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13 - Collisional Orogeny

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2025

Haakon Fossen
Affiliation:
Universitetet i Bergen, Norway
Christian Teyssier
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
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Summary

Chapter 13 deals with the ultimate stage of plate convergence, which is continent-continent collision. Collisional orogeny starts when an ocean is closed and two continental margins collides. Structures, processes and evolution of collisional mountain belts are covered from a general perspective, and different types of such orogens are outlined. Asymmetric versus symmetric belts are explained, and the overall structure of an orogenic belt, from the non-metamorphic foreland to the high-grade hinterland or core. The chapter explores foreland basins and foreland thrusting-related structures such as duplexes and detachment folds, and how deformed foreland layers can be restored to explore orogenic displacements involved. It explains why the hinterland heats up as crustal thickening continues or is maintained, and how this can enhance mid-crustal flow and orogenic plateau formation. Continental subduction is also discussed, where one of the continental margins is pulled down to sub-crustal depths and ultra-high pressures. Models for exhumation of (ultra)high-pressure rocks and the channel flow model are discussed, as is the role of syn- to postorogenic extension. The chapter also covers intracontinental orogeny, where no ocean is involved, and covers erosional aspects of continental orogens.

Type
Chapter
Information
Plate Tectonics , pp. 305 - 340
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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References

Primary Sources

Johnson, M. R. W. and Harley, S. L., 2012. Orogenesis. The Making of Mountains. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 0521765560Google Scholar

Secondary Sources

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Butler, R. W., 1982. The terminology of structures in thrust belts. Journal of Structural Geology 4, 239–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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Whipple, K. X., 2009. The influence of climate on the tectonic evolution of mountain belts. Nature Geoscience 2, 97–104. https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo413Google Scholar
Jamieson, R. A., Beaumont, C., 2013. On the origin of orogens. Geological Society of America Bulletin 125, 1671–1702. https://doi.org/10.1130/B30855.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vanderhaeghe, O., 2012. The thermal–mechanical evolution of crustal orogenic belts at convergent plate boundaries: A reappraisal of the orogenic cycle. Journal of Geodynamics 56–57, 124–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jog.2011.10.004Google Scholar

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