US-UK Cooperative Science: Tectonostratigraphic Terrane Linkages in the Avalonian-Cadomian Belt

该奖项将支持俄亥俄大学的R.Damian Nance博士和英国牛津大学牛津理工学院地质系的Robin Strachan博士之间的合作研究。该项目的目标是审查和评价阿巴拉契亚山脉北部的晚前寒武纪阿瓦隆带与英国和法国的构造地层相似的卡多米亚带之间的地体联系的性质和程度。阿瓦隆地体形成了一条独特但神秘的岩石带，其特征是晚前寒武纪火山沉积序列和共生花岗岩类深成岩，其上覆盖着一个下古生代浅海超越序列，具有大西洋领域的动物群。这种动物群的存在在早古生代将阿瓦隆地体与欧洲联系起来，而不是与北美联系起来，并鼓励与英国米德兰地台的晚前寒武纪岩石和法国的Armorian地块进行对比。南斯博士最近的研究表明，阿瓦隆-卡多姆带代表着一个单一的构造系统，其演化可能与晚前寒武纪超级大陆的解体有关。在这个联合项目中，南斯博士建议将他在阿瓦隆构造地层学方面的专业知识与斯特拉坎博士及其牛津理工学院卡多米亚研究小组的同事们互补的构造技能结合起来，以便对阿瓦伦卡多米亚带内的地体联系进行详细研究，特别是重点研究其地体边界的性质和运动学历史。这次调查的结果将有助于更好地了解阿瓦隆-卡多米亚带的构造演化。

This award will support collaborative research between Dr. R. Damian Nance, Ohio University and Dr. Robin Strachan, Department of Geology, Oxford Polytechnic Institute, Oxford, England. The objective of the project is an examination and evaluation of the nature and extent of terrane linkages between the Late Precambrian Avalonian Belt of the Northern Appalachians and the tectonostratigraphically similar Cadomian Belt of Britain and France. The Avalon terrane forms a distinctive but enigmatic belt of rocks characterized by Late Precambrian volcanic sedimentary successions and co-genetic granitoid plutons, overlain by a Lower Paleozoic shallow-marine overstep sequence bearing Atlantic-realm fauna. The presence of this fauna links the Avalon terrane to Europe rather than to North America during the Early Paleozoic period and has encouraged correlation with the Late Precambrian rocks of Britain's Midland Platform and the Armorican Massif of France. Recent studies by Dr. Nance suggest that the Avalonian-Cadomian Belt represents a single tectonic system whose evolution may relate to the breakup of a late Precambrian supercontinent. In this joint project, Dr. Nance proposes to combine his expertise in Avalonian tectonostratigraphy with the complementary tectonic skills of Dr. Strachan and his colleagues of the Cadomian Research Group at Oxford Polytechnic Institute in order to undertake a detailed examination of terrane linkages within the Avalonian Cadomian Belt, focusing in particular on the nature and kinematic history of its terrane boundaries. The results of this survey will contribute to a greater under- standing of the tectonic evolution of the Avalonian-Cadomian Belt.