The timing of deformation and landscape evolution along the Central Range fault system, Trinidad

1. The timing of deformation and landscape evolution along the Central Range fault system, Trinidad Scott Giorgis, Department of Geological Sciences, SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, NY 14454, giorgis@geneseo.edu Central Range Fault System: High precision GPS measurements collected by previous workers in the Central Range indicate they are the focus of slip between the Caribbean plate to the north and the South American plate the the south. The low, rolling topography of the Central Range Mountains are likely due to tectonic contraction within this active fault zone. One of the goals of this project is to use gravity data to determine if there is a crustal root underlying the Central Range, and if so its shape and magnitude. Shaded relief digital elevation model of Trinidad. The Central Range fault system follows the low relief mountain range in central Trinidad. Each dot marks the location of a gravity station provided by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Uncorrected gravity map of Trinidad. Hot colors (red) indicate gravity highs and cool colors (blue) indicate gravity lows. The gradient from gravity low in the south to gravity high in the north reflects the transition from less dense South American continental crust to more dense Caribbean oceanic crust. Corrected Bouguer gravity map of Trinidad. Application of the standard Bouguer corrections, the terrane correction, and removal of the regional gradient reveals the presence of a small gravity low in the Central Range of Trinidad. The presence of a crustal root is suggested by the overlap between the Central Range topography and the shape of the gravity low. With these data, we hope to be able to model the size and shape of the crustal root using standard three-dimensional inversion techniques.