The subduction of the Copiapó aseismic ridge,is the causing of the formation of metallic minerals deposits in north of Chile and Argentina?

The results obtained in this work evince that the metallic mineral deposits located in the northern region of the Chilean-Pampean flat slab(in northern Chile and north-western Argentina),at approximately 27°30’S,would be related to the subduction of the Copiapo aseismic ridge.The analysis of the gravity anomalies and vertical gravity gradient allows inferring a deflection and truncation of the main trend of the Andean structures at the extrapolated zone of the Copiapo ridge beneath South America.Thus,the general NNE-trend of the Andean structures are rotated locally to an ENE-strike within the area of the Ojos del Salado-San Buena Ventura lineament.We explain that this anomalous behavior of the gravity derived anomalies is related to the deformational effects imprinted by the ridge subduction.Regions with a low subduction angle(<30° to horizontal)are related to large mineralization due to fluids released by dehydration of the subducting crust.In addition,a higher degree of mantle melting could be produced by a thicker oceanic crust.Therefore,we interpret that the processes associated to the subduction of the Copiapo aseismic ridge(emplaced on a thickened oceanic crust due to a local compensation of the seamounts)are the cause of formation and emplacement of big metallic mineral deposits in this region of Chile and Argentina.

3-D crustal-scale gravity model of the San Rafael Block and Payenia volcanic province in Mendoza,Argentina

The San Rafael Block(SRB)is part of one of the main retroarc volcanic provinces in southern Central Andes in Mendoza,Argentina.This block is located in the Andean foothills between the orogenic front and foreland basement uplifts of late Miocene age.In order to analyze the geochronological evolution of the Quaternary volcanism in the region,several geologic and geophysical studies have been conducted.Nevertheless,the crust,where the SRB is located,has not been well characterized yet.Based on gravimetric and magnetic data,together with isostatic and elastic thickness analyses,we modeled the crustal structure of the area.Information obtained has allowed us to understand the crust where the SRB and the Payenia volcanic province are located.Bouguer anomalies indicate that the SRB presents higher densities to the North of Cerro Nevado and Moho calculations suggest depths for this block between 40 and 50 km.Determinations of elastic thickness would indicate that the crust supporting the San Rafael Block presents values of approximately 10 km,being enough to support the block loading.However,in the Payenia region,elastic thickness values are close to zero due to the regional temperature increase.

Payenia Quaternary flood basalts(southern Mendoza, Argentina)：Geophysical constraints on their volume

The Quaternary volcanic province of Payenia is located in southern Mendoza and northern Neuquén provinces of Argentina and is characterized by a dominant basaltic composition. The volcanic province covers an area larger than 40,000 km2 and its origin and evolution has been the center of several studies.In this study we analyzed gravity data together with more accurate volcanic volumes calculations in order to investigate the subsurface structure of the Payenia volcanic province. The volume of material was calculated using digital elevation models and geographic information system（GIS） techniques to estimate the volume of material erupted and then, with those values, make an estimation of the intrusive material that could be located within the crust. The results of the calculations were compared with different 2D-sections constructed to model the gravity data and compare with the observed satellite gravity. After evaluating different models which have been generated to match both： the observed gravity data and the subsurface material calculated, we discuss those that best fit with observation. The results clearly indicate that the lithosphere is attenuated below the region.

Goce derived geoid changes before the Pisagua 2014 earthquake

The analysis of space-time surface deformation during earthquakes reveals the variable state of stress that occurs at deep crustal levels, and this information can be used to better understand the seismic cycle. Understanding the possible mechanisms that produce earthquake precursors is a key issue for earthquake prediction. In the last years, modern geodesy can map the degree of seismic coupling during the interseismic period, as well as the coseismic and postseismic slip for great earthquakes along subduction zones. Earthquakes usually occur due to mass transfer and consequent gravity variations, where these changes have been monitored for intraplate earthquakes by means of terrestrial gravity measurements. When stresses and correspondent rupture areas are large, affecting hundreds of thousands of square kilometres（as occurs in some segments along plate interface zones）, satellite gravimetry data become relevant. This is due to the higher spatial resolution of this type of data when compared to terrestrial data, and also due to their homogeneous precision and availability across the whole Earth.Satellite gravity missions as GOCE can map the Earth gravity field with unprecedented precision and resolution. We mapped geoid changes from two GOCE satellite models obtained by the direct approach,which combines data from other gravity missions as GRACE and LAGEOS regarding their best characteristics. The results show that the geoid height diminished from a year to five months before the main seismic event in the region where maximum slip occurred after the Pisagua Mw = 8.2 great megathrust earthquake. This diminution is interpreted as accelerated inland-directed interseismic mass transfer before the earthquake, coinciding with the intermediate degree of seismic coupling reported in the region. We highlight the advantage of satellite data for modelling surficial deformation related to preseismic displacements. This deformation, combined to geodetical and seismological data, could be useful for delimiting and monitoring areas of higher seismic hazard potential.

Rupture area analysis of the Ecuador (Musine) Mw = 7.8 thrust earthquake on April 16, 2016, using GOCE derived gradients

The Ecuador Mw - 7.8 earthquake on April 16, 2016, ruptured a nearly 200 km long zone along the plate interface between Nazca and South American plates which is coincident with a seismic gap since 1942, when a Mw - 7.8 earthquake happened. This earthquake occurred at a margin characterized by moderately big to giant earthquakes such as the 1906 （Mw 8.8）. A heavily sedimented trench explains the abnormal lengths of the rupture zones in this system as inhibits the role of natural barriers on the propagation of rupture zones. High amount of sediment thickness is associated with tropical climates, high erosion rates and eastward Pacific dominant winds that provoke orographic rainfalls over the Pacific slope of the Ecuatorian Andes. Offshore sediment dispersion off the oceanic trench is controlled by a close arrangement of two aseismic ridges that hit the Costa Rico and South Ecuador margin respectively and a mid ocean ridge that separates the Cocos and Nazca plate trapping sediments. Gravity field and Ocean Circulation Explorer （GOCE） satellite data are used in this work to test the possible relationship between gravity signal and earthquake rupture structure as well as registered aftershock seismic activity. Reduced vertical gravity gradient shows a good correlation with rupture structure for certain degrees of the harmonic expansion and related depth of the causative mass; indicating, such as in other analyzed cases along the subduction margin, that fore-arc structure derived from density heterogeneities explains at a certain extent propagation of the rupture zones. In this analysis the rupture zone of the April 2016 Ecuador earthquake developed through a relatively low density zone of the fore-arc sliver. Finally, aftershock sequence nucleated around the area of maximum slips in the rupture zone, suggesting that heterogeneous density structure of the fore-arc determined from gravity data could be used in forecasting potential damaged zones associated with big ruptures along the subduction border.