U-Pb Ages and Hf Isotopes in Zircons from Parautochthonous Mesozoic Terranes in the Western Margin of Pangea: Implications for the Terrane Configurations in the Northern Andes

New U-Pb zircon dating and Hf isotopic analysis reveal that the Tierradentro unit, previously thought to be Grenvillian basement, is actually Permo-Triassic (271–234 Ma) in age. This challenges long-standing geological models of the Central Cordillera of Colombia. The study also identifies distinct Jurassic detrital zircon sources in the Cajamarca Complex, unlike those in other Central Cordillera plutonic rocks. These findings suggest that the Jurassic metasedimentary belt correlates with the Salado terrane in Ecuador and that Permo-Triassic granodioritic magmas intruded along the Otú-Pericos fault, reshaping our understanding of terrane configurations in the Northern Andes.

Bustamante, C., Archanjo, C. J., Cardona, A., Bustamante, A., & Valencia, V. A. (2017). U-Pb Ages and Hf Isotopes in Zircons from Parautochthonous Mesozoic Terranes in the Western Margin of Pangea: Implications for the Terrane Configurations in the Northern Andes. The Journal of Geology, 125(5), 487–500. https://doi.org/10.1086/693014