− | In the Tethys region, the evolution of North Africa and the Arabian Plates are intimately involved with the occurrence of [[hydrocarbon]]s in both regions. In the Early Paleozoic, [[paleogeography]] was characterized by the breakup of Rodinia and by the re-arrangement of the major continental plates in the [[Pangea]] supercontinent. During the assemblage of Pangea, a major role was played by the transformation from Pangea B to Pangea A during Permian time by means of dextral motion of Laurasia relative to Gondwana, which changed the relative position of the [[Paleozoic]] and [[Mesozoic]] domains facing the east-west oriented Tethys Gulf.<ref name=Muttonietal_2009a /> <ref name=Muttonietal_2009b /> | + | In the [[Tethys region]], the evolution of North Africa and the Arabian Plates are intimately involved with the occurrence of [[hydrocarbon]]s in both regions. In the Early Paleozoic, [[paleogeography]] was characterized by the breakup of Rodinia and by the re-arrangement of the major continental plates in the [[Pangea]] supercontinent. During the assemblage of Pangea, a major role was played by the transformation from Pangea B to Pangea A during Permian time by means of dextral motion of Laurasia relative to Gondwana, which changed the relative position of the [[Paleozoic]] and [[Mesozoic]] domains facing the east-west oriented Tethys Gulf.<ref name=Muttonietal_2009a /> <ref name=Muttonietal_2009b /> |
| Since late Paleozoic time, the southern margin of the Tethys was affected by the time-transgressive opening of the Neo-Tethys, which gave origin to a complex mosaic of peri-Gondwanan terranes. They gradually collided, during Mesozoic and [[Cenozoic]] times, with the northern margin of the Tethys, as the oceanic lithosphere of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean was subducted below Laurasia. Collisions were distributed irregularly along the northern margin of the Tethys. The spreading of the Neo-Tethys balanced the subduction of the oceanic lithosphere along the northern margin of the Paleo-Tethys, preserving the Tethys Ocean until the beginning of Cenozoic time. The subduction of the Paleo-Tethys led to the accretion of microplates that today characterize the Middle East outside of Arabia. Accretion started in [[Triassic]] time with the Cimmerian [[orogeny]] and persisted up to today, with the collision of Arabia along the Zagros suture. The present day relationships among orogenic belts are further complicated by the presence of important [[strike]]-slip movements, which accommodated the different convergence rates among plates, from the Alps to the Himalayas. | | Since late Paleozoic time, the southern margin of the Tethys was affected by the time-transgressive opening of the Neo-Tethys, which gave origin to a complex mosaic of peri-Gondwanan terranes. They gradually collided, during Mesozoic and [[Cenozoic]] times, with the northern margin of the Tethys, as the oceanic lithosphere of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean was subducted below Laurasia. Collisions were distributed irregularly along the northern margin of the Tethys. The spreading of the Neo-Tethys balanced the subduction of the oceanic lithosphere along the northern margin of the Paleo-Tethys, preserving the Tethys Ocean until the beginning of Cenozoic time. The subduction of the Paleo-Tethys led to the accretion of microplates that today characterize the Middle East outside of Arabia. Accretion started in [[Triassic]] time with the Cimmerian [[orogeny]] and persisted up to today, with the collision of Arabia along the Zagros suture. The present day relationships among orogenic belts are further complicated by the presence of important [[strike]]-slip movements, which accommodated the different convergence rates among plates, from the Alps to the Himalayas. |