Geological Society of America

T204 Metamorphism into the 21st Century I—A Celebration of the Career of Mike Brown

Wednesday, 13 October 2021
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Portland Ballroom 252 (Hybrid Room)

SOME LIKE IT HOT: ENIGMATIC OROGENS OF THE MID-PROTEROZOIC

Paper number: T204-3
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:25 AM – 8:40 AM

Authors

Chris Spencer Presenting Author
Queen’s University, Kingston, ON
Ross N. Mitchell
Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS), Beijing
Michael Brown
University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Abstract

Since the Archean, secular change in orogenic style is demonstrated through evolution of metamorphic conditions and geochemical proxies. Linked to orogenic style is the amount of crustal thickening and elevation, whereas orogenic vigor is related to the supercontinent cycle. An array of Proterozoic orogens spanned the assembly of supercontinents Columbia and Rodinia, but the vigor of orogenesis is debated, with proposals for both Mesoproterozoic quiescence and climax. We show mid-Proterozoic orogenesis occurred globally and was broadly continuous; furthermore, orogens exhibit elevated metamorphic thermobaric ratios with large volumes of high-temperature felsic magmatic rocks. These features reflect higher mantle heat flux leading to increased mid-crustal flow and lower elevation. In this context, proposals that geochemical proxies for crustal thickness record orogenic quiescence are inconsistent with the geological record. Alternatively, secular change in crustal thickness is attributed to orogenic style, namely the prevalence of hot, thin, and low orogens in the Mid-Proterozoic.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 53, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-369115

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