Continental Basin And Orogenic Processes Deep Structure Tectonic Deformation And Dynamics

The ensemble of manuscripts presented in this special volume captures the stimulating cross-disciplinary dialogue from the International Symposium on Deep Structure, Composition, and Evolution of Continents, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 15-17 October 1997. It will provide an update on recent research developments and serve as a starting point for research of the many outstanding issues. After its formation at mid-oceanic spreading centers, oceanic lithosphere cools, thickens, and subsides, until it subducts into the deep mantle beneath convergent margins. As a result of this continuous recycling process oceanic lithosphere is typically less than 200 million years old (the global average is about 80 Myr). A comprehensive, multi-disciplinary study of continents involves a wide range of length scales: tiny rock samples and diamond inclusions may yield isotope and trace element signatures diagnostic for the formation age and evolution of (parts of) cratons, while geophysical techniques (e.g., seismic and electromagnetic imaging) constrain variations of elastic and conductive properties over length scales ranging from several to many thousand kilometers. Integrating and reconciling this information is far from trivial and, as several papers in this volume document, the relationships between, for instance, formation age and tectonic behavior on the one hand and the seismic signature, heat flow, and petrology on the other may not be uniform but may vary both within as well as between cratons. These observations complicate attempts to determine the variations of one particular observable (e.g., heat flow, lithosphere thickness) as a function of another (e.g., crustal age) on the basis of global data compilations and tectonic regionalizations. Important conclusions of the work presented here are that (1) continental deformation, for instance shortening, is not restricted to the crust but also involves the lithospheric mantle; (2) the high wavespeed part of continental lithospheric mantle is probably thinner than inferred previously from vertically travelling body waves or form global surface-wave models; and (3) the seismic signature of ancient continents is more complex than expected from a uniform relationship with crustal age.

This open access book presents a new structural model of “multi-arc-basin-terrane system” based on the in-depth research of the Nujiang-Lancangjiang-Jinshajiang region, especially several Paleo-Tethys ophiolitic mélange belts and sets of arc-basin systems, and a new orogenic model of “The Hengduan shan Mountains” based on penetrated research on spatial-temporal framework and orogenic models of different orogenic belts under large-scale strike-slip-shear-nappe structures evolution. The authors paid special attention on the coupling relation between orogeny and metallogenesis. The metallogenesis and dynamic process are probed under the crust–mantle interaction and material-energy exchange-transmission background and the tectonic units evolution. The ore genesis and distribution of deposits have been thoroughly analyzed, and the metallogenic theories of "multi-arc-basin-terrane" and "intracontinental tectonic transformation" in the Nujiang-Lancangjiang-Jinshajiang region have been carried out. This book also illustrates how to explore metallic deposits in the Nujiang-Lancangjiang-Jinshajiang region by using the metallogenic regulations. Meanwhile, this book has high reference value for researchers working in the fields of basic geology, environmental geology, and energy geology.

This volume presents a selection of papers showing the current focus of studies of deformation structures and processes within the continental crust. The selected contributions use a large range of analytical techniques suited to the full range of structure sizes and fine-tuned to the physical process that controls the deformation, from the grain boundary at the micro-scale, the lithological contact at the meso-scale to the plate boundary at the global scale. The papers in the volume are grouped into three sections relating to specific lines of research within the analysis of rock deformation structures and processes, in particular in respect to the continental crust: structures within shear zones and faults; magmatic structures, and microstructures and rheology. These sections include papers describing field studies, experimental rock deformation and numerical modelling of deformation processes.

Investigating the complex interplay between tectonics and sedimentation is a key endeavor in modern earth science. Many of the world's leading researchers in this field have been brought together in this volume to provide concise overviews of the current state of the subject. The plate tectonic revolution of the 1960's provided the framework for detailed models on the structure of orogens and basins, summarized in a 1995 textbook edited by Busby and Ingersoll. Tectonics of Sedimentary Basins: Recent Advances focuses on key topics or areas where the greatest strides forward have been made, while also providing on-line access to the comprehensive 1995 book. Breakthroughs in new techniques are described in Section 1, including detrital zircon geochronology, cosmogenic nuclide dating, magnetostratigraphy, 3-D seismic, and basin modelling. Section 2 presents the new models for rift, post-rift, transtensional and strike slip basin settings. Section 3 addresses the latest ideas in convergent margin tectonics, including the sedimentary record of subduction intiation and subduction, flat-slab subduction, and arc-continent collision; it then moves inboard to forearc basins and intra-arc basins, and ends with a series of papers formed under compessional strain regimes, as well as post-orogenic intramontane basins. Section 4 examines the origin of plate interior basins, and the sedimentary record of supercontinent formation. This book is required reading for any advanced student or professional interested in sedimentology, plate tectonics, or petroleum geoscience. Additional resources for this book can be found at: www.wiley.com/go/busby/sedimentarybasins.

This book is devoted to different aspects of tectonic researches. New results and interpretations are presented here for diverse tectonic settings. Most of the chapters include up-to-date materials of detailed geological investigations, often combined with geophysical data, which can help understand more clearly the essence of mechanisms of different tectonic processes. Some chapters are devoted to the tectonic evolution of regions (East Antarctica, East Kazakhstan, Mongolo-Okhotsk orogenic belt), and others have dealt with the different aspects of tectonic events: influence of detachment structural deformation on pore structure evolution in shales, evolution of drainage in response to brittle-ductile dynamics and surface processes, soft sediment deformation structures triggered by the modern earthquakes, and post-opening deformation history of the Japan Sea back-arc basin.