Evolution of Modern and Ancient Orogenic Belts

Dear Colleagues,

The building of ancient and modern orogenic belts involves crustal thickening and often a journey of the lithosphere into the mantle and subsequent exhumation and uplift. In broad terms, plate tectonic theory has been able to explain the subduction process quite well since the sixties, while exhumation processes are still debated and in some tectonic settings still unclear. Regardless, both parts of the orogenic cycle deserve closer attention and a better understanding.

The architecture of mountain belts, the rheology of the crust, and the velocity of the processes affect the height and the width of the orogenies and their evolution. Localization of deformation and erosion could affect the tectonic history of wide portions of orogens.

In modern orogenic belts, we can observe active ongoing processes mainly at upper structural levels, whereas ancient orogenic belts represent windows into deeper parts of the crust. To formulate new and increasingly more complete models which can explain the whole evolution of orogens, it is therefore necessary to integrate data and observations obtained in both contexts. The complexity of geological processes through time, from the micro-scale to macro- or mega-scale, requires a multidisciplinary approach integrating modern analytical techniques and new ideas. In the last few years, the integration of data from different geological disciplines has unraveled a complex process in orogens and allowed us to better understand the evolution of different orogenic settings all around the world.

This Special Issue aims to integrate data and models from different disciplines. such as structural geology, numerical and physical modeling, isotope geochemistry, geophysics, tectonics, geochronology, petrology, and basin analysis, to better understand the processes and mechanisms governing the tectonic evolution of orogenic belts. Works that integrate different methods are particularly welcome.

Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Carosi
Prof. Dr. Mario da Costa Campos Neto
Prof. Dr. Haakon Fossen
Prof. Dr. Chiara Montomoli
Dr. Matteo Simonetti
Guest Editors

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