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Terrane

About: Terrane is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 11025 publications have been published within this topic receiving 442596 citations. The topic is also known as: tectonostratigraphic terrane.


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a tectonic synthesis and an animation of the tectonics of the western Mediterranean since the Oligocene, based on data derived from different geological datasets, such as structural geology, the distribution of metamorphic rocks, magmatic activity, sedimentary patterns, palaeomagnetic data and geophysics.
Abstract: We present a tectonic synthesis and an animation of the tectonics of the western Mediterranean since the Oligocene. This work is based on data derived from different geological datasets, such as structural geology, the distribution of metamorphic rocks, magmatic activity, sedimentary patterns, palaeomagnetic data and geophysics. Reconstruction was performed using an interactive software package (PLATYPLUS), which enabled us to apply rotational motions to numerous microplates and continental terranes involved in the evolution of the western Mediterranean basins. Boundary conditions are provided by the relative motions of Africa and Iberia with respect to Europe, and the Adriatic plate is considered here as an African promontory. The reconstruction shows that during Alpine orogenesis, a very wide zone in the interface between Africa and Europe underwent extension. Extensional tectonics was governed by rollback of subduction zones triggered by gravitational instability of old and dense oceanic lithosphere. Back-arc extension occurred in the overriding plates as a result of slow convergence rates combined with rapid subduction rollback. This mechanism can account for the evolution of the majority of the post-Oligocene extensional systems in the western Mediterranean. Moreover, extension led to drifting and rotations of continental terranes towards the retreating slabs in excess of 100-800 km. These terranes - Corsica, Sardinia, the Balearic Islands, the Kabylies blocks, Calabria and the Rif-Betic - drifted as long as subduction rollback took place, and were eventually accreted to the adjacent continents. We conclude that large-scale horizontal motions associated with subduction rollback, back-arc extension and accretion of allochthonous terranes played a fundamental role during Alpine orogenesis.

515 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present stratigraphic and petrologic data from Chile and Argentina between 29° and 33°S latitude that demonstrate the "suspect" nature of several major terranes, which they infer to have been accreted during the Paleozoic.
Abstract: The recognition of accreted terranes and their importance in orogenesis has spurred the search for allochthonous fragments along the western and southern margins of South America. Here we present stratigraphic and petrologic data from Chile and Argentina between 29° and 33°S latitude that demonstrate the “suspect” nature of several major terranes, which we infer to have been accreted during the Paleozoic. Three lower-middle Paleozoic terranes are described (from east to west): (1) the Pampeanas terrane, a Cambrian-Devonian magmatic and metamorphic province built on late Precambrian basement at the margin of South America, (2) the Precordillera terrane, a Cambrian-Devonian shelf-slope-oceanic basin assemblage bounded by melanges on both sides and bearing many stratigraphic similarities to the lower-middle Paleozoic of the Northern Appalachians, and (3) the “Chilenia” terrane, which has largely been obliterated by late Paleozoic magmatism and metamorphism. The distribution of Carboniferous continental, deltaic, and marine strata demonstrates that these three terranes were sutured together and part of South America by the end of the Devonian. Subsequent Permo-Carboniferous plate interactions more closely resembled the modern Andean margin, with eastward subduction, accretionary prism formation, and minor terrane emplacement exposed along the present coast of Chile and eastward migrating arc magmatism from the present coast of Chile to western Argentina.

507 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that Indian UHP rocks of the Tso Morari Complex reached UHP depths at 53.3F0.7 Ma and reached the Asian trench no later than 57F1 Ma, providing a metamorphic age for comparison with previous paleomagnetic and stratigraphic estimates.

505 citations

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 1985
TL;DR: In this paper, a large scale convergence of oceanic and arc type lithospheric fragments towards a cratonic promontory along western North America from Middle Jurassic through Paleogene time was deflected dextrally northward or sinistrally southward from this reverse indenter in the California Nevada region.
Abstract: During large scale convergence of oceanic and arc type lithospheric fragments towards a cratonic promontory along western North America from Middle Jurassic through Paleogene time non subductable crust of the approaching Pacific realm was deflected dextrally northward or sinistrally southward from this reverse indenter in the California Nevada region Paleontologic and paleomag netic data suggest oblique dextral displacements on the order of 1 500 to 2 000 km for the accreted terranes in the western Cordillera of Canada These dextral displacements were first concentrated along closing sutures from Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous time later they were also taken up by peri collisional fault zones which propagated into the western parts of the Cordilleran thrust belt and involved the Coast Plutonic Complex mid Cretaceous to Paleocene A subduction in the thrust belt and inferred B subduction west of the Coast Plutonic Complex were thus accompanied by dextral displacements within the Omineca and Coast fault arrays respectively imparting northwest directed stretching fabrics onto ductile metamorphic or igneous rocks and discrete fault strands on high level crustal rocks The convergent strike slip fault motions in the Canadian Cordillera created mainly sedimentary source areas rather than subsiding basins Pericollisional basins that did receive clastic materials from zones of oblique convergence were I marginal basins in the process of closing 2 relict or tectonically overloaded depressions on accreting terranes 3 foreland basins created by thrust prop agation in the miogeoclinal succession and 4 small pull apart or restraining bend depressions near high angle strike slip faults Basins in the accreted terrane complexes west of the Cordilleran thrust belt received most of their detrital material from exposed volcanic plutonic and oceanic sedimentary rocks the predominantly turbiditic basin fill suffered repeated deformation high sustained heat flow and intrusive activity The foreland basin to the east of the thrust belt on the other hand received most of its detrital input from carbonate and quartz rich clastic rocks of the miogeocline and metamorphosed equivalents the predominantly shallow water clastic deposits of the foreland basin experienced considerably less deformation and thennal alteration than the varied sedimentary assemblages of the accreted belt

504 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the main Palaeo-Tethys ocean in Thailand is identified as being represented by the Chiang Mai and Sra Kaeo sutures, and the eastern boundary of the Sibumasu terrane is thus interpreted to lie farther west in Thailand than previously inferred.

497 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
2023360
2022725
2021413
2020420
2019407
2018344