动力地形控制下的大河水系演化

大河既是人类文明的发源地,也是大陆地貌乃至地球表层系统中最重要的组成部分。大河水系形成与演化的决定性因素是大陆构造演化引起地形的改变。传统观念认为,大河水系的演化主要受板块构造的影响即“构造地形”,但越来越多的证据表明,地球地形并非单纯由板块水平运动塑造,还包括由地幔对流造成的“动力地形”的影响。从深部地幔对流控制下的动力地形与地貌演化模型两方面,分别介绍了其概念,模拟计算以及模型验证。并以北美、澳大利亚、南美以及非洲的大河水系演化为例,阐明了大河水系的演化与长波长动力地形之间存在的耦合关系,相对于构造作用的局部影响,长波长动力地形能影响甚至改变大陆尺度上的水系演化模式。最后简要综述了亚洲的构造背景及动力地形研究进展,亚洲特别是东亚地区从侏罗世开始就受到了多阶段板块汇聚与俯冲的影响,动力地形情况复杂,但最近的研究表明东亚地区的水系演化与动力地形之间存在相应联系,这对亚洲地区的构造—沉积演化研究具有重要的指示意义。     

全球早古生代造山带(Ⅳ):板块重建与Carolina超大陆

古元古代与显生宙的板块构造特征和旋回演化过程具有明显区别,反映出地质记录为两种不同的板块构造体制。早古生代为这两个时期的过渡阶段,其构造过程研究与板块重建是地球板块构造旋回机制和周期分析的关键。本文采用综合集成的方法,在总结对比罗迪尼亚超大陆裂解以来全球早古生代主要碰撞造山带的地质事件基础上,分析早古生代碰撞造山带的演化特征,总结出与冈瓦纳大陆拼合、劳俄大陆拼合、古中华陆块群增生相关的7期碰撞-增生造山事件群:Brasiliano、东非、Kuunga、东亚与原特提斯洋和古亚洲洋演化相关的的加里东期造山事件、经典加里东造山、中欧加里东造山、Appalachian造山。再在这7期造山事件群基础上,结合古地磁、古生物、古地理等资料,重建了新元古代-早古生代末全球板块的拼合过程:罗迪尼亚超大陆从新元古代的~950 Ma开始经历了3个阶段裂解,此时存在泛大洋、莫桑比克洋和古太平洋3个大洋,随后615~560 Ma Iapetus洋打开,~560 Ma波罗的陆块与西冈瓦纳裂离导致狭窄的Ran洋打开;~540 Ma南半球Brasiliano、东非和Kuunga造山运动导致冈瓦纳大陆分阶段最终完成拼贴;~500 Ma冈瓦纳大陆北缘西段的微陆块群局部向北裂离,导致Rheic洋和Tornquist洋打开,并于~420 Ma随经典加里东造山带和中欧缝合带形成导致Iapetus洋闭合,此时斯瓦尔巴特和英国可能位于格陵兰地盾东南缘,同时冈瓦纳大陆北缘东段华北为代表的微陆块基本拼合在冈瓦纳大陆北缘;此外,虽然425 Ma西伯利亚板块有远离聚合了的劳俄大陆的趋势,但晚奥陶世-早泥盆世南美和北美板块靠近,北美板块与环冈瓦纳北缘西段的地体拼合碰撞。在大约400 Ma时,南、北美洲的混合生物群和古地理重建显示两者非常接近,因此,推测此时存在一个初始的逐步稳定的超大陆的可能,本文称为Carolina超大陆,因为Carolina造山带是这个超大陆最终拼合的地带。并据此判断超大陆旋回为7亿年。     

新特提斯洋打开于晚三叠世?——印度大陆北缘沉积响应

新特提斯洋是中生代位于北方欧亚大陆和南方冈瓦纳大陆之间的古大洋,它在青藏高原南部地区于新生代早期因印度-欧亚大陆碰撞而消亡,其遗迹为现今的印度河-雅鲁藏布缝合带。新特提斯洋打开以拉萨地块从冈瓦纳大陆的裂离为标志。准确约束新特提斯洋的开启时间是重建冈瓦纳大陆裂解过程和特提斯洋演化历史的关键,但目前学术界对于新特提斯洋的开启时间还存在很大争议,不同学科方法的认识从早二叠世到晚三叠世不等。本文对新特提斯洋南侧印度被动大陆边缘二叠纪—三叠纪沉积地层进行了系统的梳理,研究发现在早二叠世冰期结束之后,印度大陆北缘长期表现为稳定的沉积环境,显著的沉积环境变化仅发生在晚三叠世。晚三叠世的沉积环境变化伴随着沉积和沉降速率增加、沉积物源变化、双峰式火山活动以及古地理格局的重大改变。研究认为,晚三叠世印度大陆北缘沉积作用变化所记录的区域伸展作用很可能代表了新特提斯洋的开启。     

中国构造-地层大区划分新方案

中国大陆是由泛华夏陆块群、劳亚和冈瓦纳2个大陆边缘、3个大洋(古亚洲洋、特提斯洋和太平洋)洋陆转换逐渐集合 长大而成的.在中国大陆增生过程中,经历了多个大洋岩石圈板块构造向大陆岩石圈构造转换、增生、碰撞聚集,形成了以华 北、塔里木、扬子为核心的3个陆块(地台)区、8个造山系(阿尔泰-兴蒙、天山-准噶尔-北山、秦-祁-昆、羌塘-三江、冈 底斯、喜马拉雅、华夏、台东)镶嵌组成的复式大陆.在造山系中,还包含了大洋消亡、陆陆碰撞形成的6个对接带(额尔齐斯- 西拉木伦、南天山、宽坪-佛子岭、班公湖-双湖-怒江-昌宁-孟连、雅鲁藏布、江绍-郴州-钦防).根据中国大陆的上述地 史演化特点,提出按陆块区(地台区)、造山带区和对接带区不同的大地构造环境和大地构造演化阶段、造山带区洋-陆转化 时间、生物古地理区系、地层类型与地层序列等9条原则进行全国构造-地层大区综合区划新方案.上述3大陆块区、6大对接 带和8大造山系构成了中国大陆的17个构造-地层大区.      

超大陆和超大陆旋回、冈瓦纳组成及特提斯演化

本文对超大陆、超大陆旋回、冈瓦纳及特提斯问题进行了论述，认为陆块是不断组合、拼接与裂解和扩散的，也就是超大陆演化．这种演化过程与威尔逊旋回相关．冈瓦纳大陆在元古宙并未构成统一的大陆体．而是在元古宙末一古生代初才拼合成统一的冈瓦纳大陆．特提斯洋的发生、发展和消亡都与中国大陆各块体的发展与演化有着密切的关系．     

古亚洲洋与古特提斯洋关系初探

从板块构造研究中国古生代洋陆关系和构造-岩浆-成矿作用,离不开对古亚洲洋和古特提斯洋的关系判断,特别是对于中国西北部的研究,两个古生代大洋形成演化和关系是理清重要地质构造和成矿事件的关键。本文认为早古生代的原特提斯洋与古亚洲洋应连为一体,合称古亚洲-原特提斯洋,简称古亚洲洋。古亚洲洋是发育于早古生代劳亚大陆与冈瓦纳大陆之间的大洋,金川超大型铜镍矿床的形成是元古宙罗迪尼亚超大陆裂解三叉裂谷开启大洋的开始,塔里木陆块作为古亚洲洋南岸的一个陆块,早古生代的昆仑洋、祁连洋和秦岭洋只是古亚洲洋的分支或次生洋盆,这些次生洋盆于志留纪末闭合,古亚洲洋主洋则直到晚古生代泥盆纪末才闭合。石炭纪天山及邻区是古亚洲洋闭合后板块构造后碰撞机制与地幔柱作用提供热动力的两种地球动力学机制并存的构造背景,为大规模壳幔混合(染)岩浆作用和成矿爆发提供了可能。古特提斯洋是古亚洲洋在晚古生代的发展和继承,东昆仑夏日哈木超大型铜镍矿床的产生是冈瓦纳大陆北侧志留纪末破裂三叉裂谷开启大洋的开始,塔里木和华北等泛华夏陆块群构成了古特提斯洋北岸陆缘,石炭纪大洋形成,西昆仑玛尔坎苏大型优质锰矿可能就形成于大洋北侧被动大陆边缘的浅海或陆表海,成矿物质则很可能来自于同时代的大洋中脊。德尔尼大型铜钴矿为晚石炭世大洋中脊塞浦路斯型块状硫化物矿床。而铜峪沟大型铜矿和大场大型金矿等则分别为古特提斯洋消减俯冲岛弧岩浆作用矽卡岩-斑岩矿床和浅成低温热液矿床。中三叠世末古特提斯洋闭合。     

冈底斯-喜马拉雅碰撞造山带前陆盆地系统及构造演化

碰撞带前陆盆地的建立是大陆碰撞的直接标志和随后造山带构造变形的忠实记录。本文对欧亚板块与印度板块碰撞前后发育在拉萨地块上的冈底斯弧背前陆盆地,同碰撞产生的雅鲁藏布江周缘前陆盆地,以及碰撞后陆内变形产生的喜马拉雅前陆盆地的沉积地层演化以及碎屑锆石物源特征等进行了系统分析,结合前人及我们近些年的研究成果,认为冈底斯岛弧北侧发育一个典型的弧背前陆盆地系统而不是以前普遍接受的伸展盆地。除传统认为的喜马拉雅前陆盆地系统外,在碰撞造山带中还发育一个雅鲁藏布江前陆盆地系统,它是欧亚板块与印度板块碰撞以后,欧亚板块加载到印度被动大陆边缘产生的典型周缘前陆盆地。上述2个造山带前陆盆地系统的识别,大大提高了对新特提斯洋俯冲、碰撞过程的认识。造山带前陆盆地证据指示,新特提斯洋至少于140 Ma以前就已开始俯冲, 110 Ma俯冲速度开始提高,在65 Ma前后印度大陆与欧亚大陆发生碰撞,喜马拉雅山于40 Ma开始隆升,其剥蚀物质大量堆积在喜马拉雅前陆盆地中。     

中国各大陆块在寒武纪全球构造中的位置及意义

者根据近年来所获的古地磁数据及板块构造的研究成果,对中国各大陆块在寒武纪全球构造中的位置进行了再造。笔者认为寒武纪全球存在三大洋、四大陆域。其中,中国大陆中的扬子、塔里木、柴达木等均属冈瓦纳大陆域,华北陆块则属介于冈瓦纳与劳亚两个大陆域之间的一个中间陆块。且当时华北与扬子两陆块的南、北位置与现在的位置正好相反。而介于二者之间的秦、祁古洋盆在当时是一个位于南半球赤道附近的径向洋。     

蛇绿岩与大陆缝合线

从六十年代以来,被誉为“地球科学革命”的板块构造学说,引起广泛的地质工作者的重视。因为它能圆满地解释地球的主要面貌之间的动力学关系。板块构造的概念是近二十年来从各海洋区搜集的大量地球物理资料而发展起来的,因而在阐明洋壳(约200兆年)的构造比陆壳获得较大的成功。由于板块构造提供了一个全球动力学体系的框架,使人们对中生代以来的大陆演化的许多作用有所了解。对板块学说有兴趣的地质工作者,想根据均变论的原则,去解释古大陆的形成、演化的历史。     

论华夏大陆及有关问题

形成于晚石炭—二叠纪的华夏植物群主要发育在东亚,范围是中国华北、华南和塔里木以及印度支那等陆块。根据这些陆块的缝合时代以及陆块内石炭—二叠纪地层、古生物发育特征的研究,笔者认为这些陆块在石炭纪之前已聚合成一个大型陆块,本文将这个以华夏植物群为特征的大型陆块称为华夏大陆。该大陆位于安加拉大陆与冈瓦纳大陆之间的古特提斯洋中,并将其分为南、北两支。二叠纪晚期,华夏大陆向北漂移,至二叠纪末期,华夏大陆与安加拉大陆碰撞,形成天山—北山—内蒙古特提斯洋北支缝合带。早三叠世末期,由冈瓦纳大陆北缘裂解出来的西藏和缅泰陆片向北漂移,与华夏大陆西南边缘碰撞,形成昆仑—三江古特提斯洋南支缝合带。至此,华夏大陆成为劳亚大陆东南边缘一部分。     

Volcanism in Sanjiang Tethyan Orogenic Belt:New Facts and Concepts

Sanjiang area in Southwestern China is tectonically sit-uated at the east end of Himalaya-Tethys tectonic do-main and at the conjunction of Tethyan MountainChain and Circum-Pacific Mountain Chain.It is one ofthe key areas to understand the global tectonics and alsoone of gigantic metallogenic provinces in China and evenin the world.Volcanism had occurred during the periodof time from Proterozoic to Cenozoic.The most impor-tant and active periods of volcanism,however,areCarboniferous,Permian and Triassic.The pattern ofspatial distribution of Sanjiang volcanic rocks andophiolites can essentially be described as that severalintra——continental micro-massif volcanic districts arerespectively sandwiched between each two of four couplingophiolite—are volcanic belts,which are successively fromwest to east:Dingqing-Nujiang belt,Laneangjiangbelt,Jinshajiang belt and Ganzi-Litang belt.Fourtectono-magmatic types of volcanic rocks have been recognized in Sanjiang area as follows:mid-ocean-ridge/para-mid-ocean-rid     

ACCRETION OF AN EARLY CRETACEOUS INTRA- OCEANIC ISLAND ARC TO INDIA: EVIDENCE FROM THE YARLUNG ZANGBO SUTURE ZONE

ACCRETION OF AN EARLY CRETACEOUS INTRA- OCEANIC ISLAND ARC TO INDIA: EVIDENCE FROM THE YARLUNG ZANGBO SUTURE ZONE     

特提斯地球动力学

特提斯是地球显生宙期间位于北方劳亚大陆和南方冈瓦纳大陆之间的巨型海洋,它在新生代期间的闭合形成现今东西向展布的欧洲阿尔卑斯山、土耳其-伊朗高原、喜马拉雅山和青藏高原。根据演化历史,特提斯可划分为原特提斯、古特提斯和新特提斯三个阶段,分别代表早古生代、晚古生代和中生代期间的大洋。大约在500Ma左右,冈瓦纳大陆北缘发生张裂,裂解的块体向北漂移,并使其与塔里木-华北之间的原特提斯洋在420～440Ma左右关闭,产生原特提斯造山作用,与北美-西欧地区Avalonia地体与劳伦大陆之间的阿巴拉契亚-加里东造山作用基本相当。原特提斯造山带之南、早古生代即已存在的龙木错-双湖-昌宁-孟连古特提斯洋在380Ma向北俯冲,使早期闭合的康西瓦-阿尼玛卿洋重新张开,并由于弧后扩张形成金沙江-哀牢山洋。330～360Ma左右,特提斯西部大洋由于南侧非洲板块和北侧欧洲板块的碰撞而关闭,形成欧洲华力西造山带。而特提斯东段的上述三条古特提斯洋在250Ma左右基本同时关闭,华北、华南、印支等块体聚合形成华夏大陆。该大陆与冈瓦纳大陆、劳亚大陆和华力西造山带一起围限形成封闭的古特提斯残留洋,并一直到晚三叠世-早侏罗世海水才全部退出。此后,南侧冈瓦纳大陆在三叠纪晚期重新裂解形成新特提斯洋,该洋盆在新生代初期由于印度和亚洲的碰撞而关闭。原、古、新特提斯三次造山作用基本代表了中国大陆显生宙期间的地质演化历史,并在此过程中形成了特色的特提斯域金属成矿作用。广布的被动陆缘和赤道附近的古地理位置,以及后期的造山作用同时也成就了特提斯域内巨量油气资源的形成;塑就的地貌与海陆分布格局,也对当时的古气候与古环境产生了重要影响。特别是,与原、古、新特提斯洋消亡相关的三次弧岩浆活动与显生宙地球历史上三次温室地球向冰室地球的转变,在时间上高度吻合。上述演化历史同时还表明,特提斯地质演化以南侧冈瓦纳大陆不断裂解、块体向北漂移并与劳亚大陆持续聚合为特征,其动力机制主要来自俯冲板片的拖拽力,而地幔柱是否对大陆的裂解与漂移有所贡献,则有待进一步评价。     

Detrital zircon U–Pb ages along the Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone, Tibet: Implications for oblique convergence and collision between India and Asia

Age-dating of detrital zircons from 22 samples collected along, and adjacent to, the Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone, southern Tibet provides distinctive age-spectra that characterize important tectonostratigraphic units. Comparisons with data from Nepal, northern India and the Lhasa and Qiangtang terranes of central Tibet constrain possible sources of sediment, and the history of tectonic interactions.Sedimentary rocks in the Cretaceous–Paleogene Xigaze terrane exhibit strong Mesozoic detrital zircon peaks (120 and 170 Ma) together with considerable older inheritance in conglomeratic units. This forearc basin succession developed in association with a continental volcanic arc hinterland in response to Neotethyan subduction under the southern edge of the Eurasia. Conspicuous sediment/source hinterland mismatches suggest that plate convergence along this continental margin was oblique during the Late Cretaceous. The forearc region may have been translated > 500 km dextrally from an original location nearer to Myanmar.Tethyan Himalayan sediments on the other side of the Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone reveal similar older inheritance and although Cretaceous sediments formed 1000s of km and across at least one plate boundary from those in the Xigaze terrane they too contain an appreciable mid-Early Cretaceous (123 Ma) component. In this case it is attributed to volcanism associated with Gondwana breakup.Sedimentary overlap assemblages reveal interactions between colliding terranes. Paleocene Liuqu conglomerates contain a cryptic record of Late Jurassic and Cretaceous rock units that appear to have foundered during a Paleocene collision event prior the main India–Asia collision. Detrital zircons as young as 37 Ma from the upper Oligocene post-collisional Gangrinboche conglomerates indicate that subduction-related convergent margin magmatism continued through until at least Middle and probably Late Eocene along the southern margin of Eurasia (Lhasa terrane).Although the ages of detrital zircons in some units appear compatible with more than one potential source with care other geological relationships can be used to further constrain some linkages and eliminate others. The results document various ocean closure and collision events and when combined with other geological information this new dataset permits a more refined understanding of the time–space evolution of the Cenozoic India–Asia collision system.     

亚洲主要河流的沉积地球化学示踪研究进展

发源于喜马拉雅—青藏高原的亚洲几条大河的河流地球化学研究揭示了高原隆升、流域风化剥蚀、大气CO2消耗和亚洲季风气候变化之间的耦合关系。研究认为南亚主要河流流域的化学风化对全球大气CO2消耗和海洋化学通量变化贡献较大,河流沉积地球化学研究反映的高原阶段性隆升过程、流域剥蚀速率以及亚洲季风演化信息也明显比东亚主要河流的记录清晰;尤其是最近几年运用河流碎屑单矿物化学和年代学方法来示踪流域构造演化、沉积物从源到汇过程以及河流演化历史等,取得了许多重要的研究成果。比较而言,我国的河流在元素地球化学和水化学组成方面虽然开展了大量基础研究工作,但目前急需进一步提炼科学目标,与国际性的研究计划结合,综合多学科的研究力量,在研究思路和关键方法上需要突破和深入,加强研究的广度和深度。长江更可以作为一个突破口和研究平台,来开展深入的沉积地球化学示踪研究。     

MULTIPLE ISLAND ARC-BASIN SYSTEM AND ITS EVOLUTION IN GANGDISE TECTONIC BELT,TIBET

MULTIPLE ISLAND ARC-BASIN SYSTEM AND ITS EVOLUTION IN GANGDISE TECTONIC BELT,TIBET     

东亚东倾地形格局的形成与季风系统演化历史寻踪——综合大洋钻探计划683号航次建议书简介

围绕IODP 683号建议书,介绍东亚东倾地形格局与季风系统演化历史的相关研究。新生代全球宏观环境格局发生了一系列重大变化,表现为岩石圈活动强烈,板块漂移导致海陆格局和地貌格局的变化,并引发洋流和大气环流的改组,最终导致全球气候的重大变化。新生代岩石圈运动和气候变化表现最为典型的地区是亚洲,其中最具标志性和全球意义的地质事件是喜马拉雅山和青藏高原的隆升及亚洲季风系统的形成与演化。青藏高原隆升最直接的结果是亚洲地区现代地貌格局的形成,大江大河的发育,并在很大程度上影响了亚洲季风系统的形成与演化。综合大洋钻探计划683号航次建议书,计划在长江中下游盆地和东海陆架盆地实施钻探,以获得长江历史演化和东亚季风演化的地质记录,并为研究青藏高原的演化提供新的证据。     

MAJOR SEDIMENTARY CYCLES AND BASIN EVOLUTION OF MESOZOIC IN NORTHERN HIMALAYAS, SOUTH TIBET

MAJOR SEDIMENTARY CYCLES AND BASIN EVOLUTION OF MESOZOIC IN NORTHERN HIMALAYAS, SOUTH TIBET1　LiuGH ,EinseleG .SedimentaryhistoryoftheTethyanBasinintheTibetanHimalayas[J].GeolRundschau ,1994,83(1) :32～ 6 1. 2　ShiXiaoying ,YinJiarun ,JiaCaiping .MesozoicandCenozoicsequencestratigraphyandsea levelchangesintheNorthernHimalayas ,SouthTibet ,China[J].NewslStratigr ,1996 ,33(1) :15～ 6 1. 3　LewyZ .AlateBathonian CallovianunconformityintheMiddl…     

Modern volcanism in the Earth’s northern hemisphere and its relations with the evolution of the North Pangaea modern supercontinent and with the spatial distribution of hotspots on the Earth: The hypothesis of relations between mantle plumes and deep subduction

The paper reports results of the analysis of the spatial distribution of modern (younger than 2 Ma) volcanism in the Earth’s northern hemisphere and relations between this volcanism and the evolution of the North Pangaea modern supercontinent and with the spatial distribution of hotspots of the Earth’s mantle. Products of modern volcanism occur in the Earth’s northern hemisphere in Eurasia, North America, Greenland, in the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean. As anywhere worldwide, volcanism in the northern hemisphere of the Earth occurs as (a) volcanism of mid-oceanic ridges (MOR), (b) subduction-related volcanism in island arcs and active continental margins (IA and ACM), (c) volcanism in continental collision (CC) zones, and (d) within-plate (WP) volcanism, which is related to mantle hotspots, continental rifts, and intercontinental belts. These types of volcanic areas are fairly often neighboring, and then mixed volcanic areas occur with the persistent participation of WP volcanism. Correspondingly, modern volcanism in the Earth’s northern hemisphere is of both oceanic and continental nature. The latter is obviously related to the evolution of the North Pangaea modern supercontinent, because it results from the Meso-Cenozoic evolution of Wegener’s Late Paleozoic Pangaea. North Pangaea in the Cenozoic comprises Eurasia, North and South America, India, and Africa and has, similar to other supercontinents, large sizes and a predominantly continental crust. The geodynamic setting and modern volcanism of North Pangaea are controlled by two differently acting processes: the subduction of lithospheric slabs from the Pacific Ocean, India, and the Arabia, a process leading to the consolidation of North Pangaea, and the spreading of oceanic plates on the side of the Atlantic Ocean, a process that “wedges” the supercontinent, modifies its morphology (compared to that of Wegener’s Pangaea), and results in the intervention of the Atlantic geodynamic regime into the Arctic. The long-lasting (for >200 Ma) preservation of tectonic stability and the supercontinental status of North Pangaea are controlled by subduction processes along its boundaries according to the predominant global compression environment. The long-lasting and stable subduction of lithospheric slabs beneath Eurasia and North America not only facilitated active IA + ACM volcanism but also resulted in the accumulation of cold lithospheric material in the deep mantle of the region. The latter replaced the hot mantle and forced this material toward the margins of the supercontinent; this material then ascended in the form of mantle plumes (which served as sources of WP basite magmas), which are diverging branches of global mantle convection, and ascending flows of subordinate convective systems at the convergent boundaries of plates. Subduction processes (compressional environments) likely suppressed the activity of mantle plumes, which acted in the northern polar region of the Earth (including the Siberian trap magmatism) starting at the latest Triassic until nowadays and periodically ascended to the Earth’s surface and gave rise to WP volcanism. Starting at the breakup time of Wegener’s Pangaea, which began with the opening of the central Atlantic and systematically propagated toward the Arctic, marine basins were formed in the place of the Arctic Ocean. However, the development of the oceanic crust (Eurasian basin) took place in the latter as late as the Cenozoic. Before the appearance of the Gakkel Ridge and, perhaps, also the oceanic portion of the Amerasian basin, this young ocean is thought to have been a typical basin developing in the central part of supercontinents. Wegener’s Pangaea broke up under the effect of mantle plumes that developed during their systematic propagation to the north and south of the Central Atlantic toward the North Pole. These mantle plumes were formed in relation with the development of global and local mantle convection systems, when hot deep mantle material was forced upward by cold subducted slabs, which descended down to the core-mantle boundary. The plume (WP) magmatism of Eurasia and North America was associated with surface collision- or subduction-related magmatism and, in the Atlantic and Arctic, also with surface spreading-related magmatism (tholeiite basalts).