Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Geologic Evolution of Eastern Terraba Trough, Southwestern Costa Rica (Tectonics, Forearc Basin)
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1984 Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Geologic Evolution of Eastern Terraba Trough, Southwestern Costa Rica (Tectonics, Forearc Basin). Peter B. Yuan Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Yuan, Peter B., "Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Geologic Evolution of Eastern Terraba Trough, Southwestern Costa Rica (Tectonics, Forearc Basin)." (1984). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 4037. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/4037 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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University Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 8515161 Yuan, Peter B. STRATIGRAPHY, SEDIMENTOLOGY, AND GEOLOGIC EVOLUTION OF EASTERN TERRABA TROUGH, SOUTHWESTERN COSTA RICA The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical Col.Ph.D. 1984 University Microfilms International300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 PLEASE NOTE: In all ca se s this material has been filmed in the best possible w ay from the available copy. Problems encountered with this docum ent have been identified here with a ch eck mark V . 1. Glossy photographs or p a______ g e s 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print_______ 3. Photographs with dark background_____ 4. Illustrations are poor copy_______ 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy_______ 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of page________ 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pages V < 8. Print exceed s margin requirem ents______ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine________ 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print_______ 11. Page(s)_____________ lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s)_____________ seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages numbered________ . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages_______ 15. Dissertation contains pages with print at a slant, filmed as received___________ 16. Other University Microfilms International STRATIGRAPHY, SEDIMENTOLOGY, AND GEOLOGIC EVOLUTION OF EASTERN TERRABA TROUGH SOUTHWESTERN COSTA RICA A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Geology by Peter B. Yuan B.S., National Cheng Kung University, 1973 M.S., Carleton University, 1979 December 1984 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is with deep appreciation that I acknowledge the many people who gave their support to this study. To Dr. Donald R. Lowe, served as chairman of the advisory committee, I give special thanks for his guidance, encouragement, support, and criticisms. Drs. Roy K. Dokka, Rex H. Pilger, Jr., Barun K. Sen Gupta, Willem A. van den Bold; and Richard H. Kesel of Department of Geography and Anthropology, served as members of the advisory committee and reviewed the manuscript. Their valuable suggestions and their time and effort are much appreciated. Many thanks to Dr. Gary R. Byerly who provided assistance in the field and served as member of the advisory committee during the early stage of this study. To Dr. Stanley H. Frost (Gulf Oil, Exploration, and Production Company) and Mr. Blake W. McNeely (Shell Oil Company) who identified the foraminifera and provided much needed information on biostratigraphy, I give my sincere thanks. Many members of the L.S.U. Geology Department have helped in this study. I am grateful for the help and friendship of Patti Phillips, Antenor Aleman, Gail Fisher, Danny Vforrell, Maud Walsh, Woodson Godfrey, Arun Majumdar, Ezat Heydari, Barbara Lowery, and Danny Peace. Arthur Sailer and Amitava Roy performed microprobe analysis of feldspar and pyroxene grains from the study area. Janet Dyson, Michael DiMarco, and Bruce Nocita read the manuscript and gave many useful suggestions. During my field work in Costa Rica and Panama, I benefited greatly from Stephen Dixon and William Flores who served as field assistants in ii the 1979-1981 and 1981-1983 field seasons, respectively. In addition, Ernesto Araya, Rodolfo Castillo, and the Victor Araya Rodriguez family of Agua Buena, Coto Brus; Giovanni Lopez of San Vito, Coto Brus; Julian Gamboa of Florida, Coto Brus; and Manuel Arguello, Enrique Malavassi, Mr, and Mrs. Tsun Han Wang, and Juan and Carlos Revilla of San Jose, Costa Rica, are acknowledged for their hospitality and assistance. To my parents, I owe a special debt of gratitude for taking care of my children who were away from my wife and me for one year so that we could spend more time on research. Above all, my greatest debt of gratitude goes to my wife, Kim, whose patience and understanding proved to be the best encouragement. This study was funded by National Science Foundation Grant no. EAR- 78 22754 to Dr. Donald R. Lowe, by grants to Dr. Richard H. Kesel from the National Geographic Society, and by an Arco Research Fellowship and a Chevron Fellowship. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................... ii LIST OF TABLES ....................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES.................................................. vii ABSTRACT ..... ..................................................... ix INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 1 TERTIARY STRATIGRAPHY OF TERRABA TROUGH ........................... 6 SEDIMENTOLOGY OF EASTERN TERRABA TROUGH.......................... 8 Brito Formation ................................................... 8 Terraba Formation . .*...................................... 10 Lithofacies A: Rhodolite Grainstone and Packstone. .. 14 Lithofacies B: Cross-stratified Algal-foraminiferal Grainstone............................... 16 Lithofacies C: Mudstone and Thin Bedded Sandstone. .. 24 Lithofacies D: Medium to Very Thick Bedded Sandstone . 28 Lithofacies E: Cross-bedded Sandstone................. 33 Lithofacies F: Conglomerate............................. 35 Relationship Between the Clastic Lithofacies ............ 38 Results of the Markov Chain Analysis and Interpretation. 40 SEDIMENTARY PETROLOGY................................................... 46 Petrographic Study................................................ 47 Microprobe Analysis ........... ........ 50 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page TECTONICS AND BASIN EVOLUTION......................................... 57 Basin Setting ..................................................... 57 Geologic Development.............................................. 59 I - Late Jurassic to Early Eocene......................... 59 II - Middle Eocene to Late Eocene ......................... 65 III - Oligocene to Early Middle Miocene. ............... 67 IV - Middle to Late Miocene ............................... 74 V - Pliocene to Holocene .................................. 75 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS................................................ 77 REFERENCES .............................................................. 80 APPENDICES 1. Identified Faunas in the Study A r e a ........................ 91 2. Markov Chain Analysis of Lithofacies in the Terraba F o r m a t i o n ....................................................