Major long-lived Early Paleozoic thrusts of the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas (central and northwestern Argentina)

This thesis investigates evolution of large-scale shear zones – complex structures in the earth crust where deformation occurs and that control mountain building. Shear zones can nucleate and/or get reactivated in response to the interaction between tectonic plates, in particular, when one is pushed under the other promoting deformation in the overriding plate. This study first details an internal build of one such extremely wide shear zone in NW Argentina and studies its evolution through >100 million years of activity. This shear zone is then compared to other major shear zones in the region.