The Project

Project title

A multidisciplinary study of Pacific-type orogenic belts and development of a holistic model linking evolution of oceans, their active margins and mantle magmatism

Key words

Ocean Plate Stratigraphy (OPS); accretionary complex; accreting/eroding Pacific-type convergent margins; tectonic and subduction erosion; subduction of crustal materials to the mantle; hydrous-carbonated plumes; Center of Rock Sample Preparation (CRSP); mineral resources.

Project goals and objectives

Major goal

To launch a new laboratory focused on the study of paleo-oceans , Pacific-type convergent margins and intra-plate magmatism of central and East Asia.

Specific goals

1. To develop a new approach for studying paleo-oceanic complexes of Central and East Asia based on the model of Ocean Plate Stratigraphy (OPS); to propose a methodology for recognizing different oceanic plates within one paleo-ocean and evaluating their sizes and ages.

2. To estimate major parameters of Pacific-type convergent margins of Asia, in particular, (i) type of margin: accreting or eroding; (ii) type of supra-subduction complex: intra-oceanic arc or continental margin; (iii) length and amount of island arcs; (iv) periods of continuous subduction; (v) type of accreted OPS: pelagic, hemipelagic, trench, oceanic rise.

3. For eroding margins to define major periods of tectonic erosion of surface materials and their subduction to the mantle, evaluate the volumes of eroded materials and distinguish major materials to be subducted: volatiles (water, carbon dioxide), serpentinite, basalt, continental crust materials.

4. To study a possibility of the accumulation of those materials in the MTZ and generation of hydrous-carbonated plumes in the MTZ as a result of synergetic interaction of subduction and continental and oceanic crust materials accumulated therein.

5. To highlight periods of mantle metasomatism, periods of eroding Pacific-type convergent margins and periods of continuous subduction; to correlate those with periods of intra-plate magmatism and rifting in Central and East Asia.

6. To develop a holistic model linking the evolution of paleo-oceans, the erosion and subduction of oceanic and continental crust materials at Pacific-type convergent margins, their accumulations in the MTZ, mantle metasomatism and intra-plate magmatism.

7. For accreting margins: to highlight periods of accretion, to evaluate volumes of displaced OPS units, in particular, deep sea muds; to explore potential of deep-sea sediments for rare-earth elements and yttrium.