Magmatic evolution of the Tethysides: a guide to reconstruction of collage history
Abstract The magmatic evolution of the Tethyside super orogenic complex is reviewed in five time frames, and magmatic products are displayed on corresponding non-palinspastic suture maps. On these maps, a one-to-one relationship between suture zones (drawn mostly using non-magmatic criteria such as stratigraphy and structural style except for ophiolites) and plate boundary magmatism is seen. Subduction-related magmatism is most persistent both spatially and temporally and forms the best magmatic guide to former sutures. Post-collisional magmatism is the next in abundance, but is less helpful in delineating sutures in detail. Ophiolites come third in abundance. Magmatism associated with the rifting is very sparse along the Tethyside sutures. Taken all together, magmatic rocks along the Tethysides record continuous tectonic evolution and form superb guides to the detection of the primary orogenic collage components in the Tethysides and to their distinction from the secondary orogenic collage components that form through intracontinental deformation. It is surprising how well even the smallest of the primary orogenic collage components are delineated by magmatic arc rocks. This contrasts with a common interpretation of the North American Cordilleran orogenic collage.