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Precambrian Research 265 (2015) 1–9

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Precambrian Research

jo ur nal homep ag e: www.elsev ier .com/ locate /precamres

he structural, metamorphic and magmatic evolution ofesoproterozoic orogens

. Introduction

The Mesoproterozoic (1600–1000 Ma) is an Era of Earth historyhat has been defined in the literature as being quiescent in terms ofoth tectonics and the evolution of the biosphere and atmosphereHolland, 2006; Piper, 2013b; Young, 2013). The ‘boring billion’ is annformal term that is given to a time period overlapping the Meso-roterozoic period, extending from 1.85 to 0.85 Ga (Holland, 2006).rogenesis was not absent from this period however, with vari-us continents featuring active accretionary orogenesis along theirargins for the entire Mesoproterozoic (see Condie, 2013; Roberts,

013), and others featuring major continental collisional oroge-esis that relates to the formation of the supercontinent Rodiniaowards the end of the Mesoproterozoic. Looking at it another way,his period followed the formation of perhaps the first long-livedupercontinent, Columbia (a.k.a. Nuna), and then it prepared theround for the momentous geological and biological events in theeoproterozoic that paved the way for the Cambrian explosion of

ife. As such it is a very important period of Earth history to under-tand better.

Do orogens formed in the Mesoproterozoic differ from thoseormed in the recent past, or those formed in early Earth history,nd if so in what way? Do orogens in the Mesoproterozoic have dis-inct structural, metamorphic or magmatic characteristics? Howre Mesoproterozoic orogens related geodynamically and kine-atically? These are overarching questions that this collection of

ixteen research papers aims to address. This introduction presents brief discussion of the contribution of these papers to these ques-ions and topics.

. Mesoproterozoic history

The Mesoproterozoic Era is dominated geologically by thereak-up of the Columbia supercontinent (also known as Nuna),nd the formation of the Rodinia supercontinent at the end of theesoproterozoic into the Neoproterozoic. Columbia is perhaps the

rst true supercontinent (Senshu et al., 2009) and formed between.0 and 1.7 Ga (Rogers and Santosh, 2002, 2009; Meert, 2012). Max-

mum assembly of the continents based on the ages of collisionalvents is inferred to be around 1.9–1.85 Ga (Rogers and Santosh,

009). Collisional orogenesis down to 1.6–1.5 Ga may also reflectontinued formation of this supercontinent (Cutts et al., 2011).he palaeogeography of Columbia has been described by severalorkers, largely based on geological fit (i.e. orogenic belts and

ttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2015.05.031301-9268/© 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.

dyke swarms) and palaeomagnetism (e.g. Zhao et al., 2002; Rogersand Santosh, 2002; Zhang et al., 2012; Pisarevsky et al., 2014).The lack of key palaeopoles for all the continents at regular timeintervals, however, precludes any current consensus. For exam-ple, Amazonia has been traditionally placed adjacent to Balticafor the entire Mesoproterozoic (e.g. Zhao et al., 2002; Pesonenet al., 2003; Johansson, 2009), but has recently been placed on theother side of Laurentia, and replaced by India (Pisarevsky et al.,2013); such different views highlight the lack of certainty of theglobal arrangement of continents. With continued effort towardsdating mafic intrusions and constructing palaeopoles, the futurewill no doubt reveal a better constrained supercontinent historyprior to the Neoproterozoic (see Evans, 2013; Pisarevsky et al.,2014).

The hypothesis of the supercontinent cycle (see Worsleyet al., 1984; Nance and Murphy, 2013) implies that Columbiawould break-up, continents would disperse, and then they wouldre-amalgamate to form the next supercontinent (i.e. Rodinia). How-ever, the break-up of Columbia is debated. Some authors inferbreak-up based on the numerous mafic dyke swarms and otherintrusive rocks of various ages that are found across several con-tinents (e.g. Hou et al., 2008; Zhang et al., 2009; Fan et al., 2013).As discussed by Roberts (2013), however, these generally only pro-vide evidence for localised extension, and not necessarily a full riftto drift transition. Both Piper (2013a) and Roberts (2013) suggestthat Columbia may have been more akin to a continental lid (i.e.single continental landmass), reforming from Columbia to Rodiniawithout true dispersal.

The supercontinent Rodinia lacks well-constrained palaeo-geographic details for some of its constituent continents (seeEvans, 2013), but also features well-documented correlations thathave been consistently advocated for decades, for example, thelink between Laurentia and Baltica (NENA; Gower et al., 1990;Karlstrom et al., 2001). Rodinia formed around ca. 1.0 Ga, with itscollisional orogenesis probably beginning ca. 1.1 Ga and continu-ing to ca. 0.9 Ga (see Li et al., 2008; Evans, 2009). The evidenceof continental collisional orogenesis is found on many cratons(e.g. Laurentia, Baltica, Amazonia, Australia, Antarctica, India, Kala-hari). Some of these have been extensively studied for decades,such as Laurentia, whereas others are much less exposed and

only have minor evidence of orogenesis at this age (e.g. SouthChina, Li et al., 2002; Song et al., 2012); for others the evidence isdebated (e.g. Baltica, Slagstad et al., 2013a,b; Möller et al., 2013). Aswith Columbia, the increasing palaeomagnetic database, along with

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efined geological knowledge, will enable a better understandingf the exact history of Rodinia in the future.

. A note on terminology

At this point, it is relevant to make a note on some of the vari-ble use of terminology associated with the Mesoproterozoic. Therenville Orogen (e.g. Rivers, 1997) is based on geological evi-ence found in the Grenville Province of Laurentia (eastern Canadand eastern and southern Unites States). Some orogens have beenirectly correlated with the Grenville, for example the Sveconor-egian in Baltica along strike (e.g. Bingen et al., 2008; Möller et al.,

n press), and the colliding Amazonia craton (e.g. Tohver et al.,006; Ibanez-Mejia et al., 2011). These are correctly termed the Sve-onorwegian and Sunsas-Putamayo Orogens, respectively, and arequivalent in age and other first order features to the Grenville Oro-en. Many authors refer to Grenvillian orogenesis in other regions,or example Australia, China, South Africa etc. However, althoughhese may be equivalent in age, they display no evidence that theyere directly part of the same contiguous orogen as that of therenville Province, and thus the term Grenvillian is misleading. Wedvocate the use of Rodinia-forming orogen, for collisional oro-ens that can be linked to the formation of this supercontinent,egardless of their geographical location. But otherwise, tempo-al associations are best kept to those defined by the geologicalimescale, e.g. late Mesoproterozoic or Tonian, and spatial associ-tions are best kept to terms that are locally derived, for example,renville, Sveconorwegian, Musgrave, Albany-Fraser.

. Accretionary orogens

The term ‘boring billion’, which encompasses the entire Meso-roterozoic, was defined based on biological and climatic stasisHolland, 2006). However, there may be an underlying link toectonics. For example, if there was a clear lack of continentalispersion during the Columbia to Rodinia supercontinent transi-ion, i.e. a long-lived arrangement of continents and oceans, thenhis in turn may have allowed for prolonged stasis within theydrosphere and atmosphere (see Roberts, 2013). Palaeomagneticvidence favours the lack of break-up between some clusters ofontinents, such as Laurentia, Baltica and Siberia, but indicates thatther continents have drifted substantially relative to these andach other (see Meert, 2014; Pisarevsky et al., 2014). Regardless ofhe drift between continents, tectonic activity along the margins ofhe continents and supercontinents was far from quiescent.

Except for some radial dyke swarms, most geological activityuring this Era can be related to events occurring along conver-ent margins. Many of the continents feature a long-lived historyf accretionary activity, namely magmatism in continental andceanic volcanic arcs, and accretion of these arcs to cratonic mar-ins. Some continents feature a history of long-lived accretionaryrogenesis that accounts for large volumes of crustal growth, andhich was continuous throughout the Mesoproterozoic. These

nclude Laurentia, Baltica and Amazonia (see Karlstrom et al., 2001;ohansson, 2009). Other cratons are characterised by accretionaryrogens of shorter duration, at least in the preserved geologicalecord, for example the North China Craton (Deng et al., 2013),ustralia (Betts and Giles, 2006) and India (Dharma Rao et al.,013). These orogens generally developed around the margin ofhe Columbia supercontinent, and may have been linked via a sin-le convergent margin, analogous to the Pacific Rim of present

ay (Great Proterozoic Accretionary Orogen, Condie, 2013; Roberts,013).

Orogenesis during the early part of the Mesoproterozoic,efore the Rodinia-forming events, can generally be ascribed to

oterozoic orogens / Precambrian Research 265 (2015) 1–9

arc-collision events. Those that relate to major continental colli-sions between cratons are rare to non-existent. Even evidence suchas high-grade metamorphism does not signify continent–continentcollision. For example, the Hallandian orogen of southern Swedenhas been postulated as an effect of a Baltica–Amazonia collision(Bogdanova et al., 2001), but has more recently been suggestedto relate to an Andean-type orogen (Roberts and Slagstad, 2014;Ulmius et al., 2015).

5. Uniformitarianism

Uniformitarianism is a traditional approach used in Earth Sci-ence (Hutton, 1788; Windley, 1993b), but since some physicalcharacteristics of the Earth have changed over time (e.g. mantletemperature; see Fig. 1a, Herzberg et al., 2010), it is now commonlyaccepted that limitations to this approach will exist. For example,crust-forming processes in the Hadean are generally thought to bequite different to those of today (see Roberts et al., 2015; Kamber,2015). A question underlying this special issue is therefore howdoes Mesoproterozoic orogenesis compare to that of the Phanero-zoic? Orogenesis today is dominantly a consequence of horizontalplate motions. Some workers suggest modern-day style plate tec-tonics did not start until the late Neoproterozoic, implying that adifferent orogenic style may have existed previously (Stern, 2005;Hamilton, 2011; Piper, 2013a). Conversely, many workers advocateplate tectonic characteristics similar to those of the modern day forMeso- to Neoarchaean rock assemblages; this would imply thatthe younger Mesoproterozoic Era would also be similar. What canbe gleaned from the metamorphic record, is that blueschists andultra-high-pressure rocks are features limited to orogens youngerthan ∼600 Ma, but that high temperature and high pressure rockshave been formed and preserved for the last ∼3000 Ma (see Fig. 1b;Brown, 2006, 2014).

The mantle has cooled through time (e.g. Turcotte, 1980;Richter, 1985; Herzberg et al., 2010). This will have an importanteffect on orogenesis, since the rheology of the mantle and overly-ing crust is strongly dependent on mantle temperature and watercontent. Increased mantle temperature will aid melting, and meltweakens the lithosphere (e.g. Rosenberg and Handy, 2005; vanHunen and van den Berg, 2008). Sizova et al. (2014) studied theeffects of varying mantle temperatures by numerically modellingPrecambrian plate collision scenarios at different mantle temper-atures. They showed that Archaean collision would be profoundlydifferent to that of the Phanerozoic, with very large volumes ofmantle melting, shallow slab break-off, low topographic elevation,and significant extension in the over-riding and colliding plates(leading to their “truncated hot collisional regime”). The Mesopro-terozoic ambient mantle could have been between 80 and 150 ◦Chotter than today’s (see Fig. 1a; Herzberg et al., 2010). Under thesetemperatures, the collisional models of Sizova et al. (2014) are mod-erately different to those of modern orogens. That model impliesthat the down-going continental lithosphere undergoes shallowrather than deep slab-breakoff, there is limited formation and noexhumation of UHP blocks, and there is a greater portion of mantlemelting and lower topographic elevation. Interestingly, an out-come of these models is that the predicted change from shallow todeep slab break-off occurs at mantle temperatures less than 60 ◦Cwarmer than today, that is, at the conditions predicted for the lateNeoproterozoic, when the exhumation of UHP terranes seen in therock record began (Sizova et al., 2014; Brown, 2014).

6. Style of orogenesis

Comparing orogens is not an easy task, since they vary greatlyin spatial and temporal scales, and they evolve through time such

The structural, metamorphic and magmatic evolution of Mesoproterozoic orogens / Precambrian Research 265 (2015) 1–9 3

Fig. 1. (a) Ambient mantle temperature through time, predicted through the composition of non-arc basalts (after Johnson et al., 2014, which is modified from Herzberg et al.,2010). (b) Metamorphic gradients (◦C/GPa) through time for well-constrained and dated orogenic belts, categorised by metamorphic facies (after Brown, 2014). (c) Orogenicc ◦ t al., 2( erred

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ooling rates ( C/Ma) through time, categorised by class of orogen (after Scibiorski eFor interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is ref

hat minor collisions may evolve into large hot orogens if theres continued plate convergence. Additionally, old orogens are noweeply eroded, and current orogens are still evolving. Orogensan be classified based on a number of variables. For example,eaumont et al. (2006) compared orogens based on their magnitudei.e. extra crustal or lithospheric thickness above standard conti-ental lithosphere) and temperature (i.e. excess heat for this same

ithosphere under normal heat production conditions). Differenttyles of orogenesis can then be described according to these twoarameters (see Fig. 2a–c). Arc collisions form small orogens withmall amounts of crustal thickening, and small regional temper-ture increases. The Grenville and Himalaya are described as theype examples of large hot orogens with the greatest areal expansend crustal thickness. Most collisional orogens fall between thesewo end-members. Additionally, some orogens exhibit elevatedeat flow and will have been hotter without necessarily hav-

ng greater crustal thickness, for example those with shorteningf back-arc basins (Collins, 2002). One distinct feature of theseemperature–Magnitude (T–M) plots is the interpretation thatrchaean orogens would generally be hotter, and thus form a shal-

ower trend to higher temperature with similar magnitudes (seeig. 2a; Beaumont et al., 2006).

Another classification scheme that is based on similar observa-ions is that of Chardon et al. (2009). These authors use the terms

old orogen, mixed orogen and large hot orogen, which essentiallyimic those described by Beaumont et al. (2006). They also define,

owever, an additional category termed Ultra Hot Orogen, whichs based on observations from Archaean terranes such as those

015). The blue band shows the timing of the Mesoproterozoic Era (1600–1000 Ma).to the web version of this article.)

exposed in the Dharwar craton (Chardon et al., 2008). The distinc-tive features of these UHO orogens are distributed strain, thin uppercrust and thin lithosphere, limited excess topography and very highcrustal temperatures. These orogens would fall to the high temper-ature side of the T–M diagram (see Fig. 2a), and this characteristicis reliant on long-duration and mantle-heating in factors of theirdevelopment.

In Fig. 2c, the Mesoproterozoic orogens that are described withinthis special issue are loosely placed. The Natal-Namaqua Orogen(NNO) features a history defined by distinct arc-accretion and colli-sion events (e.g. Colliston et al., 2015). The geological exposures areof deformed arc terranes accreted to a largely unaffected Archaeancraton. A major colliding plate is inferred but not recorded in theexposed rock record. High-temperatures and moderate pressuregranulite-facies have been reached in many areas, but this was notaccompanied by excessive crustal thickening. Isobaric cooling isevident from some P–T estimates, which is inferred to result fromtranspressional and transtensional displacements (Spencer et al.,2015 and references therein). As such, the NNO appears to be asmall to moderate-sized mixed orogen with an elevated geotherm(see Fig. 2c).

The Albany-Fraser and Musgrave orogens formed during theoverall amalgamation of the North, South and West Australiancratons in the mid to late Mesoproterozoic, although some con-

tention over the exact nature of their development still exists. TheMusgrave, for example, is postulated by some to result from intra-continental reworking of a slightly earlier orogenic belt (MountWest Orogeny; see Howard et al., 2015 and references therein),

4 The structural, metamorphic and magmatic evolution of Mesopr

Fig. 2. Temperature vs. magnitude plots of orogenic classification (modified fromBeaumont et al., 2006; Ultra Hot Orogens of Chardon et al., 2009). (a) Orogenic stylesand classifications; the thick blue arrows show the main trend of orogens, and thethin blue arrow a hypothetical trend of hotter Archaean orogens. (b) Classificationof some Phanerozoic orogens. (c) Classification of some Mesoproterozoic orogensbi

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ased on those studied in this issue. (For interpretation of the references to colourn this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

hilst others suggest it results from true continental collisionetween the South and West Australian cratons (see Smits et al.,014 and references therein). The Albany-Fraser and Musgraveroadly occur along strike relative to the craton margins, haveverlapping ages, but formed on distinctly different basement (seeirkland et al., 2015). These authors show that the Albany-Fraser

nvolved reworking of the Archaean cratonic margin, whereas theusgrave involved reworking of younger (<2.0 Ga) juvenile crust.

distinct feature of the Musgrave is the very high temperature that

as apparently attained for a long duration (e.g. Walsh et al., 2014;orczyk et al., 2015), although recently it has been suggested thatltra-high temperatures were only achieved in a shorter thermalulse (Tucker et al., 2015). The cause of the excessive heat flow is

oterozoic orogens / Precambrian Research 265 (2015) 1–9

suggested to be mantle heating of a thinned crust, and one that con-tained high radiogenic heat-producing components (see Howardet al., 2015; Kirkland et al., 2015). The Albany-Fraser orogen wasaffected by transpression, and this is inferred to be the cause ofrapid exhumation of crust after peak metamorphism was reached(Scibiorski et al., 2015). The Albany-Fraser fits in regular T–M spaceas a moderate-sized mixed orogen (Fig. 2c). The Musgrave on theother hand, with its long duration, hot temperatures and lack ofexcess crustal thickening is tending towards the field of Ultra HotOrogens (Fig. 2c).

The Sveconorwegian Province displays a range of tectonic stylesacross the orogen (see Roberts and Slagstad, 2014). The easternpart in SW Sweden and SE Norway is characterised by large-scalethrusting, crustal imbrications, high-pressure metamorphism andsubsequent extensional collapse (Viola and Henderson, 2010; Violaet al., 2011; Möller et al., in press; Pinán-Llamas et al., 2015;Scheiber et al., 2015), whereas the western part in SW Norwayis characterised by voluminous granitic and anorthositic magma-tism and UHT metamorphism (Slagstad et al., 2013a; Drüppel et al.,2012; Coint et al., 2015). A heterogeneous tectonic style acrossthe orogen was pointed out more than 30 years ago (Falkum andPetersen, 1980), but has received little attention since. Reconcilingthese across-strike differences in a tectonic model that accountsfor the metamorphic, magmatic and structural evolution in bothtime and space remains challenging. The Sveconorwegian orogenas a whole fits somewhere in the middle of the T–M plot (Fig. 2c),whether it be a large Cordilleran orogen (Slagstad et al., 2013a) or amoderate-sized continental collisional orogen (Möller et al., 2013).

The Grenville orogen is not a main focus of this special issue,but has been one of the most intensely studied Mesoproterozoicorogens in the past. The Grenville Province in eastern Canadais characterised by orogen-wide, high-grade metamorphism anddeformation (1090–1020 Ma Ottawan phase, Hynes and Rivers,2010; Rivers, 2012 and references therein), interpreted as the mainGrenvillian collision. This phase was followed at 1020–980 Maby the Rigolet phase, characterised by deformation and meta-morphism interpreted to reflect post-convergent gravitationalspreading (Rivers, 2012). Gravitationally driven extension mayhave started as early as ca. 1060 Ma at high crustal levels in theGrenville, although most workers assume that convergence lasteduntil ca. 1020 Ma and that gravitationally driven orogenic exten-sion continued until ca. 980 Ma (Hynes and Rivers, 2010; Rivers,2012). Eclogites in various states of preservation are common inthe SW Grenville Province (Marsh and Culshaw, 2014) and formedat ca. 1090 Ma, i.e., very early on in the collision. Convergence inthe Grenville orogen appears to have been sustained for more than60 Myr after initial collision (Jamieson et al., 2010), not unlike theHimalaya, making it of significant magnitude to be classified as alarge hot orogen (Fig. 2a; Beaumont et al., 2006). However, the oro-genesis was not accompanied by significant magmatism and didnot feature an excessive geotherm. As such, the Grenville does notconform to an Ultra Hot Orogen. In addition, it lacks steep duc-tile structures typically associated with Archaean hot orogens, andprobably featured elevated topography (see Rivers, 2008, 2009;Jamieson et al., 2010).

The 1.47–1.38 Ga Hallandian orogen has generally been poorlyunderstood due to later overprinting by the Sveconorwegianorogeny. However, work by Ulmius et al. (2015) has identified high-temperature metamorphism under a strongly elevated geotherm,coeval with granitic magmatism at ca. 1450 Ma. These authorsinterpret the data to reflect an Andean-type accretionary setting,and this may represent an extension of the ca. 1.5 Ga Telemarkianevent in S Norway (Bingen et al., 2005; Roberts et al., 2013; Robertsand Slagstad, 2014). Based on the known exposures of the Hallan-

dian orogen, it falls under the category of a small transitional orogenwith an elevated geotherm (see Fig. 2c).

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. Summary of the discussed orogens

Mesoproterozoic orogens clearly exhibit wide variation in theirpatial and temporal scales, not dissimilar to orogens of more recentarth history. Mesoproterozoic orogens do not fall on a distinctrend of magnitude vs. temperature, although many feature anoma-ous heat flow. In terms of large hot orogens, the Grenville is the only

ell-documented example comparable in magnitude to the Eoceneo present-day Himalayan Orogen. These two orogens display manyimilarities in the structure we can observe today, although thisoes not necessarily imply similar mechanisms of crustal defor-ation during their evolution (see Rivers, 2008; Jamieson et al.,

010). The Musgrave is thus the only example included here thatonforms to several of the definitions of an Ultra Hot Orogen, ando our knowledge, lacks a more recent analogue.

‘Transitional’ or ‘Mixed’ orogens (see Fig. 1) are often just that they have a mixture of processes. The Sveconorwegian Orogenor example, features a bivergent structure in its core, with crustalubduction of two separate lithotectonic units (plates?), perhapsith similarities to the modern Alpine Orogen. Its western part,

n contrast, features voluminous magmatism, possibly continuousceanic subduction, and has similarities to the American Cordillera.hen viewed as whole, the Sveconorwegian Orogen appears to be

complex, long-lived hot orogen. But as we start to disentangle thisrogenic province, the individual and localised nature of complexollisional, accretionary and magmatic events will become clearersee Roberts and Slagstad, 2014).

. Magmatism

Magmatism related to orogenesis includes syn-collisional ana-ectic melting, either on a small-scale (i.e. migmatisation), or on aarge-scale whereby melts have coalesced to form plutons. Thesere variably evident in all Mesoproterozoic orogens. For exam-le, extensive migmatite complexes in the middle crust of therenville orogen (Slagstad et al., 2005), syn-tectonic leucosomes

ormed during extrusion of eclogitic lower crust of the Sveconor-egian Eastern Segment (Pinán-Llamas et al., 2015), and similar

bservations from other orogenic belts (e.g. Howard et al., 2015),uggest that crustal anatexis is a common result of orogenesis.he Natal orogen provides an example whereby deformed plu-ons are ascribed to syn-orogenic magmatism in a transcurrenteformational regime (e.g. Spencer et al., 2015), and presumablyhe migmatites that sourced the exposed plutons are located atepth. Post-orogenic magmatism is recorded in the waning stagesf most Mesoproterozoic orogens, either as voluminous plutonse.g. Sveconorwegian Hornblende-Biotite Granite suite, see Cointt al., 2015), or as mafic dykes and other minor intrusives (e.g. Sve-onorwegian Blekinge-Dalarna dolerites; see Roberts and Slagstad,014 and references therein). The reason that one of these mayccur and not the other, presumably relates to a number of vari-bles, including the extent of crustal thinning, the strength of therust and the existence of delaminating roots or slabs.

Two characteristics have been drawn out of the geo-ogical record as rather distinctive of the Mesoproterozoic,ne is the abundance of ‘anorogenic’ or A-type magmaticntrusions, and the other is the abundance of massif-typenorthosite–Mangerite–Charnockitic magmatism more specifi-ally (Anderson, 1983; Emslie, 1985; Windley, 1993a; Andersonnd Morrison, 2005; Vigneresse, 2005; Ashwal, 2010). These mag-atic styles have been discussed for several decades. Most (but

ot all) recent publications on both A-type magma suites (e.g.häll et al., 2000; Menuge et al., 2002; Slagstad et al., 2009) andnorthosite provinces (e.g. Bybee et al., 2014), now place their for-ation within the greater context of convergent margin activity,

oterozoic orogens / Precambrian Research 265 (2015) 1–9 5

thus weakening or negating their ‘anorogenic’ classification.Bickford et al. (2015), in their synthesis of Laurentian examples,suggest that complex interactions between the asthenosphere andlithosphere, subsequent to arc magmatism and accretion, are anunderlying cause. It has been shown that in general, these magmasform by partial melting of dry lower crust (either newly under-plated or pre-existing), requiring high temperatures, attributableto mantle heating (e.g. Frost and Frost, 2011; Kirkland et al., 2015).

The prevalence of Mesoproterozoic anorthosites has beenrelated to the formation of a stable supercontinent, and associ-ated heat-flow from a thermal blanketing effect (Hoffman, 1989;Vigneresse, 2005). Bédard (2009) in contrast, suggests this occur-rence may purely be a result of secular cooling of the Earth, wherebyin the Archaean, continental crust is presumed to be too weak tothicken tectonically, and in the Phanerozoic, the mantle was toocool to reach the elevated temperatures needed to form anorthositeparent magmas (see also Cawood and Hawkesworth, 2014).

9. Structure and metamorphism

The structural and metamorphic characteristics of Mesopro-terozoic orogens are highly varied, and they exhibit a range ofstyles, magnitudes and peak-temperatures. There is no unique setof characteristics that defines these orogens, and their first-orderstructural framework and development appears to be comparableto those of orogens formed in the Phanerozoic. The elevated tem-peratures of some Mesoproterozoic orogens are generally localisedand related to elevated heat flow from coeval magmatism and/ormantle heating. Transpressional deformation may have led to iso-baric cooling in some orogens (e.g. Natal; Spencer et al., 2015),and rapid exhumation in others (e.g. Albany-Fraser; Scibiorskiet al., 2015). High-pressure metamorphic conditions are generallyascribed to processes of burial of crust via shortening and move-ment along crustal-scale shear zones, generally at low-angle (seeTual et al., 2015; Pinán-Llamas et al., 2015). High temperature meta-morphism is ascribed to localised elevated heat flow driven bymagmatism (see Coint et al., 2015), and/or more regionally ele-vated heat flow driven by mantle heating under thinned crust (seeKirkland et al., 2015).

Bivergent structures can be observed in some of the well-exposed orogens such as the Sveconorwegian. In the Namaqua-Natal orogen, a major colliding plate has not been identified. Whatis observed is only one side of the orogen, with hinterland-dippingthrusts, bringing allochthonous material onto the craton, like theScandinavian Caledonides in the Phanerozoic. Modern orogens fea-ture regions of orthogonal convergence and adjacent regions ofmore oblique convergence. They also feature regions of tectonicescape where crust (upper, lower or both), is translated aroundthe motion of an indenter. For example, the large fault zones of SEAsia (Molnar and Tapponnier, 1975; Tapponnier et al., 1982). Thetranspression recorded in shear zones in Mesoproterozoic orogensmay also relate to such features of tectonic extrusion. However,this has not been discussed in detail in the literature for Meso-proterozoic orogens, perhaps because the obscured relationshipsbetween orogenic belts mean these features are not readily appar-ent. This feature of orogenic evolution is worthy of further studyfor the Mesoproterozoic.

Another facet of structural evolution is the reactivation of struc-tures (Viola et al., 2009; Mattila and Viola, 2014; Scheiber et al.,2015). Orogens are generally thought to involve first crustal thick-ening, and then, due to gravitational instability, their collapse.

The latter facilitated by reactivation of thrust structures into nor-mal shear zones and faults. Large shear zones in Mesoproterozoicorogens, such as the “Mylonite Zone” and Kristiansand-Porsgrunn-Shear-Zone of the Sveconorwegian orogen, have a long-lived

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istory of reactivation (Mulch et al., 2005; Viola and Henderson,010; Viola et al., 2011; Scheiber et al., 2015), and are often sug-ested to originate as orogenic sutures (e.g. Bingen et al., 2008;ornell and Austin-Hegardt, 2004; Petersson et al., 2015). The con-inued re-use of crustal weaknesses through orogenic cycles islearly a major tenet of Earth’s evolution. Gee et al. (2015) highlightor example how Sveconorwegian structures probably controlledveconorwegian extensional collapse and subsequent Neoprotero-oic rifting, and were then recycled during the Caledonian orogenyy Scandian shortening and Devonian extensional collapse.

0. Summary and future questions

The orogens discussed in this special issue and introductionnly cover a sample of those formed in the Mesoproterozoic Era.owever, from this small selection it can be seen that Mesoprotero-oic orogens exhibit both a variety of temporal and spatial scalesnd a variety of thermal conditions, similar to the Phanerozoicecord. The Mesoproterozoic orogens lack evidence of subduc-ion and exhumation of UHP crust, but otherwise feature a rangef moderate to high pressure metamorphic conditions associatedith burial of crust, and a range of temperatures associated with

urial, radiogenic heating ± magmatic or mantle heat advection.any orogens feature evidence of high to ultra-high temperatures,

lthough this sample set is not representative enough to concludehether this is a trait particular to the Mesoproterozoic and/or

lder orogens. Numerical modelling does suggest orogenesis at thisime (with �T > 80–100 ◦C) should produce significant amounts of

antle melting, which would fit with the observations of elevatedeat flow from, for example, the Musgrave orogen in Australia. It isuggested that future studies may be directed to the possible rolef an elevated heat flow in the Mesoproterozoic. Structurally, therogens are generally composed of imbricated crustal terranes orappes translated along low- to moderately dipping shear-zones,nd may include flow of middle or lower crust within nappe- orrustal-scale channels through melt-weakening.

The Sveconorwegian orogen provides an example whereby theraditional model for its formation, i.e. continent–continent colli-ion, has been recently questioned (Slagstad et al., 2013a; Cointt al., 2015) and instead suggested to comprise an Andean- orordilleran-type orogen. Although the issue is being lively debated,his example highlights a problem with reconstructing the palaeo-eography of orogenic belts and cratons. Palaeomagnetism isurrently not precise enough to resolve details between adjacentratons, and certainly does not constrain the individual blocks orerranes that may build an orogen. As such, the spatial origin ofccreted crustal terranes and colliding plates, is therefore quitencertain. Whether orogens such as the Natal-Namaqua belt thateatures asymmetrically deformed juvenile crustal blocks, accretedn an older craton, resulted from either a collision of a majorndenter as currently inferred or instead purely from accretionaryrogenesis, is a pertinent question for future studies.

1. Index of the contributions

1.1. Pre-Rodinia orogenesis

Ulmius et al. (2015) provide the first P–T constraints along withew geochronology on the Hallandian orogen of southern Sweden.

his orogen has lacked well-defined constraints on its origin, buthe moderate temperature, low-pressure metamorphism and volu-

inous magmatism, lead these authors to infer an Andean-typerogenic setting.

oterozoic orogens / Precambrian Research 265 (2015) 1–9

11.2. Rodinia-forming orogenesis

Five papers study different aspects of the Sveconorwegian oro-gen in Fennoscandia. Gee et al. (2015) present detrital zircon datafrom a transect in northern Sweden, that includes units from theautochthon up section through to the upper part of the MiddleAllochthon. Sveconorwegian age zircons are voluminous in mostunits of the section, including the upper Middle Allochthon. Alongwith the existence of these zircons from other regions to the northand south, the authors conclude that the Sveconorwegian orogenaffected the entire Fennoscandian margin up into the high Arctic.

Coint et al. (2015) present new geochronology, petrologyand field constraints to further our understanding of the Sve-conorwegian orogen in SW Norway. These authors provideevidence that at least one phase of high-grade metamorphism waspre-Sveconorwegian, and that Sveconorwegian metamorphism,including UHT, was localised. They show that deformation was alsolocalised, and the voluminous Sveconorwegian Sirdal MagmaticBelt batholiths lacks significant tilting since its emplacement.

Scheiber et al. (2015) present structural and geochronologicaldata from the bounding shear zone system between the Tele-mark and Kongsberg terranes of the Sveconorwegian Province.The shear-zone is hosted within and along the margin of a∼1170–1146 Ma magmatic belt, and importantly, does not jux-tapose different age lithotectonic units. Deformation occurred inmultiple stages, first as thrusting, then transpression, followed byextension.

Tual et al. (2015) provide new structural and petrographic dataon the sequence of deformation events that affected the ∼4 kmthick basal shear zone of an eclogite-bearing nappe in SW Sweden.The nappe was exhumed from eclogite to high-pressure granuliteand upper amphibolite facies conditions as a partially molten, low-viscosity system in the Eastern Segment of the Sveconorwegianorogen. Their results are used to refine existing kinematic modelsfor the exhumation of eclogite-bearing units in collisional orogens.

Pinán-Llamas et al. (2015) present a detailed structural andgeochronological study of syn-kinematic melt formation in theEastern Segment of SW Sweden, which complements the studyof Tual et al. (2015). They show that the protolith to the studiesgneisses is ca. 1.69 Ga crust, and this has been reworked into aleucosome bearing gneiss in the Hallandian orogen at ca. 1.4 Ga.Sveconorwegian deformation evolved during four stages, withmelt-formation throughout, and dated at ca. 970 Ma and ca. 958 Ma.

Four papers study the Natal-Namaqua Orogen that formed onthe Kalahari craton, two from the Namaqua belt and two from theNatal belt. Colliston et al. (2015) present new data from a regioncomprising the Hartbees River Thrust, which is interpreted as aterrane boundary separating the Grunau and Bladgrond terranesof the Namaqua belt. Older granitic magmatism was emplaced at∼1171 Ma and was deformed during prolonged D1, with sheathfolding (D2) taking place at ∼1154 Ma. Younger magmatism at∼1116–1102 Ma brackets late deformation (D4) to be younger thanthis, and older than a ∼1030 Ma suite that cuts D4 deformation.

Cornell et al. (2015) present age and isotopic data from theKonkiep terrane of the Namaqua belt. Xenocrysts and Hf isotopesignatures suggest this region is comprised of Palaeoproterozoiccrust that can be thought of as an extension of the RehobothProvince. Hybrid gabbro-granite magmatism at ∼1359 Ma is inter-preted as occurring in a rift setting, and features juvenile isotopicsignatures. Younger gabbro-granite magmatism at 1230–1200 Mais interpreted as subduction-related. The timing of collision of thisterrane to the craton is inferred to be ∼1200 Ma when magmatism

ceased.

Mendonidis et al. (2015) present new geochronology from theMargate terrane of the Natal belt. The age data imply at leastfour magmatic/thermal events in the Margate terrane, at ∼1170,

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1140–1135, ∼1093–1082 and ∼1050–1025 Ma. These ages areost similar to the Vardeklettane Terrane of East Antarctica, and a

alaeogeographic link is made. The oldest ages are seen on the adja-ent Tugela Terrane, implying the Margate Terrane is not entirelyounger. Younger ages are also seen on the other adjacent Mzumbeerrane.

Spencer et al. (2015) present new geochronology and isotopiconstraints on the Natal Orogen, from all three of the exposed ter-anes. The Sezela Syenite Suite is dated at ∼1085 Ma, much olderhan previously thought. Isotopic signatures indicate a juvenilesland arc origin for the Mzumbe terrane. Granulite-facies meta-

orphism is dated by monazite, titanite and zircon from differentnits at ∼1040–1030 Ma. The Oribi Gorge Suite intruded at a sim-

lar time, with precise ages at ∼1049 and ∼1034 Ma. The isobaricooling path of the metamorphism is suggested to be a result ofranscurrent movement during oblique collision.

Two papers discuss orogens in Australia, whether they cane described as Rodinia-forming is speculative, since they occuretween different Australian cratons, and before the main Rodinia-orming orogens such as the Grenville Orogen of Laurentia. Kirklandt al. (2015) compare the Musgrave and Albany-Fraser Orogenssing isotopic signatures. They show that these orogens of similarge were formed on different crustal substrates, the Albany-Frasern Archaean Yilgarn cratonic crust, and the Musgrave on youngerate Palaeoproterozoic to early Mesoproterozoic juvenile crust.dditionally, these authors attribute the formation of ferroan dryagmatic rocks to lower crustal melting driven by mantle heating.Scibiorski et al. (2015) present new cooling age data from

he Albany-Fraser Orogen. Using hornblende and mica Ar–Areochronology, they show very rapid rates of cooling for this oro-en. They relate this to transpressional deformation and resultantxhumation. Via a compilation of orogenic cooling rates througharth history, they show these rapid rates in the Mesoproterozoico be rather anomalous, perhaps questioning the representativeature of this current record (see Fig. 1c).

Jacobs et al. (2015) describe the geochemistry and geochronol-gy of the eastern Dronning Maud Province of East Antarctica. Theata highlight a period of mostly intermediate and felsic magma-ism that occurred between 1000 and 900 Ma, and further indicatehat this area was structurally reworked and that melt productionccurred in the late Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic. These char-cteristics allow for correlations between the study area and the SWomain of the Sør Rondane Mountains, and define a relatively large

uvenile Neoproterozoic province within East Antarctica.

2. Magmatism

Teixeira et al. (2015) present new baddeleyite geochronology forwo mafic intrusions within the Bolivian part of the Amazonian Cra-on. The overlapping ages of 1110 ± 2 and 1112 ± 2 Ma for a layeredltramafic–mafic complex (Rincón del Tigre) and mafic sill complexHuanchaca Suite), separated by 500 km, lead the authors to suggesthey are part of a Large Igneous Province, previously unrecognised.he authors suggest this may correlate with the Keweenawan inentral Laurentia, which would indicate proximity of the cratons athis time, and they point out the lack of a correlative in Baltica.

Bickford et al. (2015) review magmatism across Laurentia thatorms the 1.5–1.34 Ga Granite-Rhyolite Province and related A-typeranitoid suites. These authors present a compilation of new andublished age and isotopic data, which show that magmatism in the

.5–1.4 Ga interval occurs across the continent, but with a generalounging trend to the west, and that younger 1.39–1.34 Ga mag-atism is only a major event in the south-central mid-continent. A

etrogenetic model of mantle underplating and crustal anatexis is

oterozoic orogens / Precambrian Research 265 (2015) 1–9 7

advocated, inboard of an active margin with complex crust–mantleinteractions due to arc accretion events.

Petersson et al. (this issue) present new in-situ zircon U-Pb andoxygen isotope data from drillcore samples taken from Ohio, NorthAmerica. These data are used to determine the age and nature of thecrust within this region. Crust formation ages of ∼1650 Ma indicatethis crust can be considered as part of the Mazatzal Province. Mag-matism at ∼1450 Ma is part of the Granite-Rhyolite Province andreworked crust formed earlier at ∼1650 Ma. Crust of this age wasreworked again during Grenvillian orogenesis at ∼1050 Ma, withoxygen isotopes indicating this occurred in the presence of heavy�18O fluids.

Acknowledgements

NR thanks Chris Spencer for discussion of many topics relatingto orogenesis, and publishes with the permission of the Executivedirector of the BGS. The authors thank all the reviewers that helpedto put this special issue together, and to Elsevier and Randall Parrishfor editorial assistance and comments.

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Nick M.W. RobertsNERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British

Geological Survey, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK

Trond SlagstadGeological Survey of Norway, Trondheim, Norway

Giulio Viola a,b

a Geological Survey of Norway, Trondheim, Norway

b Department of Geology and Mineral Resources

Engineering, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway

Available online 29 May 2015