COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Thermal Evolution of the Maryland Pennsylvania Piedmont: Application of U-Pb Geochronology to Collisional Tectonics

地壳边缘的热演化 碰撞过程是构造学中的一个重要问题， 地壳的热力和物理变化， 逆冲推覆和相关的岩浆作用 在大陆发展中的作用。 该项目将重点 位于马里兰州、特拉华州和宾夕法尼亚州的皮埃蒙特， 大陆边缘弧形成， 边缘因逆冲而增厚 叠加作用和低压高温变质作用。 这项工作将发展的构造年表的 碰撞造山带的高精度U-Pb年龄 锆石和独居石， 超稠化事件和相关的岩浆活动。 持续时间 从弧期到逆冲期的整个造山旋回 堆积到部分熔融可以在以下条件中唯一地确定： 研究领域，并应提供一个基准评估 变质-火成岩-构造过程的速率 碰撞环境

The thermal evolution of crust margins involved in collisional processes is an important issue in tectonics, as the thermal and physical modification of the crust through thrust stacking and associated magmatism play an important role in the growth of continents. This project will focus on the piedmont of Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania where a continental margin arc developed and subsequently collided with the margin with attendant overthickening by thrust stacking and low pressure, high temperature metamorphism. The work will develop the tectonic chronology of the collisional orogen through high precision U-Pb ages of zircons and monazite from rocks that record the overthickening event and associated magmatism. The duration of the entire orogenic cycle from arc stage through thrust stacking to partial melting can be uniquely determined in the study area, and should provide a benchmark assessment of rates of metamorphic-igneous-tectonic processes in a collisional environment.