Geodynamic Processes in Orogenic Belts

Orogenic belts form at convergent plate margins where the Earth’s lithosphere undergoes subduction, collision and accretionary processes. Oceanic plates descend beneath continental or other oceanic plates, generating accretionary prisms composed of scraped-off sediments and fragments of oceanic crust. Dehydration of the subducting slab induces mantle melting and the development of magmatic arcs. Continued convergence leads to crustal shortening, thickening and uplift, producing mountain ranges underpinned by thrust faults, fold nappes and metamorphic cores. Variations in slab geometry—such as flat-slab subduction or slab rollback—control the thermal and mechanical evolution of the overriding plate, influencing the distribution of volcanic centres, metamorphic domains and surface deformation. These processes drive continental growth, localise mineralisation, and shape regional topography, while modulating seismic and volcanic hazards worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have refined our understanding of sediment provenance and structural evolution in convergent settings. U–Pb dating of detrital zircons from Cretaceous–Palaeogene sandstones reveals a shift from continental sourcing to locally derived volcanic input, supporting models of ridge subduction and evolving plate geometry. This geochronological evidence elucidates how changes in slab dynamics alter sediment pathways and magmatic arc development. Complementing this, high-resolution tectonostratigraphic analysis of a Jurassic accretionary prism has detailed the episodic assembly of mélanges, olistostromes and allochthonous complexes under flat-slab conditions. By correlating structural domains with episodes of underthrusting and seamount accretion, this work highlights the interplay between subduction angle, prism architecture and surface geology.

Geodynamic Processes in Orogenic Belts publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in geodynamic processes in orogenic belts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Subduction zone: A plate boundary where one tectonic plate descends beneath another into the mantle.

Accretionary prism: A wedge of sediments and oceanic crust fragments scraped off a subducting plate and accreted to the overriding plate.

Magmatic arc: A chain of volcanoes and intrusive bodies formed above a subduction zone due to mantle melting triggered by slab dehydration.

Flat-slab subduction: A low-angle subduction geometry in which the descending plate remains near horizontal beneath the overriding plate, affecting deformation and magmatism.

Detrital zircon: Zircon mineral grains eroded from source rocks and incorporated into sedimentary deposits, used for provenance and age studies.

Slab rollback: The retreat of a subducting plate’s hinge oceanwards, inducing back-arc extension and influencing mantle flow.

References

1. Cretaceous to early Paleogene sediment provenance transition from continental to magmatic arc systems in the Northwestern Pacific Region. Scientific Reports (2024).
2. Northwest Pacific-Izanagi plate tectonics since Cretaceous times from western Pacific mantle structure. Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2022).
3. Izanagi-Pacific ridge subduction revealed by a 56 to 46 Ma magmatic gap along the northeast Asian margin. Geology (2019).
4. Ridge subduction sparked reorganization of the Pacific plate‐mantle system 60–50 million years ago. Geophysical Research Letters (2015).
5. Continental growth during migrating arc magmatism and terrane accretion at Sikhote-Alin (Russian Far East) and adjacent northeast Asia. Lithos (2022).
6. Tectonostratigraphy of the Jurassic accretionary prisms in the Sikhote-Alin region of Russian Far East. Scientific Reports (2021).