Curved orogenic belts, back-arc basins, and obduction as consequences of collision at irregular continental margins

Schliffke, Nicholas; van Hunen, Jeroen; Gueydan, Frédéric; Magni, Valentina; Allen, Mark B.

Abstract

Continental collisions commonly involve highly curved passive plate margins, leading to diachronous continental subduction during trench rollback. Such systems may feature backarc extension and ophiolite obduction postdating initial collision. Modern examples include the Alboran and Banda arcs. Ancient systems include the Newfoundland and Norwegian Caledonides. While external forces or preexisting weaknesses are often invoked, we suggest that ophiolite obduction can equally be caused by internal stress buildup during collision. Here, we modeled collision with an irregular subducting continental margin in three-dimensional (3-D) thermo-mechanical models and used the generated stress field evolution to understand resulting geologic processes. Results show how tensional stresses are localized in the overriding plate during the diachronous onset of collision. These stresses thin the overriding plate and may open a back-arc spreading center. Collision along the entire trench follows rapidly, with inversion of this spreading center, ophiolite obduction, and compression in the overriding plate. The models show how subduction of an irregular continental margin can form a highly curved orogenic belt. With this mechanism, obduction of back-arc oceanic lithosphere naturally evolves from a given initial margin geometry during continental collision.

Citation

Schliffke, N., van Hunen, J., Gueydan, F., Magni, V., & Allen, M. B. (2021). Curved orogenic belts, back-arc basins, and obduction as consequences of collision at irregular continental margins. Geology, 49(12), 1436-1440. https://doi.org/10.1130/g48919.1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 21, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Aug 12, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Aug 23, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 23, 2021
• Journal: Geology
• Print ISSN: 0091-7613
• Electronic ISSN: 1943-2682
• Publisher: Geological Society of America
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 49
• Issue: 12
• Pages: 1436-1440
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1130/g48919.1
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1243315