This volume focuses on Late Mesoproterozoic to early Cambrian events related to Gondwana assembly and break up. The nineteen papers provide a comprehensive review including advanced knowledge and new data from all critical areas of East Gondwana. The recent knowledge of the evolution of East Gondwana, which was regarded as an integral part of the Mesoproterozoic supercontinent Rodinia, is the major theme of the volume, which is reinforced by highlighting this radical and new understanding of the evolution of this region.
Proterozoic Orogens of India: A Critical Window to Gondwana provides a unique opportunity to understand a cross-section of the well-exposed and best-studied part of Earth’s crust and the processes of continental collision. It covers pulses of reworking processes and their impact on magmatism, metamorphism and deformational history of Proterozoic orogens vis-à-vis the supercontinental formation. The details of structural architecture, crustal blocks, shear zone systems, magmatism, metamorphism, geochemical and isotopic signatures, mineralization and tectonic models of all the Proterozoic orogens of India are discussed along with excellent illustrations reflecting the field-based, multi-scale structural and geological data sets.The spatial distribution, geometry, kinematics and transpressional strain of the shear zone systems (mostly suture zones), which are critical to all conceptual models dealing with tectono-metamorphic history of Proterozoic orogens of India, are also covered. The book summarizes and integrates the state-of -the art understanding of the structural architecture, lithological assemblages, petrological, geochemical, geochronological and geophysical aspects of the Proterozoic orogens of India. Includes a much needed state-of-the-art tectonic summary of the voluminous data that has emerged from the Protrozoic orogens of India in the last 2-3 decades Authored by a well-established expert with more than 30 years of experience in the field based, multi-scale structural geological studies of the ancient orogens of India Covers up-to-date reviews and models of Proterozoic orogens developed in the Indian shield over the past 2.5 billion years of Earth history
Explores the tectonics interaction among the exotic terrians between Laurentia and Southwest Gondwana. The authors reveal data that sheds light on pre-Pangea connections between Laurentia and Southwest Gondwana. These data concern the presence of Ollenelus and associated fauna in the Precordillera of central Western South America; the common early Paleozoic paleomagnetic data, the presence of a large early Paleozoic carbo nate platform distinct from the Southwest Gondwanan clastic platforms associated with glacial deposits, and the exotic nature of the Grenville basement of this platform.
The Australide orogen, the southern hemisphere Neoproterozoic to Mesozoic terrane accretionary orogen that forms the palaeo-Pacific margin of Gondwana, is one of the largest and longest-lived orogens on Earth. This book brings together a series of reviews and multidisciplinary research papers that comprehensively cover the Australides from the Tasman orogen of eastern Australia to the Neoproterozoic and Palaeozoic orogens of South America, taking in New Zealand and Antarctica along the way. It deals with the evolution of the southern Gondwana margin, as it grew during a series of terrane accretion episodes from the late Proterozoic through to final fragmentation in mid-Cretaceous times. Global perspectives are given by comparison with the Palaeozoic northern Gondwana margin and documentation of world-wide terrane accretion episodes in the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic and mid-Cretaceous. The Tasmanides of eastern Australia, and the terrane histories of New Zealand and southern South America are given comprehensive up-to-date reviews.
The book deals with the record of important Neoproterozoic to Early Palaeozoic events in southwestern Gondwana, that heralded the Cambrian explosion and the dawn of modern ecosystems. It contains a detailed account of the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian geological record in a poorly-known part of the world, which is at the same time key to understand fundamental processes at the Proterozoic-Cambrian transition. The emphasis is placed on litho-, bio-, chemostratigraphy and magmatism. The palaeoclimatic, tectonic, evolutionary radiation and extinction events and associated mineralizations will be identified and discussed. A synthesis of all data is provided at the end of the book, integrating the data from all cratons and fold belts in southwestern Gondwana. The events will be individualized, their impact discussed and correlations between different successions both within and outside Gondwana proposed.The book is organized in three sections. Section one is an introduction to the neoproterozoic and Cambrian seen as a time of upheavals, extremes and innovations. Section two comprises nineteen chapters dealing with the neoproterozoic-Cambrian events in southwestern Gondwana. Section three will provide a synthesis on every major topic, and a critical assessment of the global implications of the presented data. The book deals with the record of important Neoproterozoic to Early Palaeozoic events in southwestern Gondwana, that heralded the Cambrian explosion and the dawn of modern ecosystems It contains a detailed account of the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian geological record in a poorly-known part of the world, which is at the same time key to understand fundamental processes at the Proterozoic-Cambrian transition The emphasis is placed on litho-, bio-, chemostratigraphy and magmatism
Geological correlations of East Antarctica with adjoining continents have been puzzling geologists ever since the concept of a Gondwana supercontinent surfaced. Despite the paucity of outcrops because of ice cover, difficulty of access and extreme weather, the past 50 years of Japanese Antarctic Research Expeditions (JARE) has successfully revealed vital elements of the geology of East Antarctica. This volume presents reviews and new research from localities across East Antarctica, especially from Dronning Maud Land to Enderby Land, where the geological record preserves a history that spans the Archaean and Proterozoic. The reviews include extensive bibliographies of results obtained by geologists who participated in the JARE. Comprehensive geological, petrological and geochemical studies, form a platform for future research on the formation and dispersion of Rodinia in the Mesoproterozoic and subsequent assembly of Gondwana in the Neoproterozoic to Early Palaeozoic.
Atlas of Deformed and Metamorphosed Rocks from Proterozoic Orogens is a richly illustrated reference book featuring over 660 full-color field images of a range of lithologies from some Proterozoic terrains that were subjected to multiple events of magmatism, deformation, metamorphism, and metasomatism. The Atlas focuses on amphibolite to granulite facies lithologies and associated ma?c-ultrama?c rocks from Proterozoic orogens of India, Sri Lanka, Botswana, South Africa, East Antarctica, and Western Australia. Each chapter in the book begins with a brief review of geology, including deformation and metamorphic history, along with a regional geological map to help readers to visualize the ?eld observations in the relevant geological context. Each image is accompanied by a concise description providing location, lithology, structural fabric, possible deformational history, metamorphic features, partial melting, metasomatism, and other important crustal processes. This Atlas is an important source of information for a broad range of earth scientists, graduate and undergraduate students, researchers, academicians, and other professionals. This book will form a great treasure to those geoscientists who never had an opportunity to visit any of the Proterozoic orogenic belts. Features over 660 full-color photographs representing typical lithologies and associated structural, metamorphic features, and other crustal processes from different Proterozoic orogens Highlights the significance of field photographs in advancing new knowledge which may provide pathways for new research Covers many important Proterozoic terranes of East Gondwana Presents regional geologic maps from each Proterozoic orogen
