Highly magmatic breakup LIP centers – a revisit to the East Greenland VRM

Decompressional release of magma at continental triple rift breakup LIP centers, above mantle plume stems, result in highly magmatic settings. As a particularly well exposed example, it is proposed that the East Greenland coastal dyke swarm preserves a structural record of how dyke dilations versus tectonic extension increased upon approaching its Kangerlussuaq triple rift center. Such more magmatic breakup is reflected by how abruptly its volcanic rifted margin transitions into 100% dykes, and in this case up to 100 km farther inland than its geophysically determined continent-ocean boundary. Correspondingly high magma flux through an igneous Kap Edward Holm center sustained the lateral injection of up to 150 km-long dykes, evidenced by increased cut-off dyke thicknesses - below which there is an anomalously low abundance of thinner dykes - that conform to the cube root of their thermal arrest distance. Only the thickest and thereby longest dyke injections linked up with a more southerly located igneous Imilik center of an en echelon offset dyke swarm, the complex transition into which is also addressed. This highly magmatic central plumbing system is further compared to similar volcanic zones across Iceland and other post-Paleozoic breakup LIPs, in order to contextualize its importance.

Control of obliquity directions on structural development, from rifting to inversion: Examples from the Tethyan domain

<p>Oblique rift systems form when the axis of rifting is not orthogonal to the direction of tectonic extension, normally due to pre-existing zones of weakness that influence the location and orientation of new faults. Irrespective of the regional-scale obliquity, most individual extensional faults will tend to nucleate according to the orientation of the tectonic stress orientations, and therefore normal to the direction of maximum extension. Transfer faults in oblique systems will tend to form parallel to the direction of extension and, in contrast to orthogonal rifting, will play a major role in the architecture and development of the rift and its sedimentary basins.</p><p>An intriguing feature in oblique rift systems is the formation of reverse structures evocative of wrench tectonics during the syn-rifting stage. This stems from the orientation of geological structures relative to the direction of tectonic extension. Even slight changes in tectonic transport direction or stress orientations during the development of the rift system can lead to events of transpression or transtension along transfer structures. Because of the relevance of transfer structures in oblique systems, transpression can result in the appearance of discontinuities in the sedimentary record that are often interpreted as, somewhat incongruent, inversion events.</p><p>Oblique structures also play a crucial role during the full inversion of the rift system during convergence, particularly so because tectonic shortening will strike at an angle to the orientation of faults. Irrespective of the evolution of oblique rifting and inversion, the initial fault pattern is also normally preserved in fully inverted systems involved in fold-and-thrust systems. In many of cases, when the original rift obliquity is not well understood, the characteristic rhomboidal pattern is interpreted to relate to wrench tectonics.  In this presentation we will review evidence from Iberia, Northwestern Africa and the Eastern Alps to discuss the role that obliquity plays in rift development and its inheritance in fold-and-thrust belts with different degrees of inversion.</p>

Inhomogeneous thinning of a cratonic lithospheric keel by tectonic extension: The Early Cretaceous Jiaodong Peninsula–Liaodong Peninsula extensional provinces, eastern North China craton

The mechanisms of lithospheric thinning and craton destruction have been hotly debated in the last decades. The Early Cretaceous Jiaodong and Liaodong extensional provinces (JEP and LEP, respectively) of the eastern North China craton are typical areas where the cratonic Archean lithosphere has been intensely extended and thinned. Various extensional structures, e.g., metamorphic core complexes (MCCs), low-angle detachment faults, and extensional basins, characterize the Early Cretaceous crustal deformation of the two provinces. However, profound differences exist in structural development and related magmatic activities between the two provinces. Distributed small-scale extensional basins were formed in association with exhumation of the Liaonan and Wanfu MCCs in the LEP, whereas the major Jiaolai Basin was developed coevally with exhumation of the Wulian, Queshan, and Linglong MCCs in the JEP. Sr-Nd isotope compositions of volcanic rocks from the basins of the two provinces are compatible with syntectonic magmatic activities of evolving magma sources in the LEP, but multiple and hybrid magma sources in the JEP. It is shown, from variations in structural styles, plutonic and volcanic activities, and thermal evolution of the two extensional provinces, that two stages (ca. 135–120 Ma and 120–100 Ma) of tectonic extension affected the JEP and LEP in the Early Cretaceous. We demonstrate that regional tectonic extension (parallel extension tectonics, or PET) is responsible for the formation of major extensional structures and the occurrence of the magmatic associations. Progressive wide rifting by coupled crust-mantle detachment faulting of a hot LEP lithosphere was accompanied by evolving magma sources from dominant ancient crust and enriched mantle to juvenile crust. Two stages of narrow rifting of a cold JEP lithosphere led to early crustal detachment faulting transitioning to late crust-mantle faulting, which resulted in intense magmatic activity from hybrid to multiple magma sources. These processes contributed to destruction of the craton, with thinning of its lithospheric keel and local transformation of the nature of the lithospheric mantle. It is expected that such a model is also applicable to interpretation of tectonic extension of contiguous areas of the North China craton and the remobilization of other cratons.

Shallow Asthenospheric Volumes in the Circum-Mediterranean and their Relation to Intraplate Volcanism and Topography

<p>Based on a high-resolution Rayleigh-wave tomography of the Mediterranean region, shallow asthenospheric volumes are identified characterized by low S-wave velocities between about 70 km and 250 km depth. We distinguish between five major shallow asthenospheric volumes in the Circum-Mediterranean: the Middle East, the Anatolian-Aegean, the Pannonian, the Central European, and the Western Mediterranean Asthenospheres. Remarkably, they form an almost closed circular belt of asthenospheres interrupted only by thick Triassic oceanic lithosphere in the eastern Mediterranean. Shallow asthenosphere beneath the Rhone and Rhine Grabens connects the Western Mediterranean with the Central European Asthenosphere. Beneath the Serbian and Rhodope Mountains shallow asthenosphere forms a link between the Pannonian and the Anatolian-Aegean Asthenosphere.</p><p>Cenozoic intraplate volcanic fields are found above all areas underlain by shallow asthenosphere, and is absent in areas of thick lithosphere. Thus, anorogenic intraplate volcanism in the circum-Mediterranean appears to be associated with shallow asthenospheric volumes. Specifically, this applies to volcanic fields in the central Apennines and Sicily underlain by the Western Mediterranean Asthenosphere. Regions without significant tectonic extension above shallow asthenosphere are characterized by elevated topography. Examples are the Anatolian Plateau, the Western Carpathians, the Atlas Mountains and the low mountain ranges in Central Europe and Iberia. In back-arc regions like the Aegean and Pannonian Basins, and the western Mediterranean, strong tectonic extension leads to low topography above shallow asthenosphere. High continental shoulders are present in transition regions towards thinner lithosphere. Examples are the Levantine coast, the Moesian platform and the Bohemian Massif or the southern Atlas Mountains. We further note that in regions of past volcanism continental lithosphere is thickening by long-term cooling. The showcase for this is the North-German Basin where sedimentation and an about 100 km thick lithosphere developed after extensive Permian volcanism. These observations hint at considerable  variability in time of the continental lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary: Thinning of continental lithosphere may be caused by extension and/or thermal erosion whereas cooling may lead to thickening of continental lithosphere as is evident from the Mesozoic evolution of continental lithosphere in central Europe.  </p><p> </p>

Magmatic activity at the Silurian/Devonian boundary in the Brunovistulia and Małopolska Terranes (S Poland): possible link with the Rheic Ocean closure and the onset of the Rheno-Hercynian Basin

The age of granophyric diorite from the Sosnowiec IG-1 borehole (Brunovistulia Terrane) was studied by means of U–Pb single-grain zircon analysis performed on a SHRIMP (sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe) IIe device. The isotope ages and provenance of zircons from the Emsian tuffs cropping out in the southern part of the Holy Cross Mountains (Małopolska Terrane) were also investigated using the same method. The age of the diorite intrusion (420 ± 2 Ma) is comparable with the combined Ar–Ar/magnetostratigraphic age of the Bardo diabase intrusion from the northern part of the Małopolska Terrane. These intrusions were emplaced during the same event of regional tectonic extension associated with the Rheic Ocean closure and the onset of processes creating the Rheno-Hecynian Basin near the Silurian/Devonian boundary. A negative Nb anomaly characteristic of both intrusions could be linked with the subduction of the Rheic oceanic crust under the SE margin of the Old Red Continent. Emsian magmatic activity in the distant Rheno-Hercynian Zone provided several tuff layers in the northern part of the Małopolska Terrane. As can be inferred from zircon ages, these tuffs were derived from mafic eruptions that cut sedimentary rocks containing detrital zircons transported from Baltica. This interpretation fits the existing models of development of the Rheno-Hercynian Basin in the Emsian.