The Main Uralian Fault (MUF) runs north–south through the middle of the Ural Mountains for over 2,000 km. It separates both Europe from Asia and the three, or four, western megazones of the Urals from the three eastern megazones: namely the Pre-Uralian Foredeep, West Uralian, and the Central Uralian to the west, and the Tagil-Magnitogorskian, East Uralian, and Transuralian to the east. The Russian Plate is often included as the fourth megazone to the west. On the west side of the fault the rocks represent the sediments of the eastern continental margin zone of the European Plate (Baltica). On the east the rocks are accreted oceanic and island arcbasalts, ultramafics and volcanics as well as the sediments of the western continental margin zones of the Siberian craton (Angara Plate) on the north and the Kazakhstan craton on the south.
The Main Uralian Fault formed in the Riphean (early Neoproterozoic) in the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia as a rift valley between the Baltica and the Angara Plate (Siberian craton). As these two plates pulled apart eventually a mid-ocean ridge formed. The ridge was of basic (basalt) and ultramafic material. Some 500 million years later, in the Silurian, a subduction zone formed on the western margin of the Angara Plate, which at the time was on the western edge of Gondwana, and the oceanic plate was subducted underneath the Angara Plate, accreting some of the basalts and ultramafics onto the Angara Plate. Sialic sediments were metamorphosed, melted and intruded into the rocks above as granites. By the early Carboniferous the oceanic plates were completed subducted and the eastern margin of Baltica, then on the eastern edge of Laurussia began to collide with the western edge of Angara. In the south the western edge of Kazakhstania may have been pushed under Baltica. This collision in known generally as the Variscan orogeny, and specifically as to the Urals as the Uralian orogeny The collision lasted nearly 90 million years from the Carboniferous to the early Triassic.[1][2][3][4] The MUF remained active as the plates ground against each other as Pangea was formed and the Ural Mountains were raised up.
Dipedit
There is seismic evidence that the Main Uralian Fault extends very deep, in excess of 15 kilometres (9.3 mi), into the crust and dips to the east as a result of the subduction zone that formed in the Silurian along the western margin of the Siberian craton. This is supported by evidence of a north-south magmatic axis in the southern Urals that runs through the East Uralian megazone.[5]
Notesedit
^D. Brown & H. Echtler. The Urals. In: R. C. Selley, L. R. M. Cocks & I. R. Plimer (eds.), Encyclopedia of Geology, Vol. 2. Elsevier, 2005. P 86-95.
^L. R. M. Cocks & T. H. Torsvik. European geography in a global context from the Vendian to the end of the Palaeozoic 2009-07-31 at the Wayback Machine. In Gee, D. G. & Stephenson, R. A. (eds), European Lithosphere Dynamics. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 32, 83–95.
^Victor N. Puchkov. The evolution of the Uralian orogen. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2009; v. 327; p. 161-195.
^D. Brown et al. Mountain building processes during continent–continent collision in the Uralides. Earth-Science Reviews, Volume 89, Issues 3-4, August 2008, Pages 177-195.
^Fershtater, G.B., Montero, P., Borodina, N.S., Pushkarev, E.V., Smirnov, V.N., and Bea, F. (1997). "Uralian magmatism: an overview". Tectonophysics. 276 (1–4): 87–102. Bibcode:1997Tectp.276...87F. doi:10.1016/S0040-1951(97)00049-8.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Further readingedit
Brown, D., Juhlin, C., Alvarez-Marron, J., Perez-Estaun, A., and Oslianski, A. (1998). "Crustal-scale structure and evolution of an arc-continent collision zone in the southern Urals, Russia". Tectonics. 17 (2): 158–171. Bibcode:1998Tecto..17..158B. doi:10.1029/98tc00129.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Juhlin, C., Knapp, J. H., Kashubin, S., and Bliznetsov, M. (1996). "Crustal evolution of the Middle Urals based on seismic reflection and refraction data" (PDF). Tectonophysics. 264 (1–4): 21–34. Bibcode:1996Tectp.264...21J. doi:10.1016/S0040-1951(96)00115-1.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Juhlin, C. Friberg, M., Echtler, H.P., Hismatulin, T., Rybalka, A., Green, A.G., and Ansorge, J. (1998). "Crustal structure of the Middle Urals: Results from the (ESRU) Europrobe seismic reflection profiling in the Urals experiments". Tectonics. 17 (5): 710–725. Bibcode:1998Tecto..17..710J. doi:10.1029/98TC02762.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Kruse, S. & McNutt, M. (1988). "Compensation of Paleozoic orogens: a comparison of the Urals to the Appalachians". Tectonophysics. 154 (1–2): 1–17. Bibcode:1988Tectp.154....1K. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(88)90224-7.
Poupinet, G., Thouvenot, F., Zolotov, E.E., Matte, Ph., Egorkin, A.V., and Rackitiv, V.A. (1997). "Teleseismic tomography across the middle Urals: lithospheric trace of an ancient continental collision". Tectonophysics. 276 (1): 19–33. Bibcode:1997Tectp.276...19P. doi:10.1016/S0040-1951(97)00045-0.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Puchkov, V.N. (1987). "New Data on the Tectonics of the Urals". Geotectonics. 21: 108–116.
Puchkov, V.N. (1993). "The Paleoceanic Structures of the Ural mountains". Geotectonics. 27: 184–196.
Puchkov, V.N. (1997). "Tectonics of the Urals: Modern Concepts". Geotectonics. 31: 294–312.
Zonenshain, L., Kuzmin, M. and Natapov, L. (1990), "Uralian Foldbelt", in Page, B. M. (ed.), Geology of the USSR: A Plate Tectonic Synthesis, Geodynamics series, v. 21, Washington, D.C.: American Geophysical Union, pp. 27–54, ISBN978-0-87590-521-1{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
External linksedit
Map of Main Uralian Fault showing megazones Zavacky, J. "The Urals: A Late Paleozoic Mountain Belt"
April 13, 2024
main, uralian, fault, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, 2012, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, runs. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations May 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Main Uralian Fault MUF runs north south through the middle of the Ural Mountains for over 2 000 km It separates both Europe from Asia and the three or four western megazones of the Urals from the three eastern megazones namely the Pre Uralian Foredeep West Uralian and the Central Uralian to the west and the Tagil Magnitogorskian East Uralian and Transuralian to the east The Russian Plate is often included as the fourth megazone to the west On the west side of the fault the rocks represent the sediments of the eastern continental margin zone of the European Plate Baltica On the east the rocks are accreted oceanic and island arc basalts ultramafics and volcanics as well as the sediments of the western continental margin zones of the Siberian craton Angara Plate on the north and the Kazakhstan craton on the south Contents 1 Formation 2 Dip 3 Notes 4 Further reading 5 External linksFormation editThe Main Uralian Fault formed in the Riphean early Neoproterozoic in the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia as a rift valley between the Baltica and the Angara Plate Siberian craton As these two plates pulled apart eventually a mid ocean ridge formed The ridge was of basic basalt and ultramafic material Some 500 million years later in the Silurian a subduction zone formed on the western margin of the Angara Plate which at the time was on the western edge of Gondwana and the oceanic plate was subducted underneath the Angara Plate accreting some of the basalts and ultramafics onto the Angara Plate Sialic sediments were metamorphosed melted and intruded into the rocks above as granites By the early Carboniferous the oceanic plates were completed subducted and the eastern margin of Baltica then on the eastern edge of Laurussia began to collide with the western edge of Angara In the south the western edge of Kazakhstania may have been pushed under Baltica This collision in known generally as the Variscan orogeny and specifically as to the Urals as the Uralian orogeny The collision lasted nearly 90 million years from the Carboniferous to the early Triassic 1 2 3 4 The MUF remained active as the plates ground against each other as Pangea was formed and the Ural Mountains were raised up Dip editThere is seismic evidence that the Main Uralian Fault extends very deep in excess of 15 kilometres 9 3 mi into the crust and dips to the east as a result of the subduction zone that formed in the Silurian along the western margin of the Siberian craton This is supported by evidence of a north south magmatic axis in the southern Urals that runs through the East Uralian megazone 5 Notes edit D Brown amp H Echtler The Urals In R C Selley L R M Cocks amp I R Plimer eds Encyclopedia of Geology Vol 2 Elsevier 2005 P 86 95 L R M Cocks amp T H Torsvik European geography in a global context from the Vendian to the end of the Palaeozoic Archived 2009 07 31 at the Wayback Machine In Gee D G amp Stephenson R A eds European Lithosphere Dynamics Geological Society London Memoirs 32 83 95 Victor N Puchkov The evolution of the Uralian orogen Geological Society London Special Publications 2009 v 327 p 161 195 D Brown et al Mountain building processes during continent continent collision in the Uralides Earth Science Reviews Volume 89 Issues 3 4 August 2008 Pages 177 195 Fershtater G B Montero P Borodina N S Pushkarev E V Smirnov V N and Bea F 1997 Uralian magmatism an overview Tectonophysics 276 1 4 87 102 Bibcode 1997Tectp 276 87F doi 10 1016 S0040 1951 97 00049 8 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Further reading editBrown D Juhlin C Alvarez Marron J Perez Estaun A and Oslianski A 1998 Crustal scale structure and evolution of an arc continent collision zone in the southern Urals Russia Tectonics 17 2 158 171 Bibcode 1998Tecto 17 158B doi 10 1029 98tc00129 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Juhlin C Knapp J H Kashubin S and Bliznetsov M 1996 Crustal evolution of the Middle Urals based on seismic reflection and refraction data PDF Tectonophysics 264 1 4 21 34 Bibcode 1996Tectp 264 21J doi 10 1016 S0040 1951 96 00115 1 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Juhlin C Friberg M Echtler H P Hismatulin T Rybalka A Green A G and Ansorge J 1998 Crustal structure of the Middle Urals Results from the ESRU Europrobe seismic reflection profiling in the Urals experiments Tectonics 17 5 710 725 Bibcode 1998Tecto 17 710J doi 10 1029 98TC02762 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Kruse S amp McNutt M 1988 Compensation of Paleozoic orogens a comparison of the Urals to the Appalachians Tectonophysics 154 1 2 1 17 Bibcode 1988Tectp 154 1K doi 10 1016 0040 1951 88 90224 7 Poupinet G Thouvenot F Zolotov E E Matte Ph Egorkin A V and Rackitiv V A 1997 Teleseismic tomography across the middle Urals lithospheric trace of an ancient continental collision Tectonophysics 276 1 19 33 Bibcode 1997Tectp 276 19P doi 10 1016 S0040 1951 97 00045 0 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Puchkov V N 1987 New Data on the Tectonics of the Urals Geotectonics 21 108 116 Puchkov V N 1993 The Paleoceanic Structures of the Ural mountains Geotectonics 27 184 196 Puchkov V N 1997 Tectonics of the Urals Modern Concepts Geotectonics 31 294 312 Zonenshain L Kuzmin M and Natapov L 1990 Uralian Foldbelt in Page B M ed Geology of the USSR A Plate Tectonic Synthesis Geodynamics series v 21 Washington D C American Geophysical Union pp 27 54 ISBN 978 0 87590 521 1 a href Template Citation html title Template Citation citation a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link External links editMap of Main Uralian Fault showing megazones Zavacky J The Urals A Late Paleozoic Mountain Belt Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Main Uralian Fault amp oldid 1187961844, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
