Reconstructing Rodinia by Fitting Neoproterozoic Continental Margins
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Reconstructing Rodinia by Fitting Neoproterozoic Continental Margins By John H. Stewart Open-File Report 2009-1191 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Marcia K. McNutt, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 2009 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/ Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Suggested citation: Stewart, J.H., 2009, Reconstructing Rodinia by fitting Neoproterozoic continental margins: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2009-1191 [http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2009/1191/]. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 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Cover: Paleomagnetic poles for Laurentia (green) for the time period 1,200-850 Ma, and an averaged apparent polar wander path (APWP) derived from these poles Contents Abstract................................................................................................................................1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................2 Recognition and Classification of Neoproterozoic Continental Margins............................3 Active rifts to passive margins (miogeoclines) ...............................................................3 Margins exhibiting multiple episodes of rifting or reactivation......................................3 Aulacogens ......................................................................................................................4 Long-lived miogeoclinal margins (Mesoproterozoic continuing into Neoproterozoic)..4 Rifted tectonic slivers, ribbon continents, and microcontinents......................................4 Outboard and accreted terranes .......................................................................................5 Collisional margins (sutures)...........................................................................................5 Magmatic arcs..................................................................................................................6 Inherited margins.............................................................................................................6 Stripped and covered margins .........................................................................................6 Wilson cycle ....................................................................................................................7 Middle and Upper Neoproterozoic Continents and Continental Margins...........................7 Laurentia..........................................................................................................................7 South America .................................................................................................................9 Africa.............................................................................................................................11 Antarctica.......................................................................................................................13 Australia.........................................................................................................................14 India and related areas ...................................................................................................15 Arabia and related areas ................................................................................................16 South China ...................................................................................................................17 North China ...................................................................................................................18 Tarim .............................................................................................................................18 Central Asian Mobile Belt.............................................................................................18 Siberia............................................................................................................................19 Kolyma ..........................................................................................................................20 Baltica............................................................................................................................20 Cadomian, Avalonian, and related magmatic rocks......................................................23 Methods of Meso-Neoproterozoic Reconstructions..........................................................23 Jigsaw puzzle method....................................................................................................24 Southern continents assembly .......................................................................................24 Age of southern-continent assembly .............................................................................25 Complexities..................................................................................................................25 Similar shape of southern-continent margins through time...........................................25 Neoproterozoic Reconstructions........................................................................................26 Reconstructing the southern continents region..............................................................27 Reconstructing Laurasia ................................................................................................28 Relative positions of Laurasia and the southern continents region ...............................30 Composite Rodinian reconstruction ..............................................................................30 Comparisons with other models ....................................................................................30 Paleomagnetic Studies.......................................................................................................32 Summary............................................................................................................................35 Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................36 References .........................................................................................................................36 iii Figures 1. Tight fitting assembly of the southern continents (South America, Africa, India, Arabia, Antarctica, and Australia) based on Smith and Hallam, 1970 and Lawver and Scotesce, 1987. .................................................................71 2. Proposed composite model of the assembly and breakup of Rodinia (1200-850 Ma). .....................................................................................................72 3. Ages of Precambrian cratons on a Pangea base (Rogers, 1996). ................................73 4. Rodinia reconstruction (ca. 600 Ma) of Bond and others (1984). ...............................74 5. Rodinia reconstruction (ca. 600 Ma) of Keppie (1992). ..............................................75 6. Model of Paleopangaea (800-600 Ma) proposed by Piper (2000). .............................76 7. Rodinia reconstruction of Dalziel and others (2000). ..................................................77 8. Rodinia reconstruction of Waggoner (1999). ..............................................................78 9. Rodinia reconstruction of Weil and others (1998). .....................................................79 10. Rodinia reconstruction (ca. 990 Ma) of Pisarevsky and others (2003). ....................80 11. Rodinia reconstruction (ca. 1,000-700 Ma) of Unrug (1997, fig. 2). ........................81 12. Rodinia reconstruction (ca. 700-500 Ma) of Unrug (1997, figure 3) ........................82 13. Rodinia reconstruction (ca. 700 Ma) of Hoffman (1991). .........................................83 14. Paleomagnetic poles for Laurentia (green) for the time period 1,200-850 Ma, and an averaged apparent polar wander path (APWP) derived from these poles. .....................................................................................................................84 15. Paleomagnetic poles for Amazonia, Antarctica, Australia, Baltica, Congo, and Siberia for the time period 1,200-850 Ma. ...........................................................85 16. Paleomagnetic poles for Australia, Baltica, Congo, Laurentia Kalahari, South China, and Trans-Sahara for the time period 850-670 Ma. ..................................86 17. Paleomagnetic poles for Australia, Baltica, Congo, Iran, Laurentia, Madagascar, Siberia, South China and Trans-Sahara for the time period 670-500 Ma. ...........87 Tables 1. Neoproterozoic paleomagnetic poles used in Figures 14–17. .....................................89 2. List of Euler poles and angles of rotation (with respect to Laurentia) for continents shown in the Rodinia reconstruction proposed here for the time frame 1,200-850 Ma (fig. 14). ........................................................................................94