales no. 14, 1-235. Etayo, F., Renzoni, G., and Barrero, D., 1969, Contornos sucesivos del mar Cretcico en Colombia, Memoria Primer Congreso Colombiano de Geologa, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogot, pp. 217-252. Fabre, A., 1983, La subsidencia de la cuenca del Cocuy (Cordillera Oriental de Colombia) durante el Cretceo y el Terciario, segunda parte: esquema de evolucin tectnica, Geologa Norandina, No. 8, pp 21-21. Feininger, T., 1970, The Palestina fault: Geol. Soc America, Bull., V.81, pp. 1201-1216.

NW

SEISMIC LINE NC-81-2

1 Km

SE

Tertiary Unconformity

Tertiary Unconformity

Basal-Lime-Group Top

Jurassic Top

Basal-Lime-Group Top Jurassic Top

Figure 5. Line NC-81-2, located in the northern area of the MMVB. The line shows examples of the inverted faults found in the area.

Hayward, A., & Graham, R., 1989, Some geometrical characteristics of inversion: Cooper, M., & Williams, G. (eds) Inversion Tectonics. Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, pp. 17-39. Holdsworth, R., Butler, C., and Roberts, A., 1997, The recognition of reactivation during continental: Journal of the Geological Society of London, V.154, pp. 73-78. Kingston, D., Dishroon, C., Williams, P., Global basin classification system: AAPG Bull., V.67, pp. 2175-213. McClay, K., & Buchanan, P., 1992, Thrust faults in inverted extensional basins: McClay, K. (ed) Thrust tectonics. Chapman & Hall, London, United Kingdom (GBR), pp. 93-104 McClay, K., 1989, Analogue models of inversion tectonics: Cooper, M., & Williams, G. (eds) Inversion Tectonics. Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, pp. 41-59. McKenzie, D., 1978, Some remarks on the development of sedimentary basins. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 40, pp. 25-32. Rolon, L., Lorenzo, J., Lowrie, A., and Barrero, D., 2001. Thrust, kinematics and Hydrocarbon migration in the Middle Magdalena Basin, st Colombia (S.A.). 21 Annual GCS-SEPM Conference. Houston, December 2001. Rosendahl, B., 1987, Tectonic model of the Malawi Rift, Africa. Tectonophysics, vol.141, no.13, pp.215-235. Segnor, A. and Burke, K., 1978, Relative timing of rifting and volcanism on Earth and its tectonic implications. Geophysics Research Letters, 5, pp. 419-421. Taboada, A. et. al, 2000, Geodynamics of the northern Andes: Subductions and intracontinental deformation (Colombia): Tectonics, V.19, No. 5, pp. 787-813. Turcotte, D., and Oxburgh, E., 1978, Intra-plate volcanism. Phil. trans. Roy. Soc Lon. 288A, pp. 561-79.