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An introduction to the Tectonophysics special issue on arc–continent collision processes
Tectonophysics 479 (2009) 1–3
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Tectonophysics j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s ev i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / t e c t o
Preface
An introduction to the Tectonophysics special issue on arc–continent collision processes
1. Introduction One of the key areas of basic research in the Earth Sciences is processes that occurred, and are occurring today along the boundaries of the tectonic plates that make up the Earth's lithosphere. Of particular importance are the processes of tectonic accretion and erosion along convergent plate boundaries. One of the principal mechanisms of accretion, which leads to continental crustal growth and destruction, occurs when intraoceanic volcanic arcs collide with the margin of a continent — or arc–continent collision (Dewey, 2005; Brown et al., 2006; Huang et al., 2006; Zagorevski et al., 2007). Arc– continent collision is generally thought to have been the most important process involved in the growth of the continental crust over geological time (Rudnick and Fountain, 1995), and may also play an important role in its recycling back into the mantle via subduction (Clift and Vannucchi, 2004; Clift et al., in press). This was one of the important processes in the formation of old mountain belts such as the Urals (Brown et al., 1998; Brown and Spadea, 1999; Brown et al., 2006), the Appalachians (van Staal, 1994; Zagorevski et al., 2007), and the Variscides (Draut et al., 2002; Dewey, 2005). The collision between volcanic arcs and continental margins continues today along tectonically active plate boundaries such as those in the SW Pacific or the Caribbean (Huang et al., 2006; Harris, 2006; IturraldeVinent et al., 2008). The well-constrained fossil arc–continent collision orogens supply the third and fourth dimensions (depth and time) that are generally missing from currently active examples where tectonic processes such as subduction, uplift and erosion, and the formation of topography can be observed. The integration of research between active and fossil arc–continent orogens provides key data for the understanding of how plate tectonics works today, and how it might have worked in the past. It also provides information on how the continental crust has grown and been destroyed over geological time. Understanding the geological processes that take place during arc–continent collision is therefore of importance for our understanding of how collisional orogens evolve and how the continental crust grows or is destroyed. Furthermore, zones of arc– continent collision are producers of much of the world's primary economic wealth in the form of minerals (Herrington et al., 2005), so understanding the processes that take place during these tectonic events is of importance in modeling how this mineral wealth is formed and preserved. Arc–continent collision orogeny is generally short-lived, lasting from c. 5 to 20 My (Dewey, 2005; Brown et al., 2006), although much longer events do occur (Gordon et al., 1997). The duration of an arc– continent collision orogeny depends on the obliquity of the collision, 0040-1951/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2009.11.008
subduction velocity, and the shape and thickness of the continental margin involved (Ranalli et al., 2000; Li and Liao, 2002). The onset of arc–continent collision occurs with the arrival of the thinned leading edge of the continental crust at the subduction zone, something that is difficult to identify in the geology of fossil collision zones. Arrival of the full thickness of the continental crust (c. 20–30 km thick) at the subduction zone is generally accompanied by uplift to above sea level of the developing orogen and the onset of sediment deposition in a foreland basin and the suture forearc basin. For example, in Papua New Guinea, Timor, and Taiwan uplift of the mountain belt has been taking place at the rates of 0.8–16 mm yr− 1 since the arrival of the full thickness of the continental crust at the respective subduction zones (Jahn et al., 1986; De Smet et al., 1990; Abbott et al., 1997; Huang et al., 2000). In Timor and Taiwan the offscraped continental margin sediments within the accretionary complex is the major sediment source for the foreland basin (Audley-Charles, 1986; Huang et al., 1997, 2000), whereas in Papua New Guinea the forearc is the major supplier of sediments. The thinned, extended continental crust of a continental margin often reaches 150 to 400 km in width (Holbrook et al., 1994; Funck et al., 2004; Reston, 2009; Van Avendonk et al., 2009) and there is now widespread evidence that this thinned crust can be deeply subducted (N200 km) before being returned to the surface as high- and ultrahigh-pressure rocks (Ye et al., 2000; Liou et al., 2000; Chopin, 2003; Boutelier et al., 2004). Dating these high-pressure rocks helps to constrain the time of arrival of the continental margin at the subduction zone and to identify the physical and chemical conditions that were active in the subduction zone (Brown et al., 2006). With continued convergence, the active volcanic front generally shuts down 1–3 My after the entry of the continental crust into the subduction zone and volcanic activity moves away from the subduction zone to continue outboard of it (Cullen and Pigott, 1989; Teng, 1990; Snyder et al., 1996; Huang et al., 2006; Brown et al., 2006). The mechanical and kinematic responses of the continental margin to the deformation depend to a large degree on its pre-existing structural architecture, but also on the nature of the sediments involved. For example, in Taiwan, a controversy exists if there is a clearly defined basal detachment beneath the thrust belt (Carena et al., 2002), or if there is wholescale failure of the crust along preexisting extensional faults, as is apparent from the seismicity data (Wu et al., 2004). Furthermore, the orientation of the backstop may have significant implications for the mechanical, kinematic and architectural development of the orogen. Arc–continent collision is generally accompanied by the obduction of ophiolites and their subsequent emplacement across the subducting continental margin (Abbott et al., 1994; Snyder et al., 1996; Huang et al., 1997; Brown et
2
Preface
al., 2006; Zagorevski et al., 2007). Finally, modeling of arc–continent collision suggests that collision may also result in the subduction of much of the forearc region (Boutelier et al., 2003). This special issue of Tectonophysics contains a selection of papers presented at the IGCP 524 conference on Arc–Continent Collision held at the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan on the 13th and 14th of January, 2009. The conference was followed by a field excursion around southern and eastern Taiwan from the 15th to the 20th of January. The conference was attended by more than 50 Earth Scientists from twelve countries. 2. Contents of the special issue This special issue of Tectonophysics contains fourteen papers that deal with arc–continent collisions currently taking place in the Southwest Pacific and with Paleozoic fossil arc–continent collisions in the Appalachians, the Grampians, and the Urals. The first four papers deal with aspects of the ongoing collision between the southeast Chinese margin of Eurasia and the northern part of the Luzon arc in Taiwan. In the first paper, Hsu et al. use GPS and seismicity data to evaluate surface strain rate and the crustal stress regime. They find that the large scale stress orientations from the surface to the base of the crust is insignificant, and that the geometric configuration of the Eurasia margin alone cannot explain the principal stress axes in Taiwan. In the second paper, Wu et al. use OBS travel time data to better constrain the 3D velocity structure of southern Taiwan. They determine that the continental margin of Eurasia is being subducted beneath the Luzon arc. In the third paper, Lin et al. use seismic reflection and seismicity data to constrain the structure of the arc–continent collision in southern Taiwan. This paper provides insights into the structure of the accretionary wedge and the causes of seismicity. In the fourth paper, Hirtzel et al. use seismic reflection data to conduct a seismic stratigraphy analyses off southern Taiwan. These data help to constrain the kinematics and evolution of the accretionary wedge and the forearc area during active collision. The next three papers deal with active arc–continent collision between the Sunda– Banda arcs and the continental margin of northern Australia. In the first of these, Nugroho and Harris use GPS data to study the relative motions along plate boundary segments along the transition from subduction to collision. These data delineate three segments of the Sunda–Banda forearc that have differing amounts of coupling to the subducting Australian Plate. In the second paper, Standley and Harris present a multidisciplinary study of Lolotoi Complex of East Timor. They show that this complex was part of the Banda forearc that was metamorphosed and accreted to Australian margin during the Late Miocene to present arc–continent collision. In the third paper of this series, Roosamawati and Harris present foraminifera data from synorogenic sediments to determine surface uplift in the incipient Banda arc collision. These data show the diachronous nature of the Banda–Australia collision from east to west, with the incipient collision in the west resulting in uplift rates of between 1.5 and 2.3 mm per year. The next two papers deal with the Philippines. In the first of these, Gabo et al. present the geology and geochemistry of clastic sediments of Northwestern Panay to determine their provenance. The results show that Northwestern Panay consists of two different terranes with differing sediment sources. In the second paper of this series, Dimalanta et al. present field and laboratory gravity and magnetic measurements from the Romblon Island Group of the central Philippines. These data are used to better define contacts and faults in the area. In the final paper of the series on active arc– continent collisions, Glen and Meffre present the structural and tectonic styles of a number of arc–continent collision zones from around the Southwest Pacific. They then use this information to shed light on the fossil arc collisions in Eastern Australia. The final series of papers in the issue deal with Paleozoic arc– continent collisions in North America and Europe. In the first of these,
Zagorevski et al. present a wide range of data from the Annieopsquotch accretionary tract of the Newfoundland Appalachians. They suggest that the terranes in the Annieopsquotch accretionary tract formed outboard of a peri-Laurentian microcontinent and were accreted on the lower plate. In the second paper of this series, Clift et al. present U– Pb dating of clastic sediments from the South Mayo Trough of the Grampian orogeny in Ireland. They determine that the colliding arc provides little sediment to the syncollisional basins. In the third paper Puchkov looks at various aspects of arc–continent collision in the Urals of Russia. He suggests that the diachrons arc–continent collisions in the Urals may have resulted from a complex ocean basin closure history. In the final paper, Brown presents a range of geological and geophysical data to look at the possible growth and destruction of the continental crust in the Southern Urals. He suggests that as much as one third of the volume of material added to the continental margin by accretion of the arc may have been removed by subduction of the extended continental margin.
Acknowledgements Funding for the IGCP 524 conference in Taiwan was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture through grant CGL2007-29829-E/BTE, and by the National Science Council of Taiwan grant number 97-2916-I006-006-A1 and National Cheng Kung University grant D96-3200. We would like to extend our thanks to the manuscript reviewers for this special issue.
References Abbott, L.D., Silver, E.A., Anderson, R.S., Smith, R., Ingle, J.C., Kling, S.A., Haig, D., Small, E., Galewsky, J., Sliter, W., 1997. Measurement of tectonic surface uplift rate in a young collisional mountain belt. Nature 385, 501–507. Audley-Charles, M.G., 1986. Timor–Tanimbar Trough: the foreland basin of the evolving Banda orogen. In: Allen, P.A., Homewood, P. (Eds.), Foreland Basins: International Association of Sedimentology, Special Publication, vol. 8, pp. 91–104. Boutelier, D., Chemenda, A., Burg, J.-P., 2003. Subduction versus accretion of intraoceanic volcanic arcs: insight from thermo-mechanical analogue experiments. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 212, 31–45. Boutelier, D., Chemenda, A., Jorand, C., 2004. Continental subduction and exhumation of high-pressure rocks: insights from thermo-mechanical laboratory modeling. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 222, 209–216. Brown, D., Spadea, P., 1999. Processes of forearc and accretionary complex formation during arc–continent collision in the Southern Ural Mountains. Geology 27, 649–652. Brown, D., Juhlin, C., Alvarez-Marron, J., Perez-Estaun, A., Oslianski, A., 1998. Crustalscale structure and evolution of an arc–continent collision zone in the southern Urals, Russia. Tectonics 17, 158–171. Brown, D., Spadea, P., Puchkov, V., Alvarez-Marron, J., Herrington, R., Willner, A.P., Hetzel, R., Gorozhanina, Y., 2006. Arc–continent collision in the Southern Urals. Earth-Sci. Rev. 79, 261–287. Carena, S., Suppe, J., Kao, H., 2002. Active detachment of Taiwan illuminated by small earthquakes and its control of first-order topography. Geology 30, 935–938. Chopin, C., 2003. Ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism: tracing continental crust into the mantle. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 212, 1–14. Clift, P., Vannucchi, P., 2004. Controls on tectonic accretion versus erosion in subduction zones: implications for the origin and recycling of the continental crust. Rev. Geophys. 42 8755-1209/04/2003RG000127. Clift, P., Schouten, H., Vannucchi, P., in press. Arc–continent collisions, sediment recycling and the maintenance of the continental crust. In: Cawood, P., Kroener, A. (Eds.), Accretionary Orogens in Space and Time. Geol. Soc. London, Special Pub. Cullen, A.B., Pigott, J.D., 1989. Post-Jurassic evolution of Papua New Guinea. Tectonophysics 162, 291–302. De Smet, M.E.M., Fortuin, A.R., Troelstra, S.R., Van Mrale, L.J., Karmini, M., Tjokosaproetro, S., Hadiwasastra, S., 1990. Detection of collision-related vertical movements in the Outer Banda Arc (Timor, Indonesia), using micropaleontological data. J. Southeast Asian Earth Sci. 4, 337–356. Dewey, J.F., 2005. Orogeny can be very short. Proc. Am. Acad. Sci. 102, 15286–15293. Draut, A.E., Clift, P.D., Hannigan, R.E., Layne, G., Shimizu, N., 2002. A model for continental crust genesis by arc accretion; rare earth element evidence from the Irish Caledonides. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 203, 861–877. Funck, T., Jackson, H.R., Louden, K.E., Dehler, S.A., Wu, Y., 2004. Crustal structure of the northern Nova Scotia rifted continental margin (eastern Canada). J. Geophys. Res. 109. doi:10.1029/2004JB003008. Gordon, M.B., Mann, P., Cáceres, D., Flores, R., 1997. Cenozoic tectonic history of the North America–Caribbean plate boundary zone in western Cuba. Tectonics 102, 10,055–10,082.
Preface Harris, R., 2006. Rise and fall of the eastern Great Indonesian arc recorded by the assembly, dispersion and accretion of the Banda Terrane, Timor. Gondwana Res. 10, 207–231. Herrington, R., Zaykov, V., Maslennikov, V., Brown, D., Puchkov, V., 2005. Mineral deposits of the Urals and links to geodynamic evolution. In: Hedenquist, J.W., Thompson, J.F.H., Goldfarb, R.J., Richards, J.P. (Eds.), Economic Geology 100 Anniversary Volume, pp. 1069–1095. Holbrook, W.S., Purdy, G.M., Sheridan, R.E., Glover III, L., Talwani, M., Ewing, J., Hutchinson, D., 1994. Seismic structure of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic continental margin. J. Geophys. Res. 99, 17,871–17,891. Huang, C.-Y., Wu, W.-Y., Chang, C.-P., Tsao, S., Yuan, P.B., Lin, C.-W., Xia, K.-Y., 1997. Tectonic evolution of accretionary prism in the arc–continent collision terrane of Taiwan. Tectonophysics 281, 31–51. Huang, C.-Y., Yuan, P.B., Lin, C.-W., Wang, T.-K., Chang, C.-P., 2000. Geodynamic processes of Taiwan arc–continent collision and comparison with analogs in Timor, Papua New Guinea, Urals, and Corsica. Tectonophysics 325, 1–22. Huang, C.-Y., Yuan, P.B., Tsao, S.-J., 2006. Temporal and spatial records of active arc– continent collision in Taiwan: a synthesis. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 118, 274–288. Iturralde-Vinent, M.A., Díaz-Otero, A., van Hinsbergen, D., J.J., 2008. Peleogene foredeep basin deposits of north-central Cuba: a record of arc–continent collision between the Caribbean and North American plates. Int. Geol. Rev. 50, 868–884. Jahn, B.M., Martineau, F., Peucat, J.J., Cornichet, J., 1986. Geochronology of the Tananao schist complex, Taiwan, and its regional tectonic significance. Tectonophysics 125, 103–124. Li, L., Liao, X., 2002. Slab breakoff depth: a slowdown subduction model. Geophys. Res. Lett. 29. doi:10.1029/2001GL013420. Liou, J.G., Hacker, B.R., Zhang, R.Y., 2000. Into the forbidden zone. Science 287, 1215–1216. Ranalli, G., Pellegrini, R., D'Offizi, S., 2000. Time dependence of negative buoyancy and the subduction of continental lithosphere. J. Geodyn. 30, 539–555. Reston, T., 2009. The structure, evolution and symmetry of the magma-poor rifted margins of the North and Central Atlantic: a synthesis. Tectonophysics 468, 6–27. Rudnick, R.L., Fountain, D.M., 1995. Nature and composition of the continental crust: a lower crustal perspective. Rev. Geophys. 33, 267–309. Snyder, D.B., Prasetyo, H., Blundell, D.J., Pigram, C.J., Barber, A.J., Richardson, A., Tjokosaproetro, S., 1996. A dual doubly vergent orogen in the Banda Arc continent– arc collision zone as observed on deep seismic reflection profiles. Tectonics 15, 34–53.
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Teng, L.S., 1990. Geotectonic evolution of the late Cenozoic arc–continent collision in Taiwan. Tectonophysics 183, 57–76. Van Avendonk, H.J.A., Lavier, L.L., Shillington, D.J., Manatschal, G., 2009. Extension of continental crust at the margin of the eastern Grand Banks, Newfoundland. Tectonophysics 468, 131–148. Van Staal, C.R., 1994. Brunswick subduction complex in the Canadian Appalachians: record of the Late Ordovician to Late Silurian collision between Laurentia and the Gander margin of Avalon. Tectonics 13, 946–962. Wu, F., Chang, C-S., Wu, Y.M., 2004. Precisely relocated hypocentres, focal mechanisms and active orogeny in Central Taiwan. In: Malpas, J., Fletcher, C.J.N., Ali, J.R., Aitchison, J.C. (Eds.), Aspects of the Tectonic Evolution of China: Geological Society of London, Special Publication, vol. 226, pp. 333–354. Ye, K., Cong, B., Ye, D., 2000. The possible subduction of continental material to depths greater than 200 km. Nature 407, 734–736. Zagorevski, A., van Staal, C., McNicoll, C.R., Rodgers, N., 2007. Tectonic architecture of an arc–arc collision zone, Newfoundland Appalachians. In: Draut, A., Clift, P.D., Scholl, D.W. (Eds.), Formation and Applications of the Sedimentary Record in Arc Collision Zones: GSA Special paper, vol. 436, pp. 309–334.
D. Brown⁎ Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra “Jaume Almera”, CSIC, Lluis Sole i Sabaris s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain Corresponding author.
C.-Y. Huang Department of Earth Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Tectonophysics j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s ev i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / t e c t o
Preface
An introduction to the Tectonophysics special issue on arc–continent collision processes
1. Introduction One of the key areas of basic research in the Earth Sciences is processes that occurred, and are occurring today along the boundaries of the tectonic plates that make up the Earth's lithosphere. Of particular importance are the processes of tectonic accretion and erosion along convergent plate boundaries. One of the principal mechanisms of accretion, which leads to continental crustal growth and destruction, occurs when intraoceanic volcanic arcs collide with the margin of a continent — or arc–continent collision (Dewey, 2005; Brown et al., 2006; Huang et al., 2006; Zagorevski et al., 2007). Arc– continent collision is generally thought to have been the most important process involved in the growth of the continental crust over geological time (Rudnick and Fountain, 1995), and may also play an important role in its recycling back into the mantle via subduction (Clift and Vannucchi, 2004; Clift et al., in press). This was one of the important processes in the formation of old mountain belts such as the Urals (Brown et al., 1998; Brown and Spadea, 1999; Brown et al., 2006), the Appalachians (van Staal, 1994; Zagorevski et al., 2007), and the Variscides (Draut et al., 2002; Dewey, 2005). The collision between volcanic arcs and continental margins continues today along tectonically active plate boundaries such as those in the SW Pacific or the Caribbean (Huang et al., 2006; Harris, 2006; IturraldeVinent et al., 2008). The well-constrained fossil arc–continent collision orogens supply the third and fourth dimensions (depth and time) that are generally missing from currently active examples where tectonic processes such as subduction, uplift and erosion, and the formation of topography can be observed. The integration of research between active and fossil arc–continent orogens provides key data for the understanding of how plate tectonics works today, and how it might have worked in the past. It also provides information on how the continental crust has grown and been destroyed over geological time. Understanding the geological processes that take place during arc–continent collision is therefore of importance for our understanding of how collisional orogens evolve and how the continental crust grows or is destroyed. Furthermore, zones of arc– continent collision are producers of much of the world's primary economic wealth in the form of minerals (Herrington et al., 2005), so understanding the processes that take place during these tectonic events is of importance in modeling how this mineral wealth is formed and preserved. Arc–continent collision orogeny is generally short-lived, lasting from c. 5 to 20 My (Dewey, 2005; Brown et al., 2006), although much longer events do occur (Gordon et al., 1997). The duration of an arc– continent collision orogeny depends on the obliquity of the collision, 0040-1951/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2009.11.008
subduction velocity, and the shape and thickness of the continental margin involved (Ranalli et al., 2000; Li and Liao, 2002). The onset of arc–continent collision occurs with the arrival of the thinned leading edge of the continental crust at the subduction zone, something that is difficult to identify in the geology of fossil collision zones. Arrival of the full thickness of the continental crust (c. 20–30 km thick) at the subduction zone is generally accompanied by uplift to above sea level of the developing orogen and the onset of sediment deposition in a foreland basin and the suture forearc basin. For example, in Papua New Guinea, Timor, and Taiwan uplift of the mountain belt has been taking place at the rates of 0.8–16 mm yr− 1 since the arrival of the full thickness of the continental crust at the respective subduction zones (Jahn et al., 1986; De Smet et al., 1990; Abbott et al., 1997; Huang et al., 2000). In Timor and Taiwan the offscraped continental margin sediments within the accretionary complex is the major sediment source for the foreland basin (Audley-Charles, 1986; Huang et al., 1997, 2000), whereas in Papua New Guinea the forearc is the major supplier of sediments. The thinned, extended continental crust of a continental margin often reaches 150 to 400 km in width (Holbrook et al., 1994; Funck et al., 2004; Reston, 2009; Van Avendonk et al., 2009) and there is now widespread evidence that this thinned crust can be deeply subducted (N200 km) before being returned to the surface as high- and ultrahigh-pressure rocks (Ye et al., 2000; Liou et al., 2000; Chopin, 2003; Boutelier et al., 2004). Dating these high-pressure rocks helps to constrain the time of arrival of the continental margin at the subduction zone and to identify the physical and chemical conditions that were active in the subduction zone (Brown et al., 2006). With continued convergence, the active volcanic front generally shuts down 1–3 My after the entry of the continental crust into the subduction zone and volcanic activity moves away from the subduction zone to continue outboard of it (Cullen and Pigott, 1989; Teng, 1990; Snyder et al., 1996; Huang et al., 2006; Brown et al., 2006). The mechanical and kinematic responses of the continental margin to the deformation depend to a large degree on its pre-existing structural architecture, but also on the nature of the sediments involved. For example, in Taiwan, a controversy exists if there is a clearly defined basal detachment beneath the thrust belt (Carena et al., 2002), or if there is wholescale failure of the crust along preexisting extensional faults, as is apparent from the seismicity data (Wu et al., 2004). Furthermore, the orientation of the backstop may have significant implications for the mechanical, kinematic and architectural development of the orogen. Arc–continent collision is generally accompanied by the obduction of ophiolites and their subsequent emplacement across the subducting continental margin (Abbott et al., 1994; Snyder et al., 1996; Huang et al., 1997; Brown et
2
Preface
al., 2006; Zagorevski et al., 2007). Finally, modeling of arc–continent collision suggests that collision may also result in the subduction of much of the forearc region (Boutelier et al., 2003). This special issue of Tectonophysics contains a selection of papers presented at the IGCP 524 conference on Arc–Continent Collision held at the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan on the 13th and 14th of January, 2009. The conference was followed by a field excursion around southern and eastern Taiwan from the 15th to the 20th of January. The conference was attended by more than 50 Earth Scientists from twelve countries. 2. Contents of the special issue This special issue of Tectonophysics contains fourteen papers that deal with arc–continent collisions currently taking place in the Southwest Pacific and with Paleozoic fossil arc–continent collisions in the Appalachians, the Grampians, and the Urals. The first four papers deal with aspects of the ongoing collision between the southeast Chinese margin of Eurasia and the northern part of the Luzon arc in Taiwan. In the first paper, Hsu et al. use GPS and seismicity data to evaluate surface strain rate and the crustal stress regime. They find that the large scale stress orientations from the surface to the base of the crust is insignificant, and that the geometric configuration of the Eurasia margin alone cannot explain the principal stress axes in Taiwan. In the second paper, Wu et al. use OBS travel time data to better constrain the 3D velocity structure of southern Taiwan. They determine that the continental margin of Eurasia is being subducted beneath the Luzon arc. In the third paper, Lin et al. use seismic reflection and seismicity data to constrain the structure of the arc–continent collision in southern Taiwan. This paper provides insights into the structure of the accretionary wedge and the causes of seismicity. In the fourth paper, Hirtzel et al. use seismic reflection data to conduct a seismic stratigraphy analyses off southern Taiwan. These data help to constrain the kinematics and evolution of the accretionary wedge and the forearc area during active collision. The next three papers deal with active arc–continent collision between the Sunda– Banda arcs and the continental margin of northern Australia. In the first of these, Nugroho and Harris use GPS data to study the relative motions along plate boundary segments along the transition from subduction to collision. These data delineate three segments of the Sunda–Banda forearc that have differing amounts of coupling to the subducting Australian Plate. In the second paper, Standley and Harris present a multidisciplinary study of Lolotoi Complex of East Timor. They show that this complex was part of the Banda forearc that was metamorphosed and accreted to Australian margin during the Late Miocene to present arc–continent collision. In the third paper of this series, Roosamawati and Harris present foraminifera data from synorogenic sediments to determine surface uplift in the incipient Banda arc collision. These data show the diachronous nature of the Banda–Australia collision from east to west, with the incipient collision in the west resulting in uplift rates of between 1.5 and 2.3 mm per year. The next two papers deal with the Philippines. In the first of these, Gabo et al. present the geology and geochemistry of clastic sediments of Northwestern Panay to determine their provenance. The results show that Northwestern Panay consists of two different terranes with differing sediment sources. In the second paper of this series, Dimalanta et al. present field and laboratory gravity and magnetic measurements from the Romblon Island Group of the central Philippines. These data are used to better define contacts and faults in the area. In the final paper of the series on active arc– continent collisions, Glen and Meffre present the structural and tectonic styles of a number of arc–continent collision zones from around the Southwest Pacific. They then use this information to shed light on the fossil arc collisions in Eastern Australia. The final series of papers in the issue deal with Paleozoic arc– continent collisions in North America and Europe. In the first of these,
Zagorevski et al. present a wide range of data from the Annieopsquotch accretionary tract of the Newfoundland Appalachians. They suggest that the terranes in the Annieopsquotch accretionary tract formed outboard of a peri-Laurentian microcontinent and were accreted on the lower plate. In the second paper of this series, Clift et al. present U– Pb dating of clastic sediments from the South Mayo Trough of the Grampian orogeny in Ireland. They determine that the colliding arc provides little sediment to the syncollisional basins. In the third paper Puchkov looks at various aspects of arc–continent collision in the Urals of Russia. He suggests that the diachrons arc–continent collisions in the Urals may have resulted from a complex ocean basin closure history. In the final paper, Brown presents a range of geological and geophysical data to look at the possible growth and destruction of the continental crust in the Southern Urals. He suggests that as much as one third of the volume of material added to the continental margin by accretion of the arc may have been removed by subduction of the extended continental margin.
Acknowledgements Funding for the IGCP 524 conference in Taiwan was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture through grant CGL2007-29829-E/BTE, and by the National Science Council of Taiwan grant number 97-2916-I006-006-A1 and National Cheng Kung University grant D96-3200. We would like to extend our thanks to the manuscript reviewers for this special issue.
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D. Brown⁎ Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra “Jaume Almera”, CSIC, Lluis Sole i Sabaris s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain Corresponding author.
C.-Y. Huang Department of Earth Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan, 701 Taiwan