Pannotia: In defence of its existence and geodynamic significance

The status of Pannotia as an Ediacaran supercontinent, or even its mere existence as a coherent large landmass, is controversial. The effect of its hypothesized amalgamation is generally ignored in mantle convection models claiming the transition from Rodinia to Pangaea represents a single supercont...

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Main Authors: Murphy, J. Brendan, Nance, R.D., Cawood, P.A., Collins, William, Dan, W., Doucet, Luc, Heron, P.J., Li, Zheng-Xiang, Mitchell, R.N., Pisarevsky, Sergei, Pufahl, P.K., Quesada, C., Spencer, Christopher, Strachan, R.A., Wu, Lei
Format: Book Chapter
Published: 2021
Online Access:http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL150100133
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90589
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author Murphy, J. Brendan
Nance, R.D.
Cawood, P.A.
Collins, William
Dan, W.
Doucet, Luc
Heron, P.J.
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Mitchell, R.N.
Pisarevsky, Sergei
Pufahl, P.K.
Quesada, C.
Spencer, Christopher
Strachan, R.A.
Wu, Lei
author_facet Murphy, J. Brendan
Nance, R.D.
Cawood, P.A.
Collins, William
Dan, W.
Doucet, Luc
Heron, P.J.
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Mitchell, R.N.
Pisarevsky, Sergei
Pufahl, P.K.
Quesada, C.
Spencer, Christopher
Strachan, R.A.
Wu, Lei
author_sort Murphy, J. Brendan
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The status of Pannotia as an Ediacaran supercontinent, or even its mere existence as a coherent large landmass, is controversial. The effect of its hypothesized amalgamation is generally ignored in mantle convection models claiming the transition from Rodinia to Pangaea represents a single supercontinent cycle. We apply three geodynamic scenarios to Pannotia amalgamation that are tested using regional geology. Scenarios involving quasi-stationary mantle convection patterns are not supported by the geological record. A scenario involving feedback between the supercontinent cycle and global mantle convection patterns predicts upwellings beneath the Gondwanan portion of Pannotia and the arrival of plumes along the entire Gondwanan (but not Laurentian) margin beginning at c. 0.6 Ga. Such a scenario is compatible with regional geology, but the candidates for plume magmatism we propose require testing by detailed geochemical and isotopic studies. If verified, this scenario could provide geodynamic explanations for the origins of the late Neoproterozoic and Early Paleozoic Iapetus and Rheic oceans and the terranes that were repeatedly detached from their margins.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-905892023-03-24T05:02:54Z Pannotia: In defence of its existence and geodynamic significance Murphy, J. Brendan Nance, R.D. Cawood, P.A. Collins, William Dan, W. Doucet, Luc Heron, P.J. Li, Zheng-Xiang Mitchell, R.N. Pisarevsky, Sergei Pufahl, P.K. Quesada, C. Spencer, Christopher Strachan, R.A. Wu, Lei The status of Pannotia as an Ediacaran supercontinent, or even its mere existence as a coherent large landmass, is controversial. The effect of its hypothesized amalgamation is generally ignored in mantle convection models claiming the transition from Rodinia to Pangaea represents a single supercontinent cycle. We apply three geodynamic scenarios to Pannotia amalgamation that are tested using regional geology. Scenarios involving quasi-stationary mantle convection patterns are not supported by the geological record. A scenario involving feedback between the supercontinent cycle and global mantle convection patterns predicts upwellings beneath the Gondwanan portion of Pannotia and the arrival of plumes along the entire Gondwanan (but not Laurentian) margin beginning at c. 0.6 Ga. Such a scenario is compatible with regional geology, but the candidates for plume magmatism we propose require testing by detailed geochemical and isotopic studies. If verified, this scenario could provide geodynamic explanations for the origins of the late Neoproterozoic and Early Paleozoic Iapetus and Rheic oceans and the terranes that were repeatedly detached from their margins. 2021 Book Chapter http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90589 10.1144/SP503-2020-96 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL150100133 fulltext
spellingShingle Murphy, J. Brendan
Nance, R.D.
Cawood, P.A.
Collins, William
Dan, W.
Doucet, Luc
Heron, P.J.
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Mitchell, R.N.
Pisarevsky, Sergei
Pufahl, P.K.
Quesada, C.
Spencer, Christopher
Strachan, R.A.
Wu, Lei
Pannotia: In defence of its existence and geodynamic significance
title Pannotia: In defence of its existence and geodynamic significance
title_full Pannotia: In defence of its existence and geodynamic significance
title_fullStr Pannotia: In defence of its existence and geodynamic significance
title_full_unstemmed Pannotia: In defence of its existence and geodynamic significance
title_short Pannotia: In defence of its existence and geodynamic significance
title_sort pannotia: in defence of its existence and geodynamic significance
url http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL150100133
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90589