Plate tectonics in the late Paleozoic

• Published in: Di xue qian yuan. Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 303 - 350
• Main Authors: Domeier, Mathew, Torsvik, Trond H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.05.2014; Center for Earth Evolution and Dynamics CEED, University of 0slo, N0-0316 0slo, Norway
• Subjects: Late Paleozoic; Paleogeography; Paleomagnetism; Plate kinematics; Plate tectonics; 全球板块运动; 动力学理论; 古地理重建; 大洋岩石圈; 大陆漂移; 晚古生代; 板块构造; 通过时间; Late Paleozoic; Plate kinematics; Paleogeography; Plate tectonics; Paleomagnetism
• ISSN: 1674-9871; 2588-9192
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gsf.2014.01.002

As the chronicle of plate motions through time, paleogeography is fundamental to our understanding of plate tectonics and its role in shaping the geology of the present-day. To properly appreciate the history of tectonics--and its influence on the deep Earth and climate-it is imperative to seek an accurate and global model of paleogeography. However, owing to the incessant loss of oceanic lithosphere through subduction, the paleogeographic reconstruction of ＇full-plates＇ （including oceanic lithosphere） becomes increasingly challenging with age. Prior to 150 Ma ~60% of the lithosphere is missing and re- constructions are developed without explicit regard for oceanic lithosphere or plate tectonic principles; in effect, reflecting the earlier mobilistic paradigm of continental drift. Although these ＇continental＇ re- constructions have been immensely useful, the next-generation of mantle models requires global plate kinematic descriptions with full-plate reconstructions. Moreover, in disregarding （or only loosely applying） plate tectonic rules, continental reconstructions fail to take advantage of a wealth of additional information in the form of practical constraints. Following a series of new developments, both in geo- dynamic theory and analytical tools, it is now feasible to construct full-plate models that lend themselves to testing by the wider Earth-science community. Such a model is presented here for the late Paleozoic （410-250 Ma） together with a review of the underlying data. Although we expect this model to be particularly useful for numerical mantle modeling, we hope that it will also serve as a general framework for understanding late Paleozoic tectonics, one on which future improvements can be built and further tested.