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1.
在剥蚀型汇聚板块边缘,俯冲输入板块剥蚀上覆板块并将剥蚀物质带入俯冲隧道,随后,这些剥蚀物质与俯冲板块物质一同参与了俯冲带浅部与深部地幔的地球化学循环。构造地质学和地球物理研究显示中美洲俯冲带南段是典型的俯冲剥蚀型汇聚板块边缘,这为研究上覆板块俯冲剥蚀物质是否参与俯冲带物质循环过程提供了天然的实验室。由于目前仍然缺乏对该俯冲剥蚀机制的地球化学制约,综合大洋钻探计划(IODP) 344航次对中美洲俯冲带南部哥斯达黎加西部的俯冲板块和上覆板块开展了钻探工作,并获取了系统的岩芯样品。本文对IODP344航次取自上覆板块中陆坡和上陆坡的U1380和U1413站位中沉积物中的粗碎屑层位样品,开展了系统的主、微量元素与Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf同位素地球化学研究。这些沉积物粗碎屑层位组分与加勒比大火成岩省基底相似,指示它们可能来自加勒比大火成岩省基底在弧前出露的区域,可以代表上覆板块基底被俯冲剥蚀的物质组成。研究进一步探讨了晚中新世中美洲俯冲带南部大陆弧火山岩的成因,并指出上覆板块底部被剥蚀物质参与了中美洲俯冲带南部大陆弧火山岩岩浆过程,这为中美洲俯冲带南部存在俯冲剥蚀过程提供了直接的地质学证据。 相似文献
2.
五十年前板块构造理论的诞生是地球科学领域的一场革命,它为理解地球如何运作构建了基本框架。过去五十年对该理论的进一步研究告诉我们地质过程最终都是地球热损失的结果。例如,大洋岩石圈板块在洋中脊形成,其运动和增生以及最终通过俯冲带进入地幔导致地幔冷却降温,从而导致大规模的地幔对流。亦即,板块构造的直接驱动力是俯冲大洋岩石圈板块的下沉力。因此,没有俯冲带就没有板块构造,但是俯冲带如何开始仍然有争议。对俯冲起始的研究从未中断,有数值模拟也有地质推断。2014年在西太平洋用三个IODP航次(350、351和352)来检验“自发”和“诱发”俯冲开始的想法。所有这些努力都值得肯定,但这些是无法检验的想法。无法检验意味着没有结果。本文介绍至今唯一可用地质学方法检验的假说,亦即“岩石圈内横向物质组成差异导致的浮力差是俯冲带形成的起因”。这种浮力差位于海底高原的边部和被动大陆边缘,因此这些部位是未来俯冲带起始的必然轨迹。在远离这些部位的正常洋盆内因缺乏浮力差而俯冲带不可能起始。换句话说,“所有岛弧一定有大陆(或海底高原)基底”,这可以通过采集和研究岛弧基底岩石来验证。 相似文献
3.
在前人研究的基础上, 根据变质时代及产地将中国蓝片岩带划分为20个带, 选取不同时代典型蓝片岩带论述其特征(分布区域、大体规模、原岩特征、形成时代及矿物组合), 并对其地质成因进行分析。中国蓝片岩带生成方式复杂, 但均与俯冲消减作用有关, 且大多属B型俯冲消减; 部分地段叠加了A型俯冲的高压—超高压变质带(如阿尔金带、大别-苏北带、南迦巴瓦-密支那带等)。中国蓝片岩带在时代上可以分为元古代(晋宁期)、古生代(加里东—海西期)、中生代(印支—燕山期)和新生代(喜马拉雅期)4个时期, 每个时期蓝片岩带的形成大多与中国地体增生过程中洋盆的消减俯冲有关, 并在特定地段经历后期的陆内俯冲(高压—超高压俯冲)叠加影响。 相似文献
4.
陆-陆碰撞造山带双前陆盆地模式——来自大别山、喜马拉雅和乌拉尔造山带的证据 总被引：9，自引：0，他引：9
大陆碰撞造山带不同的构造演化阶段往往形成不同成因类型的周缘前陆盆地 (系统 )。根据对几个典型大陆造山带的研究 ,我们把大陆碰撞造山带的构造演化过程分为陆 -陆拼接和大规模陆内逆冲推覆 (陆内俯冲 )两个阶段 ;早期陆 -陆拼接阶段直接在俯冲板块被动大陆边缘基础上形成的前陆盆地称为“原前陆盆地” ,后期大规模陆内逆冲 -推覆 (或陆内俯冲 )阶段在俯冲板块内部形成的前陆盆地称为“远前陆盆地”(它比原前陆盆地距主缝合带远 )。原前陆盆地和远前陆盆地是同一大陆碰撞造山带不同构造演化阶段的产物 ,是两种不同成因类型的周缘前陆盆地 ,它们构成了同一大陆造山带的双前陆盆地 ,而不是传统概念的单一成因类型前陆盆地。 相似文献
5.
由板块俯冲引发的深部物质循环过程是地球内部的一级运行机制,主宰了地球从内到外的演化进程,是地球科学研究的重要前沿.俯冲带化学地球动力学研究不仅需要确定俯冲带地壳物质再循环的机制和形式,而且需要确定俯冲带动力来源和热体制及其随时间的变化.为了识别不同类型壳源熔/流体对地幔楔的交代作用、寻求板片-地幔界面反应的岩石学和地球化学证据、理解汇聚板块边缘地壳俯冲和拆沉对地幔不均一性的贡献,我们必须将俯冲带变质作用、交代作用和岩浆作用作为一个地球科学系统来考虑.板块俯冲带变质过程中发生一系列物理化学变化,这些变化不但是导致板块进一步俯冲的主要驱动力,同时也控制着释放的熔/流体组成和俯冲到地球深部的物质组成,对俯冲带化学地球动力学过程产生重要影响.地幔楔作为俯冲系统中连接俯冲盘和仰冲盘的关键构造单元,在地球层圈之间物质循环和能量交换等方面起着重要作用.造山带地幔楔橄榄岩直接记录了俯冲带多种性质的熔/流体交代作用,以及复杂的壳幔物质循环过程.俯冲带岩浆岩是大洋/大陆板块俯冲物质再循环的表现形式,这些岩石样品记录了俯冲带从深部地幔到浅部地壳的过程,也为认识地球深部物质循环提供了理想的天然样品.尽管国际上在俯冲带岩石学和地球化学领域针对地球深部过程的研究方面取得了多项重要进展,但由于研究工作缺乏密切的协同配合,包括俯冲带熔/流体的物理化学性质、俯冲带壳幔相互作用的机制和过程、俯冲带幔源岩浆活动的物质来源和启动机制以及深部地幔过程对地表环境的影响等许多关键科学问题尚未得到根本解决.将来的研究需要聚焦俯冲带物质循环这一核心科学问题,进一步查明俯冲带变质作用、交代作用、岩浆作用等过程的各自特征和相互联系,包括挥发性组分在地球深部的迁移过程及其资源和环境效应,着力考察研究相对薄弱的古俯冲带,阐明板块俯冲与地球深部物质循环之间的耦合机制. 相似文献
6.
雅鲁藏布江缝合带内韧性剪切带的地质特征及其意义 总被引：10，自引：6，他引：4
阐述了雅鲁藏布江缝合带内发现的巨型韧性剪切带的规模、构造分带性及其地质特征,指出了膝折构造带与低温高压变质带以及韧性剪切带的成因关系,阐明了缝合带内韧性剪切带在板块俯冲时的空间位置及其构造地质意义。 相似文献
7.
俯冲带作为板块构造最为重要的标志之一,是地球最大的物质循环系统,被称为“俯冲工厂”.俯冲作用是驱动和维持板块运动的重要动力引擎.一个完整的俯冲带发育海沟、增生楔、弧前盆地、岩浆弧、弧后盆地（或弧背前陆盆地）等基本构造单元.在一些特殊情况下（如洋脊俯冲、年轻洋壳俯冲、海山俯冲）,则可形成一些特殊的俯冲带结构（如平板俯冲、俯冲侵蚀）,导致岩浆弧、增生楔、弧前盆地等不发育甚至缺失.俯冲大洋板片可滞留于或穿越地幔过渡带进入下地幔甚至到达核幔边界,把地壳物质带入到地球深部,并通过地幔柱活动上升到浅部.俯冲带是构造活动强烈的区域,存在走滑、挤压、伸展等变形及其构造叠加.俯冲带海沟可向大洋或大陆方向迁移,岛弧及增生楔等也随之发生迁移,使俯冲带上盘发生周期性挤压和伸展,形成复杂的古地理格局.微陆块、岛弧、海山/洋底高原等地质体在俯冲带发生增生时,可阻塞先存的俯冲带,造成俯冲带跃迁或俯冲极性反转,在其外侧形成新的俯冲带.俯冲带深部精细结构、俯冲起始如何发生、板块俯冲与地幔柱的深部关联机制等是当前俯冲带研究中值得关注的前沿问题.开展俯冲带地球物理深部探测、古缝合带与现今俯冲带对比研究、俯冲带动力学数值模拟是解决上述科学问题的重要途径. 相似文献
8.
《矿物岩石地球化学通报》2019,(2):259-259
会前讲座-俯冲带地球化学时间:2019年4月19日全天地点:浙江大学紫金港校区蒙民伟楼223主讲人及内容:08:30-09:15郑永飞:俯冲带结构和过程09:15-10:00吴元保:俯冲带同位素地质年代学10:00-10:15茶歇10:15-11:00倪怀玮:俯冲带流体地球化学11:15-12:00陈伊翔:俯冲带地壳变质和熔融12:00-14:00午饭14:00-14:45陈仁旭:俯冲带壳幔相互作用 相似文献
9.
西藏西部与班公湖特提斯洋盆俯冲相关的火成岩年代学和地球化学 总被引：32，自引：1，他引：31
对青藏高原西北部班公湖缝合带开展了野外地质调查,初步查明区内缝合带至少包含日土和狮泉河-改则两条蛇绿岩带。在两条蛇绿岩带北侧发现各有两期岛弧型岩浆岩发育,且形成时间严格对应。岩石地球化学分析表明,班公湖缝合带岛弧型岩浆岩的共同特征是富集大离子不相容元素Rb、Th、K和Pb;强烈亏损高场强元素Nb、Ta和Ti;Ba在微量元素蛛网图中总是相对亏损,这些特征说明班公湖地区存在两条俯冲带。从演化序列看,俯冲初期岩石属中钾钙碱性系列,之后岛弧岩浆作用向高钾钙碱性系列演变。锆石U—PbLA—ICPMS定年结果表明,北面的日土俯冲带洋壳俯冲从辉长岩墙开始,时代为（165．5±1．9）Ma（MSWD=1．16）,在159Ma时岛弧岩浆作用规模增大,形成小型的花岗岩基;南面的狮泉河-改则俯冲带一开始俯冲（（166．4±2．0）Ma,MSWD=3．0）就有较大规模的石英闪长岩体侵入,之后岩浆作用减弱,到159．4Ma时只有一些小体积的花岗斑岩和闪长玢岩侵入。根据岛弧岩浆作用规模,认为班公湖中特提斯洋盆的俯冲一开始是以狮泉河俯冲带为主,之后狮泉河俯冲带的俯冲作用逐渐减弱。到晚侏罗世初（159Ma）北面的日土俯冲带成为洋壳俯冲的主体。鉴于两条岛弧火成岩带在空间配置上都位于由基性-超基性岩构成的蛇绿岩带北侧,地球化学上显示陆缘弧特征,因此,认为班公湖中特提斯洋盆应该是在中侏罗世晚期（约166Ma）沿日土和狮泉河两条俯冲带同时向北俯冲,构造属性上可能不是一个统一的大洋,而是包含了多个局限性洋盆。 相似文献
10.
大别山区（安徽部分）的构造格局和演化过程 总被引：70，自引：8，他引：70
大别山区是扬子和中朝大陆板块之间的碰撞造山带,由扬子大陆板块中的前陆褶冲带、俯冲盖层和俯冲基底、包含在俯冲基底中的含柯石英和金刚石的超高压变质帝、变质蛇绿混杂岩带、中朝大陆板块南缘的弧前复理石推覆体以及其北缘的反向褶冲带、北部边缘为磨拉斯的后继盆地组成。古大别海洋板块于早古生代向北俯冲时,中朝大陆板块南缘可能出现过火山弧和弧后盆地。卷入前陆褶冲带的地层以及榴辉岩的Sm/Nd同位素定时表明,两个大陆板块的强烈碰撞发生在中生代早期。 相似文献
11.
Thermal anomalies in tectonically active areas are often attributed to sub-seafloor fluid circulation and faulting mechanisms, particularly in subduction zones where the largest thrust earthquakes occur. Postseismic fluid flow is enabled by the poroelastic response of the fault system to the earthquake's strain field, as well as by the rupturing of permeability barriers in the vicinity of the fault zone. We investigated the relative importance of these mechanisms on postseismic pore-pressure diffusion and advective heat transport in the subduction zone setting. A two-dimensional numerical fluid flow and heat transport model was developed for the Costa Rica subduction zone offshore of the Nicoya Peninsula. The flow and transport model was coupled with an earthquake strain model to quantify the effects of coseismic strain and permeability enhancement on fluid pressures and temperatures within the Costa Rica margin. Coseismic changes in pore pressure and postseismic pore-pressure diffusion were found to be sensitive to the compressibility of the porous medium, and patterns of pore-pressure recovery were more complex than that predicted by theoretical faulting models. Coseismic contraction and extension of the crust produced high fluid pressures close to the fault, while the inflow of fluid from depth increased fluid pressures several years following the simulated fault slip. Crustal deformation alone was not observed to perturb the temperature field. Laterally extensive permeability increases of two orders of magnitude along the décollement were required to produce small changes in heat flow. Local permeability changes in the upper slope region of least five orders of magnitude were necessary to noticeably affect heat flow. The results of the numerical simulations may help to refine conceptual faulting models and provide guidance for locating long-term hydrologic monitoring sites at Costa Rica and other subduction zones. 相似文献
12.
Seth Sadofsky Kaj Hoernle Svend Duggen Folkmar Hauff Reinhard Werner Dieter Garbe-Schönberg 《International Journal of Earth Sciences》2009,98(4):901-913
New geochemical data from the Cocos Plate constrain the composition of the input into the Central American subduction zone
and demonstrate the extent of influence of the Galápagos Hotspot on the Cocos Plate. Samples include sediments and basalts
from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1256 outboard of Nicaragua, gabbroic sills from ODP Sites 1039 and 1040, tholeiitic
glasses from the Fisher Ridge off northwest Costa Rica, and basalts from the Galápagos Hotspot Track outboard of Central Costa
Rica. Site 1256 basalts range from normal to enriched MORB in incompatible elements and have Pb and Nd isotopic compositions
within the East Pacific Rise MORB field. The sediments have similar 206Pb/204Pb and only slightly more radiogenic 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb isotope ratios than the basalts. Altered samples from the subducting Galápagos Hotspot Track have similar Nd and Pb isotopic
compositions to fresh Galápagos samples but have significantly higher Sr isotopic composition, indicating that the subduction
input will have a distinct geochemical signature from Galápagos-type mantle material that may be present in the wedge beneath
Costa Rica. Gabbroic sills from Sites 1039 and 1040 in East Pacific Rise (EPR) crust show evidence for influence of the Galápagos
Hotspot ∼100 km beyond the morphological hotspot track. 相似文献
13.
The convergent plate margin off the Osa peninsula in southern Costa Rica is characterized by the indentation of the Cocos ridge at 4–5 Ma. The indentation causes the uplift of the Osa mélange which we interpret to represent an exhumed major channel for the transport of tectonically eroded material down into the subduction zone. We present evidence that, similar to the Nicoya segment of the Costa Rica convergent margin, subduction erosion rather than accretion has been the dominant process along the plate boundary. The composition of the Osa mélange is dominated by tectonized material of the upper-plate Nicoya ophiolite complex (basalt, radiolarite, limestone). Strong deformation is concentrated in numerous discrete shear zones and produced the layered fabric of large rock volumes, which partly experienced temperatures > 200°C. We thus interpret the Osa mélange to be a product of subduction erosion at the base of the outer arc wedge structure. 相似文献
14.
Middle Miocene to present plate tectonic history of the southern Central American Volcanic Arc 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
New mid Miocene to present plate tectonic reconstructions of the southern Central American Volcanic Arc (CAVA) reveal that the inception of Cocos Ridge subduction began no earlier than 3 Ma, and possibly as late as 2 Ma. The Cocos Ridge has been displaced from the Malpelo Ridge to the southeast since 9 Ma along the Panama Fracture Zone (PFZ) system. Ambiguous PFZ and Coiba Fracture Zone (CFZ) interaction since 9 Ma precludes conclusively establishing the age of initial Cocos Ridge subduction. Detailed reconstructions based on magnetic anomalies offshore reveal several other variations in subduction parameters beneath southern Central America that preceded subduction of the Cocos Ridge, including southeastward migration of the Nazca–Cocos–Caribbean triple junction along the Middle America Trench (MAT) from 12 Ma to present, and subduction of ≤2 km high scarps both parallel and perpendicular to the trench from 6 to 1 Ma.The timing of changes in subduction processes has commonly been determined by (and correlated with) geologic changes in the upper plate. However, reliable 40Ar/39Ar dating of these events has become available only recently [Abstr. Programs-Geol. Soc. Am. (2002)]. These new dates better constrain the magmatic and structural history of southern Costa Rica. Observations from this data set include: a gap in the volcanic record from 11 to 6 Ma, which coincides temporally with emplacement of most plutons in southern Costa Rica, normal arc volcanism ceased after 3.5 Ma in southern Costa Rica, and Pliocene (mostly 1.5 Ma) adakite volcanism was widely distributed from central Panama to southern Costa Rica (though volumetrically insignificant).This new data reveals that many geologic phenomena, commonly attributed to subduction and underplating of the buoyant Cocos Ridge, in fact precede inception of Cocos Ridge subduction and seem to correlate more favorably in time with earlier tectonic events. Adakite volcanic activity corresponds in space and time with the subduction of a large scarp associated with a tectonic boundary off southern Panama. Regional unconformities and an 11–6 Ma gap in arc volcanism match temporally with oblique subduction of the Nazca plate beneath central and southern Costa Rica. Cessation of volcanic activity, low-temperature cooling of plutons in the Cordillera de Talamanca (CT), and rapid increases in sedimentation in the fore-arc and back-arc basins coincide with passage of the Nazca–Cocos–Caribbean triple junction and initiation of subduction of “rough” crust associated with Cocos–Nazca rifting 3.5 Ma, closely followed by initial subduction of the Cocos Ridge 2–3 Ma. None of the aforementioned geologic events occurred at a time that would allow for underplating by the Cocos Ridge. Rather they are probably related to complex interactions with subduction of complicated plates offshore. All of the aforementioned events indicate that the southern Central American subduction system has been in flux since at least 12 Ma. 相似文献
15.
Silvia E. Chacón-Barrantes Marino Protti 《Journal of South American Earth Sciences》2011,31(4):372-382
Although subduction zones around the world are known to be the source of earthquakes and/or tsunamis, not all segments of these plate boundaries generate destructive earthquakes and catastrophic tsunamis. Costa Rica, in Central America, has subduction zones on both the Pacific and the Caribbean coasts and, even though large earthquakes (Mw = 7.4–7.8) occur in these convergent margins, they do not produce destructive tsunamis. The reason for this is that the seismogenic zones of the segments of the subduction zones that produce large earthquakes in Costa Rica are located beneath land (Nicoya peninsula, Osa peninsula and south of Limón) and not off shore as in most subduction zones around the world. To illustrate this particularity of Costa Rican subduction zones, we show in this work the case for the largest rupture area in Costa Rica (under the Nicoya peninsula), capable of producing Mw ～ 7.8 earthquakes, but the tsunamis it triggers are small and present little potential for damage even to the largest port city in Costa Rica.The Nicoya seismic gap, in NW Costa Rica, has passed its ～50-year interseismic period and therefore a large earthquake will have to occur there in the near future. The last large earthquake, in 1950 generated a tsunami which slightly affected the southwest coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. We present here a simulation to study the possible consequences that a tsunami generated by the next Nicoya earthquake could have for the city of Puntarenas. Puntarenas has a population of approximately eleven thousand people and is located on a 7.5 km long sand bar with a maximum height of 2 m above the mean sea level. This condition makes Puntarenas vulnerable to tsunamis. 相似文献
16.
Subsidence and extension at a convergent plate margin: evidence for subduction erosion off Costa Rica 总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2
Subduction erosion rather than subduction accretion is proposed as the dominant process currently occurring at the Nicoya segment of the convergent plate margin off Costa Rica. Based on new results from ODP drilling cores and our interpretations of published seismic data we present a tectonic model of subsidence and extension due to tectonic erosion of the forearc wedge and landward migration of the Nicoya coastline. High seismic velocities in the outermost part of the forearc wedge off the Nicoya Peninsula below the BOSS (bottom-of-slope-sediment) reflector indicate the seaward continuation of the Nicoya ophiolite complex into the basement of the forearc wedge. ODP Site 1042 revealed neritic sediment that points to strong subsidence of the forearc basement, progradation of the sedimentary succession, and landward migration of the coastline. Tilted block structures are explained by substantial fore-arc extension. In our interpretation, the removal of material from the base of the forearc wedge by the process of basal subduction erosion leads to progressive subsidence and thus to landward migration of the coastline. Landward shift of the active volcano chain in the same order of magnitude as the coastline migration is consistent with this interpretation. 相似文献
17.
We use acceleration data from the Observatorio Vulcanologico y Sismologico, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (OVSICORI-UNA) and Laboratorio de Ingenieria Sismica, Universidad de Costa Rica (LIS-UCR) seismic network for the relocation and moment-tensor solution of the September 5, 2012, 14:42:03.35 UTC, Nicoya, Costa Rica earthquake (Mw 7.6 GCMT). Using different relocation methods we found a stable earthquake hypocenter, near the original OVSICORI-UNA location in the Nicoya Peninsula, NW Costa Rica at Lat 9.6943°N, Lon 85.5689°W, depth 15.3 km, associated with the subduction of the Cocos plate under Caribbean plate. Acceleration records at OVSICORI-UNA and LIS-UCR stations (94–171 km), at 0.03 < f < 0.06 Hz were used in the waveform inversion for a single-point centroid moment tensor (CMT). Using spatial grid search the centroid position was found at the depth of 30 km, situated at Lat 10.0559°N, Lon 85.4778°W, i.e. of about 41 km NNE from the epicenter. The centroid time is 14:42:18.89 UTC, i.e. 15.54 s later relative to the location-based origin time. The nodal plane (strike 318°, dip 27° and rake 115°) is the fault plane that agrees with the geometry of the subducted slab at Nicoya, NNW Costa Rica. Increasing the maximum studied frequency from 0.06 to 0.15 Hz, the multiple point source inversion model leads to two subevents. The first one was located near the centroid and the second subevent was situated 20 km along strike and 10 km down dip from the first subevent and 6 s later. The uncertainty of the source model was carefully examined using complementary inversion methods, viz the iterative deconvolution and non-negative least squares. 相似文献
18.
GerhardBohrmann KatjaHeeschen CarmenJung WilliWeinrebe BorisBaranov BéatriceCailleau RichardHeath VeitHühnerbach MatthiasHort DouglasMasson & IrmgardTrummer 《地学学报》2002,14(2):69-79
Active fluid and gas transport were measured and observed along more than 200 km of the convergent margin of Costa Rica during cruise SO144-2 aboard RV Sonne . Ten profiles were run with the TV-sled OFOS, eight of which detected the dense occurrence of cold vent sites. This discovery shows that seafloor fluid expulsion is widely spread along the Pacific margin of Costa Rica. Surficial evidence of fluid expulsion is indicated by the appearance of chemosynthetic vent organisms such as bacterial mats, vesicomyid, solemyid and mytilid bivalves and tubeworms. Numerous active vents were indicated by elevated methane concentrations (≤ 200 nmol L– ) in the bottom water. Although fluid-venting activity was known previously from a small area south of Nicoya Peninsula, the present study documents active seepage at landslides, headwall scarps related to seamount subduction, morphological intersections of faults and mid-slope mud volcanoes. 相似文献
19.
Jacques Bourgois Jacques Azema Peter O. Baumgartner Jean Tournon Alain Desmet Jean Aubouin 《Tectonophysics》1984,108(1-2)
The Pre-Upper Senonian basement of Costa Rica crops out in the Santa Elena and Nicoya peninsulas. From south to north and from base to top the basement includes: the Esperanza, Matapalo and Santa Elena units. The Esperanza unit is Albian-Santonian in age and consists mainly of pillow basalt and massive basalt flows. The Matapalo unit includes Callovian to Cenomanian radiolarite and includes massive basalt flows, basalt, and dolerite basement. The Santa Elena unit contains ultramafic and mafic rocks in which harzburgite is the major component. The most important tectonic features of the Nicoya Complex are the large Santa Elena and Matapalo nappes. Nappe emplacement was from north to south during upper Santonian time. The sedimentary cover of the Nicoya Complex comprises:
- 1. (1) the Campanian El Viejo Formation that consists of shallow-water sediments in the north (Santa Elena Peninsula) and the Campanian-Maastrichtian Sabana Grande Formation of deep-water origin in the South (Nicoya Peninsula);
- 2. (2) Paleocene strata indicating deposition in a deep-water environment comprises the Rivas, Las Palmas and Samara Formations;
- 3. (3) a post-upper Eocene (?) sequence that consists of the shallow-water Barra Honda and Montezuma Formations.