geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

, a terrane (; in full, a tectonostratigraphic terrane) is a crust fragment formed on a

tectonic plate Plate tectonics (from the la, label=Late Latin, tectonicus, from the grc, τεκτονικός, lit=pertaining to building) is the generally accepted scientific theory that considers the Earth's lithosphere to comprise a number of large t ...

(or broken off from it) and accreted or " sutured" to crust lying on another plate. The crustal block or fragment preserves its own distinctive geologic history, which is different from that of the surrounding areas—hence the term "exotic" terrane. The suture zone between a terrane and the crust it attaches to is usually identifiable as a fault. A sedimentary deposit that buries the contact of the terrane with adjacent rock is called an overlap formation. An igneous intrusion that has intruded and obscured the contact of a terrane with adjacent rock is called a

stitching pluton In geology, an igneous intrusion (or intrusive body or simply intrusion) is a body of intrusive igneous rock that forms by crystallization of magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Intrusions have a wide variety of forms and com ...

. Older usage of ''terrane'' simply described a series of related rock formations or an area having a preponderance of a particular rock or rock groups.

Overview

A tectonostratigraphic terrane is not necessarily an independent

microplate A microplate, also known as a microtiter plate (''Microtiter'' is a registered trademark in the United States, therefore it should not be used generically without attribution), microwell plate or multiwell, is a flat plate with multiple "wells" ...

in origin, since it may not contain the full thickness of the

lithosphere A lithosphere () is the rigid, outermost rocky shell of a terrestrial planet or natural satellite. On Earth, it is composed of the crust and the portion of the upper mantle that behaves elastically on time scales of up to thousands of years ...

. It is a piece of crust which has been transported laterally, usually as part of a larger plate, and is relatively buoyant due to thickness or low density. When the plate of which it was a part

subduct Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries. Where the oceanic lithosphere of a tectonic plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of a second plate, the ...

ed under another plate, the terrane failed to subduct, detached from its transporting plate, and accreted onto the overriding plate. Therefore, the terrane transferred from one plate to the other. Typically, accreting terranes are portions of

continental crust Continental crust is the layer of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks that forms the geological continents and the areas of shallow seabed close to their shores, known as continental shelves. This layer is sometimes called '' sial' ...

which have rifted off another continental mass and been transported surrounded by oceanic crust, or they are old

island arc Island arcs are long chains of active volcanoes with intense seismic activity found along convergent tectonic plate boundaries. Most island arcs originate on oceanic crust and have resulted from the descent of the lithosphere into the mantle alo ...

s formed at some distant

subduction zone Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries. Where the oceanic lithosphere of a tectonic plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of a second plate, ...

. A tectonostratigraphic terrane is a fault-bounded package of rocks of at least regional extent characterized by a geologic history which differs from that of neighboring terranes. The basic characteristics of these terranes is that the present spatial relations are not compatible with the inferred geologic histories. Where terranes which lie next to each other possess strata of the same age, it must be demonstrable that the geologic evolutions are different and incompatible, and there must be an absence of intermediate lithofacies which could link the strata. The concept of ''tectonostratigraphic terrane '' developed from studies in the 1970s of the complicated

Pacific Cordillera The North American Cordillera, sometimes also called the Western Cordillera of North America, the Western Cordillera or the Pacific Cordillera, is the North American portion of the American Cordillera, the mountain chain system (cordillera) al ...

orogenic Orogeny is a mountain building process. An orogeny is an event that takes place at a convergent plate margin when plate motion compresses the margin. An ''orogenic belt'' or ''orogen'' develops as the compressed plate crumples and is uplifted ...

margin of North America, a complex and diverse geological potpourri that was difficult to explain until the new science of plate tectonics illuminated the ability of crustal fragments to "drift" thousands of miles from their origin and fetch up, crumpled, against an exotic shore. Such terranes were dubbed " accreted terranes" by

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, alt ...

s. When terranes are composed of repeated accretionary events, and hence are composed of subunits with distinct history and structure, they may be called superterranes.

Tectonostratigraphic terranes

Africa * Birminian Terrane * Kahiltna Terrane * Likasi Terrane *

Mozambique Belt The Mozambique Belt is a band in the earth's crust that extends from East Antarctica through East Africa up to the Arabian-Nubian Shield. It formed as a suture between plates during the Pan-African orogeny, when Gondwana was formed. The Mozamb ...

Asia * Aldan Terrane *

Birekte Terrane The Birekte (russian: Биректе; sah, Билэктэ) is a river in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Russia. It is a tributary of the Olenyok with a length of . Its drainage basin area is . The river flows north of the Arctic Circle, across a l ...

* Bargusin Terrane * Daldyn Terrane *

Magan Terrane Magan may refer to: Places *Magan (civilization), also written Makan or Makkan, an ancient region referred to in Sumerian texts *Magan, Russia, a rural locality (a ''selo'') in the Sakha Republic, Russia *Magan Airport, an airport in the Sakha Re ...

Markha Terrane Markha may refer to: * Markha, a former village, incorporated into the city of Yakutsk, Sakha Republic, Russia * Markha, Olyokminsky District, a village in Olyokminsky District, Sakha Republic, Russia * Markha (Vilyuy), a ...

* Midyan Terrane *

Shan–Thai Terrane The Shan–Thai or Sibumasu Terrane is a mass of continental crust extending from Tibet into Southeast Asia sharing a similar geological history. The Shan–Thai Terrane rifted from Australia in the Permian and collided with the Indochina terran ...

* Tungus Terrane * Tynda Terrane *

Uchur Terrane The Uchur (russian: Учур; sah, Учур, ''Uçur'') is a river in Khabarovsk Krai and Yakutia in Russia, a right tributary of the Aldan (Lena's basin). The length of the river is . The area of its drainage basin is . The Uchur freezes up in N ...

Taiwan *

Coastal Range Terrane The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...

* Longitudinal Valley Terrane *

Eastern Central Range Terrane Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air ...

Western Central Range Terrane Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

* Hsuehshan Range Terrane * Western Foothills Terrane * Coastal Plain Terrane Tibet * Lhasa TerraneAitchison, J. C., Ali, J. R., and Davis, A. M. (2007) "When and where did India and Asia collide?" ''

Journal of Geophysical Research The ''Journal of Geophysical Research'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal. It is the flagship journal of the American Geophysical Union. It contains original research on the physical, chemical, and biological processes that contribute to the un ...

'', v.112, pp.1–19 * Qiangtang Terrane * Xigaze Terrane * Bainang Terrane *

Zedong Terrane Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ...

* Dazhuqu Terrane Australasia *

Brook Street Terrane A brook is a small river or natural stream of fresh water. It may also refer to: Computing *Brook, a programming language for GPU programming based on C *Brook+, an explicit data-parallel C compiler * BrookGPU, a framework for GPGPU programmi ...

Buller Terrane Buller is an English surname. It may refer to: People * Anthony Buller (1613–1679), English soldier and Member of Parliament * Sir Anthony Buller (1780–1866), English lawyer and Member of Parliament * Arthur Henry Reginald Buller (1874–194 ...

Caples Terrane Caples may refer to: People * Garrett Caples (b. 1972), American poet * Harry Caples (1896 - 1933), Australian representative rugby league footballer * Yvonne Caples (b. 1972), women's boxing champion Place name * Caples, Washington, United States ...

East Tasmanian Terrane East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

* Glenburgh Terrane * Dun Mountain-Maitai Terrane * Molong—Monaro Terrane *

Murihiku Terrane The Southland Syncline is a major geological structure located in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. The syncline folds the Mesozoic greywackes of the Murihiku Terrane. The northern limb of the fold is steep to overturned, while ...

* Narryer Gneiss Terrane *

Takaka Terrane The Takaka Terrane is a Paleozoic terrane that outcrops in the South Island of New Zealand. It is most extensively exposed within the Kahurangi National Park in the Tasman District. The terrane is mostly made up of marble and volcanic rocks but i ...

* Torlesse Composite Terrane *

Waipapa Composite Terrane Waipapa is a small town in the Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand. It is around 10 minutes drive from Kerikeri, the nearest urban centre to Waipapa, located on State Highway 10. Waipapa itself has no school and most people travel into Ker ...

West Tasmanian Terrane West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

Europe *

Armorican terrane The Armorican terrane, Armorican terrane assemblage, or simply Armorica, was a microcontinent or group of continental fragments that rifted away from Gondwana towards the end of the Silurian and collided with Laurussia towards the end of the Ca ...

Avalonia Avalonia was a microcontinent in the Paleozoic era. Crustal fragments of this former microcontinent underlie south-west Great Britain, southern Ireland, and the eastern coast of North America. It is the source of many of the older rocks of We ...

Avalon Composite Terrane Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

* Balearic Terrane *

Briançonnais Terrane Briançonnais may refer to: *the people of Briançon *, a natural region of France *Briançonnais zone The Briançonnais zone or Briançonnais terrane is a piece of continental crust found in the Penninic nappes of the Alps. According to some ...

* Central Highlands Terrane * Central Southern Uplands Terrane *

Charnwood Terrane Charnwood may refer to: County of Leicestershire, United Kingdom * Borough of Charnwood, a local government district in the county of Leicestershire, England ** Charnwood Borough Council elections * Charnwood (ward), an electoral ward and admini ...

Hebridean Terrane The Hebridean Terrane is one of the terranes that form part of the Caledonian orogenic belt in northwest Scotland. Its boundary with the neighbouring Northern Highland Terrane is formed by the Moine Thrust Belt. The basement is formed by Archae ...

* Leinster—Lakesman Terrane *

Midland Valley Terrane Midland may refer to: Places Australia * Midland, Western Australia Canada * Midland, Albert County, New Brunswick * Midland, Kings County, New Brunswick * Midland, Newfoundland and Labrador * Midland, Ontario India * Midland Ward, Kohima, Nag ...

* North Armorican Composite Terrane *

Northern Highlands Terrane Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

* Rosslare—Monian Terranes *

Southern North Sea Terrane Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express ...

* Tregor—La Hague Terrane * Wrekin Terrane Fennoscandia * Bamble Terrane * Idefjorden Terrane * Kongsberg Terrane * Telemarkia Terrane * Western Gneiss Region North America * Avalonia Terrane *

Bancroft Terrane Bancroft may refer to: People *Bancroft (surname) Places Australia * Bancroft, Queensland, a locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia Canada *Bancroft, Ontario United Kingdom * Bancroft, Milton Keynes United States * Bancrof ...

* Buffalo Head Terrane *

Cache Creek Terrane The Cache Creek Terrane (alternately known as Cache Creek Melange ) is a geologic terrane in British Columbia and southern Yukon, Canada. The Cache Creek Terrane consists of Carboniferous to Lower Jurassic volcanic rocks, carbonate rocks, coarse ...

Carolina Terrane Carolina may refer to: Geography * The Carolinas, the U.S. states of North and South Carolina ** North Carolina, a U.S. state ** South Carolina, a U.S. state * Province of Carolina, a British province until 1712 * Carolina, Alabama, a town in t ...

* Cassiar Terrane * Crescent Terrane *

Elzevir Terrane Elzevir may refer to: Places * Elzevir, Ontario, a township in Hastings County *Elzévir is a street that runs through the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. (See: 1, 2) * Elzevir Lake, lake in the Moira River and Lake Ontario drainage basins in Twee ...

* Frontenac Terrane *

Franciscan Complex The Franciscan Complex or Franciscan Assemblage is a geologic term for a late Mesozoic terrane of heterogeneous rocks found throughout the California Coast Ranges, and particularly on the San Francisco Peninsula. It was named by geologist An ...

* Ganderia Terrane * Hottah Terrane * Insular Superterrane *

Intermontane Plate The Intermontane Plate was an ancient oceanic tectonic plate that lay on the west coast of North America about 195 million years ago. The Intermontane Plate was surrounded by a chain of volcanic islands called the Intermontane Islands, which ha ...

and

Intermontane Belt The Intermontane Belt is a physical geology, physiogeological region in the Pacific Northwest of North America, stretching from northern Washington (U.S. state), Washington into British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska. It comprises rolling hills, hig ...

* Meguma Terrane * Occidentalia Terrane * Pacific Rim Terrane * Pearya Terrane * Quesnellia *

Salinian Block The Salinian Block or Salinian terrane is a geologic terrane which lies west of the main trace of the San Andreas Fault system in California. It is bounded on the south by the Big Pine Fault in Ventura County and on the west by the Nacimiento Fau ...

Slide Mountain Terrane The Slide Mountain Terrane is a late Paleozoic terrane made of a complex of oceanic rocks in northern and southern British Columbia, Canada. The rocks of the terrane include Carboniferous limestones, fine grained quartz rich clastics, conglomer ...

* Smartville Block * Sonomia Terrane *

Steel Mountain Terrane Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

Stikinia Stikinia, or the Stikine terrane, is a terrane in British Columbia, Canada; the largest of the Canadian Cordillera. It formed as an independent, intraoceanic volcanic arc during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. Stikinia forms the bedrock of numerous v ...

Wrangellia Terrane The Wrangellia Terrane (named for the Wrangell Mountains, Alaska) is a crustal fragment (terrane) extending from the south-central part of Alaska and along the Coast of British Columbia in Canada. Some geologists contend that Wrangellia extends ...

Yakutat Block The Yakutat Block is a terrane in the process of accreting to the North American continent along the south central coast of Alaska. It has been displaced about northward since the Cenozoic along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault system. Th ...

* Yukon—Tanana Terrane South America * Arequipa-Antofalla * Chaitenia * Chilenia * Chiloé Block *Cuchilla Dionisio Terrane * Cuyania * Fitz Roy Terrane * Madre de Dios Terrane * Mejillonía *

Nico Pérez Terrane The geology of Uruguay combines areas of Precambrian-aged shield (geology), shield geological unit, units with a region of volcanic rock erupted during the Cretaceous and copious sedimentary rock, sedimentary facies the oldest of which date from t ...

* Pampia *

Paranapanema block The Paranapanema block is a coherent block of lithosphere located in southeastern South America spanning roughly the same area as the Paraná Basin. The existence of a tectonically stable zone beneath the Paraná Basin was first suggested in 1975. ...

* Piedra Alta Terrane * Tandilia Terrane

References

Citations

General bibliography

* McPhee, John (1981). ''Basin and Range''. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. * McPhee, John (1983). ''In Suspect Terrain''. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. * McPhee, John (1993). ''Assembling California''. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

External links

West Antarctica terrane analysis

{{Structural geology