-72

-68

-64

-60

14

-56

-40

-36

Vice-President for South America

CARLOS SCHOBBENHAUS

Secretary General for South America

JORGE GOMEZ TPIAS

TECTONIC MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA

MAPA TECTNICO DE AMRICA DEL SUR
MAPA TECTNICO DA AMRICA DO SUL

2
1

16
14

Ori

Or
i no
co

co
B r an

AS

NS

ON

TI

AZ

TO
C

AN

AM

6
6

4
1

1
2

ne
lu e

r r e nte
2

Monte Azul

Porto Seguro

a
on h

h
J equiti n

10
8

o
isc
nc

Vitria

3
4

4
4

2
7

6
4
3

9
10

S a la d o

Intracratonic basin (siliciclastic dominant)

350-250 Ma

Rift basin

540-350 Ma
700-540 Ma
1000-700 Ma

Within-plate plutonic mafic-ultramafic

1200-1000 Ma
1600-1200 Ma

Within-plate magmatic A-type and

AMCG-type extensional

2050-1900 Ma
2500-2050 Ma

Continental magmatic arc

2

>2800 Ma

Plutonic arc

CONVENTIONS FOR GEOLOGIC

AND TECTONIC FEATURES

Volcanic arc

Magnetic lineament

Plutonic retroarc
1

Transbrasiliano lineament
(from magnetic anomalies)

Volcanic retroarc

Contractional fault, concealed/inferred

where dashed

Arc basin

Extensional fault, concealed/inferred where

dashed

Intra-arc basin

South America Plate

Dextral transcurrent fault, concealed/inferred

where dashed

Retroarc basin

Sinistral transcurrent fault

Foreland basin

Indiscriminated fault, concealed/inferred where

dashed and lineament
Interpreted limit of Neoproterozoic craton

Accretionary prism

Collisional suture zone interpreted

from surface geology

Ophiolite

Puerto Madryn

Collisional suture zone interpreted

from geophysical features or inferred

Plutonic TTG-type
1

id
o

Pe
rd

Sinistral transform plate boundary

Greenstone-belt

Dextral transform plate boundary

Dextral transpressive plate boundary

Magmatic syn-collisional

Paleozoic erosional border

Volcanic late-orogenic

Arch

Ge
no
2

Plutonic post-orogenic

Volcanic post-orogenic

The decision to prepare a new version of the Tectonic Map of South America at 1:5 000 000 scale, in digital format, using GIS technology, was submitted and approved
by the General Assembly of the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW) held in Paris, in 2002. The work began in 2004 under the continental
coordination of Prof. Umberto Cordani from the University of So Paulo and of Prof. Victor Ramos from the University of Buenos Aires. The first one was responsible
for the South American Platform and the second one for the Andean Cordillera and Patagonia. The deputy coordination was carried out by Lda Maria Fraga from the
Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM), Marcelo Cegarra from the Geological and Mining Survey of Argentina (SEGEMAR) and Incio Delgado (CPRM by 2011). Data on
offshore areas were integrated by Kaiser de Souza (CPRM by 2012) and Francisco Edson M. Gomes (CPRM). The digital cartography was mainly carried out by Michel
Sanginette (CPRM) and Silvia Chavez (SEGEMAR). The project was performed and completed under the general coordination of Carlos Schobbenhaus and Lda Maria
Fraga from the Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM), respectively CGMW Vice-President and Deputy Secretary General for South America.
Due to technical constrains, the scale of the printed version of this map is at 1:5 900 000.

Comodoro Rivadavia

Coihaique

OCEANIC DOMAIN

CRUSTAL AGE

Pliocene

Plate boundary by axis of active

subduction zone

Miocene

Plate boundary by axis of ancient oceanic

accretionary ridge

2
2

hi co

Sa

uz
nt a C r
2

Ro Gallegos

Lake, lagoon or dam

-42

Glacier

BATHYMETRY OF THE CONTINENTAL PLATFORM (meters)

0 to -200

Contours of thickness (in km)

of sedimentary piles

-200 to -2000
-2000 to -4000

Estimated continental / oceanic crust

boundary

-4000 to -6000

Island arc

-6000 to -8000

5
1

8
8

Geographic base and crustal age grid references

Salt lakes

The authors are deeply grateful to Prof. Benjamim Bley de Brito-Neves (University of So Paulo) and Prof. Francisco Herv Allamand (University of Chile) for their
thorough analysis of the draft and resulting valuable editorial remarks.

Undefined age (seamounts, oceanic

plateaus, LIPS, volcanic ridges and
interpreted lavas from Seaward
Dipping Reflectors - SDRs)

os
le g
l
a
G

Acknowledgments

Lower Cretaceous

Coast line

Plate boundary by contractional fault

Upper Cretaceous

Collaboration in the provision of data or critical evaluation was performed (in alphabetical order) by:

Agustn Cardona, Alvaro Crsta, Amarildo Ruiz, Antonio Carlos Pedrosa-Soares, Augusto Pedreira (in memoriam), Carlos Alvarenga, Carlos M. Noce (in memoriam),
Claudio Riccomini, Claudio Valeriano, Colombo Tassinari, Edison Milani, Edmond De Roever, Eduardo Zappettini, Evandro Klein, Fernando Alkmim, Fernando Preciozzi,
Franco Urbani, Gilmar Rizzotto, Hans Dirk Ebert (in memoriam), Joffre Lacerda, Jorge Gmez Tapias, Jos Rizzo, Jos Torres Guimares, Kampta Persaud, Leda
Sanchez-Bettucci, Lcia Travassos da R. Costa, Marcelo Almeida, Marcelo Paterlini, Marcelo Vasquez, Marcio Pimentel, Maria Telma Faraco, Mariana Coppolecchia,
Marcelo Assuno, Mario Campos Neto, Mario Caputo, Mauricio Ibaez, Miguel Basei, Monica Heilbron, Narciso Cubas, Nelson Reis, Paula Cornejo, Paulo Cesar
Boggiani, Paulo Srgio Gorayeb, Philippe Bouysse, Ramiro Matos, Reinhardt Fuck, Roberto Gusmo de Oliveira, Ruy Bahia, Rudolph Trouw, Salomon Kroonenberg,
Victor Carlotto and Wilson Teixeira.
Digital cartography and geoprocessing of the information was conducted by the Cartography and Geoprocessing divisions of CPRM and SEGEMAR.

Plate boundary by transform fault

Paleocene

Puerto San Julin

The various stages of implementation of the Tectonic Map of South America had the contribution (in alphabetical order) of: Helena S. Zanetti Eyben, Joo Carlos
Albuquerque, Luiz Fernando R. Fernandes, Paulo Roberto Macedo Bastos from the CPRM, Ricardo Cunha Lopes (CPRM by 2010) and Anala Casa, Federico Ferpozzi
and Jos Mendia from SEGEMAR.

River

Plate boundary by axis of active oceanic

accretionary ridge

Eocene

Contributions

National capital

Axis of ancient oceanic accretionary ridge

Oligocene
2

CARTOGRAPHIC CONVENTIONS

CONVENTIONS
Fracture zone

Pleistocene

Support

The presentation of the second edition of the Tectonic Map of South America was possible by the technical and financial support of CPRM and SEGEMAR. Support was
also granted by the Association of Iberoamerican Geological and Mining Surveys (ASGMI), the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW).

Ultra-high pressure metamorphic

rocks (retro-eclogite)

High-grade metamorphic

do

Dese a

Impact craters

Medium-grade metamorphic

General

Depth to basement in pre-Cretaceous

basins (in km)
Active volcanoes

i
Ch

Depth to the base of Cretaceous

in Meso-Cenozoic basins (in km)

Kimberlites and related rocks

Low-grade metamorphic

-38

Dike

Plutonic late-orogenic

Paso de Indios

-34

2800-2500 Ma

Island arc or oceanic plateau

1900-1800 Ma

OROGENIC SETTINGS

1800-1600 Ma

Within-plate magmatic alkaline

250-200 Ma

Forearc basin

(Second edition)

The first step to enable the project was the execution of a georeferenced new base map of South America, carried out by CPRM and SEGEMAR, through the use of
LANDSAT-TM and SRTM images. The map is based on Polyconic Projection (Lat x Long) centered on Meridian -59?, WGS-1984 datum.
Sea Floor Topography: GEBCO 08 Grid, version 20100927. Crustal Age Grid: NCEI/NOAA.

North

This map is available at / Cette carte est disponible : CCGM - 77 rue Claude-Bernard 75005 Paris, France (www.ccgm.org - E-mail: ccgm@sfr.fr).
The pdf file of the Explanatory Notes in English is downloadable at www.ccgm.org.

6
7

3
1

Ushuaia

Scotia

Ro Grande

-46
1

Ridg
e

Punta Arenas

The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of CGMW,
ASGMI or any geological survey in particular concerning the legal status of any country, territory or city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of
its frontiers or boundaries.

CCGM-CGMW 2016 978-2-917310-26-7

Doi : 10.14682/2016TEMSA

Printed by Gibert Clarey Imprimeurs, Chambray-ls-Tours, France

Citation of the map

U.G. Cordani, V. A. Ramos, L. M. Fraga, M. Cegarra, I. Delgado, K.G. de Souza, F. E. M. Gomes, C. Schobbenhaus, Tectonic Map of South America at 1:5.9 M, CGMW-CPRM-SEGEMAR, 2016.

Scotia Plate

Antarctica Plate

No
rt

he
a

st

Ge

o rg
ia

ank
Pirie B

-50

-96

200-100 Ma

Felsic volcanic rift-related

100-65 Ma

11

23

1
2

TECTONIC MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA, SCALE 1:5 900 000

-100

4
3

6
7

6
5
7

9
6
1

uay
Urug

Puerto Montt

Chile Ridge

-46

3
4

10

ua
Ur
ug

2
2

10

Ri
dg
e
ca

Pa

5
4
3

65-0 Ma

Intracratonic basin (carbonate dominant)

-42

~0 Ma

Passive margin basin

gr
o

-38

-30

AGE OF FORMATION OR
LAST OROGENIC EVENT

PALEOMESOPROTEROZOIC PROTEROZOIC

ARCHEAN

INTRAPLATE SETTINGS

Na
z

Maldonado

Mar del Plata

San C. de Bariloche

TECTONIC SETTING
IN REWORKED TERRAINS
(colored according to the original age)

TECTONIC
SETTINGS
(grayscale in preserved terrains)

11

Neuqun

Valdivia

3 4

SOUTH AMERICAN CONTINENT

Within-plate volcanic mafic

rad
o

Ne

P A C
I F I
C

9
9

R is e

e
d
n
a
r
G

Unconsolidated cover

f Chibcha and related terranes

Temuco

Rio

1
2
3
4

Faults and Magnetic lineaments

-26

Archean nuclei (partially reworked)

LEGEND

e Oceanic terranes

Jean Charcot Chain

Transbrasiliano lineament

Co
lo

Plate boundary

Paleoproterozoic terrains

Tandil

qu

Mesoproterozoic belts

d Arequipa - Antofalla

MONTEVIDEO

Baha Blanca

Neoproterozoic belts

c Cuyania

Plate boundary by active subduction zone

Neu

Plate boundary by oceanic accretionary ridge

Dolores
Santa Rosa

Phanerozoic tectonic terrains

b Chilenia

BUENOS AIRES

Terrain with unknown tectonic

significance

i nto

Transbrasiliano - Kandi
Lineament (mega-shear zone)

a Patagonia

Interpreted limit of Neoproterozoic craton

Mirim

Chu

Talca

TERRANES

Durazno

Suture zone within Neoproterozoic mobile belts

and Phanerozoic alochthonous terranes, inferred
where dashed

So Paulo Ridge

Melo

Rosario

7 Rio de La Plata Craton

to
Pa

Bag

Negro

Volcanoes

Porto Alegre

Rivera

rt o

Concepcin

6 Luiz Alves Craton

10

Qu

5 Paranapanema Block

ero

Andes belt

San Luis

4 So Francisco Craton

South American Platform

Torres

3 Parnaiba Block

Terranes accreted in the early Paleozoic

Rio Grande

Sa
la d

2 So Luis Craton

Terranes accreted in the late Paleozoic

S. do Livramento

1 Amazonian Craton
1a Guyana Shield
1b Central Brazil Shield

J a cu

e y G r an d e

Cenozoic island arc

Salto

Arap

ero

CRATONS

20O

7
6

guad

Diamante

de z
n
a
n
Schematic
FerWest Gondwana Reconstruction
n
Ju a

40O

Cenozoic cover

e
Ridg

11

Florianpolis

Desa

ge

Tunuy

Cu a

SANTIAGO
Rid

60O

Terranes accreted in the Mesozoic to

Cenozoic

-34

Mendoza

80O

Neoproterozoic cratons

Te r
c

to

50S

Neoproterozoic belts

Valparaso

Scotia Plate

ot a

Santa Maria

Uruguaiana

Santa F

30S

North Sco tia

Mar Chiquita

Crdoba

ge

100O

Tostado

S al
ad

San Jun

Antarctica Plate

Passo Fundo

Grandes

a
Tupung

-30

R id

Joinville

Chapec

So Borja

La Serena

South America Plate

le
Chi

lce

Rise

P el

La Rioja

de
Gran

Ambargasta

Jean Charcot Chain

Ri o

Posadas

-22

Ju a

d
na n
F er

ez R

e
id g

So Paulo
Ridge

Yaciret

Corrientes

Du

Vitria-Trindade Chain

30S

Copiapo

Abrolhos Volcanic
Complex

ra

11
11

1
2

Nazca Plate

10S

Pa

a u

Curitiba

San Miguel de Tucumn

ej o

10S

-26

I gu
2

1b

Formosa

ra

gu
a
4

Be
rm

11

Ponta Grossa

Foz do Iguau

Coronel Oviedo

10

Itaipu

Paraiba Ridge

ASUNCIN

Monte Quemado

ge

ie
neg
Ca r dge
i
R

Arizaro

10

Santos

Salta

5
3

960 km

So Paulo

e lo
Ma l
p

North Brazilian Ridge

Ti
et

1a

Rio de Janeiro

San Salvador de Jujuy

id
cR
nt i

Londrina

Atacama

Antofagasta

A tla

ge

Concepcin

yo

Mid

Rid

Para napane

Iva

Coiba
Microplate

jo

Cocos
Plate

Pi
lco

-22

r me

1
3

Juiz de Fora

Bauru

Porto Primavera

Main Tectonic Elements

of South America

10N

Be

Vitria-Trindade Chain

Ponta Por

-18

Loa

Ribeiro Prto

Ap a

Filadelfia

10N

11

h a n dui

11

Belo Horizonte

Ti
et

P ar

S
o F
ra

e
Ri
dg

r do
Pa

An

Arax

Ilha Solteira

Campo Grande

y
g ua

ra
Pa

Fuerte Olimpo

Trs Marias

Grande

Capitan Pablo Lagerenza

So Simo

a
b

u ri

Abrolhos Volcanic Complex

as
Velh

Paranaba

r
Pa

a
an

Muc

Diamantina

nd
a

Tarija

20O

Tefilo Otni

Na
zc
a

Vazante

Coxim

ira

5
3

Uyuni

Potos

Coipasa

Caribbean Plate

Montes Claros

Jata

Corumb

Poop

Sucre

40O

ia

uiri

Ta qua r i

Oruro
Arica

60O

-14

Tra
n

80O

4
3

o
isc
o Fr
anc

Vitria da Conquista
6

ilia
no

ra s
sb

iab
Cu

Piq

Santa Cruz

Goinia

Ipor

uc
u

nde

Cochabamba

Jequi

Pardo
Ur

Gra

LA PAZ

n
ha

BRASLIA

San Igncio de Velasco

n
ari

ha

tin

Arequipa

-18

Cuiab

an

ac

oc

Puno

Pa
r ag

ua

Mo

rte
s

Nazca Plate

Ti
tic

Crixs

C o ntas

r ag
Pa

-14

am
en
t

Trinidad

Niquelndia

Lin
e

am

Ica

Para

ub

Paranatinga

Salvador

Ur

-10

ia
ua
Ar
ag

Co

1
2

t i ns
Toc

an

Gu
rg
u

Lenis

Cu

or
Ma m

Cusco

o r

Barreiras

ro

u ap

Macei

Aracaj

ru

Fr
an

Ronu

Puerto Maldonado

A ra
gu
Xingu

Ben

Vilhena

Arin o

u
ng

Itapecu

Irec

sa
Ba

i
Itu
x

I
3

LIMA

Costa Marques

So Flix do Araguaia
S

u
Xi
ng

1
2

S.

Euclides da Cunha

Xique-Xique

re

Sobradinho

isc

ad

Petrolina
1

i
de D

Recife

Pi

C
N ovo

2
3
2

i
ru
p
Gu

ca

aj
s

ap

Salgueiro

ab

Cobija

Pa r

a p

An
Pa

au
a
P

ir
de

Ju

TAPA

M
1

Ju
ta

yali

J S

Uca

e f

4
6

ba

Cerro de Pasco

So n o

Palmas

Guajar-Mirim

Joo Pessa

Campina Grande

bam

cre

Patos

Picos

Uru

Aripuan

Caic

S. Raimundo Nonato

Alta Floresta

-6

Ab

Rio Branco

aia

un

Porto Velho

ac

-10

Ari
pua

li

Trujillo

Iguat

ni n d

ya
ca

Pucallpa

Pastos Bons

cu i m

Rio Maria

Mu

I C
I F
P A C

Novo Progresso

Natal

Araguana

6
5

Mossor

Crateus

Ca

Cruzeiro do Sul

Imperatriz

So Flix do Xingu

Apu

Fortaleza

pe

b a

Ita

2
1

Sobral

Carajs

Cajamarca

u ru

Teresina

Marab

Jacareacanga

Pa r n

Tucuru

nx
im

I r i ri

Parnaba
n da

Manicor

-6

pi m
Ca

ur

10

Paragominas

Itaituba

ri G

d
ra n

Altamira

-2

cu

C oa

arim

ar

So Lus

Me

Santarm

ri

a
m

Piura

ES

Carauari

Itu

Paraiba Ridge

Tabatinga

o n

SOLIM

Belm

Ja

a ra

Tef

11

Letcia

ar i

J av

AS

AZ

as

u
s-a

Zamora

AM

ga

Manaus

E
SOLIM

GU

ayo

AR

Iquitos

XIN

Ja

Pi
tin

a
t az
Pas

ni
o
gr

tu m

Cuenca

Pu

rico

U ni

ur

m be t

Ma i c u ru

Jap

Tro

Balbina

Ne

gr
Ti

a ru

ua

Barcelos

Ag

Macap

ra
ue

ar a
y

Guayaquil

-2

ap

pu

C ur

North Brazilian Ridge

7
6

Ca

ru

J at a

Co

o n ac

et

Coib
a

Ma
lp

Serra do Navio

an

qu

ge

S. Gabriel da Cachoeira

Ca

e
g
d
i
ie R

a po

trim

Pa

QUITO

d
Ri

J a ri

Ca

Mit

ti c

I a na
s

up

9 10

11

Esmeraldas

Amap

8
1

Florencia

t lan

11

Caracara
Va

Boa Vista

re

Jorge Omar Mayoral

President

With the cooperation of

I nir i

uia

Manoel Barretto
Director-President

S. Jos del Guaviare

si q

Ajoike

Lethem

Ne

gro

11

ia r e

tu

Oiapoque

u
ac

Puerto Inrida

Grand Santi

Apoteri

ra
Ura r ic oe

Brokopondo

Map prepared with

the technical and financial support of

5
2

Gu a v

FRANCISCO EDSON M. GOMES

Santa Elena de Uairn

Cli

CAYENNE

dg e
i
R

PARAMARIBO

Apoera

INCIO DELGADO

Offshore Areas

KAISER G. DE SOUZA

Puerto Ayacucho

ta

BOGOT

Nieuw Nickerie

Pereira

o
el

MARCELO CEGARRA

Mid-A

Medelln

GEORGETOWN

C u yu n i

Guri

Coiba Microplate

Deputy-Coordinators

LDA MARIA FRAGA

Arakaka

Bucaramanga

VICTOR A. RAMOS

UMBERTO G. CORDANI

o
noc
3

San Fernando de Apure

500Km

Ciudad Bolvar

400

Ridg
e

4
4

e
Ri
dg

El Tigre

300

General Coordinators

Co
co
s

Mrida

200

Projection: Polyconic
Coordinate System: World Polyconic
Datum: WGS 1984
Central Meridian: -59,0000

100

3
4

Montera

neg
r
a
C

A
R A L AM E RIC

Cocos Plate

NT

100

CE

Maturn

Maracaibo

Scale 1:5,000,000

10

2016 - Second Edition

Barquisemeto

Port of Spain

La Asuncin

CARACAS

Maracaibo

Cartagena

10

Santa Marta

18

Coro

12

10

Secretary General
MANUEL PUBELLIER

President
PHILIPPE ROSSI

5 4

18

COMMISSION DE LA CARTE GEOLOGIQUE DU MONDE

COMISSION FOR THE GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE WORLD

-32

-44

Caribbean Plate

-48

14

-52

-76

-80

-84

-92

-88

-84

-80

-76

-72

-68

-64

-60

-56

-52

-48

-44

-40

-36

-32

-28

Ris
e

-24

-20

-16