Geodynamic models of terrane accretion: Testing the fate of island arcs, oceanic plateaus, and continental fragments in subduction zones

Tetreault, J. L.; Buiter, Susanne

doi:10.1029/2012jb009316

Cited by 86 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 92 publications

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“…Canada where the Paleozoic Quesnellia, Stikinia, and Cache Creek terranes were thrust and subsequently transported hundreds of kilometers inland over a Proterozoic metasedimentary wedge (Snyder et al, 2009;van der Velden and Cook, 2005;Cook et al, 2004). Other notable examples of accretion via flake tectonics include the Alps (Oxburgh, 1972) and the Archean greenstone belts (Hoffman and Ranalli, 1988).…”

Section: J L Tetreault and S J H Buiter: Future Accreted Terranesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Active island arcs will have hot and thin lithospheres, and the high geotherms could activate detachments between crustal layers. The depth of the weak layer or detachment determines the amount of crust and the layers of crust that can be underplated (Tetreault and Buiter, 2012). Continental fragments also may contain pre-existing faults from their earlier rifting stage that could serve as detachment faults during subduction.…”

Section: From Fat To Accreted Terranementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thrust slices of underplated FAT crust are often interlaid with thrusted melange units, as seen in the imbricated intraoceanic arc and melange slices of the Klamath Mountains (Wright and Wyld, 1994). In addition, weak crustal layers can be activated as detachments that allow for shearing of crustal units (Zagorevski et al, 2009;Tetreault and Buiter, 2012). Flake tectonics is the process of obduction of terranes during subduction/collision on top of an overriding strong wedge (Oxburgh, 1972).…”

Section: Accretionary Orogenesis Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although buoyancy is an enabling factor in crustal accretion at subduction zones, it is likely that accretion can occur because weak layers in the FAT crust enable detachments and shear zones to develop within the subduction zone as the crust is subducting. Recent geodynamic experiments show that if a weak zone or detachment fault is present within the crust of the subducting crustal region, whether it is an island arc, oceanic plateau, or continental fragment, accretion will occur and leave a severely thinned terrane (Afonso and Zlotnik, 2011;Tetreault and Buiter, 2012). In island arcs, possible delamination units are the felsic middle crust and the CMTL.…”

Section: From Fat To Accreted Terranementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Seno (2008) calculated the forces in the subduction zone necessary for a crustal block of continental affinity to shear off of a subducting plate and concluded that accretion can only occur in a relatively dry (low pore pressure) subduction interface. More recently, analog and numerical geodynamic experiments have examined the subductability of oceanic LIPs, submarine ridges, island arcs, continental submarine plateaus, and microcontinents and the effects on the subduction zone dynamics after subduction (Ellis et al, 1999;van Hunen et al, 2002;Boutelier et al, 2003;Martinod et al, 2005;Espurt et al, 2008;De Franco et al, 2008;Mason et al, 2010;Afonso and Zlotnik, 2011;Tetreault and Buiter, 2012). Of course, observations of thick oceanic LIPs subducting (such as the Ontong Java and Hikurangi plateaus; Mann and Taira, 2004;Scherwath et al, 2010;Bassett et al, 2010) and the relative absence of entire island arc crusts in the geologic record (Condie and Kröner, 2013) indicate that the accretion, subduction, and collision of thick crustal regions might not always follow the analytical and geodynamic estimates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Future accreted terranes: a compilation of island arcs, oceanic plateaus, submarine ridges, seamounts, and continental fragments

Tetreault

Buiter

2014

Solid Earth

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Abstract. Allochthonous accreted terranes are exotic geologic units that originated from anomalous crustal regions on a subducting oceanic plate and were transferred to the overriding plate by accretionary processes during subduction. The geographical regions that eventually become accreted allochthonous terranes include island arcs, oceanic plateaus, submarine ridges, seamounts, continental fragments, and microcontinents. These future allochthonous terranes (FATs) contribute to continental crustal growth, subduction dynamics, and crustal recycling in the mantle. We present a review of modern FATs and their accreted counterparts based on available geological, seismic, and gravity studies and discuss their crustal structure, geological origin, and bulk crustal density. Island arcs have an average crustal thickness of 26 km, average bulk crustal density of 2.79 g cm −3 , and three distinct crustal units overlying a crust-mantle transition zone. Oceanic plateaus and submarine ridges have an average crustal thickness of 21 km and average bulk crustal density of 2.84 g cm −3 . Continental fragments presently on the ocean floor have an average crustal thickness of 25 km and bulk crustal density of 2.81 g cm −3 . Accreted allochthonous terranes can be compared to these crustal compilations to better understand which units of crust are accreted or subducted. In general, most accreted terranes are thin crustal units sheared off of FATs and added onto the accretionary prism, with thicknesses on the order of hundreds of meters to a few kilometers. However, many island arcs, oceanic plateaus, and submarine ridges were sheared off in the subduction interface and underplated onto the overlying continent. Other times we find evidence of terrane-continent collision leaving behind accreted terranes 25-40 km thick. We posit that rheologically weak crustal layers or shear zones that were formed when the FATs were produced can be activated as detachments during subduction, allowing parts of the FAT crust to accrete and others to subduct. In many modern FATs on the ocean floor, a sub-crustal layer of high seismic velocities, interpreted as ultramafic material, could serve as a detachment or delaminate during subduction.

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Section: J L Tetreault and S J H Buiter: Future Accreted Terranesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: From Fat To Accreted Terranementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Accretionary Orogenesis Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: From Fat To Accreted Terranementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Future accreted terranes: a compilation of island arcs, oceanic plateaus, submarine ridges, seamounts, and continental fragments

Tetreault

Buiter

2014

Solid Earth

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Three-dimensional velocity structure of the outer fore arc of the Colombia-Ecuador subduction zone and implications for the 1958 megathrust earthquake rupture zone

Cano

Galvé

Charvis

et al. 2014

J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth

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In 2005, an onshore, offshore 3-D refraction and wide-angle reflection seismic experiment was conducted along the convergent margin at the border between Colombia and Ecuador, over the rupture zone of the 1958, M w 7.6 subduction earthquake. A well-defined Vp velocity model of the plate boundary and upper and lower plates was constructed, down to 25 km depth, using first arrival traveltimes inversion. The model reveals a several kilometers thick, low-velocity zone in the upper plate, located immediately above the interplate contact. This low-velocity zone might be related to alteration and fracturing of the mafic and ultramafic rocks, which composed the upper plate in this area by fluids released by the lower plate with possible contributions from sediment underplating. Near the toe of the margin, the model shows a low-velocity gradient in the outer wedge, which is interpreted as highly faulted and fractured rocks. This low-velocity/low-gradient region appears to limit the oceanward extension of the rupture zones of the 1958 and 1979 earthquakes, possibly because coseismic deformation and uplift of the outer margin wedge dissipates most of the seismic energy.

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Collision of Manihiki Plateau fragments to accretional margins of northern Andes and Antarctic Peninsula

Hochmuth

Gohl

2017

Tectonics

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The Manihiki Plateau, a large igneous province (LIP), was emplaced in the Early Cretaceous as a single plateau together with the Ontong Java Plateau and the Hikurangi Plateau. Additional to the present Manihiki Plateau, fragments to its northeast and east have been formed. Plate kinematic reconstructions suggest the capturing of these fragments by the Farallon Plate and the Phoenix Plate, respectively. By tracing these fragments, we report a Paleocene collision of the northeastern Manihiki Plateau fragment with the northern South American craton. The northern Andes exhibit multiple terranes of LIP origin. We infer, based on geophysical, petrological, and geochemical data, that the Piñón formation consists of crustal units of the former Manihiki Plateau. An Early Cretaceous collision of the eastern Manihiki Plateau fragment is reconstructed for West Antarctica. The subduction of this fragment in the Palmer Land region can be associated with the so‐called Palmer Land Event and a flattening of the subduction slab. By reconstructing the dispersal of the fragments of the Manihiki Plateau, we provide a deeper insight in the possible subduction scenarios and buildup of the accretional margins of the northern Andes and the Antarctic Peninsula.

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Geodynamic models of terrane accretion: Testing the fate of island arcs, oceanic plateaus, and continental fragments in subduction zones

Cited by 86 publications

References 92 publications

Future accreted terranes: a compilation of island arcs, oceanic plateaus, submarine ridges, seamounts, and continental fragments

Future accreted terranes: a compilation of island arcs, oceanic plateaus, submarine ridges, seamounts, and continental fragments

Three-dimensional velocity structure of the outer fore arc of the Colombia-Ecuador subduction zone and implications for the 1958 megathrust earthquake rupture zone

Collision of Manihiki Plateau fragments to accretional margins of northern Andes and Antarctic Peninsula

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