South Georgia microcontinent: Displaced fragment of the southernmost Andes

The mountainous, glaciated island of South Georgia is the crest one most isolated fragments continental crust on Earth. It located approximately 1700 km east southern termination Andean Cordillera America. primarily composed Lower Cretaceous turbidites , infill a marginal basin floored by stretched and ophiolitic crust. Remnants volcanic arc are preserved offshore islands to southwest. Pacific hinterland southernmost Andes missing in Tierra del Fuego, terminating at submarine escarpment forming margin immediately Cape Horn. back-arc rocks correspond exactly part Cordilleran hinterland. mechanism transport microcontinent eastward relative America remains obscure, but likely involved some form ‘escape tectonics’ during mid- Late counterclockwise rotation that led closure inversion basin. • Historical review geologic studies Georgia, Scotia region. Comprehensive comparison Andes. Palinspastic restoration with ‘Escape’ tectonics an ‘orogenic stream’ closure.