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  | isbn    = 9780891813866

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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.