Four-dimensional context of Earth's supercontinents

The supercontinent-cycle hypothesis attributes planetary-scale episodic tectonic events to an intrinsic self-organizing mode of mantle convection, governed by the buoyancy of continental lithosphere that resists subduction during closure of old ocean basins, and consequent reorganization of mantle c...

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Main Authors: Evans, D., Li, Zheng-Xiang, Murphy, J.
Format: Book Chapter
Published: 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25277
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author Evans, D.
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Murphy, J.
author_facet Evans, D.
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Murphy, J.
author_sort Evans, D.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The supercontinent-cycle hypothesis attributes planetary-scale episodic tectonic events to an intrinsic self-organizing mode of mantle convection, governed by the buoyancy of continental lithosphere that resists subduction during closure of old ocean basins, and consequent reorganization of mantle convection cells leading to opening of new ocean basins. Characteristic timescales of the cycle are typically 500-700 myr. Proposed spatial patterns of cyclicity range from hemispheric (introversion) to antipodal (extroversion), to precisely between those end-members (orthoversion). Advances in our understanding can arise from theoretical or numerical modelling, primary data acquisition relevant to continental reconstructions, and spatiotemporal correlations between plate kinematics, geodynamic events and palaeoenvironmental history. The palaeogeographic record of supercontinental tectonics on Earth is still under development. The contributions in this special publication provide snap-shots in time of these investigations and indicate that Earth's palaeogeographic record incorporates elements of all three endmember spatial patterns.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-252772017-09-13T15:20:56Z Four-dimensional context of Earth's supercontinents Evans, D. Li, Zheng-Xiang Murphy, J. The supercontinent-cycle hypothesis attributes planetary-scale episodic tectonic events to an intrinsic self-organizing mode of mantle convection, governed by the buoyancy of continental lithosphere that resists subduction during closure of old ocean basins, and consequent reorganization of mantle convection cells leading to opening of new ocean basins. Characteristic timescales of the cycle are typically 500-700 myr. Proposed spatial patterns of cyclicity range from hemispheric (introversion) to antipodal (extroversion), to precisely between those end-members (orthoversion). Advances in our understanding can arise from theoretical or numerical modelling, primary data acquisition relevant to continental reconstructions, and spatiotemporal correlations between plate kinematics, geodynamic events and palaeoenvironmental history. The palaeogeographic record of supercontinental tectonics on Earth is still under development. The contributions in this special publication provide snap-shots in time of these investigations and indicate that Earth's palaeogeographic record incorporates elements of all three endmember spatial patterns. 2016 Book Chapter http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25277 10.1144/SP424.12 unknown
spellingShingle Evans, D.
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Murphy, J.
Four-dimensional context of Earth's supercontinents
title Four-dimensional context of Earth's supercontinents
title_full Four-dimensional context of Earth's supercontinents
title_fullStr Four-dimensional context of Earth's supercontinents
title_full_unstemmed Four-dimensional context of Earth's supercontinents
title_short Four-dimensional context of Earth's supercontinents
title_sort four-dimensional context of earth's supercontinents
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25277