Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Plate movement and continental magmatism

Abstract

Extensive magmatic and metamorphic events have occurred within the Earth's continental crust far from plate margins. During the last 800 million years Africa has only been host to such events during the breaks in the systematic motion of the African plate. This suggests that sublithospheric heat sources have little effect on a moving plate and can only produce recognisable effects in the upper crust if focused for long periods on the same part of the lithosphere.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Fyfe, W. S., and Leonardos, O. H., Nature, 244, 501 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Gass, I. G., Phil. Trans. R. Soc., A 267, 369 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gass, I. G., Fourth Tomkieff Memorial Lecture, 1 (Geology Department, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Dietz, R. S., and Holden, J. W., J. geophys. Res., 75, 4939 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Vine, F. J., and Hess, H. H., in The Sea, 4 (ii) (edit. by Maxwell, A. E.), 587 (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Scrutton, R. A., Geol. Mag., 110, 227 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Clifford, T. N., in African Magmatism and Tectonics (edit. by Clifford, T. N., and Gass, I. G.), 1 (Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Cox, K. G., in African Magmetism and Tectonics (edit. by Clifford, T. N., and Gass, I. G.), 211 (Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Black, R., and Girod, M., in African Magmatism and Tectonics (edit. by Clifford, T. N., and Gass, I. G.), 185 (Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  10. LeBas, M. J., Nature, 230, 85 (1971).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Gass, I. G., J. Earth Sci., 8, 261 (1972).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kennedy, W. Q., Eighth A. Rep. Res. Inst. Afri. Geol. Univ. Leeds (1964).

  13. Shackleton, R. M., in Implications of continental drift to the Earth Sciences 2 (edit. by Tarling, D. H., and Runcorn, S. K.) 1091 (Academic Press, London, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Cahen, L., in African Magmatism and Tectonics (edit. by Clifford, T. N., and Gass, I. G.), 97 (Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Caby, R., Ph. D. thesis, Montpeillier Univ. (1970).

  16. McCurry, P., Bull geol. Soc. Am., 82, 3251 (1971).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Piper, J. D. A., Briden, J. C., and Lomax, K., Nature, 245, 244 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Vail, J. R., in African Magmatism and Tectonics (edit. by Clifford, T. N., and Gass, I. G.), 337 (Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Cox, K. G., Jl geol. Soc. Lond., 128, 311 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Piper, J. D. A., Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. (in the press).

  21. McElhinny, M. W., Briden, J. C., Jones, D. L., and Brock, A., Rev. Geophys., 6, 201 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. McElhinny, M. W., and Briden, J. C., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 10, 407 (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Briden, J. C., in Palaeogeophysics (edit. by Runcorn, S. K.) 277 (Academic Press, London, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Briden, J. C., Nature, 215, 1334 (1967).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Creer, K. M., Nature, 203, 1115 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. Hailwood, E. A., and Tarling, D. H., in Implications of continental drift to the Earth Sciences, 1 (edit. by Tarling, D. H., and Runcorn, S. K.) 37 (Academic Press, London, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  27. McElhinny, M. W., and Opdyke, N. D., J. geophys. Res., 73, 689 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Piper, J. D. A., and Richardson, A., Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc., 29, 147 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. Wilson, R. L., Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc., 19, 417 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. Wilson, R. L., Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc., 22, 491 (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. McElhinny, M. W., Palaeomagnetism and Plate Tectonics (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Sclater, J. G., and Francheteau, J., Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc., 20, 509 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. Morgan, W. J., Nature, 230, 42 (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. Morgan, W. J., Bull. Am. Ass. Petrol. Geol., 56, 203 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Burke, K., and Wilson, J. T., Nature, 239, 387 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Wright, J. B., Nature, 244, 565 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Van Breeman, O., and Bowden, P., Nature, 242, 9 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. Kroner, A., Nature, 243, 29 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. McElhinny, M. W., Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc., 30, 281 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. Creer, K. M., in Implications of continental drift to the Earth Sciences 1 (edit. by Tarling, D. H., and Runcorn, S. K.), 47 (Academic Press, London, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Schult, A., and Soffel, H., Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc., 32, 373 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  42. Raja, P. K. S., and Vise, J. B., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 19, 438 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  43. Irving, E., and Park, J. K., Can. J. Earth Sci., 9, 1318 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Briden, J., Gass, I. Plate movement and continental magmatism. Nature 248, 650–653 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248650a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/248650a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing