Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052

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Ore Geology Reviews

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Mesozoic tectono-magmatic evolution of Mexico: An overview

Elena Centeno-Garca
Instituto de Geologa, Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico, Laboratorio Nacional de Geoqumica y Mineraloga, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Ciudad de Mxico, Mxico

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The Geological Framework of Mexico is formed by a mosaic of tectono-stratigraphic terranes that were assem-
Received 23 March 2015 bled during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic as the result of the complex interaction between Laurentia, Gondwana,
Received in revised form 3 August 2016 and the paleo-Pacic plate. Even though the Mexican tectono-magmatic evolution is still object of study, some
Accepted 14 October 2016
main representative stages can be recognized. Determining the time span and regional distribution of
Available online 2 November 2016
magmatism throughout the geological history of Mexico is crucial for the exploration of mineral resources.
Keywords:
This paper contains a brief description of the terranes and is focused on summarizing the main Mesozoic
Mexico tectono-magmatic events, from the assembling of Pangea in Late Paleozoic time to the end of the Mesozoic.
Guerrero composite terrane These main events are: 1) Permo-Triassic continental (submarine) arc that developed along eastern Oaxaquia
Triassic and was related to a subduction zone developed along the paleo-pacic margin. 2) Magmatic activity ceased in
Jurassic central and southern Mexico, during Middle to Late Triassic time, and a wide submarine fan was formed along
Cretaceous the western margin of Pangea, which apparently acted like a passive margin. Evidence of a contemporaneous
Magmatism intra-oceanic arc is found at Baja California. 3) Inland Early Jurassic volcanism is found in northeast and central
Rift
Mexico. Whether this magmatic event evolved in a rift or arc (Nazas) tectonic setting is still undetermined. 4)
Tectonics
By Late Jurassic, magmatism was widespread. It is the time of the breakup of Pangea, leading to the opening
Mexican geology
Tectono-stratigraphic terrane of the Gulf of Mexico and the Arperos Basin. Therefore, volcanism was mostly related to subduction and supra-
Pangea subduction rifting. 5) The Gulf of Mexico and Arperos basins were formed by Early Cretaceous time. Igneous
Laramide rocks of that age have a wide range of composition (arc, continental rift, strike slip, and oceanic rift, within
Sevier plate), and are geographically widespread. 6) At the end of Early Cretaceous, volcanism moved to a more local-
ized belt along the paleo Pacic margin; it is also the time of formation of major carbonate platforms along
east Mexico. 7) Coeval to Sevier-Laramide orogeny of North America, a large fold and thrust belt developed
throughout Mexico, during Late Cretaceous time. It was accompanied by arc magmatism along the pacic margin
of Mexico (Tarahumara Arc). It is the rst continental arc that evolved after accretion and consolidation of Guerrero
and Alisitos terranes to Continental Mexico. These Mesozoic tectonic processes originated westward-eastward
migrations of arc-related and rift-related volcanism, which in turn lead to the present distribution of Mesozoic
mineral deposits.
2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
The complex anatomy of Mexico has its origin on the juxtaposition
of Atlantic-related and Cordilleran/Pacic-related tectonic histories.
Most of the papers published about the tectonic evolution of Mexico
agree that 80% of Mexico has experience some allochthony. There is a
large variety of models regarding the original location of its pieces,
and the processes and timing of accretion. Apparently, only a small
part of Chihuahua and Sonora States has remained at its present loca-
tion, and it is interpreted that the Caborca and Corts terranes are trans-
lated pieces of the North American craton (Fig. 1). After the breakup of
E-mail address: elenacentenogarcia@gmail.com.
the Rodinia supercontinent, Oaxaquia (Fig. 1), a large piece of the Gren-
ville Orogen remained at the continental margin of Gondwana (Ortega-
Gutirrez et al., 1995). As the Iapetus Ocean was consumed, and during
the assembling of Pangea, Paleozoic orogenic metamorphic complexes
were formed, and at present, they can be found anking Oaxaquia to
the east and to the west, as well as to the north (Maya and Mixteco ter-
ranes) (Fig. 1).
Two main processes controlled the Mesozoic tectonic evolution of
Mexico: 1) Strike slip faulting and crustal thinning by rifting, both relat-
ed to the opening of the Gulf of Mexico, which originated felsic and
mac volcanism. 2) Almost continuous subduction along the Pacic
margin, which changed throughout time originating migrations of the
arc volcanism. This convergent margin had alternate intervals of
supra-subduction rifting and contraction, leading to the thickening

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2016.10.010
0169-1368/ 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
1036 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052

115 110 105 100 95 90

Ca
bo North
Al

rc
isi

30 a Amrica Cenozoic Volcanic Rocks

U
sto

SA
M

Laurentian terranes
s

X
Co

IC
rt

O
s Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes
Oa Oaxaquia
Vizcano xa
qu Maya
ia
Parral Cuicateco
Maya
Juchatengo
25
Central Mixteca
G
ue

Parral
rr
er

O
o

ax
Co

Zacatecas
aq
m

ui
po

Pacific Terranes GULF OF

a
si

MEXICO
te

Tahue
Te

Puerto Maya
Guerrero Arcelia Vallarta Cuale
rr
an

20 Composite Zihuatanejo
e

Terrane Teloloapan Huetamo

Cu

O
IC
Manzanillo

X
Guanajuato

ica
N

M
Mixteca

tec
Central Oa A

o
Alisitos PAC Juchatengo x a q u i EM
AL
IFIC Xolapa a AT
OC GU
Vizcano EA
N
Xolapa
15

Fig. 1. Tectonostratigraphic terranes of Mexico (modied from Centeno-Garca, 2005).

and growth of the continental crust by magmatic and tectonic accretion
(Centeno-Garca et al., 2011).
Both processes occurred at the same time, resulting in a complex
scenario where it is difcult to trace a line separating rift-related from
arc-related volcanism and sedimentation.
The goal of this paper is to synthesize the regional-scale Mesozoic
tectonic evolution of Mexico, according to available data on the stratig-
raphy, depositional environment, sedimentary provenance, paleontolo-
gy, isotopic geochronology, geochemistry, and structural geology. Its
main focus is the regional distribution of volcanic/volcanoclastic and in-
trusive rocks and a discussion of their possible tectonic setting. The aim
of such a review is to give a geologic background to interpret the Meso-
zoic metallogenesis of Mexico, which is the topic of this volume, and to
understand its relationship with the tectono-magmatic and hydrother-
mal processes that accompanied the development of this portion of
North America.
2. Overview of the Mesozoic geology and tectonic evolution of
Mexico
As a result of its complex tectonic evolution, the present-day conti-
nental Mexico is composed of a mosaic of distinct terranes, which are
made up of different tectono-stratigraphic assemblages, and are bound-
ed by major faults (Campa and Coney, 1983; Sedlock et al., 1993, Keppie,
2004). In this work we use the terrane subdivision proposed by
Centeno-Garca (2005) and Centeno-Garca et al. (2008) (Fig. 1),
which constitutes an upgrade of the original subdivision of Campa and
Coney (1983). Since the stratigraphy of Mexican terranes is not the
main topic of this paper, it will not be described in detail; for more infor-
mation, the reader is conveyed to the references cited herein.
In some cases, as for the distribution of large-size porphyry copper
deposits, the basement composition has been argued to play a major
role in their emplacement. Although exposures of basement rocks are
scarce and isolated, overall indirect geochemical data suggest that east-
ern and northwestern Mexico is oored by evolved ancient crust,
whereas central and western Mexico is made up of more juvenile mate-
rial (Ortega-Gutirrez et al., 1995; Talavera-Mendoza et al., 1995;
McDowell et al., 1999; Valencia-Moreno et al., 1999, 2001;
Talavera-Mendoza and Guerrero-Sustegui, 2000; Centeno-Garca,
2005). Based on major differences in isotopic signatures from felsic ig-
neous rocks and surface distribution of basement outcrops, the terranes
of Mexico can be classied after their paleogeographic afnity in three
general groups:
(1) Laurentian terranes (Fig. 1, Table 1), which have a Precambrian
basement, and/or old crustal signatures in the isotopic composi-
tion of their younger igneous rocks;
(2) Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes (Fig. 1, Table 1), containing Pre-
cambrian high-grade metamorphic basement or lower to mid
Paleozoic metamorphic basement (mostly schist complexes);
(3) Pacic terranes (Fig. 1, Table 1), whose oldest rocks are upper-
most Paleozoic to Mesozoic in age, and/or contain igneous and
metamorphic rocks that show juvenile isotopic signatures.
Paleozoic or Mesozoic to Cenozoic volcanic and sedimentary assem-
blages unconformably overlie terranes composed of Precambrian to
 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052 1037

Table 1
Simplied tectonostratigraphic terrane correlation chart.

Paleozoic basement rocks. In contrast, most of the Pacic terranes lack a
pre-Mesozoic crystalline basement, and are made up of Upper Paleozo-
ic-Triassic to Lower Cretaceous assemblages, unconformably overlain by
Upper Cretaceous to Cenozoic volcano-sedimentary assemblages (e. g.,
Centeno-Garca, 2005; Centeno-Garca et al., 2008, 2011).
In spite of the advances made in the tectono-stratigraphic recon-
structions of the Mexican terranes, the Mesozoic paleogeography and
geodynamic evolution of the Mexican Pacic margin remains a matter
of debate. In the following section we summarize the geology of the
Laurentian, Gondwanic/Atlantic, and Pacic terranes, and their tectonic
1038 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052
and paleogeographic interpretations. Pre-Mesozoic terranes are not de-
scribed in detail because they are not the focus of this paper.
2.1. The Laurentian terranes
They are the terranes considered to be linked to the Proterozoic evo-
lution of the southern part of the North America craton. They are ex-
posed in north-western Mexico (Campa and Coney, 1983; Cameron
and Cameron, 1985; McDowell et al., 1999), They are the Caborca and
Corts terranes (Fig. 1, Table 1), which were interpreted as shufed
crustal blocks of the Laurentian margin (Anderson and Silver, 1977;
Coney and Campa, 1987; Patchett and Ruz, 1987; Blount et al., 1988).
The boundaries between the autochthonous North America craton and
the Caborca and Corts terranes are still under debate. In Fig. 1 we
depicted these boundaries as inferred by Cameron and Cameron
(1985), Patchett and Ruiz (1987), McDowell et al. (1999), and
Valencia-Moreno et al. (2001).
Caborca terrane: It is formed by Proterozoic high- to mid-grade
metamorphic basement that is overlie by a thick Neoproterozoic (Edia-
caran) to Permian sedimentary (see Snchez-Zavala et al., 1999 and ref-
erences therein for more detailed description). Mesozoic rocks are also
mostly sedimentary, and range in age from Middle to Upper Triassic to
Cretaceous (Gonzlez-Len et al., 2005, 2011). In addition, there are lo-
calized exposures Jurassic volcanic rocks (Anderson et al., 2005a,
Gonzlez-Len et al., 2011).
Corts terrane: Composed of Paleozoic deep marine turbidites. They
are interpreted to be originally deposited at the Laurentian continental
margin based on detrital zircon age correlation with North America
(Poole et al., 2005). Isotopic and geochemical signatures of granitoids
that were emplaced in the Caborca terrane suggest that Proterozoic
crystalline rocks underlie the deep marine turbidites (McDowell et al.,
1999; Valencia-Moreno et al., 1999, 2001; Poole et al., 2005). The Corts
terrane is interpreted as an allochthon emplaced during the assembling
of Pangea (Poole et al., 2005).
2.2. The Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes
Oaxaquia microcontinent: Proterozoic high-grade metamorphic
rocks, similar to the Grenville Belt of North America, form a N-S trending
belt along eastern Mexico. This is the largest of all the tectonic litho-
spheric fragments in Mexico, and because of its subcontinental size it
was name Oaxaquia block by Ortega-Gutirrez et al. (1995) (Fig. 1,
Table 1). The oldest rocks reported from Oaxaquia are Mesoproterozoic
and Neoproterozoic gneisses and anorthosites (Murillo-Muetn, 1994;
Silver et al., 1994; Keppie et al., 2003; Solari et al., 2003), which are un-
conformably overlain by Paleozoic marine to continental sedimentary
successions (Robinson and Pantoja-Alor, 1968; Pantoja-Alor, 1970;
Sour-Tovar, 1990; Centeno-Garca and Keppie, 1999; Snchez-Zavala
et al., 1999). Paleontological data from the overlying early Paleozoic
sedimentary successions indicate a Gondwanan afnity for Oaxaquia,
and suggest that this block was accreted to North America during
Middle or Late Paleozoic times (Ortega-Gutirrez et al., 1995;
Centeno-Garca and Keppie, 1999; Snchez-Zavala et al., 1999;
Centeno-Garca, 2005).
The Oaxaquia block is bounded to the north by the North American
craton (Fig. 1). Some authors proposed a wide Permo-Carboniferous
collisional zone that forms the southern extension of the Ouachita belt
across Chihuahua and Sinaloa States (Poole et al., 1992,
Ortega-Gutirrez et al., 1995; Vega-Granillo et al., 2008), to be the con-
tact between them. Other authors interpreted the same contact as an
older, pre-Mississippian collisional belt that preceded the assembling
of Pangea, based on the paleogeographic afnity of Mississippian ma-
rine fauna (Navarro-Santilln et al., 2002; Centeno-Garca, 2005). In
such scenario, the Maya terrane (to the east of Oaxaquia) would repre-
sent the southern extension of the Ouachita belt (Navarro-Santilln et
al., 2002; Centeno-Garca, 2005). Oaxaquia is limited to the west by
the Parral, Central, Guerrero, Mixteco, and Juchatengo terranes, and to
the east by the Maya and Cuicateco terranes (Fig. 1). Paleozoic sedimen-
tary rocks that overlie Oaxaquia's metamorphic basement are scarce
and only few small localities were preserved from erosion (Snchez-
Zavala et al., 1999). They range in age from Ordovician to Permian. Sev-
eral localities with Carboniferous to Permian volcanic-sedimentary
rocks of arc afnity indicate that a subduction zone developed along
the western margin of Oaxaquia. This arc was active until the earliest
Triassic, as evidenced by a belt of granitoids that run to the east of the
Permo-Carboniferous arc-related volcanic rocks (Rosales-Lagarde et
al., 2005).
Thick Upper Triassic (Carnian to Norian) sedimentary successions
have been documented along the western margin of Oaxaquia, and
have been interpreted as a large turbiditic fan, named Potos Fan,
which developed along the Early Mesozoic Pacic margin of the Mexi-
can craton (Centeno-Garca et al., 2008; Barboza-Gudio et al.,
2010). The Potosi Fan is important because it is the record of the approx-
imate location of the Pacic paleo-continental limit for the Early Meso-
zoic time. These rocks were deformed in the Early Jurassic and are
unconformably overlain by overlapping assemblages made up of Juras-
sic-Cretaceous redbeds or marine volcanic/sedimentary rocks, interbed-
ded with felsic volcanic rocks. The latter, in turn, are covered by
Uppermost Jurassic to Cretaceous limestone successions related to the
evolution of the Cretaceous seaway of North America.
Maya Terrane: There is little known about the Maya terrane, it
groups Ediacaran to Mississippian igneous and metamorphic rocks
that are located east of Oaxaquia (Fig. 1, Table 1). Although its Mesozoic
stratigraphic successions can be linked to that from Oaxaquia, its base-
ment might have a different origin and evolution. There are reports of
546 Ma granodiorite clast within the Chicxulub meteorite impact-ejec-
ta, at the Yucatn Peninsula, 296330 Ma low grade-metamorphic rocks
and Permo-Triassic granitoids are exposed or were crosscut by oil dril-
ling along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico (Ramos-Arias et al., 2015;
Keppie et al., 2011; Centeno-Garca, 2005). The Maya terrane is
interpreted to be part of the collisional belt related to the assembling
of Pangea (Ramos-Arias et al., 2015; Keppie et al., 2011;
Centeno-Garca, 2005).
Parral terrane: This is the less studied and less understood of all the
terranes of Mexico, and its extension and limits are not constrained. The
Parral terrane is made up of muscovite and chlorite schist that yielded
326 26 Ma and 350 Ma K/Ar ages, and a 360 Ma Ar/Ar age, and Car-
boniferous marine sedimentary tocks (Centeno-Garca, 2005 and refer-
ences therein).
Mixteca terrane: Basement of the Mixteca terrane is made up of Pa-
leozoic polymetamorphic rocks described as the Acatln complex
(Ortega-Gutirrez et al., 1999). They are made up of high- to low-pres-
sure metamorphosed igneous and sedimentary rocks of ocean oor, arc,
trench turbidites, and reworked Proterozoic crust (Ortega-Gutirrez et
al., 1999). The Acatln Complex is overlain by Mesozoic and Cenozoic
sedimentary and volcanic rocks (Table 1).
Juchatengo terrane: composed of pre-Permian allochthonous ocean
oor basalts and continent-derived siliciclastic turbidites that are ex-
posed to the south limit of Oaxaquia (Grajales-Nishimura et al., 1992,
1999).
Metamorphic basements that belong to the Mixteca, Juchatengo,
Maya and Parral terranes were accreted to Oaxaquia sometime during
the Paleozoic (Grajales-Nishimura et al., 1992, 1999; Snchez-Zavala
et al., 1999; Centeno-Garca, 2005). They have all being interpreted as
fragments of the Appalachian and Ouachita orogenic belts, originated
by continent-continent collision during the formation of Pangea
(Ortega-Gutirrez et al., 1995, 1999, Snchez-Zavala et al., 1999;
Centeno-Garca, 2005). These Paleozoic terranes, together with
Oaxaquia, formed a relatively narrow neck of land adjacent to the
North American craton (Centeno-Garca, 2005), and were disrupted
and shufed laterally by strike-slip and normal faulting during the
opening of the Gulf of Mexico (Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous time)
 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052
(Pindell, 1994) and the opening of the Arperos Basin (Middle Jurassic to
late Early Cretaceous time) (Martini et al., 2011).
Permian Continental Volcanic Arc (Overlapping assemblage):
Pangea was already assembled, and a continental arc developed onto
the paleocontinent at the end of the Carboniferous-Early Permian to
the earliest most Triassic time, (Torres et al., 1999; Rosales-Lagarde et
al., 2005) (Fig. 2, Table 1). It is inferred that this arc was related to an
east-dipping Pacic subduction zone, placed at the western side of the
North American margin (Sonora and Sinaloa) and Gondwanic terranes
(Oaxaquia and Mixteco terranes; Centeno-Garca, 2005). Rocks are
mostly andesitic to basaltic lava ows, with some basaltic pillowed-
lavas, hyaloclastites, tuff and epiclastic sandstone to conglomerate, al-
ternated with calcareous debris ows that contain abundant crinoids
and fusulinids (Rosales-Lagarde et al., 2005; McKee et al., 1999). These
rocks were described as the Delicias Formation in Coahuila State, and
as the Tuzancoa Formation in Hidalgo State (Rosales-Lagarde et al.,
2005; McKee et al., 1999). Felsic volcanic rocks interbedded with uvial
sedimentary rocks that contain abundant fossil plants of the Matzitzi
Formation, coeval to the Delicias and Tuzancoa formations, are exposed
in southern Mexico (Fig. 2; Centeno-Garca et al., 2009). Other Permian
locality with volcanic rocks, but those of back-arc afnity crop out in
southern Oaxaca State, and are made up of marine lava ows and turbi-
dites (Fig. 2; Juchatengo Complex; Grajales-Nishimura et al., 1999). Ap-
parently, the volcanic arc migrated to the west at the end of Permian, as
evidenced by a Permo-Triassic granitoid belt that runs eastward from
the exposures of Carboniferous/Permian volcanoclastic rocks (Fig. 2
Torres et al., 1999). Magmatic activity on Oaxaquia seems to be older
than ~232 Ma (Torres et al., 1999; Rosales-Lagarde et al., 2005), except
for the one granitoid at Delicias, Coahuila, dated at 218 4 Ma (Lopez et
al., 2001). In contrast, magmatism seems to have continued throughout
the Middle and Upper Triassic in the southwest margin of Laurentia, as
evidenced by detrital zircon U/Pb ages from sedimentary units in Sonora
(Lawton et al., 2009; Gonzlez-Len et al., 2011).
Cuicateco terrane: it is the only Mesozoic terrane of Gondwanic/At-
lantic afnity. Actually the rocks that are described as the Cuicateco ter-
rane are highly mylonitized Proterozoic and Paleozoic rocks from
Oaxaquia and the Maya terrane; as well as Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous
sedimentary and igneous cover that were also mylonitized along a
transform fault during rotation of the Yucatn Peninsula related to the
opening of the Gulf of Mexico (Jurassic to Early Cretaceous time)
Present distribution of Late Paleozoic-Early Triassic
volcanic arc-related rocks (not a paleogeographic map)
arc
-rel
ate
d roc
Infe
rred
loca
tion
of
Permo-Triassic
granitod belt
Carboniferous-Permian
volcanic rocks
Fig. 2. Actual distribution of Carboniferous-Permian volcanic and sedimentary rocks and location of Permo-Triassic granitoids (from McKee et al., 1999; Torres et al., 1999; Rosales-Lagarde
et al., 2005). This gure is not a palinspastic reconstruction.
1039
(Delgado-Argote et al., 1992; Alaniz-Alvarez et al., 1994, 1996;
ngeles-Moreno, 2006, Mendoza-Rosales et al., 2010). The occurrence
of serpentinite bodies and alkaline basalts supports a rift-related origin
for this terrane (Mendoza-Rosales et al., 2010).
Mesozoic rocks constitute the overlapping assemblages that uncom-
fortably overlain all the terranes described before.
Following this reconstruction, the Early Mesozoic Pacic continental
edge of Mexico was located approximately along the western boundary
of Oaxaquia, Mixteca, Parral, and Corts terranes (Fig. 1).
2.3. The Pacic terranes
Terranes associated to the Mexican Pacic margin have similar tec-
tonic afnities and evolution as those from the Cordillera of western
US and Canada. Most of them are slivers of oceanic crust, subduction
complexes or oceanic arc and back-arc assemblages, with few of these
terranes having sedimentary rocks of continental provenance that
were rifted apart during the Mesozoic. Two of them are large terranes,
and are exposed along the present-day Pacic coast of Mexico: The
Guerrero composite terrane and the Alisitos terrane (Fig. 1, Table 1).
Smaller terranes are Vizcano, Central, and Xolapa (Fig. 1). The Pacic
terranes are described as follows.
Central terrane: The oldest rocks exposed in the Central terrane
were formed in a subduction complex. They constitute a mlange
(Taray Formation) with a sedimentary matrix made up of Late Triassic
deep marine siliciclastic turbidites that contain exotic blocks of chert,
serpentinite, and oceanic pillow basalt of MORB and OIB afnity
(Daz-Salgado et al., 2003; Anderson et al., 2005b; Centeno-Garca et
al., 2008). This is interpreted to be part of the Arteaga subduction com-
plex (Daz-Salgado et al., 2003; Centeno-Garca et al., 2008). Although
the age of accretion remains poorly constrained, it is inferred to have oc-
curred not later than Early Jurassic, since overlap assemblage of Middle
Jurassic volcanic rocks unconformably overlie the mlange (Centeno-
Garca et al., 2008).
A thick Late Jurassic-Cretaceous calcareous succession overlaps both
the Central terrane and Oaxaquia, suggesting that they were accreted at
least previous Late Jurassic time.
Alisitos terrane: it is made up of mostly of Early Cretaceous volcanic
and sedimentary rocks, as well as shallow intrusions (Fig. 1, Table 1),
and extends along the Pacic coast of the Baja California peninsula
ks
Delicias Fm.
the
pa
leo
-co
ntin
Tuzancoa Fm.
en
tal
marg
in
Matzitzi Fm.
Juchatengo Fm.
1040 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052
(Busby et al., 1998, 2006; Busby, 2004). The volcano-sedimentary as-
semblages that formed the Alisitos arc have a very short time length
that has been constrained with U-Pb zircon ages between 115 and
110 Ma (Busby, 2004). Pre-Cretaceous rocks within the Alisitos terrane
have not been recognized. There are Jurassic 164 Ma U-Pb zircon ages to
the east, within the Peninsular Range Batholith, at the San Pedro Mrtir
Range and at El Arco (Valencia et al., 2006; Schmidt et al., 2009).
Whether the Alisitos arc evolved onto older previously accreted ter-
ranes or not is still unconstrained (Campa and Coney, 1983; Busby et al.,
1998; Busby, 2004; Valencia et al., 2006). Several authors proposed that
the Alisitos and Vizcano terranes form a single terrane, but direct strat-
igraphic contacts between the Alisitos arc and the older Vizcano assem-
blages have not been documented. To the east of the Peninsular Range
Batholith Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary rocks are sitting in angular
unconformity on Paleozoic to Triassic continental margin sedimentary
rocks (Phillips, 1993) that could be related to the Alisitos arc albeit,
again, their contact relationships remain unknown. The Alisitos terrane
shares many geological features akin to the Guerrero composite terrane,
and some authors (e. g., Tardy et al., 1994) consider them to form a sin-
gle terrane assemblage; such possibility must be further explored in the
future.
Vizcano terrane: The stratigraphy of the Vizcano terrane is com-
plex, and several contact relationships are not well understood (Fig. 1,
Table 1). It can be summarized in four main groups of tectonic assem-
blages: (1) Late Triassic-Early Jurassic intraoceanic arc assemblages,
(2) Jurassic to Cretaceous mac plutons, supra-subduction ophiolites
and blueschists subduction assemblages, (3) Jurassic volcanic arc as-
semblages (164150 Ma), and (4) Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous sed-
imentary fore-arc assemblages (Kimbrough and Moore, 2003, and
references therein). Such assemblages are separated from each other ei-
ther by angular unconformities or fault contacts; as mentioned above,
contact relationships with the Alisitos and other terranes remain largely
undetermined or ill-dened.
Guerrero Composite Terrane: Here we summarize the most relevant
tectono-stratigraphic features of the Guerrero composite terrane, which
played a major role in the genesis of the Mesozoic ore deposits of western
Mexico (Fig. 1, Table 1). The Guerrero composite terrane extends along
the south-central part of the Mexican Pacic margin, and represents one
of the biggest juvenile terranes of the Cordillera of western North Ameri-
can (Campa and Coney, 1983; Centeno-Garca et al., 2008). The Guerrero
composite terrane has been subdivided into ve major terranes that are,
from east to west, the Teloloapan, Guanajuato, Arcelia, and Zihuatanejo
terranes, and the Tahue terrane to the northwest (Centeno-Garca et al.,
2003; Talavera-Mendoza et al., 2007) (Fig. 1).
Teloloapan terrane: it is made up of Kimmeridgian to Early Aptian
submarine arc succession, composed of pillow and massive basaltic to
andesitic ows, with intermediate to felsic lavas, and volcanoclastic
rocks at the oldest/eastern part of the terrane (Talavera-Mendoza et
al., 1995; Guerrero-Sustegui, 2004; Mortensen et al., 2008). The arc
succession changes transitionally up section to Aptian-Albian volcanic
shales and volcanic sandstone that contain 115 4 Ma detrital zircon
age cluster. The volcaniclastic rocks are overlain by island-arc carbon-
ates, which are in turn overlain by Turonian marine siliciclastic turbi-
dites (Guerrero-Sustegui, 2004; Guerrero-Sustegui et al., 1991;
Ramrez-Espinoza et al., 1991; Talavera-Mendoza et al., 1995;
Guerrero-Sustegui, 2004; Monter, 2014). The felsic lavas of the
Teloloapan arc succession host the largest concentration of VMS de-
posits within the Guerrero composite terrane (Mortensen et al., 2008).
U-Pb age ranges are 157.4 4.1 Ma to 139.7 2.5 Ma (Mortensen et
al., 2008) and 139.1 0.4 Ma to 129.4 0.67 Ma (Monter, 2014).
Arcelia terrane: Mostly made up of ultramac rocks, basaltic pillow
lavas and hyaloclastites capped by black shales, cherts, and volcaniclastic
turbidites (Ramrez-Espinoza et al., 1991; Talavera-Mendoza et al., 1995;
Elas-Herrera et al., 2000). Scattered 40Ar/39Ar ages and paleontological
data have bracketed the age of the Arcelia terrane between Albian and
Cenomanian (Dvila and Guerrero, 1990; Elas-Herrera et al., 2000).
Furthermore, detrital zircons from the volcaniclastic turbidites yielded
two main U-Pb age peaks at ~134 Ma and ~124 Ma (Talavera-Mendoza
et al., 2007; Martini et al., 2014). The tectonic interpretation of the Arcelia
terrane is still controversial. Based on tectono-stratigraphic and geochem-
ical data, some authors suggested an intraoceanic back-arc setting for
these rocks (Elas-Herrera and Ortega-Gutirrez, 1998; Centeno-Garca
et al., 2011; Martini et al., 2014). Alternatively, other authors interpreted
Arcelia as a rather complex terrane, formed by a primitive intraoceanic is-
land arc and a back-arc oceanic basin (Talavera-Mendoza and
Guerrero-Sustegui, 2000; Talavera-Mendoza et al., 2007).
Zihuatanejo terrane: it is the largest of all that form the Guerrero
composite terrane. The oldest rocks of the Zihuatanejo terrane are
Upper Triassic quartz-rich turbidites, which locally show a block-in-ma-
trix structure, and contain blocks and slabs of chert, and limestone, pil-
low basalt, diabase, banded gabbros, and plagiogranite that show MORB
geochemical signatures (Centeno-Garca et al., 1993, 2008, 2011;
Martini et al., 2010). This siliciclastic turbidites that form the sedimenta-
ry matrix within which are the blocks described below, share detrital
zircon provenance and composition with the Potosi Fan, but are strong-
ly deformed and partially metamorphosed (Figs. 1 and 3, Table 1).
(Centeno-Garca and Silva-Romo, 1997; Centeno-Garca et al., 2008,
2011).
These rocks were deformed and metamorphosed prior to late Middle
Jurassic, and are interpreted to represent a subduction-related accretion-
ary complex (Arteaga and Las Ollas Complex), with a sedimentary matrix
formed by the outer portion of the Potos Fan (Centeno-Garca et al.,
1993, 2008, 2011). The Triassic basement rocks are unconformably over-
lain by mildly deformed Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous arc and back-arc
sequences (Centeno-Garca et al., 2003, 2008, 2011; Pantoja-Alor and
Gmez-Caballero, 2003; Martini et al., 2010). The former are widely ex-
posed along the coast, whereas the latter crop out inland in the Huetamo
area (Fig. 1). The age of the arc magmatism in the Zihuatanejo terrane re-
mains poorly constrained. Zircons from rhyolitic lava ows of the Cuale
district and from granites of the Tumbiscato area (Fig. 1) yielded U-Pb
ages between 163 and 154 Ma (Bissig et al., 2008; Centeno-Garca et
al., 2008). VMS deposits are hosted within the felsic rocks of the Cuale
district (e. g., Mortensen et al., 2008). Another major arc magmatic
event has been bracketed in the Aptian by paleontological and U-Pb
isotopic data (Talavera-Mendoza and Guerrero-Sustegui, 2000;
Martini et al., 2009; Centeno-Garca et al., 2011). Additionally, rhyolite
to dacite ows and related epiclastic rocks have been reported in the
Pihuamo area (Fig. 1), and have been assigned to the early Lower Creta-
ceous, based on scattered paleontological data (Pantoja-Alor and
Estrada-Barraza, 1986). Serpentinized mac and ultramac rocks are
exposed along the southeastern boundary of the Guerrero composite
terrane (Fig. 1) in the surroundings of Loma Baya (Delgado-Argote et
al., 1992). These rocks were interpreted as the roots of a volcanic arc
and were correlated with the Jurassic-Cretaceous arc successions of
the Zihuatanejo terrane (Delgado-Argote et al., 1992). However, recent
U-Pb dating indicates that these rocks are Upper Cretaceous to Oligocene
in age (Ferrari et al., 2014).
Also, in the surroundings of Zacatecas (Fig. 1) there are exposures of
Upper Triassic-Early Jurassic subduction-related accretionary complex
tectonically overlain by an Early Cretaceous arc succession, which is
interpreted as the northernmost exposure of the Zihuatanejo terrane
(Centeno-Garca et al., 2008).
Guanajuato terrane: arc and back-arc successions are exposed at the
Guanajuato area, north from the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (Tardy et
al., 1994). They have been correlated with the Teloloapan and Arcelia
terranes (Martini et al., 2011, 2012) (Fig. 1, Table 1). 146144 Ma U-
Pb ages from the Guanajuato arc succession are within the age range
for the Teloloapan terrane (Mortensen et al., 2008; Martini et al., 2011,
Monter, 2014). Furthermore, similar to the Teloloapan terrane, the felsic
rocks of the Guanajuato arc succession host signicant VMS deposits
(e. g., Mortensen et al., 2008). Based on the stratigraphy, sandstone com-
position and provenance, the back-arc successions of the Guanajuato
 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052 1041

115
110

105

30 100

U
M

SA CO

X
I
Upper Cretaceous Location of main outcrops
collision front
pre-Midle Jurassic Upper Triassic (Carnian-Norian)
collision front marine turbidites

25
Upper Triassic-Early Jurassic(?)
Taray Fm. accretionary complex (mlange)
San Hiplito Fm.
? ? Real de Upper Triassic-Early Jurassic
vo

Catorce marine arc-related volcanic rocks

lca

Zacatecas Fm.
nic

Charcas
arc

Pen Blanco

yo
-re

un
lat

ge
ed

rc
? 95
roc

ru
st
ks

(C
re
Cuale El Chilar C.

ta
ce
20

us
Triassic Potosi Fan Tecalitln

)
Tzitzio
Triassic-Jurassic(?) Arteaga C.
subduction complex Placeres
Las Ollas C.
Inferred location of Triassic-Jurasic

O
island arc volcanic rocks

IC
A

X
Paleozoic continental AL

M
M
Proterozoic-Paleozoic shelf-slope turbidites ATE
metamorphic basements GU
Cretaceous back-arc deep marine
pillow lavas and turbidites
15

Fig. 3. Present distribution of Triassic sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Dotted area shows approximate distribution of Upper Triassic siliciclastic turbidites that formed a submarine fan
deposited on continental Mexico (Potos Fan). Dotted thick black line shows inferred tectonic contact between subduction meta-sedimentary complex and the continent-slope Potos
Fan. Dark gray area shows actual distribution of accreted Cretaceous oceanic back-arc basin, and to the west is continuation of accretionary complex in Zihuatanejo terrane (Guerrero
composite terrane), that forms the substrate of Jurassic and Cretaceous volcanism. Westward, at Vizcano Peninsula there are Triassic-Jurassic rocks of island arc afnity.

area have been correlated with the Arcelia terrane (Martini et al., 2011,
2014). Paleontological and stratigraphic data bracketed the age of the
Guanajuato back-arc succession in the lower Early Cretaceous (Chiodi
et al., 1988; Quintero-Legorreta, 1992; Tardy et al., 1994), whereas
resetted K-Ar ages from the pillow basaltic ows range from 93 to
85 Ma (Ortiz-Hernndez et al., 1992, 2003). Such ages are comparable
to the 40Ar/39Ar ages obtained by Elas-Herrera et al. (2000) from pillow
basalts of the Arcelia terrane, thus suggesting that the back-arc volcanic
rocks may be affected by an Albian-Cenomanian regional thermal event
that produced signicant Ar loss in the dated rocks.
Tahue terrane: Outcrops of the Guerrero composite terrane between
Mazatln and El Fuerte have been grouped in the Tahue terrane
(Centeno-Garca et al., 2008) (Fig. 1, Table 1). This latter includes the
oldest exposures of the Guerrero composite terrane that consist of Or-
dovician and Carboniferous-Permian sedimentary rocks of continen-
tal-margin afnity, which are unconformably overlain by an Early
Cretaceous marine arc succession (Mullan, 1978; Gastil et al., 1991;
Roldn-Quintana et al., 1993).
3. Main tectonomagmatic events during the Mesozoic
This section is focused on correlating the overlapping assemblages of
Laurentian and Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes with the stratigraphy of
the Pacic terranes, in order to identify the main magmatic events.
This section is mostly based on present distribution of igneous rocks
and their ages, represented on Figs. 3 to 7. Figures also show other tec-
tonic assemblages that are important for understanding the tectonic
evolution of Mexico. Although the maps are not intended to be paleo-
geographic or palinspastic reconstructions, they are helpful for
understanding the shifts in magmatism throughout the Mesozoic.
most important tectonic events that occurred during the Mesozoic
and some of the main paleogeographic models of Mexico. There are un-
certainties and debates about the paleogeography of Mexico, thus
models that could serve as a preliminary framework for understanding
the metallogenesis of Mexico are also included.
Most of the tectonic evolution of Mexico is related to magmatism, but
such magmatism experienced major changes in composition, geograph-
ic distribution, volume and tectonic afnity throughout the Mesozoic. It
has been contemporaneous to both extensional and contractional defor-
mational events and/or preceded such deformational events, originating
major regional unconformities. Gaps in magmatism are not well
constrained, with the exception of the one during the Triassic.
Jurassic-Cretaceous stratigraphy of Mexico can be summarized as
ve major rock assemblages:
1) Redbeds with or without felsic volcanism. Their preservation is due
to normal and strike slip faulting that originated important down
drops on the sedimentary basins. They are mostly fault-bounded
small outcrops and are unconformably or transitionally overlie by
marine clastic or calcareous successions. Some redbed-localities
have two units of redbeds separated by angular unconformities, sug-
gesting sedimentation during active faulting. They are made up of
uvial or alluvial-fan conglomerate and sandstone with some silt-
stone/shale, interbedded with rhyolitic to andesitic lava ow, ignim-
brite and ash-fall tuff. They contain dikes and small shallow
intrusives. Their ages range from Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous
and were deposit on Laurentian or Gondwanic/Atlantic Proterozoic
to Paleozoic metamorphic basements.
1042 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052
 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052
2) Calcareous/clastic rocks of the Mexican Epeiric Sea. This is part of the
overlap assemblages related to opening of the Gulf of Mexico. It
overlaps the redbeds with or without felsic volcanism, as well as
older rocks, and it was widely deposited on the Laurentian and
Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes. It is made up of thick limestone suc-
cessions, sometimes interbedded with packages of shallow marine
sandstone and shale, and few conglomerate beds. Their age range
from Lower Jurassic to mid-Upper Cretaceous and is interpreted as
the southern extension of the North American Seaway.
3) Marine felsic volcanic rocks (VMS host-assemblage). They are of two
types: a) thick successions of pyroclastic ows and rhyolitic ows
that have small amounts of interlayered sedimentary rocks (lime-
stone or interbedded shale and sandstone). They crop out in a nar-
row belt along or near the suture between the Guerrero composite
and Oaxaquia/Mixteco terranes and the Cuale area in western Guer-
rero composite terrane (Fig. 1; Bissig et al., 2008; Mortensen et al.,
2008; Centeno-Garca et al., 2008). b) Cross-cutting dikes within ma-
rine siliciclastic turbidites or pyroclastic ows interbedded with vol-
canic and siliciclastic turbidites, seem to represent distal facies of
submarine felsic volcanism. They are exposed at the Guanajuato
and Tolimn areas (Dvila-Alcocer et al., 2008, 2009; Martini et al.,
2011). Its important volcanic massive sulde ore deposits character-
ize this assemblage (Bissig et al., 2008; Mortensen et al., 2008).
4) Submarine to subaerial andesitic to basaltic rocks. As mentioned on
Section 2.3 of this paper, these assemblages have a wide range of
ages, composition and depositional environments. Deep marine pil-
low lavas and volcanic turbidites characterized the Guanajuato and
Arcelia terranes, and shallow marine to subaerial volcanic-clastic
successions form the Zihuatanejo and Alisitos terranes
(Talavera-Mendoza and Guerrero-Sustegui, 2000; Martini et al.,
2009, 2010; Centeno-Garca et al., 2008, 2011).
5) Jurassic to Cretaceous granitoids. They probably represent the
unroong of the arc magmatism, and are abundant along the Baja
California Peninsula and the present Pacic coast.
Fig. 5 shows most of the localities with volcanic and few intrusive
rocks that have been dated by U/Pb geochronology (Fitz et al., 2002;
Campa and Iriondo, 2003; Barboza-Gudio et al., 2004, 2008;
Anderson et al., 2005b, Fastovsky et al., 2005; Martini et al., 2009;
Rubio-Cisneros and Lawton, 2011; Centeno-Garca et al., 2008, 2011;
Zavala-Monsivis et al., 2012; Villarreal-Fuentes et al., 2014; Lawton
and Molina-Garza, 2014, Villanueva-Lascurain et al., 2016,
Ortega-Gutirrez et al., 2014 and references herein). It does not include
all the exposures of volcanic or granitic rocks, however, it contains
enough information to preliminary discuss interpretations on the
tectono-magmatic evolution of Mexico.
From the data available, apparently, there was a time-migration of
magmatism from east to west, but some ages suggest stages of coeval
widespread volcanism (Fig. 5). Previous works show a wide range of in-
terpretations for the Mesozoic volcanism, and its tectonic and paleogeo-
graphic reconstructions. For example, Dickinson and Lawton (2001),
Stern and Dickinson (2010), and Lawton and Molina-Garza (2014) sug-
gest that all Triassic-Jurassic volcanic rocks from eastern Mexico (on
Oaxaquia and other Laurentian-Gondwanan/Atlantic terranes) were
form in a continental arc, called the Nazas Arc. Stern and Dickinson
(2010) also propose that the Gulf of Mexico evolved as a back arc
basin of the Nazas arc. Such scenario requires allochthony for the Guer-
rero composite terrane, since it contains coeval magmatism during Mid-
dle and Late Jurassic time. Other authors suggest that the Guerrero
composite terrane is a fringing marginal arc that evolved near the con-
tinent (Centeno-Garca et al., 2008, 2011; Martini et al., 2011). In such
paleogeographic models, rocks that are called Nazas arc would belong
Fig. 4. Models propose in this paper for the paleogeographic reconstruction of Mexico during Late Triassic-Early Jurassic. Model A: The Arteaga Basin is consumed by a west-dipping
subduction zone along an oceanic arc approaching continental Mexico. Model B: Arteaga Basing is consumed by an east-dipping subduction along a continental arc built on
Gondwanan/Atlantic terranes of eastern Mexico (Nazas Arc).
1043
to a back arc or a rift setting (Centeno-Garca et al., 2008, 2011;
Martini et al., 2011).
It is important to point out that all authors mentioned in the last par-
agraph, group together all the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous volcanic-
volcaniclastic rocks in one single arc that lasted 68 My. Neogene volca-
nism associated to subduction zones around the Pacic Ocean demon-
strates that continental, fringing or oceanic arcs do not remain in the
same geographic position or with the same tectonic setting for that long.
A different interpretation is suggested, based on shorter time divi-
sions of the magmatic activity of Mexico, which is described as follows:
3.1. Late Triassic continental volcanism in NW Mexico and Pacic passive
margin stage
There are no well documented Middle to Upper Triassic volcanic
rocks in the Laurentian and Gondwanan terranes of Mexico. Traces of
volcanic activity for that time have been recorded as detrital zircons
from Jurassic-Cretaceous strata (Lawton et al., 2009; Gonzlez-Len et
al., 2011). Detrital zircons from the Potos Fan are not younger than
232 Ma in central and southwestern Mexico (Centeno-Garca et al.,
2003; Barboza-Gudio et al., 2010). Apparently, magmatism decreased
drastically during Middle-Late Triassic in all Mexico
(Grajales-Nishimura et al., 1992; Jones et al., 1995; Centeno-Garca et
al., 2003; Centeno-Garca, 2005; Lawton et al., 2009). Instead, a large
submarine fan evolved along the western margin of Oaxaquia from
Ladinian(?) to Norian time (Fig. 3; Potos Fan; Centeno-Garca et al.,
2003; Centeno-Garca, 2005; Barboza-Gudio et al., 2010). The Potosi
fan is made up quartz-rich sandstone, shale and scarce interbedded
chert, forming a thick (up to 4000 m) turbidite system (Centeno-
Garca, 2005). Detrital zircon ages are about 10 Ma older than deposi-
tional (paleontological) ages, indicating that volcanism was not active
during deposition (Centeno-Garca et al., 2011). Main outcrops of prox-
imal continent-slope facies are exposed at Real de Catorce, Charcas and
Pen Blanco (Fig.3). The data published up to date suggest that the
paleo-Pacic margin experienced a period of rifting (?) or passive mar-
gin during the Triassic (Fig. 3).
Sandstone composition and detrital-zircon provenance of
siliciclastic turbidites that form the sedimentary matrix within the sub-
duction complex of central-western Mexico are similar to those of the
Potosi Fan.
3.2. Triassic-Jurassic Vizcano island arc, subduction and accretion of the
Arteaga oceanic basin
Rocks of San Hiplito Formation at the Vizcano terrane of Baja Cali-
fornia Peninsula, are the only known volcanic-arc related succession of
Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic age (Fig. 3), they are mostly pillow
lavas, deep marine volcanic-turbidites and chert, with an oceanic island
arc afnity (Gutierrez Cirlos Maraa and Centeno-Garcia, 2007).
Regional stratigraphic relationships suggest that the subduction of
the Arteaga oceanic basin originated a wide accretionary prism along
the paleo Pacic margin, between Rhaetian and Toarcian time
(Centeno-Garca, 2005). Subduction of the Arteaga Plate also thrusted
the thick siliciclastic succession of the Potos Fan eastward over the
Oaxaquia's margin (Centeno-Garca, 2005; Centeno-Garca et al., 2008,
2011; Martini et al., 2009; and references therein) (Fig. 4). Rocks from
the accretionary prism are described with different names at different
terranes, such as the Taray formation and El Chilar complex at Central
terrane; and the Zacatecas and Rio Placeres formations and Arteaga,
and Las Ollas complexes at the Zihuatanejo terrane (Fig. 3, Table 1;
Centeno-Garca et al., 1993; Centeno-Garca and Silva-Romo, 1997;
1044 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052
Mo
ha
ve
-So
no
ra
M La
eg
as
he
ar
Volcanic rocks
(age-range and composition)
Aptian-Albian (126-100 Ma)
Shallow marine to subaerial
lavas and tuffs (rhyolite-andesite)
Lower Cretaceous (145-126 Ma)
Shallow marine to subaerial
lavas and tuffs (rhyolite-andesite)
Deep marine volcaniclastics,
pillow lavas and mafic intrusives
Within-Plate pillow lavas
Upper Jurassic (164-145 Ma)
Within-Plate mafic intrusive rocks
VMS-host marine rhyolitic to dacitic lava
and tuff, felsic dikes in silicic turbidites
Granitoids with Cu and/or Au ore deposits
Subaerial redbeds, lavas and tuffs (rhyolite-andesite)
Middle Jurassic (174-164)
Subaerial redbeds, lavas and tuffs (rhyolite-andesite)
Lower Jurassic (201-174)
Subaerial redbeds, lavas and tuffs (rhyolite-andesite)
Fig. 5. Compilation of most of the U/Pd ages from Jurassic-Cretaceous volcanic and intrusive rocks, and major tectonic features, discussed in the paper (data from (Fitz et al., 2002; Campa
and Iriondo, 2003; Barboza-Gudio et al., 2004, 2008; Anderson et al., 2005b, Fastovsky et al., 2005; Martini et al., 2009; Rubio-Cisneros and Lawton, 2011; Centeno-Garca et al., 2008,
2011; Zavala-Monsivis et al., 2012; Villarreal-Fuentes et al., 2014; Lawton and Molina-Garza, 2014 and references herein).
Talavera-Mendoza, 2001; Anderson et al., 2005b; Dvila-Alcocer et al.,
2013).
Thus, it is suggested that distal facies of the Potosi Fan were deposit-
ed on a marginal oceanic basin that form during the Triassic (Arteaga
Basin, Fig. 4; Centeno-Garca et al., 2008). The accretionary complex
contains minor barite and chromite deposits, and some orogenic gold
within the deformed sedimentary matrix.
Vergence of the subduction zone that consumed the oceanic crust of
the Arteaga Basin and its sedimentary cover (Potos Fan) remains unde-
termined. Fig. 4 shows two plausible paleogeographic models: Model A
suggests a westward subduction that consumed the Arteaga oceanic
basin under an oceanic island arc. This model is supported by the fact
that volcanic rocks of island arc afnity crop out at the Vizcano terrane
(San Hiplito Formation) and as blocks of basalts with arc afnity within
the Las Ollas complex (Talavera-Mendoza, 2001; Centeno-Garca et al.,
2008) (Fig. 3). Model B proposes an eastward dipping subduction
zone that runs along the continental margin of Oaxaquia. Although
there are scarce felsic volcanic rocks of Lower Jurassic age in Oaxaquia
(Fig. 5; Rubio-Cisneros and Lawton, 2011), an arc afnity has not been
proven, giving uncertainty to the model (Fig. 4B).
3.3. Erosion and formation of a major regional angular unconformity
This major unconformity, and the Early Jurassic accretion of
Oaxaquia, the Central and Zihuatanejo terranes is evidence by the fact
that redbeds interbedded with felsic lava ows and felsic dikes of 178
and 174 Ma age, unconformably overlie and cross-cut deformed Potosi
Fan turbidites as well as the subduction complex (Barboza-Gudio et
al., 2004; Zavala-Monsivis et al., 2012).
Ba
bia
Fa
Sa ult
nM
arc
os
Fa
ult
Gulf of Mexico
Rifting ~166 to 126 Ma
169-165 Ma
Mylonites
Paci
fic O
cean
Oaxaquia and Paleozoic
metamorphic basements
A period of important unroong of Triassic/Lowermost Jurassic(?) or
older rocks took place sometime during the beginning of the Jurassic.
This is evidence by a regional angular unconformity that places,
depositionally, Middle Jurassic to Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary
rocks on deformed Triassic or older rocks. This unconformity is wide-
spread and is found in all Mexico, and suggests an important period of
uplift and erosion (Centeno-Garca et al., 2008). This unconformity is
exposed at Pico de Teyra, Zacatecas State; Tolimn, Queretaro State;
Pen Blanco, Real de Catorce and Charcas, San Luis Potos State, and
within the Zihuatanejo terrane at Tumbiscato, Michoacn State.
3.4. Early Jurassic magmatic belt
Fig. 6 shows present distribution of Lower (201-174) and Middle
(174-164) Jurassic volcanic rocks. They belong to assemblage 1
(redbeds with or without felsic volcanism), and are mostly localized
in northwestern and eastern Mexico, forming a N-W trending belt.
Because of the lack of volcanic rocks in between, Anderson et al.
(2005b) proposed that volcanism was truncated by a large left lateral
strike-slip fault (Mohave-Sonora Megashear; Model A on Fig. 6). Re-
cent publications report Lower Jurassic volcanic rocks in Chihuahua
and Durango that could suggest a continuous arc running from
Sonora to Chiapas State (Villarreal-Fuentes et al., 2014; Lawton and
Molina-Garza, 2014).
This belt seems to suite models of the Nazas arc proposed by Stern
and Dickinson (2010), and Lawton and Molina-Garza (2014), if so, con-
sumption of the Arteaga Basin by an eastward dipping subduction zone
that run along the continental margin of Oaxaquia would have led to the
formation of the large accretionary complex (Model B on Fig. 4).
 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052 1045

Model A: arc truncation by

the Mohave-Sonora Megashear

Mo
ha
ve
-So Mo
no del
r aM B:
con La
eg tinu Ba
as atio bia
he
Sa
n of t Fa
ar nM h ult
arc e arc
? o s Fa
ult Begining of rifting at 166 Ma

vol
can
ic a
rc-
rela
ted
roc
ks
Triassic-Jurassic(?)
subduction complex
Volcanic rocks
(age-range and composition)
Paci
Middle Jurassic (174-164) fic O
cean
Subaerial redbeds, lavas and tuffs (rhyolite-andesite)
Lower Jurassic (201-174)
Subaerial redbeds, lavas and tuffs (rhyolite-andesite)

Fig. 6. Regional distribution of U/Pb dated Lower and Middle Jurassic rocks this gure does not include all the outcrops of Jurassic rocks of this age (Nazas arc) (references on Fig. 5 and the
text). Whether volcanism was truncated by a regional left lateral shear zone (Model A: Mohave Sonora Megashear) or it was continuous along north and eastern Mexico remains under
debate. If the Triassic-Jurassic subduction complex was part of the same arc-trench system remains undetermined, Arteaga subduction complex lacks of Jurassic detrital zircons. Figure
shows actual distribution of the tectonic elements; it is not a palispastic reconstruction.

3.5. Late Jurassic magmatic belts and opening of the Arperos and Gulf of
Mexico basins
Western continental margin of Oaxaquia experience growth by tec-
tonic accretion of the Triassic-Jurassic subduction complex (Arteaga
Complex), originating westward migration of arc volcanism. It is impor-
tant to point out that Upper Jurassic granitoids cross cut the subduction
complex, and also volcanic rocks of the same age overlay the same com-
plex suggesting a large addition crust. The Late Jurassic arc probably ex-
perienced a fair amount of extension as evidenced by the formation of
the Cretaceous Arperos Basin. Fig. 7 shows the wide dispersion of
magmatism during Late Jurassic time (164145 Ma). Volcanism in
Oaxaquia and other Laurentian and Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes was
bimodal, lava ows and tuffs interbedded with redbeds are rhyolitic in
composition (Jones et al., 1995), but intrusive rocks are mac and
with a within-plate geochemical afnity (Helbig et al., 2013). Therefore,
magmatism in such terranes is propose to be sin-rift and related to the
opening of the Gulf of Mexico.
Arc to back-arc rifting seem to have evolved near the Guerrero com-
posite terrane suture. It is shown on Fig. 7 as blue stars, and corresponds
to the type 3 assemblages (marine felsic volcanic rocks-VMS host-as-
semblage). This might be the most important volcanic belt for explora-
tion of ore deposits from the Mesozoic of Mexico. As mentioned before,
it contains VMS deposits such as San Nicolas, El Gordo, Tizapa, Campo
Morado and Rey de Plata (Bissig et al., 2008; Mortensen et al., 2008).
The only coeval volcanogenic deposit outside this belt is Cuale (Fig. 7;
Bissig et al., 2008).
Volcanic stratigraphy suggest that felsic rocks might have formed
at ancient calderas on a rifting-arc setting. Similar to e.g. active
caldera-related hydrothermal systems that are producing VMS deposits
at the active Tonga-Kermadec arc system (Ronde and Leybourne, 2007).
Granitoids of Upper Jurassic age are exposed along the Pacic coast
and central Baja California Peninsula (assemblage 5, Jurassic to Creta-
ceous granitoids). They are known for their Cupper and Gold content,
and might represent crustal levels of the Upper Jurassic Felsic Arc
(Valencia et al., 2006; Centeno-Garca et al., 2003). Two of them are in-
truding the Arteaga subduction complex, indicating migration of the arc
toward the west (Centeno-Garca et al., 2008).
Rifting within the Upper Jurassic arc is contemporaneous with rifting
and opening of the Gulf of Mexico. Both rifts evolved up to Early Creta-
ceous time.
3.6. Early Cretaceous fringing oceanic arc and rift alkaline volcanism of the
Gulf of Mexico margin
Fig. 8 shows the regional distribution of U/Pb dated volcanic rocks, it
does not include distribution of paleontological ages, but the last are co-
eval and follow the same trends. Rift-related within-plate basalts (WPB)
are found in southeast Mexico, and mid-ocean ridge and oceanic island
basalts (MORB-OIB) were identied in Guanajuato and Arcelia terranes,
within Guerrero composite terrane (Ortiz and Lapierre, 1991;
Ortiz-Hernndez et al., 2003; Talavera-Mendoza et al., 1995, 2007;
Martini et al., 2010). Spaced localities with rhyolitic lava ows and
tuffs at central-west Oaxaquia (Fig. 8-SJR, San Juan de la Rosa Fm.,
Dvila-Alcocer et al., 2008, 2009), and at the eastern Mixteca terrane
(Fig. 8 T-Ch-Z, Taxco, Chapolapa and Zicapa Fms., Fitz et al., 2002;
Campa and Iriondo, 2003; Talavera-Mendoza et al., 2007) might be re-
lated to last stages of back-arc rifting. An extensional arc assemblage,
1046 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052

Mo
ha
ve
-So
no
ra
M La
eg Ba
as bia
he Fa
ar Sa ult
nM
arc
os
Fa
ult

Rif
Ar

t-re
ct
San Nicolas Gulf of Mexico

late
o
Rifting ~166 to 126 Ma

Ba

dv
ck

olc
Ar
Volcanic rocks

cR
El Gordo

an
(age-range and composition) Cuale
Vo

ifti

ism
Upper Jurassic (164-145 Ma)
ng
lca
Tizapa-
Within-Plate mafic intrusive rocks Campo
nic
Morado
VMS-host marine rhyolitic to dacitic lava 169-165 Ma
and tuff, felsic dikes in silicic turbidites Mylonites
Ar

Granitoids with Cu and/or Au ore deposits

c

Subaerial redbeds, lavas and tuffs (rhyolite-andesite) Paci

fic O
cean
Stretched crust and rft related volcanism associated to
transtensional rifting of the Gulf of Mexico

Fig. 7. U/Pb dated volcanic and intrusive rocks of Upper Jurassic age, and their composition and tectonic afnity (references on Fig. 5 and the text). Notice that volcanism migrated
westward from Early-Middle Jurassic to Late Jurassic. The magmatic activity forms three belts: a) an eastern belt of rift-related alkaline WPB lavas and gabros. b) Marine felsic belt that
contains abundant VMS deposits. It located in central Mexico, near the Guerrero composite terrane suture, and is interpreted as the transitional zone (in time) from rifted arc to back-
arc. c) A belt of granitoids and one felsic volcanic locality, interpreted as the volcanic arc. The rift of the Gulf of Mexico is active during this time.

where magmatism peaked during Barremian-Aptian (~129123 Ma) to
the east, and Albian (~ 109 Ma) time to the west, characterized Early
Cretaceous tectonic evolution of the Guerrero composite terrane
(Talavera-Mendoza et al., 2007; Centeno-Garca et al., 2011). It began
to subdue during the Cenomanian (Centeno-Garca et al., 2011).
Early to mid-Late Cretaceous is also a time of widespread volcanism,
with variable tectonic afnities, therefore it cannot be all consider as
originated by subduction only, but as a subduction-transition-rift
trend, running approximately from west to east (Fig. 8). This was origi-
nated because two oceanic basins opened during the Late Jurassic-Early
Cretaceous time (Fig. 9). A deep marine oceanic basin developed be-
tween the volcanic arc of the Guerrero composite terrane and the con-
tinental margin (Arperos Basin; Escalona-Alczar et al., 2009; Martini
et al., 2011) (Fig. 9). MORB-OIB lavas and deep marine turbidites, similar
to those of active back arc basins, which thrust over older terranes in
Central Mexico, evidence this. At the same time, felsic volcanism in
western Oaxaquia and Mixteco terrane evolved as the consequence of
the opening of the Arperos basin (Fig. 8). In the meantime, intraplate
rifting and extension, associated to the Gulf of Mexico Rift, was active
in eastern Mexico up to Berriasian time (Mendoza-Rosales et al., 2010,
and references therein). Coeval submarine/extensional arc volcanism
developed at the Zihuatanejo, Tahue, Alisitos and Vizcano terranes
(Fig. 9).
When extension ceased, shallow calcareous sedimentation began to
cover all Mexico (assemblage 2, Calcareous/clastic rocks of the Mexican
Epeiric Sea), it even covered volcanic rocks of the Guerrero composite
terrane. Ages of calcareous onlap vary regionally, but have an east to
west migration.
3.7. The Tarahumara arc, accretion of the Guerrero composite terrane, and
Late Cretaceous-Paleogene Orogeny
According to available data, main shortening within Guerrero com-
posite terrane occurred after Cenomanian and before Santonian time
(Fig. 10). This is supported by ages of volcano-sedimentary rocks that
were unconformably deposited on folded and thrusted marine volca-
no-sedimentary rocks of Berriasian-Cenomanian age (Centeno-Garca
et al., 2011). Deformation prograde eastward in Gondwanic terranes
(Mesozoic mainland Mexico) from Late Cretaceous to Eocene times
(Nieto-Samaniego et al., 2005, 2007; Martini et al., 2009; Martini and
Ferrari, 2011; Fitz-Daz et al., 2008, 2011; Cullar-Crdenas et al.,
2012). Juxtaposition of the allochthonous lithospheric block of the
Guerrero composite terrane to the Mexican continent has motivated
many authors to propose a linkage between its accretion and the re-
gional shortening that originated the Sierra Madre Oriental Fold and
Thrust Belt (Campa-Uranga, 1985; Campa and Coney, 1983;
Salinas-Prieto et al., 2000; Keppie, 2004; Fitz-Daz et al., 2008, 2011;
Talavera-Mendoza et al., 2007). There is debate on the correlation be-
tween the Mexican orogeny and Laramide and Sevier orogenies of
North America. However, recent work suggests that both originated
the Sierra Madre Oriental, but overlap in time and structural styles
(Fitz-Daz et al., 2008, 2011).
Based on Ar/Ar dating, Cullar-Crdenas et al. (2012) suggested a
migration of deformation along a W-E transect, from ~100 Ma in Sina-
loa, ~90 Ma in Durango, ~80 in Zacatecas, 70 in San Luis Potos and 60
at the main fold and thrust front at Tamaulipas (Fig. 10). Syn-tectonic
deposition of clastic and calcareous turbidites at foreland basins have
 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052
Ba
ck
Vo
Ar
Volcanic rocks lc
oc
cB
an
(age-range and composition)
as
ic
Aptian-Albian (126-100 Ma)
in
Ar
Shallow marine to subaerial
lavas and tuffs (rhyolite-andesite)
Lower Cretaceous (145-126 Ma)
Shallow marine to subaerial
lavas and tuffs (rhyolite-andesite)
Deep marine volcaniclastics,
WPB and MORB pillow lavas and mafic intrusives
Within-Plate pillow lavas
Oceanic crust Arperos Back-Arc Basin
Stretched crust and rft related volcanism associated to
transtensional rifting of the Gulf of Mexico
Fig. 8. Location of Lower Cretaceous and Aptian-Albian magmatism in Mexico. There is no active volcanism in eastern Mexico during this time, instead, the area is covered by calcareous
rocks deposited on an epeiric sea (southern continuation of the North American seaway). Volcanism was deep marine and of MORB and OIB afnity in Guanajuato and Arcelia terranes
(Guerrero composite terrane), indicating formation of oceanic crust (Arperos Basin). Few localities with felsic (probably rift related) volcanism are found in central and southern
Mexico. The axis of arc volcanism was located along the present Pacic coast. Only one locality with alkaline pillow lavas have been identify in southeast Mexico (Mendoza-Rosales et
al., 2010).
a propagation age as well, from ~90 Ma to 40 Ma (Fig. 10; Lpez-Doncel,
2003; Fitz-Daz et al., 2008; Lawton et al., 2009; Martini and Ferrari,
2011 and references there in).
Previous authors suggest that the Sierra Madre Oriental Fold and
Thrust Belt was built during a single long-standing orogenic pulse that
occurred between Early-Late Cretaceous and Eocene time. However,
such single orogenic event has not been well constrained, preliminary
evidence suggest that an earlier, independent tectonic pulse may have
been responsible for the closing of the Arperos intra arc/back arc oceanic
basin (Martini et al., 2009, 2012). The closure of the Arperos Basin and
the accretion of the Guerrero composite terrane is inferred between
118 Ma, the age of the youngest zircon population from the arc-related
formations, and 112 Ma, the age of Aptian-Albian limestone rocks that
unconformably overlie the volcano-sedimentary assemblages at Guana-
juato terrane (Martini et al., 2009).
This pre-Aptian tectonic pulse is coeval in age to the deformational
event interpreted as collision of the Cordilleran Ribbon Continent by
Hildebrand (2014). However, evidence of subduction has not been
found between the Guerrero terrane and the paleo-continent margin.
As mentioned before, coastal Guerrero composite terrane
(Zihuatanejo and Tahue terranes), experienced a contractional defor-
mation event, which formed N-S to NW-SE trending folds, reverse and
thrust faults that affected the whole pre-Santonian package. Redbed
strata containing rhyolitic to andesitic lava ows from the Cerro de la
Vieja Formation were unconformably deposited on deformed and
folded Cenomanian limestones at some localities near Colima City, and
on deformed and folded Early Cretaceous marine volcanic rocks at
other localities. There are unconformities within the Aptian to
1047
Rif
t-re
lat
ed
Gulf of Mexico
Rifting ~166 to 126 Ma
vo
lca
ea
nic
nis
cru
st
m
SJR
c
Paci
fic O
cean
Cenomanian section, similar to those observed in Guanajuato terrane,
therefore Centeno-Garca et al. (2010, 2011) inferred that folding oc-
curred between Cenomanian and Santonian times.
Dating of detrital zircons from volcaniclastic rocks from the Cerro de
la Vieja Formation yielded age populations at 84.7 Ma (Santonian) and
70.6 Ma (Campanian-Maastrichtian; Centeno-Garca et al., 2010,
2011). Similar ages were also obtained from lava ows at the Huetamo
region in Michoacn (Centeno-Garca et al., 2008, 2010; Martini et al.,
2009; and references therein), and from granitoids along the Pacic
coast, Sonora-Sinaloa Gulf of California coast, and from the Peninsular
Range Batholiths (Schaaf and Martnez, 1997; Valencia-Moreno et al.,
2001; Ortega-Rivera, 2003). Coeval volcanic-sedimentary rocks from
central-east Sonora were described as the Tarahumara arc (McDowell
et al., 2001).
Farer north, at the Baja California peninsula, the Peninsular Range
Batholiths form a belt of intrusives about 800 km long. It can be di-
vided into an older western gabbro to monzogranite belt, which
yielded ages between 164, 140 and 105 Ma, and a younger eastern
granodiorite-granite belt, with ages ranging between 105 and
80 Ma (Silver et al., 1979; Silver and Chappell, 1988; Walawender
et al., 1990; Ortega-Rivera, 2003; Valencia et al., 2006). Some of the
batholiths are strongly deformed and their tectonic fabrics coincide
with west-verging high-angle thrusts that place high-grade meta-
morphic rocks from eastern belt over lower-grade metamorphic
rocks from the western belt (Johnson et al., 1999; Ortega-Rivera,
2003). Ages from deformed plutons range from ca. 115 to 105 Ma,
whereas undeformed cross-cutting plutons span from 98 to 90 Ma
(Goetz, 1989; Johnson et al., 1999).
1048 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052

North America

Mo
ha
ve
-So
no La
ra Ba
Al M bia
is eg Sa Fa
ito as nM ult
s he arc
os Gulf of
ar Fa
ult Mexico
vo

G
lca

Tr-Ju
ue
Pa

nic

Subduction
rr
ar

Complex
le

er
c-
op

o
re

A
Barper
lat
ac

ed

Co sin os Yucatan Block

ific

ro

m
ck

po
s
Oc

si
ea

te
te
nic

rr
an
Cr

R
Co ifted e
us

mp Tr-
lex Ju
t

S
(A ub
rte du
ag ct
a) ion
P
Chart o
Blo orti f South
ck( s
?) America

Fig. 9. Paleogeographic reconstruction for Early Cretaceous and Aptian-Albian, with two active rifts that originated the Gulf of Mexico and the Arperos Basin. Rifting of the Gulf of Mexico is
older than rifting at the Arperos Basin. Arc volcanism was located to the west, and is known today at the Alisitos, Tahue and Zihuatanejo terranes and evolved as a fringing arc located near
the continental margin, associated to an eastward dipping subduction zone. Subduction complexes of Vizcano Peninsula and Cedros Island in Baja California might be the remains of its
subduction zone.

Consequently, there is enough evidence that arc-volcanism was ac-
tive while the Sierra Madre Oriental Fold and Thrust Belt was forming.
It is suggested in this paper, to call it the Tarahumara Arc, and coeval
foreland basins as retroarc foreland basins (Fig. 10, Table 1). Iron-ore de-
posits are genetically associated to Tarahumara arc volcanism (Fig. 10).
4. Summary
The complex anatomy of Mexico has its origin on the juxtaposition
of Atlantic-related and Cordilleran/Pacic-related tectonic settings,
and originated a mosaic of tectonostratigraphic terranes that are classi-
ed after their paleogeographic afnity in three general groups: Lauren-
tian, Gondwanic/Atlantic and Pacic terranes. This paper focused only
on the Mesozoic magmatic events that occurred within the terranes,
and their role in the paleotectonic reconstructions.
Two main processes controlled the Mesozoic tectonic evolution of
Mexico:
Strike slip faulting and crustal thinning by rifting, both related to the
opening of the Gulf of Mexico, which originated felsic and mac volca-
nism.
Almost continuous subduction along the Pacic margin, which
changed through time originating migrations of the arc volcanism.
This convergent margin had alternate intervals of supra-subduction
rifting and contraction, leading to the thickening and growth of the
continental crust by magmatic and tectonic accretion.
Two main groups of tectonic paleogeographic models have been
propose:
Models that show Jurassic-Cretaceous magmatism in eastern Mexico
(Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes) as a long-live continental arc (Nazas
Arc), and Pacic terranes as allochthonous intra oceanic arcs. In such
scenario, the Gulf of Mexico rift is interpreted as a back arc basin.
Models that propose a more complex evolution with alternate stages
of accretion and supra-subduction rifting, originating a fringing mar-
ginal arc that evolved near the continent. In such models, Nazas Arc
volcanism is in a back-arc position, and the Gulf of Mexico is a rift
basin related to divergence of the Atlantic Ocean.
Based on published data up to date, tectono-magmatic evolution of
Mexico can be divided in eight stages:
1) A continental (submarine) arc evolved in continental Mexico (Lau-
rentian and Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes) from Carboniferous to
Permian time, and migrated eastward at Permo-Triassic time.
2) Magmatism decreased drastically during Middle-Late Triassic in all
Mexico. A large submarine fan evolved along the western margin
of Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes that anked an oceanic basin
(Arteaga Basin). Coeval volcanism was of island arc afnity, and is
located at present, at the Vizcaino Peninsula of Baja California.
 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052 1049

115 110 105 100 95 90

N
USA

30 30

83-40 Ma Sierra Madre Oriental

Campanian- Fold and Thrust Belt Front
Eocene
GULF OF

Ca as
25 T 25
Couron MXICO

M
m
a
pa rich
nia ian Maastrichtian?

ni tia
cia -

t
Ages of foreland basin
Ta Eocene

an n
rah n?
sedimentary-fill Ac
cr
um Foreland basins
et
Paleocene-Eocene ed
ara
G
ue
Maastrichtian
vo
rre
ro
lca
Te
Campanian rra Active back
nic
20 20
ne arc deformation
arc
Turonian-Coniacian
93- 65 Ma
Igneus rock-types 65
Subaereal volcano-sedimentary rocks, 84-70 Ma Ma A
AL
and few marine volcanic.turbidite outcrops M

O
TE

IC
granitoids (granitic to gabroic) UA

X
G

M
Iron-ore deposits age of deformation (Cuellar-Crdenas, 2011)

115 110 105 100 95 90

Fig. 10. Extensional arc switched to a contractional arc at the end of the Cretaceous. Volcanic rocks of this age are describe as the Tarahumara Arc in Sonora. It is proposed on this paper to
extend this arc along the Pacic coast of Mexico. The Tarahumara arc was built on previously deformed rocks of the fringing Early-mid Cretaceous arc-back arc system. Volcanism was
coeval to deformation and sedimentation in central and eastern Mexico, where retro arc foreland basins evolved.

3) At the end of the Triassic and earlier most Jurassic, the oceanic
Arteaga Basin was consumed by subduction. This process origi-
nated a wide accretionary complex and thrusting of the Potosi
Fan over western Oaxaquia margin. Vergence of the subduction
zone remains undetermined, since arc volcanism has been identied
in both sides, to the east (Nazas Arc) and to the west (Vizcaino arc)
of the basin.
4) A period of important unroong of Triassic/Lowermost Jurassic(?) or
older rocks took place sometime during the beginning of the Juras-
sic, evidenced by a regional angular unconformity that is exposed
at Pico de Teyra, Zacatecas State; Tolimn, Queretaro State; Pen
Blanco, San Luis Potos State, and within the Zihuatanejo terrane at
Tumbiscato, Michoacn State. All these localities have subaerial or
submarine sedimentary rocks overlying unconformably deformed
and metamorphosed rocks.
5) Felsic magmatism was mostly localized in continental Mexico
(Laurentian and Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes), forming a N-W
trending belt, during Early and Middle Jurassic time. This mag-
matic event could either be related to rifting processes, or to sub-
duction, if it is determined in the future that the subduction zone
that consumed the Arteaga Basin was dipping eastward. If so,
this might be the only time period for the previously proposed
Nazas arc.
6) Magmatism was widely distributed along Mexico during Late
Jurassic time. Depositional environments, composition, and
geochemical afnities of volcanic and intrusive rocks from this
stage allow reconstructing three belts of volcanism, from east
to west:
Divergent rift-related volcanism in continental Mexico (Laurentian
and Gondwanic/Atlantic terranes).
Rifting intra-arc that evolved to back-arc volcanism along the limit be-
tween continental Mexico and the Guerrero composite terrane, con-
taining important VMS iron deposits.
Volcanic arc-related granitoids.
7) Rifting continued and by Early Cretaceous a fringing oceanic arc
(Zihuatanejo, Tahue and Alisitos terranes) developed in western
Mexico, separated from the continent by the Arcelia oceanic back-
arc basin. This was coeval to rifting on eastern Mexico that led to
the formation of the Gulf of Mexico, and its rift alkaline volcanism in-
land, along its margin. In other words, two rift related basins evolved
in Mexico during Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous time: The Arperos
and the Gulf of Mexico basins.
8) Accretion of the Guerrero composite terrane and formation of the Si-
erra Madre Oriental Fold and Thrust Belt occurred during Late Creta-
ceous time. A continental arc evolved in western Mexico at the same
time (Tarahumara arc). Mayor iron-ore deposits seem to be related
to this last stage of Mesozoic magmatism.
Acknowledgements
Financial support for this paper was obtained through PAPIIT-UNAM
(grants IN110810 and IN115208) and CONACYT (grants 155662 and
CB-164454) programs, and additional funding from the Instituto de
1050 E. Centeno-Garca / Ore Geology Reviews 81 (2017) 10351052
Geologa UNAM. Antoni Camprub is acknowledged for suggesting this
paper and for his extensive comments. I am thankful to Michelangelo
Martini and Elisa Fitz for their input to the paper, and to two anonymous
reviewers for their comments that greatly improved the manuscript.
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