Preface.

Acknowledgments.

1. Historical perspective.

1.1 Continental drift.

1.2 Sea floor spreading and the birth of plate tectonics.

1.3 Geosynclinal theory.

1.4 Impact of plate tectonics.

2. The interior of the Earth.

2.1 Earthquake seismology.

2.2 Velocity structure of the Earth.

2.3 Composition of the Earth.

2.4 The crust.

2.5 Ophiolites.

2.6 Metamorphism of oceanic crust.

2.7 Differences between continental and oceanic crust.

2.8 The mantle.

2.9 The core.

2.10 Rheology of the crust and mantle.

2.11 Isostasy.

2.12 Lithosphere and asthenosphere.

2.13 Terrestrial heat flow.

3. Continental drift.

3.1 Introduction.

3.2 Continental reconstructions.

3.3 Geologic evidence for continental drift.

3.4 Paleoclimatology.

3.5 Paleontologic evidence for continental drift.

3.6 Paleomagnetism.

4. Sea floor spreading and transform faults.

4.1 Sea floor spreading.

4.2 Transform faults.

5. The framework of plate tectonics.

5.1 Plates and plate margins.

5.2 Distribution of earthquakes.

5.3 Relative plate motions.

5.4 Absolute plate motions.

5.5 Hotspots.

5.6 True polar wander.

5.7 Cretaceous superplume.

5.8 Direct measurement of relative plate motions.

5.9 Finite plate motions.

5.10 Stability of triple junctions.

5.11 Present day triple junctions.

6. Ocean ridges.

6.1 Ocean ridge topography.

6.2 Broad structure of the upper mantle below ridges.

6.3 Origin of anomalous upper mantle beneath ridges.

6.4 Depth-age relationship of oceanic lithosphere.

6.5 Heat flow and hydrothermal circulation.

6.6 Seismic evidence for an axial magma chamber.

6.7 Along-axis segmentation of oceanic ridges.

6.8 Petrology of ocean ridges.

6.9 Shallow structure of the axial region.

6.10 Origin of the oceanic crust.

6.11 Propagating rifts and microplates.

6.12 Oceanic fracture zones.

7. Continental rifts and rifted margins.

7.1 Introduction.

7.2 General characteristics of narrow rifts.

7.3 General characteristics of wide rifts.

7.4 Volcanic activity.

7.5 Rift initiation.

7.6 Strain localization and delocalization processes.

7.7 Rifted continental margins.

7.8 Case studies: the transition from rift to rifted margin.

7.9 The Wilson cycle.

8. Continental transforms and strike-slip faults.

8.1 Introduction.

8.2 Fault styles and physiography.

8.3 The deep structure of continental transforms.

8.4 Transform continental margins.

8.5 Continuous versus discontinuous deformation.

8.6 Strain localization and delocalization mechanisms.

8.7 Measuring the strength of transforms.

9. Subduction zones.

9.1 Ocean trenches.

9.2 General morphology of island arc systems.

9.3 Gravity anomalies of subduction zones.

9.4 Structure of subduction zones from earthquakes.

9.5 Thermal structure of the downgoing slab.

9.6 Variations in subduction zone characteristics.

9.7 Accretionary prisms.

9.8 Volcanic and plutonic activity.

9.9 Metamorphism at convergent margins.

9.10 Backarc basins.

10. Orogenic belts.

10.1 Introduction.

10.2 Ocean-continent convergence.

10.3 Compressional sedimentary basins.

10.4 Continent-continent collision.

10.5 Arc-continent collision.

10.6 Terrane accretion and continental growth.

11. Precambrian tectonics and the supercontinent cycle.

11.1 Introduction.

11.2 Precambrian heat flow.

11.3 Archean tectonics.

11.4 Proterozoic tectonics.

11.5 The supercontinent cycle.

12. The mechanism of plate tectonics.

12.1 Introduction.

12.2 Contracting Earth hypothesis.

12.3 Expanding Earth hypothesis.

12.4 Implications of heat flow.

12.5 Convection in the mantle.

12.6 The forces acting on plates.

12.7 Driving mechanism of plate tectonics.

12.8 Evidence for convection in the mantle.

12.9 The nature of convection in the mantle.

12.10 Plumes.

12.11 The mechanism of the supercontinent cycle.

13. Implications of plate tectonics.

13.1 Environmental change.

13.2 Economic geology.

13.3 Natural hazards.

Review questions.

Appendix: The geological timescale and stratigraphic column.

References.

Index