Tectonothermal Evolution of the Cameros Basin: Implications for Tectonics of North Iberia

Constraining the way in which continental deformation is accommodated in time and space is essential to reconcile past plate movements with geological observations. Kinematic reconstructions of the Iberia-Europe plate boundary are still debated. Here we focus on an inverted Mesozoic rift basin, the Cameros basin, which is part of the Iberian chain. We use a combination of detrital low-temperature thermochronological techniques to define the time-temperature evolution of the basin from Mesozoic rifting to Cenozoic collision. Zircon fission-track analyses of Oligocene-Miocene sedimentary rocks yield two main age populations at 17010 and 10010Ma, reflecting (i) an Early Jurassic thermal event related to the Atlantic-Alpine Tethys opening and (ii) an Albo-Cenomanian thermal event related to the Bay of Biscay opening. Thermal modeling of combined zircon fission-track, apatite fission-track, and apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He data reveals that collision-related cooling of the Cameros basin started during the Paleocene (60Ma). A second cooling/exhumation phase of the basin is recorded from 35 to 25Ma. Initial cooling occurred after a protracted postrift period characterized by persistence of high geothermal gradients, a feature also recognized in the Pyrenees. Our results show that the Iberian chain shared the same Early to Late Jurassic tectonothermal evolution with the Atlantic-Alpine Tethyan rifted margins. From the Albian onward, the thermal evolution of the Cameros basin was very similar to that of the Pyrenees. This study shows that the preservation in mountain ranges of a succession of rifting events provide important clues for plate reconstructions.