Tectonics - Wikipedia 01/01/2025, 00:14
Tectonics
Tectonics (from Latin tectonicus;
from Ancient Greek τεκτονικός
(tektonikós) 'pertaining to
building')[1] are the processes that
result in the structure and
properties of the Earth's crust and
its evolution through time. The
field of planetary tectonics
extends the concept to other
planets and moons.[2][3]
These processes include those of
mountain-building, the growth
and behavior of the strong, old
cores of continents known as
cratons, and the ways in which the relatively rigid plates that constitute the Earth's outer shell
interact with each other. Principles of tectonics also provide a framework for understanding the
earthquake and volcanic belts that directly affect much of the global population.
Tectonic studies are important as guides for economic geologists searching for fossil fuels and
ore deposits of metallic and nonmetallic resources. An understanding of tectonic principles can
help geomorphologists to explain erosion patterns and other Earth-surface features.[4]
Main types of tectonic regime
Extensional tectonics
Extensional tectonics is associated with the stretching and thinning of the crust or the
lithosphere. This type of tectonics is found at divergent plate boundaries, in continental rifts,
during and after a period of continental collision caused by the lateral spreading of the
thickened crust formed, at releasing bends in strike-slip faults, in back-arc basins, and on the
continental end of passive margin sequences where a detachment layer is present.[5][6][7]
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Thrust (contractional) tectonics
Thrust tectonics is associated with the shortening and thickening of the crust, or the
lithosphere. This type of tectonics is found at zones of continental collision, at restraining bends
in strike-slip faults, and at the oceanward part of passive margin sequences where a detachment
layer is present.[8]
Strike-slip tectonics
Strike-slip tectonics is associated with the relative lateral
movement of parts of the crust or the lithosphere. This type
of tectonics is found along oceanic and continental
transform faults which connect offset segments of mid-
ocean ridges. Strike-slip tectonics also occurs at lateral
offsets in extensional and thrust fault systems. In areas
involved with plate collisions strike-slip deformation occurs
in the over-riding plate in zones of oblique collision and
accommodates deformation in the foreland to a collisional
belt.[9]
San Andreas transform fault on the
Carrizo Plain
Plate tectonics
In plate tectonics, the
outermost part of the Earth
known as the lithosphere
(the crust and uppermost
mantle) act as a single
mechanical layer. The
lithosphere is divided into
separate "plates" that move
relative to each other on the
underlying, relatively weak
asthenosphere in a process
ultimately driven by the
continuous loss of heat from
the Earth's interior. There The Tectonic Network of the Earth. Legend: Brown: Terrane (microplate)
boundaries in the continents and Mobile Belts, Cyan: Terranes of the
are three main types of plate
Oceanic Plates, Blue: Oceanic transform faults; Red and orange: Fault
boundaries: divergent, where zones in the Continental and Mountain belt domain; Purple: Main
plates move apart from each subduction zones and suture zones; Green: Continental margins
other and new lithosphere is
formed in the process of sea-
floor spreading; transform, where plates slide past each other, and convergent, where plates
converge and lithosphere is "consumed" by the process of subduction. Convergent and
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transform boundaries are responsible for most of the world's major (Mw > 7) earthquakes.
Convergent and divergent boundaries are also the site of most of the world's volcanoes, such as
around the Pacific Ring of Fire. Most of the deformation in the lithosphere is related to the
interaction between plates at or near plate boundaries. The latest studies, based on the
integration of available geological data, and satellite imagery and Gravimetric and magnetic
anomaly datasets have shown that the crust of the Earth is dissected by thousands of different
types of tectonic elements which define the subdivision into numerous smaller microplates
which have amalgamated into the larger Plates.[10]
Other fields of tectonic studies
Salt tectonics
Salt tectonics is concerned with the structural geometries and deformation processes associated
with the presence of significant thicknesses of rock salt within a sequence of rocks. This is due
both to the low density of salt, which does not increase with burial, and its low strength.[11]
Neotectonics
Neotectonics is the study of the motions and deformations of the Earth's crust (geological and
geomorphological processes) that are current or recent in geological time. The term may also
refer to the motions and deformations themselves. The corresponding time frame is referred to
as the neotectonic period. Accordingly, the preceding time is referred to as palaeotectonic
period.[12]
Tectonophysics
Tectonophysics is the study of the physical processes associated with deformation of the crust
and mantle from the scale of individual mineral grains up to that of tectonic plates.[13]
Seismotectonics
Seismotectonics is the study of the relationship between earthquakes, active tectonics, and
individual faults in a region. It seeks to understand which faults are responsible for seismic
activity in an area by analysing a combination of regional tectonics, recent instrumentally
recorded events, accounts of historical earthquakes, and geomorphological evidence. This
information can then be used to quantify the seismic hazard of an area.[14]
Impact tectonics
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Impact tectonics is the study of modification of the lithosphere through high velocity impact
cratering events.[15]
Planetary tectonics
Techniques used in the analysis of tectonics on Earth have also been applied to the study of the
planets and their moons, especially icy moons.[3]
See also
Tectonophysics
Geology portal
Seismology
UNESCO world heritage site Glarus Thrust
Volcanology
Mohorovičić discontinuity
References
1. Harper, Douglas. "tectonic" ([Link] Online Etymology
Dictionary.
2. Geologists (as distinct from architects) may define tectonics as "the architecture of the
Earth's crust" - O'Hara, Kieran D. (19 April 2018). A Brief History of Geology ([Link]
[Link]/books?id=O7pQDwAAQBAJ). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
ISBN 9781107176188. Retrieved 23 March 2023. "The words tectonics and architecture are
derived from the same Greek root, and tectonics is defined as the architecture of the Earth's
crust."
3. Watters, Thomas R.; Schultz, Richard A. (2010). "Planetary tectonics: introduction". In
Watters, Thomas R.; Schultz, Richard A. (eds.). Planetary Tectonics ([Link]
om/books?id=9PD5hxPb6fkC). Cambridge Planetary Science, ISSN 0265-3044 – Volume
11. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 2. ISBN 9780521765732. Retrieved
23 March 2023. "Since the 1960s, an armada of exploratory spacecraft have identified
widespread evidence of tectonism on all the terrestrial planets, most of the satellites of the
outer planets, and on a number of asteroids. Tectonic landforms on large and small bodies
in the solar system are as ubiquitous as impact craters."
4. Anderson, Robert S.; Burbank, Douglas W. (2 November 2011) [2001]. "Rates of erosion
and uplift". Tectonic Geomorphology ([Link]
(2 ed.). Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781444345049. Retrieved
23 March 2023.
5. Armijo, R.; Meyer, B.; Navarro, S.; King, G.; Barka, A. (2002), "Asymmetric slip partitioning
in the Sea of Marmara pull-apart: a clue to propagation processes of the North Anatolian
Fault?" ([Link] (PDF), Terra Nova, 14 (2), Wiley-
Blackwell: 80–86, Bibcode:2002TeNov..14...80A ([Link]
Nov..14...80A), CiteSeerX [Link].4111 ([Link]
doi=[Link].4111), doi:10.1046/j.1365-3121.2002.00397.x ([Link]
365-3121.2002.00397.x), S2CID 49553634 ([Link]
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365-3121.2002.00397.x), S2CID 49553634 ([Link]
3634)
6. Sdrolias, M; Muller, R.D. (2006). "Controls on back-arc basin formations" ([Link]
1029%2F2005GC001090). Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. 7 (4): Q04016.
Bibcode:2006GGG.....7.4016S ([Link]
doi:10.1029/2005GC001090 ([Link]
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7. Brun, J,-P.; Fort, X. (2011). "Salt tectonics at passive margins: Geology versus models".
Marine and Petroleum Geology. 28 (6): 1123–1145. Bibcode:2011MarPG..28.1123B (https://
[Link]/abs/2011MarPG..28.1123B). doi:10.1016/[Link].2011.03.004 (h
ttps://[Link]/10.1016%[Link].2011.03.004).
8. Butler, R.; Bond, C. (2020). "Chapter 9 – Thrust systems and contractional tectonics". In
Scarselli, N.; Adam, J.; Chiarella, D. (eds.). Principles of Geologic Analysis. Regional
Geology and Tectonics. Vol. 1 (2 ed.). Elsevier. pp. 149–167. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-
64134-2.00008-0 ([Link]
ISBN 9780444641359.
9. Burg, J.-P. (2017). "Strike-slip and Oblique-slip tectonics" ([Link]
lgeology/jpb/files/english/[Link]) (PDF). Retrieved 26 September 2022.
10. van Dijk, J.P. (2023); The New Global Tectonic Map – Analyses and Implications. Terra
Nova, 2023, 27 pp. doi:10.1111/TER.12662 ([Link]
11. Hudec, M.R.; Jackson, M.P.A. (2007). "Terra infirma: Understanding salt tectonics". Earth-
Science Reviews. 82 (1–2): 1–28. doi:10.1016/[Link].2007.01.001 ([Link]
16%[Link].2007.01.001).
12. "Encyclopedia of Coastal Science" (2005), Springer, ISBN 978-1-4020-1903-6, Chapter 1:
"Tectonics and Neotectonics" doi:10.1007/1-4020-3880-1 ([Link]
0-3880-1)
13. Foulger, Gillian R. (2021), "The Plate Theory for Volcanism" ([Link]
retrieve/pii/B9780081029084001053), Encyclopedia of Geology, Elsevier, pp. 879–890,
doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-102908-4.00105-3 ([Link]
00105-3), ISBN 978-0-08-102909-1, retrieved 23 October 2023
14. E. Boschi, E.; Mantovani, E.; Morelli, A., eds. (2012). "A review of the Eastern Alps –
Northern Dinarides Seismotectonics" ([Link]
&dq=seismotectonics+definition&pg=PA251). Recent Evolution and Seismicity of the
Mediterranean Region. Springer. ISBN 9789401120166.
15. Koeberl, C., Henkel, H., eds. (2005). Impact Tectonics ([Link]
48-7). Impact Studies. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. doi:10.1007/3-540-27548-7 ([Link]
g/10.1007%2F3-540-27548-7). ISBN 978-3-540-24181-2.
Further reading
Edward A. Keller (2001) Active Tectonics: Earthquakes, Uplift, and Landscape ([Link]
.[Link]/books?id=sXASAQAAIAAJ) Prentice Hall; 2nd edition, ISBN 0-13-088230-5
Stanley A. Schumm, Jean F. Dumont and John M. Holbrook (2002) Active Tectonics and
Alluvial Rivers, Cambridge University Press; Reprint edition, ISBN 0-521-89058-6
B.A. van der Pluijm and S. Marshak (2004). Earth Structure – An Introduction to Structural
Geology and Tectonics. 2nd edition ([Link]
[Link]/Ben/ES/[Link]). New York: W.W. Norton. p. 656.
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ISBN 0-393-92467-X. Archived from the original ([Link]
[Link]) on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
External links
The Origin and the Mechanics of the Forces Responsible for Tectonic Plate Movements (htt
p://[Link])
The Paleomap Project ([Link]
Retrieved from "[Link]
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