SE12
Integrated Studies of the Tethyian - Himalayan Orogenic Belt. Natural Laboratories from Europe to SE Asia

Main Organiser
Victor Mocanu, University of Bucharest
6 Traian Vuia Street, RO-70139 Bucharest 1, Romania
mocanu@gg.unibuc.ro

Co-Organiser(s)
Ray Russo, Northwestern University
ray@earth.northwestern.edu

Randell Stephenson, Free University Amsterdam
randell.stephenson@falw.vu.nl

Brief Description
The Tethyan suture zone extends from the Caribbean all the way to Indonesia. It offers a variety of tectonic contexts, from slow to fast convergence, subduction to collision, mountain building to backarc basin formation. Diachronous development of structures produced by these processes provides a unique overview of Tethyan closure since in many cases several stages of each exist simultaneously in the suture zone and can be directly compared. Recent studies of instantaneous kinematics in the Tethyan belt, on its 3D structure at crustal, lithospheric, or whole-mantle scale, on the P-T-t evolution of metamorphic domains therein, on volcanic products related to Tethyan closure, and on Tethyan marginal and continental basin evolution form the basis for a useful synthesis of Tethyan tectonics. Furthermore, progress on understanding the behavior of the upper mantle during continental lithosphere escape, plateau uplift, dispersed intraplate volcanism, ophiolite genesis, and slab ! breakoff versus lithosphere delamination is ripe for analysis. This session is intended for presentations of large-scale multi-method surveys of Tethyan belt dynamics, regional syntheses, and detailed analyses at different scales pertinent to the modeling of the general processes of Tethys closure. Moreover, comparisons of different natural "laboratories" like the Alps, Carpathian-Pannonian system, Anatolia, Zagros and surroundings, Oman, Himalayas, Yunnan, Indochina peninsula, the Philippines and the Indonesian archipelago are all of high interest in order to compare different stages of various processes associated to Tethys. All those working on understanding the parameters that control these large-scale processes are welcome. We strongly encourage all geologists, geophysicists, geochemists, and modelers interested in participating in a forum concerning past and present Tethyan dynamics to submit papers.