Crustal structure of the Western Azuero Peninsula, Panama: Insights into the structure of accretionary complexes and forearc ophiolites

Detailed geologic mapping (639 field stations in ~700 km2) and a ~50 km-long gravity survey (142 stations) the western Azuero Peninsula revealed two faulted folded slivers of oceanic crust attached to trailing edge Caribbean Large Igneous Plateau (CLIP). Our new data, along with published geochronology, allowed us reconstruct Cretaceous forearc configuration CLIP prior seamount collision, ophiolite accretion, whole-margin deformation. The is composed tectonic arranged south-verging, imbricated thrust faults that stack ~73 Ma pillow, flow, picritic basalt black chert, together ~ 89–93 older flows capping red chert sequences. Accretion these form supra-subduction zone resulted from middle Eocene collision accretion Galapagos seamounts against CLIP. Accreted are north-verging antiformal duplex, below sheets. Change kinematics after fission Cocos-Nazca Plate during early Miocene times prompted propagation Azuero-Sona fault flower structure, favouring preservation crust.