Ophiolites in Earth History

The 32 research papers in this volume examine the mode and nature of igneous, metamorphic, tectonic, sedimentological and biological processes associated with the evolution of ophiolites in Earth's history. Divided into six sections, the book presents a wealth of new data and syntheses from ophiolites around the world. Introductory chapters review the distribution of ophiolites in space and time and present a synoptic discussion on their importance in Earth history. Papers in the second section present diverse data from Tethyan ophiolites and provide refined geodynamic models for their evolution. The following two sections present case studies documenting magmatic, metamorphic and tectonic processes in ophiolite genesis and hydrothermal and biogenic alteration of fossil oceanic crust. Mechanisms of ophiolite emplacement are explored in Section V with a focus on the Semail massif (Oman). The last section examines the regional occurrence and geodynamic significance of ophiolite belts on different continents. The book reflects the contemporary work of the international community in a most up-to-date treatment of process-oriented questions on the evolution of ophiolites.