Projects per year
Abstract
Subduction initiation is a cornerstone in the edifice of plate tectonics. It marks the turning point of the Earth's Wilson cycles and ultimately the supercycles as well. In this paper, we explore the consequences of subduction zone invasion in the Atlantic Ocean, following recent discoveries at the SW Iberia margin. We discuss a buoyancy argument based on the premise that old oceanic lithosphere is unstable for supporting large basins, implying that it must be removed in subduction zones. As a consequence, we propose a new conceptual model in which both the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans close simultaneously, leading to the termination of the present Earth's supercycle and to the formation of a new supercontinent, which we name Aurica. Our new conceptual model also provides insights into supercontinent formation and destruction (supercycles) proposed for past geological times (e.g. Pangaea, Rodinia, Columbia, Kenorland).
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 45-58 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Geological Magazine |
Volume | 155 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2018 |
Keywords
- Atlantic Ocean
- Aurica
- subduction invasion
- supercontinent
- supercycle
- Wilson cycle
Projects
- 3 Finished
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The role of subduction initiation in the evolution of Earth's oceans
Casal Duarte, J. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI))
ARC - Australian Research Council
1/01/15 → 31/12/17
Project: Research
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The Cenozoic tectonic evolution of East and Southeast Asia: Interplay between the India-Eurasia collision and the Pacific and Sunda subduction zones
Schellart, W. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI))
ARC - Australian Research Council, Monash University
1/01/12 → 15/09/16
Project: Research
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Three-dimensional subduction models of overriding plate deformation and mantle flow using laboratory and numerical methods
Schellart, W. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Cruden, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Stegman, D. (Partner Investigator (PI))
ARC - Australian Research Council, Monash University
4/01/11 → 1/10/14
Project: Research