Emplacement model for some “Tethyan” ophiolites

Abstract

Research Article| November 01, 1976 Emplacement model for some "Tethyan" ophiolites Alan Gilbert Smith; Alan Gilbert Smith 1Department of Geology, Sedgwick Museum, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, England Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Nigel H. Woodcock Nigel H. Woodcock 1Department of Geology, Sedgwick Museum, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, England Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Alan Gilbert Smith 1Department of Geology, Sedgwick Museum, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, England Nigel H. Woodcock 1Department of Geology, Sedgwick Museum, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, England Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1976) 4 (11): 653–656. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1976)4<653:EMFSTO>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Alan Gilbert Smith, Nigel H. Woodcock; Emplacement model for some "Tethyan" ophiolites. Geology 1976;; 4 (11): 653–656. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1976)4<653:EMFSTO>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Detailed mapping of part of the Othris (=sub-Pelagonian) zone in east-central Greece has revealed the existence of a stack of thrust sheets of Early Cretaceous age. These have emplaced ophiolites onto a formerly stable Mesozoic continental margin from an ocean that lay to the west of the Pelagonian zone. Systematic facies changes from one thrust sheet to the next overlying thrust sheet suggest that the ophiolites originally formed part of an ocean adjacent to the inferred continental margin and were laterally continuous with it. Thus the ophiolites are regarded as parts of a tectonically emplaced marginal oceanic strip (this does not imply they were parts of a "marginal ocean basin" in the sense of Karig).It is speculatively suggested that prior to emplacement the mantle underneath this marginal strip had been serpentinized and raised to a much higher level. Such a process would overcome one of the problems of ophiolite emplacement–the necessity to postulate uphill movement of heavy oceanic crust and upper oceanic mantle. Serpentinization is attributed to water freed by dehydration reactions in a slab sinking beneath the marginal oceanic strip from a trench initiated at some distance from the continental margin. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.