Development of the Golfo de Guayaquil (Ecuador) as an effect of the North Andean Block tectonic escape since the lower Pleistocene

Resumen

Based on multichannel seismic reflection profiles and well data acquired by Petroecuador (Ecuadorian Petroleum Company) during the past two decades, we document the geodynamic evolution of the Golfo de Guayaquil (GG) area. The evolution of the GG area, located at the southern tip of the North Andean Block (NAB) is related to its northward migration. During the past 1.75-2 Myr the NAB migrated to North at a rate of ~1 cm.yr-1 (Trempkamp et al., 2002) along the Dolores-Guayaquil Fault System (i.e. the eastern limit of the NAB). The evolution of the GG area (Witt et al, submitted) is controlled by six main active tectonic features, which accommodated the NAB northward drifting. It includes (