Tecronophysics, 205 (1992) 205-221 205

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam

Allochthonous terranes in northwestern Ecuador

F. Van Thournout a, J. Hertogen b and L. Quevedo ’

a Belgian Technical Assistance in Ecuador (AGCD), Casilla 9113-sue. 7, Quito, Ecuador
’ University of Leuuen, Department of Physicochemical Geology, Celestijnenlaan 200 C, B-3001 Lewen, Belgium
’ Institute Ecuatoriano de Mineria, Casilla 23-A, Quito, Ecuador
(Received August 4, 1990; revised version accepted March 8, 1991)

ABSTRACT

Van Thournout, F., Hertogen, J. and Quevedo, L., 1992. Allochthonous terranes in northwestern Ecuador. In: R.A. Oliver,
N. Vatin-Ptrignon and G. Laubacher (Editors), Andean Geodynamics. Tectonophysics, 205: 205-221.

Formations and lithostratigraphic units of the Ecuadorian Northwestern Cordillera can be divided into three major
groups.
The first group comprises Lower Cretaceous E-MORB basalts, conformably overlain by tholeiitic to boninitic compo-
nents of an ensimatic island arc.
The second group consists mainly of tholeiitic to talc-alkaline volcanic and volcano-sedimentary island-arc deposits,
unconformably on top of the first group, and of Eocene to Early Oligocene age.
The third group is represented by talc-alkaline continental volcanics, ranging from Late Oligocene to Recent.
Two main tectonic events occur during Early Eocene and Middle Oligocene times. The first event can be interpreted as
an accretion of a slab of oceanic basalt, with its overlying arc material. The suture zone is marked by slices of MORB-type
material, delineating the southward extension of the Colombian Cauca-Patia Fault Zone. The second event is related to a
major rearrangement of plate-tectonic regimes in the Eastern Pacific during Oligocene times. Its nature is most probably
transpressional, accompanied by thrusting.

Introduction Present work describes the situation of the

Ecuadorian Western Cordillera between o”15’S
Previously, the Ecuadorian Western Cordillera and the Colombian border (see location map on
was interpreted as an island arc accreted in the Fig. 1).
Late Cretaceous (Henderson, 1979).
More recent investigations and this current Field relationships
one reveal the existence of an increasingly com-
plex picture of allochthonous and autochthonous Three major and two minor groups of lithos-
terranes, ranging from Early Cretaceous to tratigraphic units can be distinguished within the
Oligocene times (Raharihaona, 1980; Lebrat, study area (see legend on Fig. 1).
1985; Eguez, 1986; Lebrat et al., 1987). Lower Cretaceous basement is represented by
The position and significance of the suture at pillowed and massive basal@ including numerous
the eastern edge of these terranes was better mafic dykes. Those units can be correlated with
defined by Aspden et al. (1987) and Lebrat et al. the previously identified Pinon Formation in the
(1986). coastal area (Bristow and Hoffstetter, 1977, p.
234). They display a conformable and gradual
transition towards a number of volcanic to vol-
cane-detritic units, of Upper Cretaceous (Seno-
Correspondence to: F. Van Thournout, Beukenlaan 27, B-8310 nian) age corresponding on the coast to a previ-
Brugge, Belgium. ously defined Cayo Formation (Bristow and Hoff-

0040-1951/92/$05.00 0 1992 - Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved

206 F. “AN lwcJL,RNOC,‘,‘ t I AL

CO’LOMBIA

Fig. 1. Location of study area and main tectono-stratigraphic units.

ALLOCHTHONOUS TERRANES IN NORTHWESTERN ECUADOR 207

stetter, 1977, p. 79). Here, a close association
exists with island-arc-type basalts: the San Loren-
zo Formation (Lebrat 1985). The sequence ends
with a flyschoid member, the Maastrichtian Yun-
guilla Formation (Bristow and Hoffstetter, 1977,
p. 349).
This latter formation passes gradually into the
possibly Paleocene Silante Formation, a 3000-m-
thick series of volcanic conglomerates and sand-
stones, mainly andesitic, including also red beds
(Bristow and Hoffstetter, 1977, p.34). Southward,
the Celica Formation, a possibly continental-type
talc-alkaline arc is deposited simultaneously with
the Cayo and San Lorenzo formations @brat,
1985).
An important stratigraphic gap and uncon-
formity separates this group of units from an-
other sequence ranging from Lower-Middle
Eocene to Lower Oligocene. It comprises a num-
ber of volcanic series consisting of mafic to inter-
mediate pyroclasts and lavas, called the Macuchi
Formation, grading towards the east into fly-
schoid sediments with limestone intercalations,
the Apagua Formation, with a well-established
Middle to Late Eocene age (Eguez et al., 1986).
In their easternmost extension, these sedi-
ments contain important basaltic volcanic and
subvolcanic components, mainly dykes and flows.
In the coastal plain towards the west, a correla-
tion is possible with the previously defined Punta
Blanca, San Mateo, Santiago and Zapallo forma-
tions, which display a strong volcanic component
(Bristow and Hoffstetter 1977, pp. 255, 289, 302,
353). During Oligocene times, this volcanic and
depositional activity is followed by a number of
unconformities and stratigraphic gaps in the
Western Cordillera and in the Coastal Plain.
In the Western Cordillera, intermediate calc-
alkaline volcanic series of continental affinity start
accumulating from Late Oligocene to Recent
times, accompanied by contemporaneous intru-
sive activity. Simultaneously, sedimentation oc-

main %.ubducliea
intrusiv GEOLO G I CA L formations
direct ion
and
:vcnts IPiIger) AGES unils
QUAlER NARY I Aclucrf I

NE-SW 1:

MAE STR ICHTIAN Yunguitlo

5 CAMPANIAN CAYO-
T
;!viSAN LORENXICA 1

Fig. 2. Northwestern Ecuador. Stratigraphic correlation of lithologic units and tectonic events.
208 F VAN ‘THOURNOUT ET Al.

curs, of lacustrine type in intramontane basins, three profiles: the Rio Mira river, the Otavalo-
and of mainly hemipelagic affinity in the coastal Selva Alegre road, and the Quito-Santo Domingo
area. highway (Fig. 1).
In the Cordillera, two main belts of batholiths Metamorphism of those units displays mainly
display a predominant quartz-dioritic (tonalitic) three mineral assemblages: the zeolite facies, the
composition. They have been intruded in multiple prehnite-pumpelleyite facies and the greenschist
phases, with compositions ranging from dioritic to facies. They characterize a typical low-tempera-
quartz-monzonitic. Age dating by K-Ar methods ture, intermediate-pressure, non-deformational
(Van Thournout et al., 1990) yielded Miocene oceanic floor metamorphism (Aguirre and Ather-
ages for the belt located near the axis of the ton, 1987).
Western Cordillera. The second one, of Eocene
age, is located towards the west, almost in the Analytical methods
coastal plain. It could be related to the above
Eocene volcanic activity. The major- and minor-element compositions
Earlier deposits are heavily masked by recent of 28 selected samples were determined by Direct
volcanoes in the Cordillera, and by their laharic Current Plasma Emission Spectrometry (DCP-
products on the western flanks and base of the AES) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
Andean Range. (AAS). Samples weighing 100 mg were decom-
The stratigraphic succession can be seen in posed with Li-metaborate in graphite crucibles.
Figure 2, and the spatial distribution of the main The fusion cake was taken up in 50 ml 0.4 M
sequences is given in Figure 1. nitric acid. Si, Ti, Al, total Fe, Mn, Mg, Ca and P
were measured by DCP-AES, Na and K by AAS.
Geochemistry Total water was determined with a DuPont ‘elec-
trolytic moisture analyser’. Ferrous iron was de-
A number of samples was collected from Cre- termined after sample dissolution in a
taceous and Eocene sequences, mainly along HF/sulphuric acid mixture and titration of fer-

Fe0 (Tl

Fig. 3. AFM diagram for all samples: squares indicate samples from Rio Mira profile, crosses indicate samples from the
Otavalo-Selva Alegre road, and the hour-glass-symbols those from the Quito-Santo Domingo highway.
ALLOCHTHONOUS TERRANES IN NORTHWESTERN ECUADOR
209

rous iron with potassium-dichromate. CO,
evolved upon treatment with 4 M HCl was mea-
sured by gas-volumetry.
Zn, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr and Nb were determined by
Energy-dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis
on pressed powder pellets. Details of the method
are given in Vanlerberghe and Hertogen (1986).
The abundances of SC, Cr, Co, Ba, rare earth
elements, Hf, Ta, Th, and U were determined by
Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis
(INAA). For a recent evaluation of the analytical
procedures we refer to Pedersen and Hertogen
(1990). Results are presented in Table 1.
Major-element variations
In terms of SiO, content, the analyzed sam-
ples cover the range basalt-andesite-dacite (40-
70 wt.% SiO,). In the Na,O + K,O versus SiO,
diagram, almost all samples fall in the subalkaline
field, as defined by Irvine and Baragar (1971). In
the AFM diagram (Fig. 31, the samples scatter

TABLE 1

Chemical composition of selected samples (major elements expressed as wt.%, trace elements as ppm)

EC1000 EC1001 EC1002 EClOU3 EC1004 EC1005

SiO2 49.40 69.62 44.17 49.04 54.46 55.75

TiO2 l.OY 0.33 0.26 0.72 0.72 0.61
Al2 03 13.18 13.34 11.08 15.3Y 15.55 16.02
Fen 03 4.61 0.07 1.81 8.76 2.44 3.31
Fe0 6 * 48 4.03 7.28 3.66 8.00 3.51
MnO 0.15 0.08 0.18 0.15 0.19 0.15
MgO 6.61 1.93 8.64 4.46 3.89 4.53
CaO 7.91 3.84 16.16 6.35 5.20 9.09
Nan 0 3.87 2.19 1.90 4.02 3.21 2.40
I(2 0 0.05 0.39 0.14 1.98 1.93 1.01
P2 05 0.11 0.13 0.10 0.24 0.17 0.24
H20 4.04 3.17 3.49 3.07 3.60 2.17
co2 1.58 <O.l 3.71 1.36 <O.l 0.51
TOT 99.08 99.12 98.92 99.20 99.36 99.30
Mg# 0.56 0.49 0.67 0.45 0.44 0.59

SC 47.3 18.1 34.0 38.5 37.9 33.2

Cr 151. 28. 1397. 423. 22. 205.
CO 45.4 9.1 58.2 46.0 28.5 26.5
Zn 75. 63. 65. 112. 84. 75.
Rb 3.4 10.4 3.4 51.2 22. 12.9
Sr 153. 314. 123. 101. 148. 605.
Y 21.8 20.1 8.2 36.0 21.4 17.3
Zr 52.4 82.9 7.7 67.0 51.5 47.7
Nb 4.4 2.2 (1. 4.0 (1. <l.
Ba (100. 723. (100. <lOO. 735. 342.
La 2.9 7.5 0.57 5.9 5.5 8.9
Ce 8.1 15.7 1.8 12.9 12.5 19.4
Nd 6.7 9.5 1.5 8.6 8.7 12.2
Sm 2.19 2.65 0.53 2.65 2.66 3.28
EU 0.86 0.67 0.21 0.82 0.86 1.01
Tb 0.56 0.49 0.16 0.73 0.56 0.46
Yb 2.4 2.2 1.07 4.0 2.5 1.72
Lu 0.38 0.34 0.17 0.63 0.40 0.27
Hf 1.49 2.3 0.29 1.83 1.63 1.39
Ta 0.26 0.12 0.015 0.28 0.050 0.062
Th 0.33 1.51 0.14 0.50 0.84 1.51
u CO.15 0.69 <o. 15 0.20 0.33 0.61

Mg#: molar (Mg/Mg + Fe’+) ratio, calculated for 86% of total iron assigned as ferrous iron.
 210 F. VAN THOURNOUT ET AL.

around the line dividing the tholeiitic and calc-al-
kaline fields. This observation suggests that the
volcanic rocks have a chemicai composition that
is transitional between these two series.
The high CO, contents and enhanced CaO
concentrations of samples EC1002, EC1014,
EC1019 and EC1020 are due to pervasive calcite
veins.
Rock classification based on trace-element geo-
chemistry
it is now well established that magmatic rocks
from different tectonic settings exhibit subtle to
extreme variations in trace-element patterns (e.g.,
Pearce and Cann, 1973; Wood et al., 1979; Hoim,
1985).
In the Ti-Zr-Sr and Ti-Zr-Y ternary dis-
crimination diagrams of Pearce and Cann (19731,
most of the analysed samples lie in the calc-al-
kaline and low-K tholeiitic fields, with a few
samples being situated at the fringes of the
ocean-floor tholeiitic field.
The most useful discrimination was obtained
with the aid of the ternary Hf-Ta-Th diagram
proposed by Wood et al. (1979). Three samples
have the characteristics of transitional to en-
riched ocean-floor basalts BE-SORB) and are

TABLE 1 (Cont.)

SiO2 52.4i 52.77 ;?Z*Oj -., .*.

3L. IJ SZ.tii 52.31
TiOp 0.66 0.62 ii I52 ti.63 ii.ii ii,iU
Al2 03 15.79 is.53 iY.03 17.27 18.23
.” 18.Y6
Fez 03 4.54 6.21 3.i)i.I 2.28 3.49 3.23
Fe0 4.32 2.82 ii.08 6.84 4.Y4 5.50
MnO ii.18 0.15 0.14 O.i8 ii.39 0.17
MgO 4.94 4.78 ‘I.03 5.14 4.66 4.5Y
CaO 6.81 6.00 8.67 IO.22 6.53 3.15
Ka2 0 2.71 2.73 2.28 2.01 1.17 2.40
K2 0 0.92 0.53 0.68 0.68 1.23 0.36
P205 0.18 0.12 0.11 0.16 0.25 0.16
H2 0 5.93 6.75 5.02 2.28 4.34 2.16
con (0.1 co.1 10.1 tii.1 CG.1 0.11
TOT 99.39 99.01 99.60 99.82 98.96 99.80
Mgji 0.55 6.54 0.55 0.55 8.55 0.53

I. ..
SC 32.3 35.5 3i.6 37<4 32.4 JJ.7
Cr ”
60. 54. 1%. 43. JU. 35.
CO 27.9 28.4 2i.9 28.8 25. i 25.2
Zn $0. 65. 55. 80. 70.
Rb 21.5 15.4 11.1 16.6 28.4 6.8
Sr 213. 172. $08. 378. 392 * 343.
Y 15.3 27.1 10.6 14.9 17.2 i7.1
Zr 35.1 34.1 iii.8 36.2 47.2 34.4
Nb <l. (1. ii. il. <l. <l.
Ba 122. <SO. 119. 120. 330. 94.
La 6.9 6.4 2.7 4.9 9.3 3.7
Ce 14.7 10.1 5.6 11.4 20.0 Y.2
Nd 10.2 10.3 4.3 8.2 13.8 7 .7
Sm 2.67 2.93 i .35 2.38 3.47 2.2i
Eu 0.89 1.06 0.59 0.82 i.17 0.82
Tb 0.43 0.58 0.29 0.43 0.51 0.43
Yb 1.65 2.18 1.25 1.76 i.9 2.0
LU 0.27 0.35 ii.19 0.28 0.30 0.29
Hf 1.04 1.02 0.67 1.06 i.4i 1.1
Ta 0.045 0.034 0,021 0.047 0.075 0.045
Th 1.14 iI. 0.38 0.71 1.6 0.37
u O.lii 0.24 <O. i5 0.26 0.56 io. 15
ALLOCHTHONOUS TERRANES IN NORTHWESTERN ECUADOR
211

clearly separated from the remaining samples that
cover the area typical of island-arc tholeiites and
talc-alkaline rocks (Fig. 4).
Because they are based only on relative ratios
of three chemical parameters, simple ternary dia-
grams are not able to reveal the diversity of
geochemical signatures of samples, or groups of
related samples. Therefore, we have chosen to
base the following discussion on the examination
of ‘extended’ chondrite-normalized REE pat-
terns. This type of diagram preserves the conven-
tional REE patterns in uncorrupted form and
neatly displays the negative Ta-Nb anomalies
(relative to light REE and Th-U) and negative
Ti-anomalies (relative to heavier REE) that are
the hallmark of subduction-related igneous rocks
(Wood et al., 1979; Briqueu et al., 1984). We have
used the following chondrite normalization values
(ppm): U = 0.0118, Th = 0.043, Ta = 0.021, Nb =
0.356, La = 0.34, Ce = 0.89, Nd = 0.65, Sm =
0.209, Eu = 0.0806, Tb = 0.052, Y = 2.26, Yb =
0.225, Lu = 0.035, Ti = 631. These values are

TABLE 1 (Cont.)

EC1011 EC1012 EC1013 EC1014 EC1015 EC1016

SiOn 47.94 62.26 51.02 47.00 70.14 50.39

TiOn 0.71 0.67 0.83 1.30 0.49 0.80
Ala03 20.44 14.52 17.62 13.91 13.28 11.76
Fe:03 4.95 1.82 2.13 3.50 0.53 3.36
Fe0 5.73 4.12 5.22 4.16 3.77 6.29
MnO 0.21 0.13 0.16 0.11 0.10 0.19
M.@ 5.21 2.65 7.25 5.63 1.54 9.27
cao 11.46 5.98 5.56 9.88 0.93 12.72
NazO 2.03 4.11 4.09 4.58 6.08 1.50
KzO 0.21 1.18 2.10 0.26 0.21 0.77
PnOs 0.12 0.17 0.22 0.21 0.13 0.27
HsO 0.67 1.73 3.29 3.63 1.45 2.29
co2 <O.l 0.40 <O.l 4.70 <O.l <O.l
TOT 99.68 99.74 99.49 98.87 99.25 99.61
Mg# 0.52 0.49 0.68 0.62 0.43 0.67

SC 38.2 17.5 35.7 26.5 11.3 58.3

CI- 9. 52. 87. 257. 10. 286.
co 30.1 15.6 6.7 28.3 4.6 42.1
Zn 79. 75. 91. 60. 78. 78.
Rb 5.5 18.2 41.1 9.4 0.8 22.3
Sr 391. 250. 214. 194. 158. 518.
Y 17.2 24.9 22.4 24.1 34.5 15.7
Zr 21.7 140. 48.8 118. 162. 65.2
Nb (1. 3.0 2.2 9.0 4.7 1.4
Ba <lOO. 570. 313. <60. 911. 330.
La 3.04 10.7 7.9 7.7 13.8 13.2
Ce 7.7 26.7 18.5 18.4 31.7 30.9
Nd 6.6 17.3 12.9 12.6 18.8 18.3
Sm 2.06 4.10 3.43 3.43 4.94 4.29
EU 0.73 1.23 1.14 1.24 1.26 1.31
Tb 0.40 0.69 0.59 0.64 0.87 0.57
I-b 1.9 2.7 2.4 2.3 4.0 1.54
Lu 0.30 0.40 0.37 0.34 0.59 0.23
Hf 0.73 3.24 1.39 2.53 4.1 1.79
Ta 0.026 0.17 0.093 0.53 0.28 0.14
Th 0.22 1.47 1.22 0.96 4.4 1.77
u (0.15 0.64 0.38 0.57 1.4 0.58
 212 I- VAN THOUKNOUT ET Al.

based on the solar-system values of Anders and
Grevesse (1989) scaled to an average La abun-
dance of 0.34 ppm for ordinary chondrites.
Results for samples in which both Ta and Nb
could be determined show that the two elements
are not significantly fractionated from each other.
Unfortunately, the Nb contents of many samples
were well below the determination limit of the
method used (approximately 5 times chondritic).
In order not to distort the patterns, normalized
values for Nb were set equal to the Ta values
when Nb could not be determined.
Figure 5 shows the extended REE patterns of
the three samples ECIOOO, EC1003 and EC1014
that have the signatures of transitional to en-
riched mid-ocean ridge basalts. Two come from
the easternmost portion of the Rio Mira profile,
one from the Quito-Santo Domingo highway.
Ta-Nb anomalies are relatively small or absent,
and heavy REE (HREE: Tb through Lu) are in
the range of lo-20 times chondritic. The slight
Ta-Nb anomaly, high heavy REE abundances,
and low Ti content of sample EC1003 are proba-
bly the result of plagioclase + FeTi-oxide frac-

TABLE 1 (Cont.)

Eiiiti8 Ei iii2ii Ei iijz i .

Eilijii Ei iOl9 EC 1ULL
-.,~ ,~- .,, ,...
3U.Ul 49 * 22 39.98 -4L.00 57.68
0.47 0.90 0.23 ii.29 0.67
ii.79 15.96 il.15 i2.39 i6.G5
3.35 i.73 5.05 (j,8:i 2.21
4.57 8.03 3.33 6. iY 5.8i
0.23 U. i6 0.12 ii. i5 0. i 5
3.00 5.54 4.42 7.63 4.26
.IL.22
,. 23.61 is.63 7. 77
6.15
2.68 3.14 i .63 3.54 2.59
0.15 i .69 0.10 ii.21 6.6-i
ii.i8 0.32 O.il U.li 0. ii
2.23 4.19 2.75 3.30 i.62
. co.1
cu.i co.1 6.86 5.76
99.73 99.03 99.33 98.90 99.59
0.45 0.55 0.54 O.iO ii.53

SC 25.5 35.3 29.6 3S.i 14.1 29.6

Cl- i9. 87. 860. 754. 26. iii.
I, - r~_
co ~1.i 39.1 JO.6 53.9 . I. i
1.5. 25.8
87. ,. ,.
Zn 58. OU. 70. 57. 7i.
i?b i.5 52. 2.3 ti. 35. iO.
,. ” 476. - .~
Sr QJ. IL. i29. li6. 27%.
F 10.8 23.2 7.3 ii.3 is.4 17.5
9.6 70.9 38.7
- ,.
Zr 28.6 79.4 6.4
. ..
ND <i. 3.5 <i. <i. 2.8 2.3
890. r r. <iOG. 401.
. .. - 1 -IJ..~
Ba 50. <3U.
La 6.6 16.7 0.51 1.53 7 .7 5.G
Ce i4. 37.8 1.3 3.5 is.6 .I III~ . ti
Nd 8.7 21.i 0.98 2.G 8.9 7.1
Sm 2.05 4.74 0.40 O.ii 2.36 2.09
EU 0.70 1.48 O.i74 0.26 0.77 0.72
Tb (i.Si 0.70 O.i3 0.19 0.38 0.46
.-1
YD i.i ‘2.30 0.94 i. 16 i.17 2.0’7
iU ii. i6 fi.36 0.14 O.i? ii.%i 0.30
iif 0 * 86 2.26 0.18 0.33 i. 79 i .6
Ta cl.053 6.14 O.Oli 0.014 ii.2i ii. 16
Th 0.78 2.2 0.09i 0.19 i .47 ii.6i
i 0.19 0.84 CO.1 ii.64 cl.60 ii. 26
ALLOCHTHONOUS TERRANES IN NORTHWESTERN ECUADOR 213

tionation. The enhanced U content relative to Th
of sample EC1014 can be attributed to selective
U enrichment in calcite veins. Cretaceous vol-
canic rocks with ocean-floor affinities are ob-
served at several localities along the Western
Cordillera of Colombia and Ecuador (Marriner
and Millward, 1984; J..ebrat et al., 1987; Groesser,
1989). They can be interpreted as remnants of an
older oceanic basement.
A second group of rocks from the Rio Mira
profile, shown in Figure 6, is represented by
samples EC1001 (a dacite) and EC1004 (a basaltic
andesite). The REE patterns are relatively flat,
but the negative Ta-Nb anomalies are very
prominent. These rocks have island-arc tholeiitic
affinities and come from lithologic units that can
be related to the Upper Cretaceous Cayo-San
Lorenzo Formation of Lebrat et al. (1987).
The third group of rocks, from the western
half of the Rio Mira profile, is made up of a
chemically quite homogeneous suite of basaltic
andesites of Eocene age, shown in Figure 7. The
trace-element patterns (lower heavy REE at 7-9
times chondritic, enriched light REE, negative
Ta-Nb anomalies) are typical of moderately dif-
ferentiated talc-alkaline rocks from a mature arc

TABLE 1 (Cont.)

EC1023 EC1024 EC1025 EC1026

SiOt 69.50 67.49 61.28 47.55

TiOp 0.35 0.59 0.60 0.60
A1203 13.62 12.05 16.40 18.10
Fen03 1.47 1.74 2.26 1.46
Fe0 2.03 6.37 4.53 6.82
MnO 0.07 0.17 0.16. 0.29
MI@ 1.01 1.93 2.69 7.41
CaO 3.94 3.82 5.98 15.53
Nan0 3.65 4.29 4.04 0.98
GO 0.62 0.41 1.03 0.21
PnOs 0.13 0.16 0.16 0.16
H20 2.23 0.38 0.41 0.54
co2 0.70 <O.l <O.l <O.l
TOT 99.32 99.40 99.54 99.65
Mgft 0.38 0.34 0.46 0.65

SC 6.7 29.4 27.5 30.5

CI- 20. 14. 108. 178.
co 9.3 18.1 17.0 19.5
Zn 84. 92. 106. 150.
Rb 5.2 6.8 21.5 (1.
Sl? 440. 144. 424. 320.
Y 9.4 26.2 32.3 13.6
Zr 58.0 60.7 94. 44,8
Nb 1.7 (1. 2.8 1.2
Ba 224. 122. 127. <50.
La 7.9 5.1 8, 4.5
Ce 14.8 14.4 18.7 10.9
Nd 8.6 9.4 12.8 7.6
SIII 2.00 3.04 3.84 2.20
EU 0.63 0.95 1.18 0.85
Tb 0.26 0.64 0.77 0.41
Yb 0.76 2.91 3.6 1.59
Lu 0.12 0.43 0.52 0.23
Hf 1.51 1.74 2.59 1.12
Ta 0.12 0.063 0.15 0.065
Th 0.97 0.71 1.13 0.42
u 0.51 0.34 0.58 0.37
214 k VAN THOUKNOUT ET AI.

Th

Fig. 4. Th-Hf-Ta diagram for all samples. Symbols as in Figure 3.

system. The variations in abundances of the most
incompatible elements (U through Sm> could be
due either to different degrees of partial melting
of the same source or to local variations in trace-
element enrichment of the source. Sample
EC1008 is a highly porphyritic rock enriched in
cumulus phases plagioclase and augite; this ex-
plains the lower overall abundance of incompati-
ble elements, higher Sr content and slightly posi-
tive Eu-anomaly.
Rocks collected along the Santo Domingo pro-
file include the MORB-like sample EC1014
shown in Figure 5. The other samples from this
locality have clear arc affinities (EC1012, EC1013
and EC101.5; Fig. 8). The negative Ta-Nb anoma-
lies are not so steep as in the previous calc-al-

100
A EC1000
cl ECiOOJ
6 ECiOl4
50 -

2-

I- ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’
I I I I I I I I I
U Th Ta Nb La Ce Nd Sm ELI Gd Tb Y Yb Lu Ti

Fig. 5. Chondrite-normalized patterns for MORB-type samples; see text for normalized values.
ALLOCHTHONOUS TERRANES IN NORTHWESTERN ECUADOR 215

100
A EC1001
I3 EC1004

1 I
U
I
Th
I
Ta
I
Nb
I
La
I
Ce Nd
I I
Sm
I
Eu
I
Gd
I
Tb
I
Y
I
Yb
I
Lu
I
Ti
1
Fig. 6. Chondrite-normalized patterns for A-group samples, Rio Mira profile; see text for normalized values.

kaline samples from the Rio Mira profile (Fig. 7). samples EC1016, EC1017, EC1018 and EC1023
The three Santo Domingo rocks exhibit closer (Fig. 9, Selva Alegre A> having talc-alkaline
similarities to the island-arc tholeiitic group from trace-element signatures. The REE patterns are
Rio Mira (Fig. 6). However, they belong to units subparallel, though absolute abundances differ by
assigned to the Eocene Macuchi Formation. a factor of three. The samples are either highly
In the Otavalo-Selva Alegre profile, two main porphyritic and enriched in cumulus phases
groups can be recognized on the basis of trace- (mainly augite for EC1016; feldspar and quartz
element geochemistry. The first group consists of for EC1023), or vesicular with vesicles filled with

I I I I I I I I I -
0.5- ’
U Th
’ Ts
’ Nb
’ La
’ Cc
’ Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Y Yb Lu Tl

Fig. 7. Chondrite-normalized patterns for B-group samples, Rio Mira profile: see text for normalized values.
216 b VAN'I‘HOURNOUTFI‘AI.

A EC1012
Cl EC1013
6 EC1015

1 ” ” ” I I I I I I I I I
U Th Ta Nb La Ce Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Y Yb Lu Ti

Fig. 8. Chondrite-normalized patterns for Quito-Santo Domingo highway samples; see text for normalized values.

secondary quartz (sample EC1017). Hence, the to the other four samples shown in this figure.
variation of absolute abundances can be ex- The other samples are taken from flows and
plained in terms of dilution of similar andesitic dykes, occurring within, or closely related to fly-
matrix material by augite, feldspar and/or quartz. schoid sediments assigned to the Eocene Apagua
Sample EC1021, also plotted in Figure 9, has a Formation.
different REE pattern, with a lower La/Yb ratio. The second group from the Selva Alegre pro-
It is a volcanic conglomerate from the Silante file (Fig. 10; samples EC1022, EC1024, EC1025
Formation, that is presumably not directly related EC10261 exhibits much flatter REE patterns, on

A EC1016

:I1
Fig. 9. Chondrite-normalized
U Th Ta

patterns
Nb La

for A-group
Ce Nd

samples
Sm Eu Gd

from the Otavalo-Selva

Tb Y

Alegre highway;
Yb Lu Ti

see text for normalized values.

ALLOCHTHONOUS TERRANES IN NORTHWESTERN ECUADOR 217

100
A EC1022
Cl ECi024

I I I I I I I I I J
1
U
” Th
”
Ta Nb
”
La Ce Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Y Yb Lu Ti

Fig. 10. Chondrite-normalized patterns for B-group samples from the Otavalo-Selva Alegre highway; see text for normalized
values.

average higher heavy REE abundances, and com-
paratively smaller Ta-Nb anomalies. This points
to island-arc tholeiitic affinities, and suggests
some similarity to the arc tholeiitic suites from
Rio Mira-A (Fig. 6) and Santo Domingo (Fig. 8).
These samples belong to units assigned to the
Eocene Macuchi Formation.
The last group of rocks consists of three sam-
ples (EC1002, EC1019 and EC1020), one coming
from the eastern part of the Rio Mira profile, two
from the eastern part of the Otavalo-Selva Ale-
gre road. They are strongly depleted in REE, Ta,
Nb and Th (Fig. 11). Another common character-
istic is the pervasive calcite veining (lo-20%

Fig. 11. Chondrite-normalized patterns for REE depleted samples; see text for normalized values.
218 k VAN 7’HOURNOU-K ET Al..

modal abundance). These samples are definitely the eastern part of the sections. Fracture cleav-
not gabbroic cumulate rocks. Petrographic obser- ages of the second generation display a slight dip
vations show that the samples were originally to the northwest.
volcanic glasses, that later recrystallized to a mi- All evidence points to two main tectonic events,
crocrystalline mixture of curved branching augite one of Paleocene to Early Eocene age, broadly
and opaque minerals; no plagioclase phenocrysts coincident with the Laramide Orogeny, the sec-
or relicts are observed. All evidence thus indi- ond one extending from Early to Late Oligocene
cates that samples EC1002, EC1019 and EC1020 (Fig. 2).
belong to the boninitic series (Jenner, 1981; Sporadic ophiolitic rock outcrops occur near
Hickey and Frey, 1982; Cameron et al., 1983). the eastern base and crest of the Western
Boninites occur in the fore-arc region of ensi- Cordillera. Their occurrence and nature on the
matic island arcs, and there are indications that Quito-Santo Domingo profile were reported by
they are produced when arc volcanism ceases and Juteau et al. (19771 and by Lebrat et al. (1986,
back-arc spreading is initiated, i.e. during a pe- 1987). Occurrences of transitional to enriched
riod of transition from convergent to divergent ocean-floor basalts (E-MORB) were detected on
tectonic regimes (Crawford et al., 1981; Pedersen their northward continuation on the Rio Mira
and Hertogen, 1990). All three samples are taken profile. They seem to define a possible suture
in pillow-lavas occurring within, or closely related zone, which could be the southward extension of
to sediments belonging to the Upper Cretaceous the Colombian Cauca-Patia Megafault (MC.
Cayo-San Lorenzo Formation (Lebrat, 1985). Court et al., 19841, called here the Calacali-Pal-
In conclusion, volcanic rocks from Lower Cre- latanga fault zone. Eocene deposits, correlated
taceous basement, occurring in the easternmost with the Apagua Formation, crop out on both
parts of the Rio Mira profile and of the Quito- sides of this suture, which could have been origi-
Santo Domingo highway, display characteristics nated during the first main tectonic event, and
of transitional to enriched ocean-floor basalts subsequently reactivated, being at the origin of
(E-MORB). Samples from their overlying Upper the great number of dykes, observed within the
Cretaceous volcanic to volcano-sedimentary se- Apagua sediments, at this location.
ries, taken on the Rio Mira profile and on the Towards the west, gabbroic and mafic rocks
Otavalo-Selva Alegre road belong to island-arc crop out along another major fault zone. These
tholeiitic and to boninitic series. The main Eocene outcrops could be the result of upthrusting, due
formations (Macuchi and Apagua), occurring on to the second, Oligocene tectonic event. In addi-
all three profiles, are composed locally of moder- tion, all of the Cordillera is sliced-up in longitudi-
ately differentiated talc-alkaline rocks and belong nal tectonic wedges through transcurrent faulting.
in other parts to the island-arc tholeiitic group.
Metallogenic environment
Structure and tectonic events
The metallogenic environment displays a di-
Structurally, north-south to N60E longitudinal rect relationship with existing terranes and suc-
faults and lineaments predominate. Important cessive magmatic events. It is characterized by
N50W, but also N20W and N70E transversal hydrothermal (epigenetic) mineralization related
faults divide the Cordillera into segments. The to Oligocene and Miocene intrusives, superim-
main andean-trending folds are isoclinal to east- posed on top of a syngenetic context associated
verging. East-verging structures appear mainly in with the earlier ophiolitic and island-arc-type
the eastern part of most profiles, without present- units. Hydrothermal mineralization related to the
ing clear proof of abduction. Eocene intrusives, however, could be a deeper-
Two cleavages are apparent. The first, slaty level time equivalent of volcanogenic-exhalative
cleavage is developed according to planes which deposits occurring to the south, known as Macuchi
are generally vertical, or dip steeply to the west in and La Plata (Goossens, 1972).
ALLOCHTHONOUS TERRANES IN NORTHWESTERN ECUADOR 219

Plate tectonic interpretation (1) Lower Cretaceous to Paleocene (125-70

According to results of present and earlier
work @brat, 1985; Eguez, 19861, the following
five stages of geodynamic evolution could have
taken place (Fig. 12).
Ma). Southwest-northeast movement of the Far-
allon Plate (Pilger 1983) produces two types of
effects. In the northern part, local intraoceanic
subduction with magmatic activity and possible
back-arc spreading results in deposition of the

LOWER CRETACEOUS - PALEOCENE

NORTH SOUTH

San Lorenzo

MIDDLE EOCENE -LOWER OLI GOC ENE

SW
San Maleo Macuchi
Funla Bldnca

OLIGOCENE - RECENT

miocene to recent
volcanics b intrvsives

Fig. 12. Model for successive stages of geodynamic evolution of the Ecuadorian Western Cordillera and Coastal Plain.
220

Cayo and San Lorenzo tholeiitic to boninitic arc of the accreted and overlying terranes through a
formations, and their associated units, accompa- transpressional movement. New subduction, re-
nied by contemporaneous transcurrent movement sulting from opening of the Galapagos rift dis-
without magmatic activity, along an already com- plays an east-west direction (Pilger, 1983).
plex continental margin where previous accretion (5) Miocene-Recent (25-O Ma). Continued
and collision have taken place earlier (Aspden east-west subduction of the new Nazca Plate
and Litherland, 1992). produces Upper Oligocene to Recent calc-al-
More southward, subduction and magmatic ac- kaline intrusive and volcanic activity.
tivity, directly along the continental margin, result
in deposition of a talc-alkaline volcanic arc, Acknowledgements
known as the Celica Formation (Lebrat, 198.5).
(2) Paleocene to Early Eocene (70-X Ma), The This research results from a technical coopera-
first important erogenic event is represented by tion project between the Belgian General Admin-
the possible accretion of a slab of MORB-basalts istration for Development Cooperation (AGCD)
from the Farallon Plate, called Pinon Formation, and the Ecuadorian Mining Institute (INEMIN).
with the overlying volcanic arc deposits, the Cayo Chemical analyses were carried out and inter-
and San Lorenzo formations, according to the preted in the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Cauca-Patia-Calacali- Pallatanga suture. It is (K.U.L.).
accompanied by clockwise rotation (Roperch et
al., 1987). The flyschoid Yunguilla Formation and References
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