Non Volcanic Rifting Of Continental Margins

Non-continental margins lack thick lavas that are generated as continental crust thins immediately prior to the onset of seafloor spreading. They may form up to 30 per cent of passive margins around the world. This volume contains papers examining an active margin, fossil margins that border present day oceans, and remnants of margins exposed today in the Alps. The papers present evidence across a range of scales, from individual mineral grains, through borelide cores and outcrop, to whole margins at the crustal scale.

Arc-continent collision has been one of the important tectonic processes in the formation of mountain belts throughout geological time, and it continues to be so today along tectonically active plate boundaries such as those in the SW Pacific or the Caribbean. Arc-continent collision is thought to have been one of the most important process involved in the growth of the continental crust over geological time, and may also play an important role in its recycling back into the mantle via subduction. Understanding the geological processes that take place during arc-continent collision is therefore of importance for our understanding of how collisional orogens evolve and how the continental crust grows or is destroyed. Furthermore, zones of arc-continent collision are producers of much of the worlds primary economic wealth in the form of minerals, so understanding the processes that take place during these tectonic events is of importance in modeling how this mineral wealth is formed and preserved. This book brings together seventeen papers that are dedicated to the investigation of the tectonic processes that take place during arc-continent collision. It is divided into four sections that deal firstly with the main players involved in any arc-continent collision; the continental margin, the subduction zone, and finally the volcanic arc and its mineral deposits. The second section presents eight examples of arc-continent collisions that range from being currently active through to Palaeoproterozoic in age. The third section contains two papers, one that deals with the obduction of large-slab ophiolites and a second that presents a wide range of physical models of arc-continent collision. The fourth section brings everything that comes before together into a discussion of the processes of arc-continent collision.

Expert petroleum geologists David Roberts and Albert Bally bring you Regional Geology and Tectonics: Phanerozoic Passive Margins, Cratonic Basins and Global Tectonic Maps, volume three in a three-volume series covering Phanerozoic regional geology and tectonics. Its key focus is on both volcanic and non-volcanic passive margins, and the importance of salt and shale driven by sedimentary tectonics to their evolution. Recent innovative research on such critical locations as Iberia, Newfoundland, China, and the North Sea are incorporated to provide practical real-world case studies in regional geology and tectonics. The vast amount of volcanic data now available to form accurate hydrocarbon assessments and analysis at passive margin locations is also included into this thorough yet accessible reference. Named a 2013 Outstanding Academic Title by the American Library Association's Choice publication A "how-to" practical reference that discusses the impact of the development of passive margins and cratonic basins on the structural evolution of the Earth in regional geology and tectonic applications. Incorporates the increased availability of industry data to present regional seismic lines and cross-sections, leading to more accurate analysis and assessment of targeted hydrocarbon systems Analyses of passive margins and cratonic basins in East Africa, China, Siberia, the Gulf of Suez, and the Laptev Sea in the Russian Arctic provide immediately implementable petroleum exploration applications Summaries of analogue and theoretical models are provided as an essential backdrop to the structure and stratigraphy of various geological settings.

This volume summarises our present understanding of the formation of passive continental margins and their ocean-continent transitions. It outlines the geological, geophysical and petrological observations that characterize extensional systems, and how such observations can guide and constrain dynamic and kinematic models of continental lithosphere extension, breakup and the inception of organized sea-floor spreading.

Traditionally, investigations of the rheology and deformation of the lithosphere (the rigid or mechanically strong outer layer of the Earth, which contains the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle) have taken place at one scale in the laboratory and at an entirely different scale in the field. Laboratory experiments are generally restricted to centimeter-sized samples and day- or year-length times, while geological processes occur over tens to hundreds of kilometers and millions of years. The application of laboratory results to geological systems necessitates extensive extrapolation in both temporal and spatial scales, as well as a detailed understanding of the dominant physical mechanisms. The development of an understanding of large-scale processes requires an integrated approach. This book explores the current cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in lithospheric rheology and provides a broad summary of the rheology and deformation of the continental lithosphere in both extensional and compressional settings. Individual chapters explore contemporary research resulting from laboratory, observational, and theoretical experiments.

Expert petroleum geologists David Roberts and Albert Bally bring you Regional Geology and Tectonics: Principles of Geologic Analysis, volume one in a three-volume series covering Phanerozoic regional geology and tectonics. It has been written to provide you with a detailed overview of geologic rift systems, passive margins, and cratonic basins, it features the basic principles necessary to grasping the conceptual approaches to hydrocarbon exploration in a broad range of geological settings globally. A "how-to" regional geology primer that provides a detailed overview of tectonics, rift systems.

Rifted margins mark the transition between continents and oceans, which are the two first-order types of land masses on Earth. Rifted margins contribute to our understanding of lithospheric extensional processes and are studied by various disciplines of Earth Science (geology, geophysics, geochemistry). Thanks to better and wider public access to high-quality data, our understanding in these areas has improved significantly over these last two decades. This book summarizes this knowledge evolution and details where we stand today, with a series of case examples included. It is structured in a practical way, with concise text descriptions and comprehensive diagrams. Continental Rifted Margins 2 is a useful resource for students and newcomers to the rifted margin community – a "cookbook” of sorts to facilitate the reading of scientific publications and provide basic definitions and explanations.