Antarctica and supercontinent evolution
By: edited by S.L. Harley, University of Edinburgh, UK, I.C.W. Fitzsimons, Curtin University of Technology, Australia, and Y. Zhao, CAGS, China
Series: Geological Society special publication -- no. 383; Geological Society special publication -- no. 383.
Publisher: The Geological Society
Published: 2013
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 237
ISBN-13: 9781862393677
Subjects: Geodynamics; Geology; Continental drift; Crust
Description: Antarctica preserves a rock record that spans three and a half billion years of history and has a remarkable story to tell about the evolution of our Earth, from the hottest crustal rocks yet found in an orogenic system, to the assembly and breakup of Gondwana in the Phanerozoic. This volume highlights our improved understanding of the tectonic events that have shaped Antarctica and how these potentially relate to supercontinent assembly and fragmentation. The internal constitution of the East Antarctic Shield is assessed using information available from the basement geology and from detritus preserved as Mesozoic sediments in the Trans Antarctic Mountains. Accretionary orogenesis along the proto-Pacific margin of Antarctica is examined and the volumes of intracrustal melting compared with juvenile magma additions in these complex orogenic systems assessed. This volume demonstrates the diversity of approaches required to elucidate and understand crustal evolution and evaluate the supercontinent concept.--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.