Sweden: Lithotectonic Framework, Tectonic Evolution and Mineral Resources
The solid rock mass of Sweden forms a natural field laboratory revealing insight into the westward growth and reworking of one of the planet's ancient continental nuclei. Three major geological units are exposed in different parts of the country: the western part of the Fennoscandian Shield, mainly sedimentary rocks deposited on this crystalline rock mass and the Caledonide orogen. This volume synthesizes the tectonic evolution of Sweden over more than 2500 million years from the Neoarchean to the Neogene. Following an introduction describing the lithotectonic framework of the country and the organization of the volume, the tectonic evolution is addressed essentially chronologically. Different phases of intracratonic rifting, accretionary orogeny, continent–continent collisional orogeny and platformal sedimentation are identified. Sweden is one of Europe's major suppliers of metals, and the country's mineral resources are also presented in the context of the lithotectonic framework. Sweden: Lithotectonic Framework, Tectonic Evolution and Mineral Resources has been designed to interest a professional geoscientific audience and advanced students of Earth Sciences.
Chapter 20: Lower thrust sheets in the Caledonide orogen, Sweden: Cryogenian–Silurian sedimentary successions and underlying, imbricated, crystalline basement
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Published:January 03, 2020
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CiteCitation
David G. Gee, Michael B. Stephens, 2020. "Lower thrust sheets in the Caledonide orogen, Sweden: Cryogenian–Silurian sedimentary successions and underlying, imbricated, crystalline basement", Sweden: Lithotectonic Framework, Tectonic Evolution and Mineral Resources, M. B. Stephens, J. Bergman Weihed
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Abstract
The Jämtlandian Nappes and their equivalents further north, belonging to the lower thrust sheets in the Caledonide orogen of Sweden, comprise a mega-duplex of Cryogenian–Silurian sedimentary rocks sandwiched between structurally higher allochthons and a basal décollement. Further west towards the hinterland, crystalline basement is increasingly involved in this thrusting, imbricate stacking occurring beneath the décollement in antiformal windows. The sedimentary successions were derived from the Cryogenian rifted margin of Baltica, the Ediacaran–Cambrian drifted margin, and Ordovician and Silurian foreland basins. During the Early–Late Ordovician (Floian–Sandbian), hinterland-derived turbidites were deposited in response to early Caledonian accretion of subducted complexes belonging to the outermost margin of Baltica, now preserved in the higher allochthons. Following a quiescent period during the Late Ordovician (Hirnantian) and early part of the Llandovery, collision of Laurentia and Baltica reactivated the foreland basins, with flysch and molasse deposition during the Llandovery–Wenlock. Collisional shortening during this Scandian orogenic episode continued into the Devonian. High- and ultrahigh-pressure (HP/UHP) metamorphism accompanied Baltica's underthrusting of Laurentia in the deep hinterland, and prominent basement-cored antiforms developed towards the foreland during the advance of the orogenic wedge over the foreland basin onto the Baltoscandian platform.
- basement
- Caledonian Orogeny
- Cryogenian
- crystalline rocks
- Europe
- geophysical methods
- geophysical profiles
- geophysical surveys
- Hirnantian
- Neoproterozoic
- Ordovician
- Paleozoic
- Precambrian
- Proterozoic
- Scandinavia
- sedimentary rocks
- seismic methods
- seismic profiles
- Silurian
- stratigraphic units
- surveys
- Sweden
- thrust sheets
- Upper Ordovician
- upper Precambrian
- Western Europe
- Jamtlandian Nappes