Transmogrification of ocean into continent: implications for continental evolution.

ABSTRACT: When continents collide, the typical embayments and protrusions along their rifted margins make it likely that fragments of seafloor will be trapped within the growing orogenic belt. These trapped seafloor fragments become preferential depocenters for marine and terrestrial sedimentation. After ∼0.5 Gy, the high radioactivity of their thick terrigenous sediment pile converts former seafloor into a unique form of continental crust and underlying lithosphere. We call this process transmogrification. Initially strong and low-lying basins that act as mechanically stronger blocks in the collisional orogeny will eventually warm, weaken, and thermoisostatically rise and will eventually transform into preferred sites for future continental rifting. In modern Asia, transmogrifying basins have induc

SUBMITTER: Morgan JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9169811 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature