Effective Lithosphere Elastic Thickness Determination of the Rio de La Plata Craton

Using the three interface Coherence Function model of Bechtel et al. (1987), the effective elastic plate thickness, Te of the shield area in southern Brazil-Uruguay has been determined. The Tevalue of 114 km corresponds closely with values obtained for similar tectonic provinces. Intercrustal loads are largely the legacy of the Brasiliano cycle shield geology, whereas the eastwest Moho topography is best explained in terms of both flexural buckling origins of the Chaco-Parana Basin and crustal thinning related to the rifting of the South Atlantic.