The types of the earth's crust

For the comprehensive mapping of the deep structure of the Earth's crust a determination of the general types of the crust based on its most essential structural parameters is attempted. Three parameters are considered as most informative, and are accepted as basic for this purpose: thickness of the Earth's curst, thickness of the sedimentary layer, and average velocities of compressional waves in the consolidated parts of the crust. Six types of the crust are recognized. A more detailed division of the crust into sub-types has also been worked out.     

Vertical movements of the Earth's crust on the continents

Vertical oscillating movements of the Earth's crust on continents have occurred and are occurring everywhere on the Earth's surface, continuously throughout the entire geological history of the Earth. This provides grounds to consider them as the basic type of tectonic movements, which form the general background of the tectogenetic process, on which locally, and only at separate moments of time, other tectonic movements and deformations appear.According to the time of occurrence, the vertical movements are divided into recent, young, modern, and ancient. In compliance with this subdivision, different methods are applied to define and study the movements. The major characteristic of the vertical movements is their rhythm, or periodic change in sign of movement, which caused them to be calledoscillating. Rhythms of movements are of several orders. The largest rhythms, which comprise tectonic cycles, are manifested on a global scale; smaller rhythms have a local distribution. It is significant that, in the beginning and in the end of each tectonic cycle, an increase of intensity and contrast of movements is observed, no matter in which region or regime, whether stable or mobile, it occurs.     

Structure of the lithosphere along the deep seismic sounding profile: Tien Shan—Pamirs—Karakorum—Himalayas

During 1973–1977, as part of the International Geodynamic Project, some seismic investigations of the Earth's crust have been carried out by geotraverses of the Tien Shan—Pamirs—Karakorum—Himalayas. The seismic data obtained together with other geophysical information, allow the construction and interpretation of the lithospheric section through the Pamirs-Himalayas structure. This section includes thick crust with complex layering, supra-asthenospheric and asthenospheric layers of the upper mantle. The thickness of the Earth's crust increases from 50–55 km in the north, in the Ferghana depression (Tien Shan), to 70–75 km in the south, near the Karakul Lake (Northern Pamir). It varies within 60–65 km for the Central and Southern Pamir, Karakorum and the Inner Himalayas. Its thickness is least (35–37 km) in the south, under the outer margin of the Himalayan foredeep. Extreme gravity minima and depressions on the geoid surface correspond to the regions with maximum thickness of the Earth's crust. The centers of the disturbing masses on the geoid surface are located in the vicinity of the asthenosphere's upper layer; this determines the effect of the whole lithospheric layer, including its asthenospheric layer, at intense changes of gravity anomalies. The asthenospheric upper layer is recorded at a depth of about 120 km, its base at a depth of 200 km, in the northern and southern regions, and 300 km in its central part (Southern Pamir, Karakorum). In the middle asthenospheric layer, wave velocities decrease to 7.5 km/sec, under the base they increase to 8.4 km/sec and reach 9.4 km/sec at a depth of about 400 km. In the supra-asthenospheric layer of the upper mantle, longitudinal and shear wave-velocities slightly increase (by less than 0.1 km/sec) towards its base.     

Certain problems of the structure and evolution of transition zones between continents and oceans

A type of continental-oceanic transition zone, referred to as the Columbian transition zone, is distinguished from two other commonly known types of these zones. The subsidence of the Earth's crust, typical of all transition zones, is shown to be connected (by geophysical properties) to the transformation of continental crust into intermediate crust and later into oceanic. The most likely mechanisms of such changes are the basification of continental crust, its foundering, block by block, into the heated upper mantle, and its substitution by new oceanic crust. The evolution of transition zones of the Pacific type is largely influenced by deep faults, which reach down to the level of undepleted mantle. From this level, the volatile products rise to the surface which results in the formation of calc-alkali magmas on island arcs. The Benioff zones are deep faults, whose inclinations are dependent on the density contrasts in the upper mantle on either side of the Benioff zones. The denser mantle flows beneath the mantle of lower density. This phenomenon is depicted by plate tectonics as subduction.On the whole, the evolution of transition zones gives rise to the growth of the oceans at the expense of the continents, though oceanic crust becomes thicker by addition of volcanogenic layers composed of andesite, in the transition zones (type two) of the Pacific type at island arcs.     

Tectonosphere of the Earth: upper mantle and crust interaction

The endogenic geological processes, which include tectonic, magmatic and metamorphic processes, form regular combinations called endogenic regimes. These regimes are: géosynclinal, orogenic, platform, rift, tectonic-magmatic activation (diwa), taphrogenic, plateau-basalt, oceanic basins and mid-oceanic ridges. The endogenic regimes are connected with the peculiarities of the structure, composition and state of the entire tectonosphere, i.e. not only of the crust but of the upper mantle as well.

Heat flow is a major factor controlling the type of the regime. The other conditions are the temperature distribution in the tectonosphere and the degree and type of penetrability of the tectonosphere to melts and fluids. There is a certain regular succession of regimes. The structural evolution of the tectonosphere and the transformation of the matter in it are in close relationship.

The main trend in the development of the tectonospheric material is directed towards geochemical depletion of the upper mantle by fractioning. At the initial stages, fractioning occurred mostly by degassing, and under these conditions the continental crust was formed, rich in non-compatible elements. At that stage the calc-alkaline magmas prevailed. As the upper mantle was depleted and began to lose its volatiles, the mechanism of fractioning changed: degassing was substituted for selective melting, and in this environment most of the tholeiitic magmas were formed. This change in magma composition and in fractioning mechanism was combined with the destruction of the continental crust and the formation of the oceanic crust. The diwa regime and the rifts were the first steps in the destruction of continental crust. The stages that followed were represented by taphrogenic regimes at various levels. These kinds of regimes were manifested in deep continental and marine depressions, compensated and not compensated by sediments.

Taphrogenic regimes are advancing from the east and west onto the Eurasian continent: in the east they form marginal seas and cause subsidence of the eastern parts of the Chinese platform; in the west they produce collapses of the crust in the Mediterranean area.

The major crisis occurred between the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic and since that time the process of substitution of the continental crust by the oceanic crust has proceeded over increasingly large territories.

The evolution of the tectonosphere, instigated by the changes in its matter, was further complicated by temporal and spatial irregularities in deep heat escape, which caused the alternation of excited and quiescent endogenic regimes (tectonomagmatic periodicity) and their co-existence. The combination of all these phenomena creates the structural inhomogeneity of the Earth's crust at any stage of its history.     

Certain problems of structure and conditions of evolution of transition zones between continents and oceans

A third type of transition zones from oceanic to continental crust here called Columbian, is proposed, in addition to the two more commonly known types. Subsidence of the Earth's crust, typical of all transition zones, is shown to be connected (by geophysical properties) with the transformation of continental crust into intermediate crust and later into oceanic. The most likely mechanism of such changes is the basification of continental crust, its foundering, block by block, into the heated upper mantle, and its substitution by the new oceanic crust. The evolution of transition zones of Pacific type is largely influenced by deep faults, which reach down to the level of undepleted mantle; from this level to the surface the volatile products rise as the essential means of formation of calc-alkali magmas on island arcs. Benioff zones are deep faults whose inclination is secondary and connected with the density contrast in the upper mantle on either side of the Benioff zone. The denser mantle flows under less dense mantle, whereas the subduction phenomenon, as depicted by plate tectonics, is nonexistent.On the whole, the evolution of transition zones tends towards growth of the oceans at the expense of the continents, but oceanic crust thickens by addition of volcanogenic layers of andesitic composition in transition zones of Pacific type, on island arcs of the Second type.

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Zusammenfassung Den Übergangszonen zwischen ozeanischer und kontinentaler Kruste, die bisher in zwei Typen eingeteilt wurden, wird eine dritte hinzugefügt. Diese wird hier Kolumbische Übergangszone genannt. Es wird gezeigt, daß Subsidenz der Erdkruste, typisch für alle Übergangszonen, verbunden ist mit der Transformation kontinentaler Kruste in intermediäre und schließlich in ozeanische Kruste. Der wahrscheinlichste Mechanismus für diese Veränderungen ist die Sockelbildung der kontinentalen Kruste, ihr blockweises Eingehen in den heißen Oberen Mantel und schließlich ihre Umwandlung in neue ozeanische Kruste.Die Evolution der Übergangszonen vom pazifischen Typ ist stark beeinflußt durch tiefgreifende Störungen, die bis in den Mantel reichen. Von diesem Niveau steigen die beweglicheren Produkte als die wesentlicheren Anteile der Kalkalkali-Magmen an Inselbögen auf bis hin zur Oberfläche.Benioff-Zonen sind tiefgreifende Störungen, deren Einfallen sekundär und an die Dichte Unterschiede innerhalb des Oberen Mantels auf ihren beiden Seiten gebunden ist. Die dichteren Mantelanteile fließen unter die weniger dichten, wohingegen das Phänomen der Subduktion, wie es im Rahmen der Plattentektonik dargestellt wird, nicht existiert.Die Evolution der Übergangszonen tendiert im großen und ganzen zur Ausbreitung der Ozeane auf Kosten der Kontinente. Die ozeanische Kruste verstärkt sich in den Übergangszonen des pazifischen Typs durch Anbau vulkanogener Lagen mit andesitischer Zusammensetzung.

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Résumé Aux zones de transition entre la croûte continentale et la croûte océanique, jusqu'à présent ramenées à deux types, s'en ajoute une troisième, ici dénommée»Zone de transition colombienne«. On montre ici que la subsidence de l'écorce terrestre, typique pour toutes les zones de transition, est reliée (par des propriétés géophysiques) à la transformation de la croûte continentale en une croûte intermédiaire et ensuite océanique. Le mécanisme le plus probable de ces changements consiste dans la basification de la croûte continentale, son effondrement bloc après bloc dans le manteau supérieur rechauffé, et sa substitution par la nouvelle croûte océanique. L'évolution des zones de transition de type Pacifique est largement influencée par des failles profondes descendant jusqu'au niveau du manteau intact, niveau à partir duquel les produits volatiles montent vers la surface, en temps qu'éléments essentiels pour la formation des magmas calco-alcalins dans les arcs insulaires. Les zones de Benioff sont des failles profondes dont l'inclinaison est secondaire, et en liaison avec les contrastes de densité dans le manteau supérieur de chaque côté de la zone Benioff. Le manteau plus dense s'écoule sous le manteau moins dense, étant entendu que le phénomène de subduction, tel que le décrit la tectonique de plaques, est inexistant. — Dans l'ensemble, l'évolution des zones de transition tend vers la croissance des océans aux dépens des continents, tandis que la croûte océanique s'épaissit par addition des couches volcanogènes de composition andésitique dans les zones de transition de type Pacifique, sur les arcs insulaires du second type.

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Intercontinental structural ties and mobilistic reconstructions

The authors discuss the geological data contradicting basic mobilistic reconstructions of the positions of continents in the past. Analysis is given of geological consequences of the opening of the Atlantic Ocean, of paleotectonic relationships between Africa and America, and of possible movements of the Indian plate. In these cases the geological facts show that mobilistic reconstructions, now considered classical, are unjustified.

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Zusammenfassung Es gibt geologische Daten, die gegen eine mobiltische Rekonstruktion alter Kontinentpositionen sprechen. Dies wird diskutiert an der Öffnung des Atlantiks, an der paläotektonischen Beziehung von Afrika und Amerika, an den Bewegungen, die der indische Kontinent mitgemacht hat. In all den genannten Fällen kann gezeigt werden, daß eine mobilistische Rekonstruktion nicht gerechtfertigt ist.

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Résumé Il a des données géologiques qui parlent contre reconstructions mobilistiques de vieilles positions continentales. Ceci sera discuté pour l'ouverture de l'Atlantique, pour la liaison paléotectonique de l'Afrique et de l'Amérique, pour les mouvements ausquels le continent indien a participé. Dans tous ces cas mentionnés, il sera démontré que reconstructions mobilistiques ne sont pas justifiée.

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