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Journal of the Geological Society; 2002; v. 159; issue.6; p. 659-671;
DOI: 10.1144/0016-764901-147
© 2002 Geological Society of London

Original Article

Insights into orogenesis: getting to the root of a continent–ocean–continent collision, Southern Urals, Russia

Jane H. Scarrow1, Conxi Ayala2,3 & Geoffrey S. Kimbell2

1 1Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, Campus Fuentenueva, University of Granada, 18002 Granada, Spain (e-mail: jscarrow@ugr.es)
2 2British Geological Survey, Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
3 3Present address: Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra Jaume Almera, CSIC, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

The Ural mountains preserve a late Palaeozoic collision that forms a 2500 km suture in the world's largest landmass, Eurasia. Several features of the mountain belt, in particular a well-preserved crustal root, are uncharacteristic of other Palaeozoic orogens such as the Appalachians and Caledonides. Previous interpretations of the Southern Uralian root suggested that it is composed of East European Craton crust derived from the west. A new potential field data model, considered in conjunction with published seismic, heat-flow and geological data, indicates that the root is composed mainly of mafic granulite, which we interpret as oceanic arc crust originally accreted from the east, subducted eastward, and metamorphosed. A load caused by crustal lateral density variations, combined with topography, isostatically compensates root buoyancy and is thus the main cause of its preservation.

Key Words: Palaeozoic • Urals • accretion • crust • roots




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