Structural contacts in the Late Paleozoic accretionary wedge of central Chile and their tectonic significance for the evolution of the accretionary complex

Abstract

The Chilean accretionary wedge is part of a Late Paleozoic subduction complex that developed during subduction of the Pacific plate underneath South America. The wedge is commonly subdivided into a structurally lower Western Series and an upper Eastern Series. Understanding the contact between both series has been a long standing problem and is fundamental for the understanding of the evolution of the wedge system. We show the progressive development of structures and finite strain from the least-deformed rocks in the eastern part of the Eastern Series of the accretionary wedge to higher grade schist of the Western Series at the Pacific coast...