ISBN: 3-540-65346-5
TITLE: Principles of Practical Tectonic Analysis of Cratonic Regions
AUTHOR: Lyatsky, Henry; Friedman, Gerald M.; Lyatsky, Vadim B.
TOC:

1 - Basic Notions and Definitions
Intrinsic difficulties in describing geologic objects 1
Tectonic definition of continents, and of cratons as their fundamental constituents 2
Interaction of indigenous and external tectonic forces acting on evolving cratons 9
Recognition of vertical and horizontal tectonic units in cratons 12
Early approaches to subdividing the crystalline metamorphic basement of the North American craton 16
Nomenclature of lateral tectonic units relevant to tectonic platforms 18
Transformation of the notion miogeosyncline 20
Review of pervious approaches to discrimination of tectonic units in platformal sedimentary cover in the North American craton 23
Ambiguities in the definition of Sloss' Sequences 25
Other sequence stratigraphies 28
Tectonic significance of unconformities in the geologic record 29
Approaches to rock-unit classification in the North American Stratigraphic Code 30
2 - Structural-Formational, Tectonic tages as Fundamental Units of Regional Tectonic Analysis
Difficulties in extracting tectonic information from rock characteristics 32
Regional tectonic restructuring episodes as a basis for division of a geologic record into tectonic units 33
The concept of rock-made tectonic tages and tectonic stages 36
Structural-formational tages as tectonic units in a regional stratigraphic record 41
Epistemological roots of current hypotheses about the cratonic areas of North America 54
Uses of tectonic tages and stages to improve the objectivity of regional tectonic analysis 49
3 - Regional Tectonic Analysis of the Western Canada Sedimentary Province in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Adjacent Parts of the U.S.
Reasons for the choice of western Canada as an example for detailed study 57
Tectonic tage and stage between the Middle Cambrian and the Silurian 65
Tectonic tage and stage between the Devonian and the Early Mississippian 79
Tectonic tage and stage between the Late Mississippian and the Triassic 97
Tectonic tage and stage between the Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous 105
Tectonic tage and stage between the late Neocomian and the middle Late Cretaceous 113
Tectonic tage and stage between the Late Cretaceous Campanian and the Early Tertiary 121
Tectonic tage and stage between the Pliocene and the Recent 131
4 - Methodological Reasons for Using Structural- Formational tages in Regional Tectonic Analysis
Methods of outlining tectonic regions in cratons 136
Perieratons, forelands, foredeeps and their corresponding sedimentary basins 138
Importance of correct recognition of the tectonic nature of sedimentary basins for correct regional tectonic analysis 144
Platformal cratonic basins and arches, and their relationships through geologic history 149
Return to confirmed facts, away from speculative models and groundless hypotheses 157
5 - Reconstruction of Structural History of a Craton by Using Structural-Formational tages in Its Cover and Pre-Cover Volcano-Sedementary Basins
Outlines of the Proterozoic Laurentian craton in North America 159
Tectonic zoning of the interior of the Laurentian craton 170
Role or major Precambrian fault families in pre-cover tectonics of Canadian cratonic areas 196
Guiding importance of Precambrian volcano-sedimentary basins for designation of regional tectonic stages during the cratonic megastage before the deposition of Phanerozoic platformal cover 204
Designation of lateral tectonic units in the Alberta Platform basement: a discussion 212
Lessons from the failure of initial attempts to unravel tectonic history of the structural framework in the basement of the Alberta Platform 222
Construction of depth-to-top maps on regional marker surfaces, and their tectonic utility 225
Cratonic shields and platforms as contrasting features in paleogeography and tectonics 232
6 - Finding an Adequate Regional Tectonic Interpretation Constrained by Mappable Properties of Rocks
Rationale in tectonic studies of shield terrains 238
Rationale in tectonic studies in Alberta and other cratonic platforms 243
Craton's boundaries and how to define them 253
7 - Place of Neotectonic and Current Tectonic Crustal Movements in Regional Tectonic Studies
Manifestations of neotectonic and current tectonic crustal movements, and their significance 259
Insights into neotectonics from the distribution of the latest Cenozoic deposits and drainage systems 262
Fracture fabrics in the Western Canada Sedimentary Province: their identification and classification 267
Second look at geophysical data with the benefit of information about neotectonic and current tectonic activity 279
Main classes of vertical tectonic crustal movements as manifested in the neotectonic and current stages 287
8 - Conclusions: Advantages of Practical Tectonics
Historical pragmatic character of geology as a field of human activity and knowledge 290
Social needs for rock-based regional tectonics 292
Ability of practical tectonics to meet the demands of the 21 st century 295
Significance of rock-based tectonics in the development of sciences about the Earth 300
Some obvious deficiencies of physical models that ignore rock-based tectonic constraints 303
Picture of global tectonics from the achievements of practical tectonic studies 306
Theory and practice in rock-based tectonics 308
Welding science and practicality in rock-based regional tectonics a historical look 310
References 313
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