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We compare and contrast the materials and mechanisms of continental crustal growth in the largest preserved regions of Phanerozoic and Archean juvenile additions to the crust, to test for similarities or differences in the formation of continents through time. We accomplish this through a comparison of map patterns, lithological contents, and structural and metamorphic evolution of the Phanerozoic Altaid orogenic system of Asia, with the Archean Superior Province of the North American Craton, using a method termed comparative orotomy. Both orogenic systems consist of collages of curvilinear belts of eroded arcs, some older continental slivers, and vast tracts of former subduction/accretionary complexes. These contain numerous shreds of portions of the ophiolite suite, slivers of island and continental arcs, and accreted oceanic plateau, all intruded by multiple magmatic suites during or between multiple deformation events, then sliced by large transcurrent fault systems and bent into large oroclinal structures. We make this comparison because the Superior Province is a typical Archean craton that was later, in the Paleoproterozoic, incorporated into the larger North American Craton, and has occupied a central position in several supercontinents (e.g. Kenorland and Nuna, which then formed the core of Columbia, Rodinia, Laurentia and Pangea) during its longevity. Since it is the largest single fragment of Archean continental cratonic lithosphere preserved on Earth, the Superior Province is widely regarded as a testing ground for how Earth's continental crust was formed. Likewise, the Altaids encompass the largest region of crustal growth for the Phanerozoic. Our comparison with the Altaids is needed, as in recent years many myths about how the planet may have responded to higher heat production and flow in the Archean have emerged, because of trends in the science where regional geology is ignored in favor of numerical models, isotopic proxies for assumed models of chemical behavior for crust-forming or tectonic processes, or comparisons with other-worldly bodies that bear little resemblance to our hydrous Earth. Thus, we return to the geological record, and here describe the map patterns, lithological associations, structural patterns and evolution of both the Altaids and Superior Province, showing how comparative tectonics, orotomy, is useful in the absence of meaningful paleomagnetic or biostratigraphic data. We pay particular attention to the style of preservation of disaggregated members of the ophiolite suite (ophirags) and their relationships with other tectonic units, and to the widespread but largely overlooked role of late-stage major transcurrent motions and structural slicing of both Archean and Phanerozoic orogenic systems in defining the present-day architecture of both orogenic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eastern Mediterranean is the most seismically active region in Europe due to the complex interactions of the Arabian, African, and Eurasian tectonic plates. Deformation is achieved by faulting in the brittle crust, distributed flow in the viscoelastic lower-crust and mantle, and Hellenic subduction, but the long-term partitioning of these mechanisms is still unknown. We exploit an extensive suite of geodetic observations to build a kinematic model connecting strike-slip deformation, extension, subduction, and shear localization across Anatolia and the Aegean Sea by mapping the distribution of slip and strain accumulation on major active geological structures. We find that tectonic escape is facilitated by a plate-boundary-like, trans-lithospheric shear zone extending from the Gulf of Evia to the Turkish-Iranian Plateau that underlies the surface trace of the North Anatolian Fault. Additional deformation in Anatolia is taken up by a series of smaller-scale conjugate shear zones that reach the upper mantle, the largest of which is located beneath the East Anatolian Fault. Rapid north–south extension in the western part of the system, driven primarily by Hellenic Trench retreat, is accommodated by rotation and broadening of the North Anatolian mantle shear zone from the Sea of Marmara across the north Aegean Sea, and by a system of distributed transform faults and rifts including the rapidly extending Gulf of Corinth in central Greece and the active grabens of western Turkey. Africa–Eurasia convergence along the Hellenic Arc occurs at a median rate of 49.8 mm yr–1 in a largely trench-normal direction except near eastern Crete where variably oriented slip on the megathrust coincides with mixed-mode and strike-slip deformation in the overlying accretionary wedge near the Ptolemy–Pliny–Strabo trenches. Our kinematic model illustrates the competing roles the North Anatolian mantle shear zone, Hellenic Trench, overlying mantle wedge, and active crustal faults play in accommodating tectonic indentation, slab rollback and associated Aegean extension. Viscoelastic flow in the lower crust and upper mantle dominate the surface velocity field across much of Anatolia and a clear transition to megathrust-related slab pull occurs in western Turkey, the Aegean Sea and Greece. Crustal scale faults and the Hellenic wedge contribute only a minor amount to the large-scale, regional pattern of Eastern Mediterranean interseismic surface deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accretionary orogens are characterized by voluminous juvenile components (recently derived from the mantle) and knowing the origin(s) of such components is vital for understanding crustal generation. Here we present field and petrological observations, along with mineral chemistry, zircon U–Pb age and Hf–O isotope data, and whole rock geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic data for the c.320 Ma Ulungur intrusive complex from the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The complex consists of two different magmatic series: one is characterized by medium- to high-K calc-alkaline gabbro to monzogranite; the other is defined by peralkaline aegirine–arfvedsonite granitoids. The calc-alkaline and peralkaline series granitoids have similar depleted mantle-like Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions, but they have different zircon δ18O values: the calc-alkaline series have mantle-like δ18O values with mean compositions ranging from 5·2 ± 0·5‰ to 6·0 ± 0·9‰ (2SD), and the peralkaline granitoids have low δ18O values ranging from 3·3 ± 0·5‰ to 3·9 ± 0·4‰ (2SD). The calc-alkaline series were derived from a hydrous sub-arc mantle wedge, based on the isotope and geochemical compositions, under garnet peridotite facies conditions. This study suggests that the magmas underwent substantial differentiation, ranging from high pressure crystallization of ultramafic cumulates in the lower crust to lower pressure crystallization dominated by amphibole, plagioclase and minor biotite in the upper crust. The peralkaline series rocks are characterized by δ18O values lower than the mantle and enrichment of high field strength elements (HFSEs) and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs). They likely originated from melting of preexisting hydrothermally altered residual oceanic crust in the lower crust of the Junggar intra-oceanic arc. Early crystallization of clinopyroxene and amphibole was inhibited owing to their low melting temperature, leading to HFSEs and HREEs enrichment in residual peralkaline melts during crystallization of a feldspar-dominated mineral assemblage. Thus, the calc-alkaline and peralkaline series represent episodes of crust generation and reworking, respectively, demonstrating that the juvenile isotopic signature in accretionary orogens can be derived from diverse source rocks. Our results show that reworking of residual oceanic crust also plays an important role in continental crust formation for accretionary orogens, which has not previously been widely recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primitive arc magmas in oceanic island arcs are probes of sub-arc magmatic processes and are crucial for understanding oceanic subduction. We report data for an Early Paleozoic oceanic arc volcanic complex in the Lajishan–Yongjing terrane, South Qilian Accretionary Belt (SQAB), Qilian Orogen, including zircon U–Pb dating and Hf–O isotopes, mineral and whole-rock geochemistry, and Sr–Nd isotope compositions. New zircon ages of ∼455–440 Ma constrain the timing of arc volcanism and the subduction of the Qilian Ocean. Based on petrography and bulk-rock composition, five lithological types have been identified: ankaramite; high-Mg basaltic andesite; high-Al andesite; boninite; sanukite. The volcanic sequence thus is one of the few island arcs where three types of near-primitive arc rocks including boninite, ankaramite and sanukite have been simultaneously produced. All these rocks have variably enriched Sr–Nd isotopic compositions, positive to slight negative zircon εHf(t) values and elevated zircon δ18O values. Boninites, ankaramites and sanukites are interpreted as contemporary near-primitive melts generated from different sources and conditions within an island arc setting. Boninites are characterized by low Ti and REE concentrations and high Cr# chrome spinel, and are interpreted as melts of refractory, Cpx-poor, spinel lherzolite or harzburgite at >25% partial melting. Anomalous zircon δ18O values of 6·57–7·61‰ and Sr–Nd mixing calculations suggest less than 2% incorporation of subducted oceanic sediments into the mantle source of the magmas. The ankaramites are characterized by low SiO2 and high MgO (Mg#), Cr, Ni and La/Yb ratios, and have similar isotopic ratios to tectonically adjacent ocean island basalt (OIB) lavas. The ankaramite lavas are likely to have derived from mantle sources similar to those of OIB; that is, pyroxenite-bearing garnet peridotite enriched in incompatible elements. High-Mg basaltic andesites and high-Al andesites may be derived from parental ankaramite magmas. Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic mixing modeling constrains the amount of silicic melt to ∼1–4% for ankaramite magma. Sanukites are of andesitic–dacitic composition with high Mg#, Cr and Ni, and enriched large ion lithophile elements and high La/Yb ratios. They are interpreted as having been generated by reaction of mantle peridotite with a silicic melt, itself derived from subducted sediments. Enriched Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions constrain the amount of silicic melt to ∼10–15% for sanukite. Large compositional variations among the volcanic rocks from the same arc reflect heterogeneous mantle sources and variable degrees of mantle metasomatism by sediment-derived hydrous fluids or silicic melts, accompanied by secondary assimilation–fractional crystallization processes during magma ascent to the surface. The generation of the island arc volcanic sequence in the Lajishan–Yongjing Terrane is a response to the collision between the Lajishan–Yongjing Oceanic Plateau (recorded by the Lajishan–Yongjing Ophiolite) and the pre-existing trench–continental margin. Evolution from a continental margin in the North Qilian Accretionary Belt to an oceanic island arc in the SQAB records subduction advance and retreat in the history of the Qilian Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]