KEY GEODYNAMIC PROCESSES AND DRIVING FORCES OF TETHYAN EVOLUTION
Abstract
Tethys tectonic system has experienced a long-term evolution history, including multiple Wilson cycles; thus, it is an ideal target for analyzing plate tectonics and geodynamics. Tethyan evolution is typically characterized by a series of continental blocks that separated from the Gondwana in the Southern Hemisphere, drifted northward, and collided and accreted with Laurasia in the Northern Hemisphere. During this process, the successive opening and closing of multistage Tethys oceans (e.g., Proto-Tethys, Paleo-Tethys, and Neo-Tethys) are considered core parts of the Tethyan evolution. Herein, focusing on the life cycle of an oceanic plate, four key geodynamic processes during the Tethyan evolution, namely, continental margin breakup, subduction initiation (SI), Mid-Ocean Ridge (MOR) subduction, and continental collision, were highlighted and dynamically analyzed with achieving systematic constraints. Based on the integration of these key geodynamic processes and their driving forces, a “multiengine-driving” model is proposed for the dynamics of Tethyan evolution.
Biography
Zhong-Hai LI is a Professor of Geodynamics at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). From 2001 to 2012, he has studied in Tongji University (Bachelor), Nanjing University (PhD), ETH-Zurich (Joint PhD) and CNRS-France (Postdoc). In 2012-2015, he worked in Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences; and from 2016 in UCAS till now. His main research direction is the computational geodynamics. Based on the theoretical calculation, numerical method development and multi-scale numerical modeling, a series of contributions have been achieved on the dynamics of oceanic subduction and continental collision. (1) Develop and extend the multi-scale numerical modeling methods with multi-physics, which contribute to the construction of multi-disciplinary subduction model; (2) Reveal the dynamics of oceanic subduction initiation, as well as the properties, detailed processes and controlling factors of mature subduction zone (including the converging plates, subduction channel and surrounding mantle); (3) Clarify the modes and mechanism of continental deep subduction and ultra-high pressure (UHP) rocks exhumation, as well as the controlling factors of lithospheric deformation, delamination and contrasting mountain building modes in the continental subduction-collision system. He has published >60 scientific papers as the first and/or corresponding author since 2009. In 2016 and 2022, he was supported by the “National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars” and “National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars”, respectively.
Additional information: Prof. Guochun Zhao, gzhao@hku.hk