Open AccessPaleozoic and Mesozoic Tectonic Evolution of Central Asia: From Continental Assembly to Intracontinental Deformation
Author(s) -
Burke Kevin
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2003eo060011
Subject(s) - geology , lithosphere , plate tectonics , paleontology , tectonics , mesozoic , continental drift , earth science , paleozoic , geologic record , metamorphism , structural basin
Thirty years ago, the interior of Asia was inaccessible to most Earth scientists, as was much of the relevant literature. Students of continental evolution were frustrated. We knew that Asia, nearly alone among the Earth's continents, had been assembled in relatively recent geological times, but we could only speculate about the processes that led to its assembly. In the past 27 years, Asian and international researchers have improved our understanding. Ideas about continental evolution as diverse as modeling the deforming lithosphere as a thin, viscous sheet; tectonic escape; Altaid style assembly; crustal doubling; orogenic collapse; delamination; the role of ultra‐high pressure metamorphism; the role of localized erosion and active deformation on local and continental scales are all being tested in Asia. There is no consensus yet, but the Asian natural laboratory is being used well. We may soon come to know which ideas we should abandon.