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Comparison of Tuzo Wilson's 1966 reconstructed maps for the North Atlantic (panels a, c, e redrawn by Buiter & Torsvik 2014 and reproduced with permission by Elsevier) with modern day examples using GPlates (b, d, f; Müller et al. 2018). Plate reconstruction models (e.g. plates ant rotation files) shown in (b), (d), (f ) are from CGG Plate Kinematics. Oceanic crust in (b) coloured by isochron ages from Müller et al. (2018). Topography in (b), (d), (f ) from ETOPO global grid (Amante & Eakins 2009).
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It is now more than fifty years since Tuzo Wilson published his paper asking “Did the Atlantic close and then re-open?”. This led to the “Wilson cycle” concept in which the repeated opening and closing of ocean basins along old orogenic belts is a key process in the assembly and breakup of supercontinents. This implied that the processes of rifting...
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... with various researchers including Wegener (1929), Argand (1924), Choubert (1935), Du Toit (1937) and Bullard et al. (1965), all having published reconstructed maps previously. It was, however, the observation that the present day North Atlantic margin (which opened in the Mesozoic) lay in very close proximity to a much older faunal divide ( Fig. 1) which led Tuzo Wilson to propose that the present-day ocean must have formed along the remnant suture of an older Lower Paleozoic ocean, which he named the protoAtlantic Ocean ( Fig. 1; an ocean we now know as the Iapetus Ocean; Harland & Gayer 1972). By making this observation, Tuzo Wilson fundamentally changed the newly emerging ...
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... however, the observation that the present day North Atlantic margin (which opened in the Mesozoic) lay in very close proximity to a much older faunal divide ( Fig. 1) which led Tuzo Wilson to propose that the present-day ocean must have formed along the remnant suture of an older Lower Paleozoic ocean, which he named the protoAtlantic Ocean ( Fig. 1; an ocean we now know as the Iapetus Ocean; Harland & Gayer 1972). By making this observation, Tuzo Wilson fundamentally changed the newly emerging concept of plate tectonics from what some argued to be a relatively young (Mesozoic and younger) geological phenomenon, to the key control on almost all crustal architectures we see today. ...
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... development of most concepts, there are a number of precursor works that are worthy of note. Alfred Wegener's (1912) paper 'On the origin of continents' is widely acknowledged as the seminal paper on the concept of continental drift, by recognizing that Europe and Africa were once connected to North and South America as a supercontinent (Pangea; Fig. 1d). As the observations could not be explained by a physical theory that allows the continents to drift, Wegener's concept met fierce debate (Waterschoot van der Gracht et al. 1928). Émile Argand, an early proponent of Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift, went on to propose that the Appalachian-Caledonian, Alpine and Himalayan ...
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Citations
... Alpine-style orogens are the result of deformation during continental collision and subduction, leading to crustal thickening, horizontal shortening, regional uplift (e.g., Wilson et al., 2019), inversion of sedimentary basins and fault reactivation (Cooper et al., 1989;Buiter et al., 2009). In these processes, structural, compositional and thermal inheritance in the crust may control the subsequent deformation (e.g., Manatschal et al., 2015). ...
... A prominent mechanism for large-scale natural H 2 generation is the alteration, or serpentinization, of minerals in (ultra)mafic mantle rocks when they react with liquid water (5,8). This mechanism is very efficient along rifted margins and mid-oceanic ridges that form during the divergence stage of the Wilson cycle (9), where mantle rocks are permanently serpentinized close to the ocean floor (10)(11)(12)(13), but industrial extraction of natural H 2 is likely to be uneconomic in these far offshore and deep-water environments. Onshore exploration is therefore more promising, where serpentinizationderived natural H 2 is unequivocally sourced from mantle rocks exposed at the surface [e.g., in Oman (14) and New-Caledonia (15)] or at relatively shallow (several kilometers) depth [e.g., in Albania (16) and Kosovo, (17)]. ...
... The Alps and Pyrenees are rift-inversion orogens, formed by large-scale inversion of rift basins during the convergence stage of the Wilson cycle ( Fig. 1) (9,27). They have in common that ultramafic mantle rocks are exhumed [here defined as being brought above the original depth of the crust-mantle boundary (Moho) by tectonic and erosional processes] and emplaced in the overriding plate [e.g., (28,29)]. ...
Naturally occurring hydrogen gas (H2) represents a potential source of clean energy. A promising mechanism for large-scale natural H2 generation is serpentinization of exhumed mantle material. We study this serpentinization-related H2 generation during rifting and subsequent rift-inversion orogen development using numerical geody-namic models. Serpentinization-related H2 generation is best known from rifted margins and spreading ridges. However, because orogens are colder than rift environments, conditions for serpentinization and natural H 2 generation are considerably better in orogenic settings: We find that yearly H2 generation capacity from serpentiniza-tion in the overriding mantle wedge during rift inversion may be up to 20 times larger than during rifting. Moreover, suitable reservoirs and seals required for economic H 2 accumulations to form are readily available in rift-inversion orogens but are likely absent during bulk serpentinization in rift settings. Together with indications of ongoing natural H2 generation in the Balkans and Pyrenees, our model results provide a first-order motivation for natural H2 exploration in rift-inversion orogens.
... This interpretation is consistent with a lack late-Mesoproterozoic geology craton-side of the Cork Fault, and the interpretations of seismic profiles across the Cork Fault by Korsch et al. (2012) and Korsch et al. (2024). This implies that the Cork Fault is a continental suture between the NAC and said exotic terrane, and that this boundary records Wilson-cycle style processes of subduction, ocean closure, and terrane collision (Buiter and Torsvik, 2014;Wilson et al., 2019). We present three possible scenarios (Figs. 9, 10 and 11) for the origin of the Oakvale Province, each of which is based upon an existing pre-Rodinia tectonic configuration. ...
... The formation of positive basin inversion structures can be attributed to the transitioning tectonic regime from extension to compression Williams et al., 1989). This transition marks a critical shift from the basin opening phase to the closing phase within the Wilson cycle (Wilson et al., 2019). This shift in the tectonic regime can be triggered by a localized event, such as the movement of a strike-slip fault (Chantraprasert & Utitsan, 2021;Gómez De La Peña et al., 2022), or by a regional event such as continental-continental collision (Izquierdo-Llavall et al., 2018;Segev et al., 2018). ...
The Beibuwan Basin is situated at the northwest margin of the South China Sea (SCS) and thereby provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between extrusion and slab‐pull tectonics. Through borehole‐constrained seismic interpretation and quantitative analyses of inversion magnitude, broadly developed end‐Oligocene basin inversion structures have been identified, with their intensity gradually diminishing toward the southeast. The mechanisms underlying the inversion cannot be fully explained by either the extrusion of Indochina Block and South China Block (SCB) or the slab‐pull of Proto‐South China Sea alone. Therefore, we propose an innovative hybrid model suggesting that extrusion tectonics have played a more dominant role than slab‐pull tectonics over time. More specifically, during the Oligocene, extrusion tectonics, as evidenced by the thrusting along the Longmenshan Fault, exerted compressional stress on the western part of the SCB. Concurrently, slab‐pull tectonics induced extension in the SCS, with the extensional force impacting the southern part of the SCB as well. This resulted in a northeast‐oriented stress neutral line within the SCB, delineating the boundary between extensional and compressional stress. At the end of the Oligocene, the initiation of the Sabah Orogeny weakened the effects of slab‐pull tectonics. Consequently, the stress neutral line shifted southeastward to the south of the Qiongdongnan Basin and the northwest sub‐basin of the SCS, triggering the development of inversion structures in the study area and the southward jump of the spreading ridge. This model highlights the significance of compressional stress during the SCS evolution, marking a fundamental difference from the traditional models.
... Along the northern Appalachians, outboard continental growth through successive accretion of younger terranes or continental slivers is well documented in cross-field studies, and has inspired the concept of tectonic inheritance, which is fundamental in modern plate tectonics (e.g. Thomas 2006;Audet and Bürgmann 2011;Wilson et al. 2019). Features such as largescale faults and compressional structures inherited from earlier orogenic events form lithospheric weak zones, which are preferably targeted in subsequent tectonic events (e.g. ...
The Northeastern North American lithosphere, integral to supercontinent cycles and the Wilson Cycle concept, remains largely inaccessible at depth. Employing innovative P-wave receiver function methods, we unveil the upper ∼60 km of the lithosphere, focusing on the Appalachian Front (AF). Three distinct lithospheric blocks emerge, revealing a central 150 km-wide region of thick (45+ km) crust with a gradational Moho and elevated P-to-S velocity ratio (κ), flanked by thinner (35-40 km) crust regions with lower κ and a sharp Moho. Abrupt changes align with Proterozoic (SFSZ) and Paleozoic (BVBL) tectonic boundaries, but not with AF and the Red Indian Line (RIL), two of the first order structural boundaries in the region. An elevated κ area coincides with the ∼450 Ma Charlevoix impact crater. Lithosphere northwest of BVBL retains Neoproterozoic supercontinent assembly structures, while the lithospheric affinity of the southeast region remains unclear. Despite the Red Indian Line marking the Pangean suture, connecting Paleozoic Laurentian and Gondwanan rocks, no changes are observed at depth. This suggests a thin-skinned tectonic regime and/or significant lateral transport. We propose either Gondwanan lithosphere extension to BVBL or a subsurface Laurentia-Gondwana suture southeast of its surface trace.
... The Wilson cycle, a fundamental concept in plate tectonics, describes a sequence of events involving tectonic divergence and convergence at a plate boundary (Wilson, 1966;Wilson et al., 2019). This cycle involves the fragmentation of a continent, leading to the formation of an oceanic basin. ...
Many of the world's rifts and rifted margins have developed within former orogens. The South China Sea (SCS) formed during Cenozoic rifting by utilizing pre‐existing orogenic structures, like thrust faults, thickened crust, and corresponding thermal weaknesses. The mechanisms explaining how inherited structures influence the spatiotemporal evolution of a rift remain a topic of on‐going research. Here, we explore the impact of orogenic inheritance on rift evolution through a numerical forward model that reproduces geodynamic and landscape evolution processes. By imposing time‐dependent phases of shortening and extension, we model rifted margin formation that is consistent with the available geological and geophysical observations of the SCS. Our numerical models allow us to identify thrust faults that are reactivated as normal faults during extensional phases. Not all pre‐existing thrust faults, however, undergo full reactivation, as their behavior is influenced by variations in lithospheric strength and the pre‐existing structural discontinuities. We further show that inherited orogenic structures compete with each other during extensional reactivation and ultimately govern the location of continental breakup. Our results provide valuable insights into the broader implications of inherited orogenic structures and how they affect subsequent rift system evolution.
... When geoscientists are asked to define the Wilson Cycle succinctly, they often describe it as the process of ocean basins opening and closing, which reflects its original conceptualization (Wilson et al., 2019). A critical phase in the Wilson cycle is the transition from the opening to the demise of an ocean basin (Hall, 2019). ...
... A critical phase in the Wilson cycle is the transition from the opening to the demise of an ocean basin (Hall, 2019). The Wilson Cycle can be delineated into six stages: the dispersal of a continent (continental rift; Embryonic Ocean), the development of a nascent ocean by seafloor spreading (Young Ocean), the formation of oceanic basins by continental drift (Mature Ocean), the initiation of new subduction (Declining Ocean), the closure of oceanic basins through oceanic lithospheric sub-duction (Terminal Ocean), and finally, the collision of two continents (Relic Suture Zone) (Wilson et al., 2019). The first three stages (Embryonic, Young, and Mature) describe the expansion and growth of the ocean basin. ...
... Rift-affinity magmas (e.g., intraplate basaltic rocks, Huang et al., 2018;Wang et al., 2022a;Liu et al., 2023b) typically indicate the initial stages of rifting and oceanic crust formation (e.g., Zeng et al., 2019), thereby establishing a lower limit on the timing of ocean opening. Magmatic rocks exposed on the ocean floor, such as ocean island basalt (OIB) and mid-ocean-ridge basalt (MORB), reflect the mature stages of an ocean, providing constraints on the upper limit of the opening time of the ocean (Wilson et al., 2019). However, for oceans that have disappeared, the preservation of such magmatic rocks is generally limited, as the oceanic lithosphere is often subducted or eroded following continental collision. ...
The formation and evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean profoundly influenced the pre-collisional configuration of the Tibetan Plateau before the India-Asia collision. However, the timing of the Neo-Tethys Ocean's opening and the resulting magmatism remain subjects of ongoing debate. Here we present an integrated investigation of a suite of basaltic andesites exposed in the Gyaca area, eastern Tethyan Himalaya, southern Tibetan Plateau. Using zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopes, bulk rock geochemical data, and whole-rock Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic data, we attempt to temporally and petrogenetically constrain the early stages of magmatism associated with the opening of the Neo-Tethys Ocean. The Gyaca basaltic andesites were formed in the Late Triassic (ca. 217 Ma). They exhibit geochemical features resembling those of arc magmatic rocks, characterized by moderate light/heavy rare earth element fractionation ((La/Yb)N = 5.16–6.57), enrichment in large ion lithophile elements, and depletion in high field strength elements. They also show variable whole-rock Srsingle bondNd (87Sr/86Sri = 0.709848–0.712233; εNd(t) = −1.12 to 0.19) and zircon Hf (εHf(t) = −6.2 to 3.2) isotope compositions, alongside depleted whole-rock Hf isotopes (εHf(t) = 2.83–7.42). Compared to coeval arc magmatism in the southern Lhasa Terrane in the southern Tibetan Plateau, the Gyaca basaltic andesites show higher incompatible element contents and more enriched Ndsingle bondHf isotope compositions, ruling out their origin as products of northward subduction of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic plate. The negative correlation between the Mg# of these basaltic andesites and εNd(t) suggests that more primitive magmas have more enriched Nd isotopes, likely due to assimilation with sediments during turbulent magma ascent under high thermal conditions. Combining existing petrological and sedimentological evidence, we propose that the Gyaca basaltic andesites likely document the early interaction between the upwelling asthenosphere and the overlying sediments during the initial spreading of the Neo-Tethys seafloor. Consequently, the opening of the Neo-Tethys Ocean in the eastern Himalaya would not postdate the Late Triassic.
... Цикл Вильсон, который описывает открытие и закрытие океанических бассейнов, а также субдукцию и расхождение тектонических плит во время сборки и разборки суперконтинентов, вероятно, один из самых продолжительных (Wilson, 1966;Wilson et al., 2019;Fu et al., 2023). Классическим примером такого цикла является открытие и закрытие Атлантического океана. ...
В книге рассмотрен ряд ключевых проблем современной гидробиоло�гии. Основное внимание уделено возможностям и ограничениям балансовых
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Проанализированы сложности понимания реальных трофических сетей. Дано
описание концепции альтернативных состояний экосистем. Проведен анализ
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Показана необходимость перехода к адаптивному менеджменту природопользования. / The book examines several key problems of modern hydrobiology. The main
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... During the Permian, the assembly of Gondwana and Laurasia led to the formation of the supercontinent Pangea on a global scale, with the surrounding ocean known as Panthalassa, also referred to as the paleo-Pacific Ocean (Müller et al., 2008b(Müller et al., , 2016Seton et al., 2012;Boschman and van Hinsbergen, 2016;Wilson et al., 2019). In the Early Jurassic (~190 Ma), the Panthalassan plate began to rift, resulting in the emergence of three subplates: Izanagi, Far-allon, and Phoenix (Seton et al., 2012). ...
... Ga ago (Figure 3). This formation period (300-400 Ma) coincides well with the opening of the Panthalassan Ocean (Pacific-Izanagi) that encircled the Pangea supercontinent during the Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic (Müller et al., 2008a(Müller et al., , 2016Seton et al., 2012;Boschman and van Hinsbergen, 2016;Wilson et al., 2019). ...
The subduction and rollback of the paleo-Pacific plate during Mesozoic time was the key engine for the evolution of the continental margin in eastern China. It led to lateral accretion of continental crust in Northeast China, lithospheric destruction beneath the North China Craton, and the generation of huge volumes of felsic magmatic rocks in South China. This had a profound influence on deep material cycles and the evolution of epigenetic environmental systems along the continental margin of East Asia. To fully understand the transformation of the dynamic mechanism during the subduction and rollback of the paleo-Pacific plate, we have attempted to trace the remnants and fragments of the subducted paleo-Pacific plate at great depths. Such remnants in both temporal and spatial dimensions can be tracked by using geochemical and geophysical approaches. Studies of the trace elements, Mg-Zn isotopes and Os-Nd-Hf-Pb-O isotopes in continental basalts from eastern China reveal a significant number of the remnants of subduction of the paleo-Pacific plate, and the initial subduction can be traced back to the Early Jurassic. Large-scale geophysical imaging unveils a multitude of high-velocity anomalies in the lower mantle of East Asia. Notably, many high-velocity bodies, aptly referred to as “slab graveyards”, are nestled at the base of the lower mantle. Numerous isolated high-velocity anomalies are also present in the upper part of the lower mantle, creating conduits for the descent of the subducted slabs into the lower mantle. However, a resolution of the remnants for the subducted slabs within the lower mantle are quite low. Consequently, their impact on the lower mantle’s dynamics is yet to be thoroughly investigated. Finally, the presently observed big mantle wedge (BMW) in East Asia has developed through subduction of the Pacific plate in the Cenozoic. However, following the rollback of the paleo-Pacific plate (began at ∼145 Ma), a Cretaceous BMW system would also form above the mantle transition zone in East Asia. There are significant differences in tectonic-magmatic processes and basin-forming and hydrocarbon-accumulation processes among different regions along the East Asian continental margin. Such differences may be controlled by variations in the speed and angle of rollback of the paleo-Pacific plate.
... A typical Wilson Cycle is long-lived (400-600 Myr), with its final phase always marked by spatially extensive continental collision, e.g., the Alpine-Himalayan Orogen (Cawood et al., 2009;Faccenna et al., 2021;Wilson, 1966;Wilson et al., 2019). However, many non-collisional volcanotectonic cycles characterized by shorter-duration switches in deformation and magmatic patterns have also been reported in active margins worldwide (Fig. 1). ...
Pulsing volcanotectonic cycles characterized by short-lived (10 s Myr) switches in magmatic and tectonic patterns have been broadly identified in active margins. However, the specific mechanism that causes these switches remains ambiguous, i.e., whether the subduction continuity and/or terrane arrival (accretion, underthrusting, or subduction of buoyant continental/oceanic blocks with a thicker crust than their surrounding oceanic plate) plays a crucial role in controlling the observed volcanotectonic cycles remains controversial. Here, by modeling subduction processes involving the sequential arrival of buoyant terranes, we show that 1) in scenarios where the oceanic plate is weakly coupled with terranes, the entraining of the terrane into the subduction induces slab breakup to occur between the partially subducted terrane and its adjacent oceanic slab, with the terrane then rebounding and moving away from the trench. This evolution causes switches in the magmatic and tectonic patterns within the overriding plate. 2) In these models, the exposed terrane materials can preserve characteristic pressure-temperature-time trajectories, i.e., nearly isothermal compression to isothermal decompression and/or isobaric heating after partial exhumation. 3) slab breakup does not guarantee the occurrence of a trench jump; only when the terrane has a medium scale (~300 km) will a new trench tend to develop prominently behind the rebounded terrane. 4) in scenarios where the composite slab (terrane and oceanic portions) resists yielding deformation and the terrane density is close to that of the oceanic plate (<0.6% density contrast), continuous subduction will occur. In this latter scenario, slab deformation (revealed by subduction angle and slab curvature), instead of slab breakup, will control the magmatic and tectonic patterns in the overriding plate. By further comparing model results with observations, we demonstrate that intermittent subduction interrupted by the subduction of terranes can be a tectonic driver for episodes of compression-to-extension transformations and magmatism (or piston-like volcanotectonic cycles) in two representative accretionary belts-with or without trench jumps (exemplars in south-central-Tibet and eastern-Mediterranean). In contrast, continuous subduction with strongly coupled upper and subducting plates could have contributed to similar cycles in the example without accretion (e.g., the Altiplano in the Central Andes). Therefore, over 10 s of Myr, the scale and frequency of terrane arrivals could essentially control the specific motion pattern of the subducting plate, creating the observed short-lived volcanotectonic switches at these three subtypes of active margins.
