Abstract
The large width, the importance of crustal shortening and the likelihood of thick crust in the late Palaeozoic Hercynian (or Variscan) belt of southern Europe suggest a tectonic evolution analogous to the evolution of the Tibetan Plateau and its neighbouring Himalaya1, and of the Altiplano and other high plateaux of the Andes. Here we extend Dewey and Burke's analogy1 of the Hercynian chain with Tibet to include the subsequent stage of pervasive normal faulting and crustal extension and thinning, which characterize the active tectonics of Tibet, parts of the high Andes, and the Basin and Range province of western North America. It appears that normal faulting and rifting also characterize the late Palaeozoic tectonic activity of the Hercynian chain.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dewey, J. F. & Burke, K. C. A. J. Geol. 81, 683–692 (1973).
Arthaud, F. Ser. Geol. Struct. No. 1 (Pub. Univ. Sci. tech. Languedoc, France, 1970).
Burg, J. P. & Matte, P. Z. dt. geol. Ges. 129, 429–460 (1978).
Mattauer, M. & Etchecopar, A. in Collogue Intemationaux du CNRS 268, Himalaya: Science de la Terre 261–267 (Edns du Centre National de la Recherche Scientiflque, Paris, 1977).
Matte, P. Tectonophysics 126, 329–374 (1986).
Cazes, M. et al. Nature 323, 144–147 (1986).
Romanowicz, B. J. geophys. Res. 87, 6865–6883 (1982).
James, D. E. J. geophys. Res. 76, 3246–3271 (1971).
Chang, C. et al. Nature 323, 501–507 (1986).
Suárez, G., Molnar, P. & Burchfiel, B. C. J. geophys. Res. 88, 10403–10428 (1983).
Vidal, P. et al. Phys. Earth planet. Int. 35, 179–190 (1984).
Le Fort, P. J. geophys. Res. 86, 10545–10568 (1981).
Molnar, P. et al. Science 235, 299–305 (1987).
Evernden, J. F., Kriz, S. J. & Cherroni, M. C. Econ. Geol. 72, 1042–1061 (1977).
Tilton, G. R., Pollak, R. J., Clark, A. H. & Robertson, R. C. R. Geol. Soc. Amer. Mem. 154, 791–816 (1981).
Jaupart, C., Francheteau, J. & Shen Xian-jie Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 81, 131–155 (1985).
Arthaud, F. & Matte, P. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88, 1305–1320 (1977).
Maistre, J. de Revue de l'Industrie minérale 45, 541–600 (1963).
Svnthése géologique du sud-est de la France, Mémoire du BRGM (1984).
Rigassi, D. Paleolab News 2 (1977).
Fabre, J. Mem. du BRGM (1985).
Ellenberger, F. Mém. du BRGM (1954).
Armijo, R., Tapponnier, P., Mercier, J. L. & Han, T. J. geophys. Res. 91, 13803–13872 (1986).
Molnar, P. & Tapponnier, P. J. geophys. Res. 83, 5361–5375 (1978).
Dalmayrac, B. & Molnar, P. Earth planet, sci. Lett. 55, 473–481 (1981).
Sebrier, M., Mercier, J. L., Mégard, F., Laubacher, G. & Carey-Gailhardis, E. Tectonics 4, 739–780 (1985).
Molnar, P. & Chen, W.-P. J. geophys. Res. 88, 1180–1196 (1983).
Molnar, P. & Lyon-Caen, H. in Processes in Continental Lithospheric Deformation, Geol. Soc. Amer. Spec. Pap. 218 179–207 (1988).
Davis, G. A. & Burchfiel, B. C. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 84, 1407–1423 (1973).
Proffett, J. M. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88, 247–266 (1977).
Wernicke, B., Spencer, J. E., Burchfiel, B. C. & Guth, P. L. Geology 10, 499–502 (1982).
Coney, P. J. & Harms, T. A. Geology 12, 550–554 (1984).
Sonder, L. J., England, P. C., Wernicke, B. P. & Christiansen, R. L. in Continental Exlensional Tectonics Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. 28 (ed. Coward, M. P., Dewey, J. F. & Hancock, P. L.) 187–201 (1987).
Bachmann, G. H., Müller, G. & Weggen, K. Teclonophysics 137, 77–92 (1987).
McKenzie, D. P. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 40, 25–32 (1978).
Geiss, E. Ann. Geophysicae 5, 623–630 (1987).
Meissner, R., Wever, T. & Flüh, E. R. Ann. Geophysicae 5, 357–364 (1987).
Finckh, P., Ansorge, J., Mueller, S. & Sprecher, C. Tectonophysics 109, 1–14 (1984).
Sapin, M. & Him, A. Ann. Géophys. 30, 181–202 (1974).
Sapin, M. & Prodehl, C. Ann. Géophys. 29, 127–145 (1973).
Prodehl, C. Geol. Surv Prof. Pap. 1034 (US Govt. Print. OH., Washington, DC, 1979).
Smith, R. B. Geol. Soc. Amer. Mem. 152, 111–144 (1978).
Lachenbruch, A. H. & Sass, J. H. Geol. Soc. Amer. Mem. 152, 209–250 (1978).
Black, P. R. & Braile, L. W. J. geophys. Res. 87, 10557–10568 (1982).
Grand, S. & Helmberger, D. V. Geophys. J. R. Astr. Soc. 76, 399–438 (1984).
Houseman, G. A., McKenzie, D. P. & Molnar, P. J. geophys. Res. 86, 6115–6132 (1981).
McClay, K. R., Norton, M. G., Coney, P. & Davis, G. H. Nature 323, 147–149 (1986).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ménard, G., Molnar, P. Collapse of a Hercynian Tibetan Plateau into a late Palaeozoic European Basin and Range province. Nature 334, 235–237 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/334235a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/334235a0
This article is cited by
-
Callovian corals from the Swiss Jura
Swiss Journal of Palaeontology (2024)
-
Reconsidering Carboniferous–Permian continental paleoenvironments in eastern equatorial Pangea: facies and sequence stratigraphy investigations in the Autun Basin (France)
International Journal of Earth Sciences (2022)
-
Evidence of Early Permian extension during the post-Variscan evolution of the central Southern Alps (N Italy)
International Journal of Earth Sciences (2022)
-
No mafic layer in 80 km thick Tibetan crust
Nature Communications (2021)
-
Palaeoenvironmental reconstitutions at the Carboniferous–Permian transition south of the Paris Basin, France: implications on the stratigraphic evolution and basin geometry
International Journal of Earth Sciences (2021)
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.