The present study is a contribution to the understanding of continental-scale source-to-sink sedimentary systems over geological time scales. The northern half of South America is taken as a case study to explore the relations between (i) continental tectonic boundary conditions (active / passive margin, orogenic activity) and intracontinental deformation, (ii) the spatial distribution of clastic sediment sources and sinks over the continent and its margins and (iii) the configuration of the main sediment routes. To do that, the evolving surface configuration of northern South America is investigated through a series of 10 paleo-geological maps compiled for key periods of the Meso-Cenozoic. The maps display (i) sedimentation areas and their depositional environments, (ii) sediment transport routes based on paleocurrent measurements and provenance studies, (iii) magmatic occurrences, (iv) active faults, (v) denudation/burial histories deduced from low-temperature thermochronology studies and (vi) areas of extensive Cenozoic lateritic cover.

Three main successive continental-scale regimes of the source-to-sink systems are documented. An early erosional regime until ca. 125 Ma is attested to by a major sedimentary hiatus over a long-lasting asthenosphere-supported eroding superswell at the scale of northern South America and northwestern Africa. Sediments were routed from the superswell to the proto-Andean marginal basins, the Central Atlantic rifts/rifted margin basins and the Saharan cratonic basin. After ca. 125 Ma, a cratonic regime of mixed erosion/deposition established and maintained until the onset of the Andean orogeny at ca. 85 Ma. During this period, sediment routes from eroding cratonic domains to the proto-Andean margin basins were episodically closed by inherited Paleozoic structures (i.e., “arches”), whilst sediment fluxes to cratonic or rifted margin basins were partitioned by Atlantic rift shoulders / marginal upwarps of evolving amplitude that formed transient continental divides. After ca. 85 Ma, an Andes-dominated regime installed, in which Andean retro-foreland basins became the main sinks for orogenic sediment fluxes, while exchanges with cratonic basins were controlled by the topographic expression of foreland basins forebulges. Under that regime, cratonic domains mainly acted as by-pass zones for clastic sediments, and their extensive Paleogene and Lower Neogene lateritic covers argue for limited clastic exports from areas exposed to erosion. Very-long wavelength (x 1000 km) asthenospheric support, long-wavelength (x 100 km) lithospheric-scale deformation / vertical movements and climate-controlled erosion processes interacted to regulate cratonic sediment source-to-sink regimes of northern South America since 250 Ma.

本研究有助于理解地质时间尺度上的大陆尺度源-汇沉积系统。以南美洲北半部为例，探讨（i）大陆构造边界条件（主动/被动边缘、造山活动）与陆内变形之间的关系，（ii）碎屑沉积物源和汇的空间分布大陆及其边缘以及 (iii) 主要沉积物路线的配置。为此，通过为中新生代关键时期编制的一系列 10 幅古地质图，研究了南美洲北部不断演变的地表构造。这些地图显示 (i) 沉积区及其沉积环境，(ii)基于古电流测量和物源研究的沉积物迁移路线，(iii) 岩浆事件，(iv) 活动断层，(v) 从低温热年代学研究推断的剥蚀/埋藏历史和 (vi) 广泛的新生代红土覆盖区域。

记录了源到汇系统的三个主要连续大陆尺度制度。一个早期的侵蚀制度，直到约。在南美洲北部和非洲西北部规模的长期软流圈支持的侵蚀超级膨胀中，一个主要的沉积中断证明了 125 Ma。沉积物从超涌流到原安第斯边缘盆地、中大西洋裂谷/裂谷边缘盆地和撒哈拉克拉通盆地。大约之后。125 Ma，一个混合侵蚀/沉积的克拉通体系建立并维持到大约安第斯造山运动开始。85 毫安。在此期间，从侵蚀克拉通域到原安第斯边缘盆地的沉积物路线被继承的古生代构造（即“拱门”）间歇性封闭，而流向克拉通或裂谷边缘盆地的沉积物通量被大西洋裂谷肩/边缘上翘分隔形成瞬时大陆分水岭的不断变化的幅度。大约之后。85 Ma, 以安第斯山脉为主导, 安第斯前陆盆地成为造山沉积通量的主要汇, 而与克拉通盆地的交换受地形表现控制前陆盆地前凸。在这种情况下，克拉通域主要作为碎屑沉积物的旁路带，其广泛的古近纪和下新近纪红土覆盖层表明受到侵蚀的地区碎屑出口有限。自 250 年以来，超长波长 (x 1000 km) 软流圈支持、长波长 (x 100 km) 岩石圈尺度变形/垂直运动和气候控制的侵蚀过程相互作用，调节南美洲北部克拉通沉积物源到汇的状态嘛。