The Formation And Obduction Of Ophiolites Since The Late Precambrian

Abstract

Ophiolite formation and emplacement has been episodic since the Late Precambrian. This research study examines ophiolites that formed during the Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Paleozoic and Late Precambrian. The ophiolites were plotted on paleogeographic reconstructions using PALEOMAP Project maps, and the ophiolite localities were analyzed by their temporal distribution in relation to the tectonic framework in which they were emplaced. The ophiolites appear to show episodic events linked to global plate reorganization. These episodes coincide with collisional events from the supercontinents of Gondwana and Pangea. The primary mechanisms of formation and emplacement proved to be mid-ocean ridge systems and back arc basins as well as accretionary prisms and continent-continent collisions respectively. The data was refined to remove any bias and the results yield pulses of ophiolite formation and emplacement during the key intervals of late Cretaceous, middle to late Jurassic, and early Devonian and Silurian.