Gondwana

About: Gondwana is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 6078 publications have been published within this topic receiving 263050 citations. The topic is also known as: Gondwanaland.

Structure and evolution of the Himalaya–Tibet orogenic belt

Abstract: The 1981 French–Chinese expedition to Tibet focused on the Lhasa block, extending earlier coverage 400 km north of the Tsangpo suture. The Lhasa block stood between 10 and 15° N latitude over most of the Upper Cretaceous and Eocene and, if Gondwanian in origin, had detached from Gondwana by early Permian. Seismic profiles reveal a complex Moho topography resulting both from multiple continental thrusting and large-scale strike-slip faulting. Subduction related granitoids representing mixtures of mantle and crustal components and anatectic granitoids have been analysed and dated. This study emphasizes the role of smaller blocks in the accretion of the continental mosaic.

The Ocean basins and margins

Abstract: Kinematic Section: The Plate Tectonic History of the Past Tethys Ocean (L.E. Ricou). Apparent Polar Wandering Paths for North America, Europe, Africa, Laurussia, and West Gondwana Since the Upper Carboniferous: A Review (J. Besse et al.). New Geologic Data: Late Carboniferous to Recent Geodynamic Evolution of the West Gondwanian Cratonic Tethyan Margins (R. Guiraud, Y. Bellion). Crustalscale, Thrust Complex in the Rhodope Massif: Evidence from Structures and Fabrics (J.P. Burg et al.). Paleogeographic Reconstructions: Late Permian to Late Triassic Tethyan Paleoenvironments (J. Marcoux, A. Baud). Synthetic View: Tethyan Carbonate Platforms (J. Philip et al.). Radiolarians and Tethyan Radiolarites from Primary Production to Their Paleogeography (P. De Wever et al.). Paleoenvironments and Organicrich Facies Deposition in the Tethyan Realm: Toarcian, Kimmeridgian and Cenomanian Time Intervals (F. Baudin, J.P. Herbin). Geodynamics of Bauxites in the Tethyan Realm (P.J. Combes, G. Bardossy). Tethyan Phosphates and Bioproductites (J. Lucas, L. PrevotLucas). From Tethys to Panthalassa: The Role of Tethys in the Evolution of the Northern Andes between Late Permian and Late Eocene Times (E. Jaillard et al.). Conclusions: The Tethys: An Ocean Broken by Seuils Lithospherique (B. Vrielynck et al.). 4 additional articles. Index.

Pacific margins of Laurentia and East Antarctica-Australia as a conjugate rift pair: Evidence and implications for an Eocambrian supercontinent

Abstract: Evidence supports the hypothesis that the Laurentian and East Antarctic-Australian cratons were continuous in the late Precambrian and that their Pacific margins formed as a conjugate rift pair. Both margins extend for approximately 40° of latitude. They have a similar rift history throughout their length—i.e., Late Proterozoic rifting and Early Cambrian carbonate platform development. A geometrically acceptable computer-generated reconstruction for the latest Precambrian juxtaposes and aligns the Grenville front that is truncated at the Pacific margin of Laurentia and a closely comparable tectonic boundary in East Antarctica that is truncated along the Weddell Sea margin. These may prove to be critical, perhaps even unique, "piercing points" for relating the northern and southern continents. Geologic and paleomagnetic evidence also suggests that the Atlantic margin of Laurentia rifted from the proto-Andean margin of South America in earliest Cambrian time. Early Phanerozoic sea-floor spreading that isolated Laurentia from South America and East Antarctica-Australia in an Eocambrian supercontinent appears to balance convergence along the Mozambique suture which resulted in final amalgamation of the smaller Gondwana supercontinent at ∼500 Ma.