Transmogrification of ocean into continent: implications for continental evolution

Area of Science:

• Geology
• Tectonics
• Geomorphology

Background:

• Continental collision zones often trap fragments of oceanic lithosphere along their margins.
• These trapped fragments accumulate thick sedimentary sequences from marine and terrestrial sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and define the geological process of 'transmogrification'.
• To explain how trapped seafloor fragments evolve into a unique type of continental crust.
• To link this process to the geomorphology of modern Asia and paleoclimate dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual modeling of tectonic processes.
• Analysis of sedimentary accumulation and radioactive decay.
• Geodynamic interpretation of basin evolution and uplift.

Main Results:

• Transmogrification converts trapped oceanic lithosphere into continental crust over approximately 0.5 billion years.
• Initially strong, subsiding basins eventually warm, weaken, and undergo isostatic uplift.
• These transformed basins become preferential sites for subsequent continental rifting.

Conclusions:

• Transmogrification is a key process in continental evolution and supercontinent assembly.
• The geomorphology of paired mountain belts, like Himalaya/Tibet and Tian Shan, is influenced by transmogrifying basins.
• Understanding transmogrification enhances models of basin evolution, paleoclimate, and resource exploration.