The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is a geological puzzle formed of a complex mosaic of crustal blocks of both continental and oceanic origin accreted to the southern margin of the Siberian Craton. The geological complexity, number and variety of accreted terranes in the CAOB are far from being matched by any other similar systemon Earth. The formation of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt is the main trouble of Phanerozoic plate tectonics that, if solved, would help us to understand processes controlling the formation of supercontinents, and continental growth in general. It cannot be explained by conventional models and requires a yet unrecognized mechanism of continental growth. Understanding such a mechanism will lead to a novel concept of incorporation/transformation of oceanic crust into continents. The main aim of the PhD project is to constrain the absolute movements of individual segments of the CAOB by extensive paleomagnetic survey combined with interpretation of structural record and Ar-Ar geochronology. The paleomagnetism provides information about translation i.e. rotation on a spherical surface, while the structural analysis gives insight into distortion, i.e. strain and rotation. Dating of primary magnetizations, re-magnetizations and deformation events can yield a relatively realistic kinematic and temporal framework to model evolution of the CAOB orogenic system.
Deadline is closed