Precambrian Moho offset and tectonic stability of the East European platform from the URSEIS deep seismic profile

Abstract

Research Article| March 01, 1998 Precambrian Moho offset and tectonic stability of the East European platform from the URSEIS deep seismic profile Camelia C. Diaconescu; Camelia C. Diaconescu 1Institute for the Study of the Continents, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar James H. Knapp; James H. Knapp 1Institute for the Study of the Continents, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Larry D. Brown; Larry D. Brown 1Institute for the Study of the Continents, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar David N. Steer; David N. Steer 1Institute for the Study of the Continents, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Manfred Stiller Manfred Stiller 2GFZ Potsdam, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Camelia C. Diaconescu 1Institute for the Study of the Continents, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 James H. Knapp 1Institute for the Study of the Continents, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 Larry D. Brown 1Institute for the Study of the Continents, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 David N. Steer 1Institute for the Study of the Continents, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 Manfred Stiller 2GFZ Potsdam, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1998) 26 (3): 211–214. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0211:PMOATS>2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Camelia C. Diaconescu, James H. Knapp, Larry D. Brown, David N. Steer, Manfred Stiller; Precambrian Moho offset and tectonic stability of the East European platform from the URSEIS deep seismic profile. Geology 1998;; 26 (3): 211–214. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0211:PMOATS>2.3.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 Deep seismic reflection data from the 1995 Urals Seismic Experiment and Integrated Studies (URSEIS) transect of the Southern Urals document a distinct ∼5 km vertical offset of the Moho beneath the Uralian foreland, here named the Makarovo fault zone. This offset does not disrupt the overlying Riphean sedimentary section, nor does it correlate with any major surface lineaments or known Phanerozoic subduction features. It is thus interpreted to be an Archean or Early Proterozoic fault zone (possibly a terrane boundary) that disrupts an even older Moho. Most important is the implication that this structure and the Moho it offsets were not significantly modified by two subsequent cycles of continental collision that affected this region, the Baikalian (700–570 Ma) and the late Paleozoic Uralian (350–230 Ma) orogenic phases. Similarly, the pronounced reflectivity of the Moho beneath the Uralian foreland must also be a Precambrian signature, not a young feature, as would be implied by certain recent thermo-rheological and reflectivity models that associate a reflective lower crust and Moho with areas that underwent pronounced synorogenic or postorogenic collapse. The Makarovo fault zone provides yet another demonstration that relicts of ancient tectonic processes can survive for long periods of time in the lower crust, and that the Moho can be a key marker horizon in delineating the tectonic evolution of the lithosphere. 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.