Cenozoic continental arc magmatism and associated mineralization in Ecuador

Mantle mixing and continental breakup magmatism

The frequent formation of large igneous provinces during the opening of the Atlantic Ocean is a surface manifestation of the thermal and chemical state of convecting mantle beneath the supercontinent Pangea. Recent geochemical and geophysical findings from the North Atlantic igneous province all point to the significant role of incomplete mantle mixing in igneous petrogenesis. On the basis of a...

Subduction erosion: Rates, mechanisms, and its role in arc magmatism and the evolution of the continental crust and mantle

Continental erosion and the Cenozoic rise of marine diatoms.

Marine diatoms are silica-precipitating microalgae that account for over half of organic carbon burial in marine sediments and thus they play a key role in the global carbon cycle. Their evolutionary expansion during the Cenozoic era (66 Ma to present) has been associated with a superior competitive ability for silicic acid relative to other siliceous plankton such as radiolarians, which evolve...

Synopsis of Acalypha (Euphorbiaceae) of continental Ecuador

A critical review of the Ecuadorian species of Acalypha L. (Euphorbiaceae) is presented; 20 of the 38 previously recognized species are accepted, 9 are considered synonyms and 9 are based on misidentifications. Comprehensive nomenclatural information is supplied and 13 lectotypes are designated. An identification key is also provided.

Introduction: Anatomy of rifting: Tectonics and magmatism in continental rifts, oceanic spreading centers, and transforms

Research at continental rifts, mid-ocean ridges, and transforms has shown that new plates are created by extensional tectonics, magma intrusion, and volcanism. Studies of a wide variety of extensional processes ranging from plate thinning to magma intrusion have helped scientists understand how continents are broken apart to form ocean basins. However, deformation processes vary significantly d...