JOURNAL

OF GEOPHYSICAL

RESEARCH,

VOL. 87, NO. B13, PAGES 10,689-10,708, DECEMBER

10, 1982

A Global Systemof SpiralingGeosutures

DAVID N..V AND JOHN K. HALL

Marine Geology and Geomathematics Division, Geological Survey ofIsrael, 95501Jerusalem, Israel
A globalsystem of geosutures wasidentified. Theseform a majorcounterclockwise converging spiral pattern whose 'eye' stretches along the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt.The system of lithospheric slices, whichaxebounded by these geosutures, approaches the Alpine-Himalayan 'eye' in
different ways: the slicesconverging from the southcollidefrontally,whereas the northernones tangentially and sequentially slidealongone another. Anothersmaller clockwise converging spiral

pattern was identified close to theeaxth's north pole. In addition tothe Alpine-Himalayan belt, many

otherimportant tectonic features appear to be associated with thegeosutures of theproposed system, therebyofferingexplanations for theirgenesis. The correlation between some of the geosutures and hydrocaxbon accumulations aswell asmetallic ore deposits maystimulate newconcepts andleads for economic explorations elsewhere. Anothersystem of geosutures of planetaxy dimensions was also noticedon Maxs. The laxgest spiralpatternconverges counterclockwise on an 'eye' locatedalongthe Martianequator. Two smaller spiral patterns werealsonoticed on bothpoles of Maxs. The northern spiralis clockwise, while the southern one is counterclockwise. If the Maxtian spirals axeindeed analogous to thoseon earth, then a third spiralshowing counterclockwise convergence may exist closeto the earth'ssouthpole. The coherence and smoothness of the newlyidentified patterns on
earthbuild confidence in their reliability.Oncethe kinematics involved in thissystem axeunderstood,

we expectthat their originwill alsobe deciphered. However, thislast is beyondthe scope of the
present paper.

INTRODUCTION

break that first formed

between

the coasts of Africa

and

A geosuturenamed the 'Pelusiumline' [Neev, 1975] is assumedto begin at Anatolia within the Alpine system and to run subparallel to the eastern margin of the Mediterranean Sea. This feature was extended farther [Neev,

the Americas.' He also added that 'the many offsets in the Gulf of Aden ... provide another example of transform faults adjusting a rift to the shape of the adjacent coasts.'

There is no reason, however, why the configurationsof

NE Brazil and the Gulf of Guinea could not have been

1977], across Africa from the Nile Delta to the delta of the
Niger in the Gulf of Guinea, from whence it continues across the Atlantic as a portion of the equatorial fracture zones, intersecting South America at the mouth of the Amazon. Large-scale left-lateral movements supposedly have taken place along it. This geosuture was further studied [Neev et al., 1982] acrossAfrica by using mosaics of LANDSAT images and was found to consist of a series
of en echelon shears. These were renamed the 'Pelusium

sculptured prior to the opening of the Atlantic by Precambrian- to Jurassic-aged left-lateral shearswhich by then
extended from one continent into the other. This possi-

bility is analogousto the three predrift tectonic features

which cross from the South American to the south central

African continents [Martin et al., 1981, p. 303]. The fit

between the two continents is constrained by the alignment

of these features, of which at least one, the Pernambuco (Brazil)-Foumban (West Africa) belt, is consideredto be

megashear system.' The individual faults of this system converge northeastward and curve counterclockwise. This convergence is most pronounced where the equatorial fracture zones join the African part of the system, close to the Gulf of Guinea, and also where the system approaches the southeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea, i.e., where the curvature of the system appreciably increases. This system, forming a major line of subdivision within the earth's crust, has functioned since Precambriantimes, i.e., a long time prior to the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. It was suggested [Neev, 1977] that much of the leftdateral movement along it was accomplished before the Jurassic. Nevertheless,relationships between the equatorial fracture
zones across the Atlantic Ocean and the movement along

a late Precambrian-aged transcurrent fault. I'n addition,

these authors envisage a 200-km left-lateral shift of the northern part of West Gondwana relative to its southern

part which took placealohgthe BenueTrough(i.e., along

the Pelusium line - authors) since the initiation of the drift 'sometime after the Early Cretaceous' [Martin et al., 1981, p. 302]. Support for this last conclusion,which is basedon an entirely different set of evidence,is offered by Benkhelil [1982]. He considersthe origin of the Benue Trough to
be associated with leftdateral
the wrench mechanism

transcurrent movement along

oceanwards' and that

deep-seatedaxial faults. He also adds that 'the source of

was located

the Pelusium megashearseemed enigmatic: Wilson [ 1965, p. 345] says that the equatorial fracture zones are not transcurrent but transform faults, and that '... the apparent offsetson the (Mid-Atlantic) ridge (along them)are not faulted offsets, but inherited from the shape of the
Copyright 1982 by the American GeophysicalUnion.
Paper number 2B1117. 0148-0227/82/002B-1117 $05.00

its ondand propagation is 'eased by old lines of weakness of the basement...' [Benkhelil, 1982, p. 160]. The generation of the equatorial fracture zones as direct extensions of the disrupted continental shears (or geosutures)is explained by $cheibner's [ 1976, p. 604] theory, which says that 'shear zones and faults are laterally propagated into younger areas... along predisposeddirections.' The apparent contradiction between the right-lateral motion along the equatorial transform faults and the
sinistral movements along the Pelusium megashear system

could also be explained by $cheibner's [1976, p. 605]

10,689

10,690

NEEV AND HALL' A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

)w

)E

30N

s. ATLAS F. -

Amozon

__

ST. PAUL F Z.
_PATOSF Z.

NAMBUCO FZ.-' -

LEGEND
m Other Trons-Africon Fractures

30S

."'um

Idlosheor System

:;:'? Assumed

Mopped Lineament Swarms

E
Fig. 1.

6E

Sketch map showingthe Pelusiummegashear systemand four other major trans-African geosutures aswell as

their extensions along the Transatlantic fracture zones. The distribution of lineament swarms about the Pelusium

system is alsoshown[after Neev et al., 1982].

fourth theorem which 'states that: if a new, differently oriented stress affects the already fractured mass ... the sense of displacements on fault shear surfaces can differ radically from earlier ones.' Four other geosutureswere noted by Neev eta/. [ 1982 ] to run parallel to the Pelusium megashear system, crossing
both the Atlantic and Africa. Two are found on its south-

The term 'geosuture,'as implied in the presentstudy,

goes beyond the definition of Gary et al. [1972] and also

east and two on its northeast (Figure 1). We were stimulated by the similarity which the pattern of these five geosutures exhibits to a system of right-lateral wrench faults found in Europe and eastern Canada [Arthaud and

includesthe following characteristics (adopted from Moody [1966, pp. 481-482]): A shear zone which affects the crust on a global scale but which may be concealedalong part of its length. 'Surfaceexpression of these deep shears is sometimes simple group of faults, sometimes aligned fold belts and/or intrusives,or volcanoes,and sometimes
only in morphology.'

Matte, 1977, Figures 1 and 9]. Moreover, the South Atlas fracture forms the southernmost member of their system
and the northernmost one of ours. Therefore it seems

The basis for delineating the continental segmentsof the different geosutures(Figure 2) is discussed in the text. Their offshore extensionsare mostly made on the basisof (1) the Mercator world ocean floor map [Heezen and Tharp, 1977], (2) a physicalglobeencorporating thesedata

possible that the Pelusium system is not an isolated incidental feature but rather a part of a much bigger system. The purpose of the present paper is to examine such a possibility and to attempt to explain the origin of these geosutures and their system.

[National GeographicSociety, 1979], and (3) a map of the Atlantic [Emery and Uchupi, in preparation,1982]. As many of the geosuturesdescribedby us are of more than half-global dimensions, crossingthrough more than one well-defined plate, it seemed desirable to introduce

erkhoyaU

Ural

10,692

NEEV AND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

in this paper a new term, 'slice.' In plan, a 'slice' describes a wedge-shaped slice of lithosphere, bounded by two geosutures, encompassing both continental and oceanic segments of crust. Other midslice geosutures paralleling the two bounding geosutures are usually also present. An example is the N1 slice, which encorporates NW Africa
and most of the United States as well as the intervening ocean floor (Figure 2).

for the improvement of our understandingof the fundamental geodynamics of our globe. We therefore humbly ask the reader to heed the advice given by Du Toit (as quoted by Simpson [1977, p. 1] saying that '... little further progresscould be expected until influential geologists and geophysicistswere prepared to adopt a more dispassionately tolerant attitude toward unorthodox
ideas .... '

Attempts to portray a global distribution pattern of geosuturesare not new. Vening Meinesz [1947, p. 1] saw 'much evidence of the existence of a system of shear planes in the greatest part of the earth's crust.' Sonder [1947, p. 939] termed this system 'the regmatic shear pattern of the crust,' and consideredit to 'run acrossocean bottom and continental platforms as well.' This same pattern of two orthogonal shearsetsof worldwide distribu-

The different geosutures and slices are successively described in the following order: first northward (clockwise) from the Pelusium megashear systemand then southward (counterclockwise) from it. The senseof movement
of the different slices is described as dextral or sinistral

only in relation to the slice discussed immediately beforehand. Geographic terms of movement (east or westward) are in most cases not applied, as the slicesgently curveand tion, with up to six moresecond-order setsof otherdirec- therefore continually changetheir direction of movement. tions, was adopted with some modification by Moody and DESCRIPTION OF THE SLICES AND THEIR Hill [ 1956], Moody [ 1966], Thomas [ 1976], and others.
BOUNDING GEOSUTURES

They all considered this pattern to have originated when the crust first evolved and to have persisted throughout the whole history of the crust. 07)riscoil [1980] updated this concept to a double helix pattern encircling the globe: a Tethyan spiral system with sinistral crustal movements and a Laurasian spiral system with dextral movements. Although our system supports the concept of a global system of megashears, it differs from the regmatic pattern in one basic aspect. In our system the continental geesutures are extended across the oceans along known fracture zones, and one of the most important criteria for their tracing was their smooth continuity. In contrast, the followers of the regmatic approach subdivided many of our long and smoothly curving geosutures into segments which fit their concept of global rectilinear patterns. We acknowledge, however, that in tracing our system of geesutures we have selectively excluded many existing, wellknown, and important features such as the Appalachian, the Caledonian, and the Andes systems. This was done because their trends differ from those of the nearby geosutures that compose our global system. The use of such a procedure is as justifiable as the use of filters in the study of photolineaments. On the other hand the existence of several hitherto unknown segments of geosutures was foreseen in the present paper. An example is the 'Missouri gravity low' feature revealed recently by R.E. Arvidson and others (see N1 below). Despite the basic differences between our approach and the regmatic pattern concept, the above-mentioned papers were of great importance to us, especially as rich and inspiring sourcesof information. The present study is necessarily of a compilative and speculative nature. Generalizations and mistakes are therefore unavoidable. Such an approach, which has some similarity to the geological studies carried out recently on extraterrestrial bodies, is expected to trigger much criticism when applied to our own backyards. Being ourselves geologists who have spent much effort and time in local detailed studies both on land and offshore, we sometimes even share such antagonistic feelings. Moreover, despite our sincere efforts to read through the relevant literature, we are sure that much has been overlooked, and for this we apologize. Yet we are convinced that such an approach is essential, albeit in a complementary way,

North of the Pelusium Megashear System

N1- The U.S. + Caribbean-Niger + Saharan-eastern Mediterranean slice. The location of this slice is shown in

Figures 2 and 3. It extends from north of eastern Alaska, across the greater part of the United States, through the Atlantic, and across northwest Africa to encompass the eastern Mediterranean. It runs some 20,000 km, with a variable width of 2000-4000 km. As many as seven midslice geosutures are found within its borders. The southern bounding geosuture of the N1 slice has
been considered a zone of transcurrent movement by

Heezen [ 1962, p. 247]. He wrote that 'the crest provinces

of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge have been displaced westward

by a series of left-slip faults for. a total distance of nearly

2000 milesbetween 2Sand 15N.It is highlyprobable

that the entire ridge (the flank provinces as well as the crest provinces)is displaced.' Based upon the arguments presented in the introduction, the above interpretation is plausible, provided that most of the transcurrent movement took place in pre-Jurassictimes. The corresponding offsets within Africa along the Pelusium megashear system have
also been mentioned in the introduction. Evidence for

'differential westward shifting of the Guyana and Brazilian shields' was noted by DeLoczy [1970, p. 202]. This is, of course, only a small fraction in but one segment of the entire system. Corroborative eviden'ce was also presented by Ladd [ 1976], who postulated generaleast-westsinistral movements of South and North America. A genetic relationship between the long E-W trending wrench fault system of the northern part of South America (from northern Venezuela to the Pisco Deflection in Peru) and the wrench fault system of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge was suggested by DeLoczy [1970]. This conclusion is supported by the findings of Alineida et al. [1973] as well as Fainstein and Milliman [ 1979] from northeastern Brazil and its continental margin. Both of them identified a late Precambrian E-W trending fault system which was
reactivated
on the east.

at the end of the Jurassic

and which

extends

for at least 600 km to join the Atlantic fracture zones

According to DeLoczy [1970]

and Gansser [1973]

10,694

NEEV AND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

deformational features along the foreland of the Ancestral Rocky Mountains are genetically related to the Plinythe partly concealed fractures, which are noticed between Bissau-Bahama-Ouachita geosuture. The recently discovered this ridge and the Middle America Trench [Heezen and 1500 km long by 140 km wide feature named the 'Missouri Tharp, 1977], are also genetically related to this system. gravity low' [Arvidson et al., 1982] is probably also related This set of fractures could form a counterclockwise conto this geosuture. It is a Precambrian-ageddeep basement verging system similar to that of the Pelusium system close disturbance which extends northwestward from the southto the Gulf of Guinea and again in the SE corner of the ern tip of the Appalachian Mountains up to the Big Horn Mediterranean Sea (see the introduction and next section). uplift in Wyoming. Conceivably, it is a transcurrent fault Eastward convergence is also noticed along the group system which has been reactivated during various time of fracture zones which extend across the Atlantic from periods. Left-lateral shifting along this feature is suggested, the Caribbean Sea in the west (Figures 1 and 2) as they based on indications we noted in the figures of the aboveapproach West Africa close to Guinea Bissau. From Guinea mentioned article. A rather smoothly curving extension of the same geoBissau these fractures are suggested[Neev et al., 1982] to extend across Africa as a unified geosuture. In the north suture is suggested either along the Foot Hill Belt of the this geosuture may extend farther northeastward into the Canadian Rockies, perhaps up to the delta of the MacMediterranean, passing through the Gulf of Sirte and Kenzie River [Douglas, 1972] (as shown in our Figure 2), across Jebel el Akhdar (the northwestern bulge of Cyre- or along the Rocky Mountain Trench-Tintina Fault system naica), and joining the sinistral wrench fault of the Pliny [King, 1969]. The Montana-Florida lineament of Carey and Strabo trenches [Le Pichon and Angelier, 1979; [1976, pp. 378-379, Figures 160-161] (which quotes Brinkmann, 1976]. From there it slightly curves counter- Muehlberger [1965]) is in general agreement with our dockwise northeast of Rhodes to terminate within the suggestion except for its southeastern segment. The en Alpine orogenic belt at the junction of the arcuate Cretean echelon alignment of the different oil productive basins and Cypriot fold belts. This mode of termination is analo- from the Florida-Cuba trough in the southeast, through gous to that of the Pelusium megashear system along the the Denver and Alberta basins and up to the MacKenzie border zone between East and West Anatolia [Ambraseys, Delta in the north [St. John, 1980, Plate 1] also adds 1978 ]. A leftdateral dislocation of the Ionian Basin relative to the credibility of this geosuture.However, the suggestion to the Levantine Basin, which took place along this pro- of Muehlberger [ 1965 ] (as quoted by Carey [ 1976] and posed Pliny-Sirte geosuture, is suggestedby the disrupted shown in his Figure 161) concerningthe dextral shifts along extension of the two WNW trending bathymetric trenches both the Montana-Florida and the Texas lineaments, conlocated at the base of the African continental slopes of tradict both our considerations as well as the findings of these basins on theix south [U.S. Naval Oceanographic Abdel-Gawad and Tubbesing [ 1976 ] (see below) regarding the sinistral nature of these shears. Office, 1971 ]. Within the Arctic (Figure 3), the postulated geosutures On the western segment of this midslice geosuture,west of the Atlantic, the Bahamas Fracture Zone diagonally comprising the N1 slice and its boundaries are aligned approaches the peninsular arch of Florida [Emery and with a number of known features in the Arctic Ocean. Uchupi, 1982]. The landward extension of this fracture The three sectors along the northern Alaskan coast defined zone separates the north Florida Paleozoic basement by the seaward extension of these geosutures coincides from the Jurassicsouth Florida volcanic province [Klitgord with those defined stratigraphically and structurally by et al., 1982]. It then appears to continue along the same Grantz et al. [1979]. Farther offshore their postulated trend, extending along the southwestern termination of trend coincides with that found for the fractures and lineathe Appalachian Mountains [King, 1969; Thomas, 1976, tions of the Mendeleyev Ridge and the Alpha Cordillera Figure 2]. From there it appears to continue across the [Hall, 1973], while thek. specific locations coincide with Mississippi Embayment and along the Ouachita Front to topographic offsets, seamounts, known fractures, gravity join the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains between highs,and one deep, well-studiedepicenter. The southwestern part of North America is crossed the Denver Basin and the Black Hills of South Dakota, as inferred from the distribution of exposed and buried by a few leftdateral, WNW to E-W trending transverse faults and lineaments [King, 1969; O[Leary and Simpson, shears. The most important of these faults are the Texas 1977;Moody, 1966, Figures 1 and 9]. NW-SE trending fold and Parras shears, which were developed during Paleozoic blocks, basins,and wrench faults, such as the Arbuckle, and Mesozoic times [Abdel-Gawad and Tubbesing,1976] Wichita, and Uncompaghre uplifts and the Anadarko and and possibly even since the Precambrian (Albritton and Denver basins, are foreland components of the Ancestral Smith, [1956], as quoted by Abdel-Gawadand Tubbesing, Rocky Mountains. These features were formed during late [ 1976] ). Although the Texas lineament was assumedto Paleozoic times along inherited and reactivated Precambrian- terminate at the Pacific coastal offset along the Santa aged zones of weakness [Kluth and Coney, 1981]. The Barbara Channel [Thomas, 1976, Figure 2], it may branch same authors suggestthat these off along the Pacific Coast Range in a counterclockwise converging configuration, which is again characteristic large fault-block mountains formed when the southwestern of the entire system. The Texas and Parras shears may peninsular projection of the North American craton between extend to the ESE across the Gulf of Mexico, converging the Cordillerangeosyncline and the Ouachita-Marathon geoalong the Compeche Bank, northern Cuba, and the Puerto syncline(includingthe transcontinental arch) waswrenched, Rico Trench to join the Barracuda fracture zone. This is pushed northwestward and deformed... due to the collision of South America-Africa with North America partly supportedby Thomas [ 1976, Figure 2]. The Parras,

the Atlantic equatorial fracture zones can be connected via the E-W trending Amazon transcurrent zone to the Galapagos-Carnegie Ridge in the Pacific. It is possiblethat

[Kluth and Coney, 1981, p. 13]. We suggest that these

NEEV AND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

10,695

Texas, and Bahama geosutures form another counterclockwise converging pattern which is typical of the entire system (see the descriptionabove of the Atlantic equatorial fracture zones and the .Pelusium megashear system across Africa).
N2-The Canadian-Atlas Mountains-SW European slice.

same fracture zone, may be inferred from the distribution of the very thick (more than 6000 m) Huronian Supergroup (Lower Proterozoic or about 2000 m.y.), which
consists of sedimentary and volcanic rocks. This sequence was deposited mostly within a trough at least 400 km long and 130 km wide that extends eastward from Lake

The N2 slice extends 15,000 km from the Canadian Archipelago to the Tyrrhenian-LigurianSea off Italy. Its width ranges from 3000-4000 km in the central sections to
about 1000 km at the convergent ends. There are two

Superior along the north shore of Lake Huron [Douglas, 1972, p. 109, FigureIV - 20 and 21, pp. 111, 115], which
overlies with right-angled unconformity the Archean

supracrustalrocks [King, 1977, p. 19, Figure 9]. It is

therefore deduced that this elongated ESE-WNW trending trough already existed in the pre-Proterozoic, i.e., Archean, Great Lakes-Kelvin-S Atlas fracture. Arthaud and Matte times. As this trough correspondswith the inland extension [1977, p. 1305] have interpreted late Paleozoic right- of the Kelvin fracture zone, it may indicate the antiquity lateral movements along the Kelvin and South Atlas frac- of the fracture zone and also that the right-lateral shifting tures to have been 'induced by the relative motion of two process could have been active since such an early phase plates - a northern one that includesthe CanadianShield, in the development of the crust. Exceptionally great thicknesses of Middle Proterozoic Greenland and stable Europe and a southern one that includes the African Shield plus an unknown eastern volcanic and sedimentary sequences (the Keweenawan extension'. Although we adopt their general approach, series and its underlying Deluth Gabbro series, which we have further developed their concept and subdivided attain a total thickness of about 32 km) have been accumulating along the NE-SW trending Lake Superior syncline. their plates into our slices. Farther east we have proposedan extension of the South This trough extends from the northern shoreline of the lake Atlas fracture into the Mediterranean. It curves counteralong the same trend into central Kansas to a distance of clockwise along the west coast of Sicily and terminates almost 1000 km [King, 1977, p. 20; Carey, 1976, p. 379]. within the Tyrrhenian Sea. This extension is based upon The above data describe a regmatic pattern made up of the configuration of the bathymetric contours [ U.S. Naval two different tectonic elements: a NE trend along which OceanographicOffice, 1971] and upon Figure 2 of Moody the Appalachian Mountains, the Grenville Belt, and the Superior Syncline were formed, and a WNW trend along [19661. A continuation westward is likewise implied by Man- which the Kelvin-Great Lakes geosuture was formed. It is speizer et al. [1978, p. 915], who write that the South possiblethat these two elementswere generatedat the same Atlas fracture zone is a time, and perhapsthey are also geneticallyrelated.

primary midslicegeos_utures. The southern boundary geosuture of the N2 slice is the

We have, moreover, searched for a further landward

rightqateral lineament. . . that separates the Moroccan and
Oran Mesetas from the African platform. Major strike-slip

extension of the Kelvin-Great Lakes geosuture. The southwestern and western fringes of the Canadian Shield as well

displacement occurred alongthe westernendof thisfracture

zone... in later Hercynian time and continuesinto Holocene
time .... The fracture zone can be extended westward to the continental shelf... and then southwest to the Canary

Islands ....

Pitman and Talwani (1972, Figure 2) suggested

that the Canary Islands andNewEngland Seamounts Chain

lie alongthe samefracture zone.

West of the Atlantic the Kelvin fracture zone appears

as the associatedbelt of the Great Lakes [Holmes, 1965, Figure 811; King, 1968 ] are perfectly situated to suit such an extension, and the entire belt is in agreementwith the definition of a geosuture(see the introduction). Although we did not find support in the literature for such a concept, it still seems plausible. A pattern of Precambrian-aged diabase dike swarms (the 1200-m.y.-old MacKenzie igneous event), which follows this geosuture along the
Canadian Shield from the district of MacKenzie through northern Manitoba to the Sudbury area [Fahring et al.,

to continue inland as a line of displacement.Holmes [ 1965, pp. 1199-1200, Figure 811 ] subdivided the Appalachian Mountains into an 'older' (Caledonian) northern section and a 'newer' (Hercynian?) southern section whose junction roughly coincides with the landward extension of the Kelvin fracture zone. A right-lateral movement of the Northern Appalachians (Acadia) with respect to stable
North America has occurred over a rather short time

1973, p. 583, Figure 1; Douglas, 1972, Figure IV-30, p. 132] (as well as the geologicaland tectonic maps of King [ 1968] ), support both assumptionsas to its tectonic origin and its antiquity. Further support is supplied by the
concentration of metallogenic ore deposits which are distributed along this geosuture [Times of London, 1975,

interval during the Carboniferous, as inferred from paleo-

magnetic studies [Kent and Opdyke, 1979]. Such a shift

is also suggestedby the distribution of the early Paleozoic sedimentary formations along the relevant zone on the geologicalmap of Canada [Douglas, 1972], where a major transverse disturbance is noted across the Appalachian Mountain belt. This belt rather sharply curves along that zone from a NE trend which roughly parallels the St. Lawrence River to a WNW trend parallel to our postulated
geosuture.

pp. XXII-XXIII]. It may indicate long-rangestructurally controlled primary processes (magmaticintrusions)as well as secondary(hydrothermal) processes. Two other right-lateral geosuturesare proposed within the N2 slice. These are essentially parallel to one another
and to the slice boundary geosutures.The southern one we call the Boothia-Whale (or Labrador Trough)-Pico-Azores

Earlier phases of similar movements along the northern limit of the Great Lakes, which, as an extension of the

geosuture.In the Atlantic it corresponds with the Pico and East Azores fracture zones [Emery and Uchupi, 1981]. It extends eastward along the Guadalquivir fracture of southern Spain [Arthaud and Matte, 1977, Figure 1] and
then curves counterclockwise into the Mediterranean

10,696

NEEV AND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

southwest
Ellesmere

toward the Balearic Islands. We then suggesta continuation of the same northeastward direction along the trough of the Ligurian Sea to a junction with the Sestri-Voltaggio
line where the counterclockwise curvature intensifies

coast of Baffin
Homocline.

Island.

It then curves northward

extends as an in-

between the Brodeur and Borden peninsulas to join the

This homocline

tensely folded and faulted belt which gently curves to the slightly [Scholle, 1970, Figure 1]. This line forms the northeast and, without involving horizontal shifts of geologic and physiographic boundary between the West appreciable magnitude, crossesthe Kennedy and Robeson Alpine and the Appennine ranges, where a remarkable channels to northwestern Greenland [King, 1968;Douglas, divergence of the tectonic and facies affinities takes place. 1972]. We propose continuation of this geosuture along Scholle [ 1970] suggests that one Benloft plane dips south- the continental margin, where it lies on the trend of the westward from the Appennines to beneath Corsica, while Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge fractures and if continued farther the other dips northeastward from the trench of the west- would define the continental margin west of Spitzbergen. N3-The Greenland-W European slice. The N3 slice is ern Alps. The Sestri-Voltaggion line is considered to be an ancient transform fault along which the two trenches were approximately 11,000 km long and 1500-3000 km wide. moving in opposite directions until entirely consumed. Midslice geosutures, similar to those present in the previous The deep lithospheric movements along this fault may slices, are not recognized here. The southern boundary therefore be of dextral sense. The wrench movement is geosutureis the Disco-Gibbsgeosuture(Figures 2-4). A left-lateral differential movement is suggestedalong still maintained along this line which at present is considered to be a 'tear fault.' the eastern segment of this geosuture, where it appears On the same geosuture, west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, as an ESE-WNW trending fracture extending along the the Pico fracture zone gradually curves to the northwest, northern continental slope of the Bay of Biscay. This coinciding with the submarine scarp marking the north- geosuture separates northwestern Europe (the British Isles eastern limit of the Laurentian Cone. The configuration of together with the Bretagne Peninsula) from southwestern the Appalachian orogenic belt across New Brunswick and Europe, as suggested by the bathymetric and basement Newfoundland [King, 1968; Douglas, 1972] and the Gasp6 configurations of the slopes and shelves in this region Flexure between them [Arthaud and Matte, 1977, Figure [Heezen and Tharp, 1977;Nafe and Drake, 1969, Figures 4 3] suggeststhat a dextral wrench fault existed along the and 5]. Such a movement is in agreement with the leftCabot Strait, which was activated during Paleozoic or lateral shift of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which took place post-Paleozoic times. Although the Grenville Belt is less along the Gibbs fracture zone between the British Isles intensively curved than the Appalachians, its configuration and the Labrador Sea. As inferred from the bathymetry is still in agreement with the dextral movement mentioned of this prominent fracture zone [Johnson and Vogt, 1973, above. The earlyProter(zoic-aged [Dimroth, 1981,p. 334] Figure 2], it may continue northwestward into the Labrastrongly folded and faulted Labrador Trough (or the dor Sea. A natural extension of this left-lateral megashear Whale Lowland, following the physiographic map of was suggested by many since Wegener [ 1922] to cross Douglas [ 1972 ] ) is a direct extension of this geosuture. through Baffin Bay and the Nares Strait (see review by Another extension of this geosuture is suggested along Kerr [1980]). The Labrador and Baffin bays were interSouthhampton Island, from which it smoothly curves preted to be a rift of the Red Sea type, as the crust beneath them was considered to be typically oceanic. In order to northward along the Boothia Peninsular uplift (following Plate X-1 of Douglas [ 1972] ), which was activated in post explain the above assumptions, Greenland was suggested to have moved some 400 km to the north relative to early Paleozoic times. Farther north we propose a continuation of this geo- Canada along a left-lateral fault which corresponds with the Nares Strait (Figure 3). However, these conclusions suture through the Sverdrup Islands and around Axel Heiberg Island into the Arctic Ocean, where it joins the are argued against by both Kerr [ 1980], who also quotes trend of the other Arctic Ocean geosutures (Figure 3). other relevant studies, and Grant [ 1980]. Kerr [1980] Within the islandsthe geosuturemarks a boundary between concludes that the movement along the Nares Strait is areas of distinctly different magentic character [Sweeney, negligible, not more than 25 km. Grant [1980] found 1982]. In the ocean to the north it coincides with a zone of evidence to contradict the idea of rifting along the Labragravity highs and defines the northern margin of the Morris dor Basin, which negates the true oceanic nature of its Jessup Plateau. Farther on it coincides with the fracture crust. He suggests that the linear and parallel patterns of magnetic and gravity anomalies in this sea express trends of the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge. The northern geosuture in the N2 slice is called the primary crustal fractures which served as conduits for Fliesmere-Labrador-Biscay geosuture. It begins in the east the escape of basalt rather than being the product of as the dextral Biscay-N Pyrenean fracture [Arthaud and seafloor spreading. An alternate path was therefore sought Matte, 1977, Figure 1] and curves counterclockwise to extend the prominent Gibbs fracture zone with its along the coasts of the French Riviera to terminate, in large associated mid-ocean ridge crest shifts. The excepmuch the same way as the Pico-Balaeric geosuture, within tionally steep slope off southwestern Greenland as well as the Alpine system at the apex of the Appennino-Ligurian the adjacent coast-parallel shallow troughs, which resemble arcuate coastal fold range. This fracture extends westward trenches along its shelf [Douglas, 1972; Grant, 1975, across the Atlantic without appreciably offsetting the Figure 1], and the coast-parallel faults marked by Grant Mid-Atlantic Ridge. We propose that it joins the tectonic [1975, Figure 2] and King [1968], which passparallel to trough which follows the base of the Labrador continental the late Tertiary basaltic Disco Island, may be the surficial slope [Grant, 1980, Figures 4 and 5]. This trough, which expressions of this geosuture. The Disco Island faults and forms a hingeline [Grant, 1980, Figure 12], extends the associated Tertiary basalts diagonally approach the northwestward through Cumberland Sound and along the mainland of Greenland in a northerly and northnorth-

..2

TEMPERATURE

.. JANUARY
........ :,: , 0;00
.. ::.::;.:.,......,::....

JULY .... ;"

..,.:

....4
...{:.:.:.. .....

P 6'0:

P':''O'

E ......................
'P.
.............

............

N60.

:::,.;...;.;..: :...,:::...;..:.,.?: :::::

N 30

N.00

::::::::;:. ....

M60 ::.

:,:: ::.:.: ........... ,,........

M30-

"',OO

.... .',.". 'L60

:.

L 30

"

.............
-.

Fig. 4. The distribution of the different gcosuturcswith the north polar regions, overlain on the Lainbert's uthal equal-area map of the North po] regions(reproduced with permission)from the Edinburgh orld 4tls [Drtholoew, 1967]. Note the clockwise convolvg spiralpattom formed by the gcosurcs. The 'cyc' of this spiralis

locatedon the Eurasian sideof the north poloalongthe 8N parallel.

10,698

NEEV AND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEMOF SPIRALINGGEOSUTURES

westerly direction. We propose that this geosuture continues beneath the thick Greenland icecap in the same general direction, along the trough of the Knud Rasmussen Basin [St. John, 1980], slightly curving to the northeast toward the Wandel Sea, where the junction of the East
Greenland and the Ellesmere-North Greenland foldbelts

[Mstislavsky et al., 1980]. A genetic connection between

this uplifted zone and the Tien Shan and Pamir mountain chains is also suggestedby Mstislavsky et al. [1980]. These authors distinguish three orogenic phases which affected

that belt: the Balkallan (Late Precambrian),the Variscan,

and the Alpine phases. The third midslice geosuture is a tectonic line along which the lower segment of the Volga, between Volgograd

is located [King, 1969].

mussen Basin on its southeast.

The Mid-Greenland Basin is

another geosuture which is en echelon to the Knud Ras-

If this proposed line is indeed a great left-lateral fault, then it marks the southern, western, and northern boundary of the N3 slice, which is moving sinistrally relative to
the N2 slice.

and its delta at the CaspianSea, is entrenched(A. Cohen, personal communication, 1981). We propose to extend further the Volga geosuture west and northwestward through Kursk, Bryansk, and Smolensk and along the
contact of the Russian Platform with the Fennoscandian

N4-The Scandinavian-east European slice. The Elbe fracture separates the N4 slice from the N3 slice. It is considered to be 'an important right-lateral transcurrent
fault' which runs 'from the North Sea to South Bohemia'

Shield northeast of Lake Onega up to the White Sea [ UNESCO, 1971]. Its southeastern segment probably extends across the Caspian Sea, where it splices into the

Mangyshlak chain. The North Caspian Depression forms the southeastern as vertical faults, associated with both compressional and corner of the East European Platform and therefore the tensional movements, were active along it since Late easternmost pinchout of the N4 slice. It is situated within Vailscan (Permian) times. We suggestthat this geosuture the acute angle formed by the converging geosutures of continues northward through the trough of the North Sea, the Urals (see below) and the Mangyshlak-Volgogradalong a NNE trending sedimentary basin which continues Bryansk-Onega(see above). Its crust, which is tilted to the

[Arthaud and Matte, 1977, p. 1309]. Wrench faults as well

at leastup to 68N.Thistrough is bounded on the east southeast (toward the junction of the converging geoby the Norwegian Caledonides and to the west along the sutures) is depressed to great depths (22-25 km). It is Faeroe-Shetland and the V6ring Plateau escarpments overridden from the east by the Uralides (Variscan) and [Sundvor and Nysaether, 1975, Figure 1, pp. 267-281]. from the southwestby the following succession of orogenic On the basisof the international tectonic map of Europe ranges (from SW to NE): the CaucasusMountains, the [UNESCO, 1964] and Figures 4 and 9 of Arthaud and Stavropol or Cis-Caucasian Ridge, and the Karpinsky Ridge. Matte [ 1977], the Elbe fracture continuessoutheastward, The geological history of this depressionmay be genetically gradually curving counterclockwise along the Carpathian related to the oblique collision which apparently took Mountains. We suggest that it crossesthe Black Sea along place along this system of geosutures(A. Cohen, personal the delta of the Dnestr River and then extends farther communication, 1981). toward the ESE, where it merges with the Caucasus and N5-The West Siberian slice. The Ural geosuturemarks Kopet Dag ranges. the contact between the West Siberian and East European Three midslice geosutures were noted. Adjacent to the platforms. We have therefore made the Urals the western Elbe fracture is the 'Tornquist Line' which runs 'from boundary of the N5 slice. Although only dextral moveScandinaviato the Black Sea' [Arthaud and Matte, 1977]. ments are known to have occurred along the different It converges counterclockwise along the southeastward geosutures both in the N4 slice west of it (see above) and extension, splicing into the Elbe fracture southof the in the N6 slice east of it (see below), the division of such Ukrainian Shield. The Tornquist mobile zone 'has perhaps a large territory into three slices seems justified. On the been active before Variscan (troughs of Paleozoic fiysch) south the N5 slice is bounded by the Tien Shan Mountains. and up to Triassic time' [Arthaud and Matte, 1977, p. In Figure 2 this entire boundary is shown as a single geo1309, Figures 1, 2, 4, and 9]. We suggest that the Tornquist suture, for a genetic relationship was found between the Line extends northward through the Oslo Graben along Uralian and Tien Shan orogenic belts [Peive et al., 1976; the contact of.the Norwegian Caledonides with the Fenno- Kiryukhin, 1978]. These authors' maps as well as Figure 1 scandian Shield. of Burrman [1980] show the eastward curving of the Ural The next midslice geosuture is marked by the WNW chain, which occurs to the south of the Aral Sea, and its trending Donetz Basin, which parallels the Tornquist and extension along the Tien Shan Mountains. Elbe fractures and follows the Ukrainian Shield along its The Uralides are considered by Hamilton [1970, p. northern rim. It forms a graben which has been developed 2553] to be 'the Late Precambrianand Paleozoicorogenic at least since late Paleozoic time (Upper Devonian)along terrane between the Russian and Siberian Platforms.' A two major bounding dextral faults. This geosuture con- midslice geosuture was noted within the N5 slice. This tinues northwestward along the Dnieper Basin and up to is the Kuznetsky-Alatau orogenic chain, which parallels its tributary, the Pripyat River and its swamps in White the slice's western boundary geosuture but at a distance Russia [ UNESCO, 1964; A. Cohen, personal communica- of more than 1500 km from it (some 300 km east of tion, 1981]. A farther extension in the same direction is Novosibirsk). It also curvesto the east and continuesalong suggested along a geosuture which follows the western the eastern Tuva Mountains. Both of these two orogenic limits of the Baltic Platform and then smoothly curves chains are Hercynian (Vailscan) in age, while the belt which northward and northeastward along the western coasts is found between them (not shown in Figure 2) is of of Lithuania, Latvia, and the Gulf of Bothnia [ UNESCO, Caledonian age [Peive et al., 1976 ]. 1971]. The Donetz geosuture extends to the ESE across Based on the distribution of magnetic anomalies,a few the North Caspian Sea toward the Mangyshlak fold-range other north-south trending ilght-lateral strike slip faults

NEEv AND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

10,699

Rise. Major offsets of the South Atlantic continental margins which occur along the oceanic fracture zones and their inland prolongations are proposed to be 'transfer belts mentioned above. directions' which correspond exactly on both sides of the Hamilton [1970, p. 2572] concludes that 'the con- Atlantic [Francheteau and Le Pichon, 1972]. The Walvis vergence of the Russian and Siberian continental plates and Rio Grande ridges are considered by the latter authors during Paleozoic time was presumably oblique rather than as composite structures which are parts of the above direct' and that 'the right-lateral motion inferred here system, each extending far into the African and Brazilian between the two continental plates after their collision (via the Parana Basin) continents, respectively. Marsh may have represented a continuation of the same relative [ 1973] generally agreeswith the above concept but, based motions that they had before collision .... ' upon petrographic dissimilarities, excludes the extension N6-The East Siberian slice. The N6 slice lies between of the WalvisRidge into the continental lineaments.Instead, the Yenisey and Verkhoyansk geosutures. Quoting Berzin he proposes three megalineaments, each characterized by [1967], Hamilton [1970, p. 2566] says that 'the late alkaline magmatic complexes and each lying along small Precambrian Yenisey foldbelt continues southeastward, circles centered on the early pole of rotation for the South along the Siberian Platform, into East Sayan.' This con- Atlantic. These are (1) The Angola-South Brazil, (2) the tinuation is supported by a map of magnetic anomalies Damaraland lineament, and (3) the Liideritz-Uruguay [Hamilton, 1970, Figure 3], which also indicates the lineament. The last two of these lie within the S2 slice northward extension of the Yenisey Ridge as a prominent discussed below. geosuture. It gradually curves northeastward and eastward The delineation of this southern boundary geosuture along the contact of the East Siberian Platform with the from southern Brazil along the Rio Grande Ridge over to West and North Siberian Lowlands. Angola is aided by three factors: (1)morphology, i.e., The existence of the easternmost geosuture in eastern the least squares fitting of the 1000-m isobath, (2) the Siberia, the Verkhoyansk Orogenic Belt, is inferred from distribution pattern of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic magnetic Hamilton [1970, Figure 2, p. 2569]. It extends along the anomaly isochrons, and (3) the distribution pattern of the east side of the Lena River's northern segmentand roughly Angolan and Brazilian diapiric salt field (Simpson [1977] parallels the configuration of the Yenisey geosuture, in Figures 1, 2, 5, 10, and 11b- 11d and his text as well as although it has a smaller radius of curvature. The eastward a personal communication (1980)). A right-lateral senseof concavity of the Verkhoyansk Belt is remarkable, as it movement along the Angola-S Brazil geosuture may also could be expected to attain a westward concavity in order be deduced on the basis of the above data. A northeastward to conform with the eastern limits of the Siberian Platform. continuation of this geosuture across Africa is suggested, It therefore may indicate the western limits of another based upon trends shown in a Bouguer gravity anomaly slice within our proposed global system. map of Africa [Slettene et al., 1973] and on the tectonic Three common characteristics are noticed for the eight map of Africa [UNESCO, 1968]. It extends from the geosutures which are found between the Elbe in the west vicinity of the Angola-Namibia border on the Atlantic and the Verkhoyansk in the east. These are (1) their general coast to the strait of Bab A1 Mandeb, which separatesthe counterclockwise arcuate configurations, (2) the right- Red Sea from the Indian Ocean. lateral senseof movement along them, and (3) the pattern The Lake Albert-Ethiopian Rift Valley segment of this they exhibit as they tangentially approach the Alpine- geosuture marks the northern limit of the East African Himalayan Belt and then actually merge with it. Rift System [McConnell, 1972, p. 2561]. Although the East African Rift System lies within the S2 slice, it will be South of the Pelusium Megashear System discussed briefly here as it gives some insight into the history of the S1 slice's southern boundary geosuture. S1-The Brazilian-central African-Arabian-Iranian slice. The northeastward curving of the East African Rift's west Within the S 1 slice, the eastward bulging of the NE Brazil- branch from Lake Tanganyika to Lake Albert may indicate ian Shield and the complementary niche on the African right-lateral movements along the geosuture. McConnell side of the Atlantic between the Gulf of Guinea and SW [1972, p. 2560] noted that 'some indication of dextral Angola suggestan eastward or counterclockwise movement displacement along the Lake Albert rift lineament in the of this slice relative to its neighbors. A genetic relationship early Precambrian may also be seen in the tectonic pattern between the differential movement of the northern half northwest of the lake.... ' McConnell [1972, p. 2567] of South America and the shaping of the Andean Ranges described the East African Rift System as a 'narrow mobile is suggestedby DeLoczy [1970]. This differential move- zone . . . dating back, in part at least, to a late Archean ment was initiated in the Precambrian and was maintained cycle and has been reactivated during successiveorogenic through Eopaleozoic as well as post-Jurassic times up to periods to the present.' The relationship between this rift the present. Such conclusions are in agreement with the system and the Angola-Bab A1 Mandeb geosuture is analogous to that existing between the Kelvin-Great Lakes and above-mentioned general movement of this slice. The southern boundary of this slice is probably found the Superior geosutures (see above for the N2 slice). In along 'the mapped east-west trend in South America both casesa regmatic pattern is formed at the intersection (which) is a surface reflection of structures that developed of Archean-aged fractures, one of which belongs to our in the tectosphere in Precambrian time and that have global system of geosutures. A farther northeastward extension of the same S. Brazilpersisteduntil the present' [Offield et al., 1977, p. 482]. Offield et al. [1977] suggestthat it crossesthe Atlantic Angola-Bab Al Mandeb geosuture is suggestedto exist along at a point south of Porto Alegre and along the Rio Grande the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It crossesthe

were inferred by Hamilton [ 1970, Figure 3] in the area which comprises this slice. Burrman [ 1980] indicated that they also extend between and parallel to the orogenic

10,700

NEEV AND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

northwestern Red Sea coasts of Yemen [U.S. Geological Survey, 1973 ] and extends along the structural trough of
the Rub A1 Khali to the linear northwestern coast of the

anomaly map of Africa [Slettene et al., 1973] and the geologicalmap of Africa [ UNESCO, 1976 ], we proposeto
extend this geosuture from Liideritz on the Atlantic coast
of Namibia northeastward across Lake Kariba and the

Oman Peninsula (Tmcial Oman). The distribution pattern of the basement and Paleozoic to Jurassic outcrops in northern Yemen and southwestern Saudi Arabia suggest a large-scale right-lateral shift along the proposed geosuture [U.S. Geological Survey, 1973; Petroconsultants, 1977].

northern tip of Lake Niasa and along the southeastern limits of the Horn of Africa (the coastsof Tanzania, Kenya,

and Somalia). This suggestionis corroborated by the findings of J.W. Verwoerd (personal communication, The northward motion of the Arabian Peninsula with 1979) and of McConnell [1974, p. 408, Figures 1 and 3]. The southern boundary geosuture of the S2 slice is the respect to Africa, which is occurring since the Oligocene [Girdler and Styles, 1978], is responsiblefor the relatively Falkland-Agulhas fracture zone [Simpson, 1977]. It
small-scale left-lateral shift of this geosuture along the axis of the Red Sea (Figures 1 and 2). The NE-SW trending trough of the Rub A1 Khali has been developed 'probably extends along the continental rise of southeast Africa in the Indian Ocean, perhaps up to the Mozambique Channel. The left-lateral shift of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge along this

due to basement faulting' [Falcon, 1967, p. 8] at least geosutureis well expressedin the maps of Simpson [1977, since the Paleocene [Powers et al., 1966, p. D106]. The Figure 10], Heezen and Tharp [1977], and Emery and pattern of this basin may be inferred from the structural Uchupi [1981]. An eastward differential movement of the contour maps made on the Base Neogene and the Top southern tip of South America, including the Falkland Cretaceous markers as well as on the isopachs of the un- Plateau and the Scotia Ridge, via a leftqateral shift along folded Paleozoic and post-Paleozoic cover of the Arabian this geosuture, is also suggested by the available maps. Platforms [UNESCO, 1968]. The trend of this geosuture The overall apparent movement of this slice is clockwise. is also expressed by the trends of the oil fields developed The extension of the different geosutures across the in the folded structures along the coastsof Trucial Oman. A Pacific. The extension of the different geosutures which Precambrian age for this geosuture is perhaps inferred from belong to the proposed global system, into and across the the distribution pattern of the Infracambrian-aged Hormuz Pacific, is tempting yet highly problematic. Indeed this is Salt formation, which is restricted to the belt stretched the most speculative part of the study. Winrefer [1976, between the Qatar and Oman peninsulas [StOickiln, 1965, p. 271] notes that 'the evolution of the central Pacific p. 3, 1968; Petroconsultants, 1977]. The functioning of region during Cretaceous times (from about 80 to 115 m.y. this geosuture as a facies divide between the Persian Gulf ago) was complicated not only by ridge-crest jumping, and the Makaran (southeasternmost Iran)provinces has changes in ridge orientation and the development of been maintained up to the present. plateaus, but also by extraordinary mid-plate volcanism' North of the Persian Gulf, this geosuture, which is which buffed the older structures and camoflaged their known here as the Oman Line [Gansser, 1955], crosses trends. Moreover, most of the east-west trending East through the Zagros Range as a series of NNE trending Pacific fracture zones have also been formed in postright-lateral wrench faults [Falcon, 1967, p. 9; StSckiln, Cretaceous times. It is possible that due to these reshuffling 1974, p. 876]. The big northeastward flexure of the processes the westward extensions of the Pelusium and the Zagros-Makaran ranges appears to be genetically related other geosutures across the Pacific could not be clearly to movement along the Oman Line. The line, continuing traced. Nevertheless, the fact that seamounts in the Pacific as the N-S trending right-lateral Nayband fault [Moha]er- 'virtually all lie in linear patterns suggests that fundamental Ash]ai et al., 1975, p. 290, Figure 6] along the western faults in the Earth's crest may have dictated their distribulimits of the Lut Block, could date from Precambrian times tion' (Heezen [1962, p. 252], quoting Menard [1959]). [StOickilnet al., 1972, p. 47]. This fault extends north to This approach is in agreement with our definition of geothe Great Kavir Fault beyond the Tabas Ranges [Moha]er- sutures, as expressed in the introduction. On that basis Ash]ai et al., 1975] and possibly even up to the concave we suggest that an almost continuous line extends from the southward arch formed by the intersection of the eastern junction of the Aleutian and the Kuril-Kamchatka island Elburz Mountains with the Kopet Dag range [Gansser, arcs, or more precisely from the wedge-shapedbasin located 1955, p. 19]. However, we find no evidencethat this fault between the Shirshov Ridge and the east Kamchatka extends farther northward, beyond the Kopet Dag to join escarpment, through the chains of the Emperor Seamounts the Ural Mountains, as suggestedby Furon [1941] and and trough, the Line Islands, the Tuamoto Islands as well Amurskiy [ 1977] (as quoted by Hemmet [ 1980]). as the Challenger fracture zone and the Chile Rise. This Throughout its length as the southern boundary of the geosuture may extend farther on to cross the South Andes S 1 slice, the Oman-S Angola-Rio Grande-S Brazil geosuture and to join the Falkland-Agulhas geosuture. The absence is a rightqateral shear which was active since Precambrian of structural deflections of appreciable magnitudes at the times. Although it almost exactly parallels the Pelusium intersection with the Andes is surprising but not unique. megashearsystem, it apparently differs in the much smaller Both the physiography of the Pacific Basin [Heezen and magnitude of the horizontal shifts along it. An apparent Tharp, 1977] and the distribution pattern of its great
counterclockwise movement is suggested for the S1 slice relative to its neighbors. S2- The Argentinian-South and East A frican-A fghanian slice. Within the S2 slice, another NE trending geosuture
is the landward extension across Africa of the Liideritz-

faults

as well

as other

tectonic

features

such as the late

Uruguay Lineament [Marsh, 1973] (see section above). Based upon the interpretations of both the Bouguer gravity

Mesozoic to recent archipelagoes [Menard, 1964, Figure 3.1] suggestthis geosuture to be a line of divide between two different provinces. The 'anomalous band of sea floor trending northwest across the central Pacific' [Winterer, 1976, p. 269] probably corresponds with part of this geosuture. The present-day Line Islands chain, which is

NEEVAND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES a segment of this geosuture, is considered to be a relatively young feature (80-90 m.y.-old volcanic rocks) emplaced as an overprint on an old lineation [Winterer, 1976, p. 276]. A supporting indication for the existence of this hypothetical geosuture across the Pacific is offered by its remarkable parallelism to the other long geosutures which belong to our global system, which are located to the north, such as the S Atlas-Kelvin-Great Lakes geosuture. If the proposed extension of the Falkland-Agulhas geosuture across the Pacific is considered a sound possibility, then the Eltanin fracture zone and its extension along the New Hebrides, Marianas, Izu and Japan trenches, likewise becomes a plausible candidate geosuture affiliated with the same system. Geometrically, this would appear to be an extension of the S3 midslice geosuture. Similarly, it is speculated that the Pelusium line could be extended along the Middle America Trench (see N1 above), up to the junction of the arcuate trenches in the Gulf of Alaska and beyond (see Figures 2 and 3). The possible westward extension of the S Brazil geosuture up to the Nazca Ridge and the possible geosuture which defines the western continental margin of Alaska within the Bering Sea could be relics of yet another geosuture across the Pacific. The BeringJanmargin off Alaska corresponds with a sediment-filled compressional trough, along which oblique underthrusting or dextral strike slip motion took place since Mesozoic times [Scholl et al., 1975; Marlow and Cooper, 1980; Cooper et al., 1981; Ben-Avraham and Cooper, 1981 ]. It therefore resembles
the Pelusium line off Israel.

10,701

the trough of the Indus River and its termination at the junction of the Hindu Kush-Pamir-Himalaya orogenic belts is implied (basedupon data from Sclater and Heirtzler

[1977, Figure 1] and from Gansser [1980, Figure 1]). The detailsof this isolatedlens-shaped sliceand its relation
to S3 remain S5-The unclear. Indian slice. This slice is bounded on the east

by the Ninety East Ridge (or transform fault), which to

the north splices together with the Sumatra-Java Trench and terminates at the junction of the Naga-Arakan (or the Burman arc of Tapponnier and Molnar [1976]) and the Himalayan orogenic belts, along the upper Brahmaputra River. The northward movement of the Indian plate since the Late Cretaceous took place along the two bounding geosutures: the Ninety East Ridge and the Chagos transform faults [McKenzie and Sclater, 1971; Laughton et al., 1972; Sclater and Heirtzler, 1977; Ben-A vraham and Bunce,

Shelf and extends along the Billiron Depression, the Natuna Rift, and the eastern continental margin of Indochina different midslice fractures, which is typical to the entire [Ben-Avraham, 1978, Figure 1, p. 284]. This feature is system of geosutures,is quite prominent along this wedged- expressed as a major discontinuity in gravity, magnetics, in slice [Heezen and Tharp, 1977]. and seismicvelocity as well as in physiography. 84- The Madagascar-Indus slice. The northwestern S7-The Borneo-Philippine slice. The eastern boundary boundary geosuture of the S4 slice is proposed to be the of this slice could be marked by the Kyushu-Palau fault Owen fracture zone. Its apparent movement in relation [Ben-Avraham, 1978 ]. to the S2 and S3 slicesis suggestedon the basis of a dextral DISCUSSION shift of the Carlsberg Ridge inferred along the Owen fracture zone in the map of Heezen and Tharp [1977] and on the hypothesis that Madagascar was also shifted Two Spiral Patterns Formed by the System southward relative to Africa (E. S. W. Simpson, personal of Geosutures and Slices and Analogues from Mars communication, 1980). This senseof movement, however, When plotted on a globe, the numerous geosuturesform is dubious, as (1) it is interpreted by Wilson [1965, p. 345, Figure 8] to be a sinistral transform, and (2) it probably two spiral patterns: the 'eye' of the bigger spiral is located joins to the northeastward with the sinistral Quetta- on the Alpine-Himalayan Belt, whereas that of the smaller Chaman transcurrent fault [ Tapponnier and Molnar, 1976, one is close to the north pole. This is also seen on the Figure 1]. This latter fault curves slightly eastward to planar maps (Figures 2, 3, and 4). All the geosuturesand merge with the E-W trending Herat fault in much the same slices within the first system curve counterclockwise and way as the Pelusium line (the border zone of Ambraseys converge toward the Alpine-Himalayan Belt. However, [ 1978 ] ) mergeswith the E-W trending Anatolian fault. the manner in which the geosutures approach this belt This slice is bounded on its east by the Chagos-Laccadive differs significantly between its northern and southern fracture zone and the southwest Indian Ridge, which sides. On the south (and west) the geosutures curve to the together comprisea transform fault [McKenzie and Sclater, belt almost perpendicularly, mostly at the junctions formed 1971; Sclater and Heirtzler, 1977; Ben-Avraham and Bunce, between intersecting arcuate orogenic mountain ranges. 1977]. This fault appears to merge into the geosuture Assuming an inward movement of the slices, this pattern which bounds the S3 slice on its eastern side (Figure 2). suggeststheir frontal collision with the Alpine-Himalayan The northward extension of the Chagos geosuture along Belt. On the other hand, north of this belt the geosutures

S3- The Scotian-South Sandwich-Mozambique slice. The area bounded on its northwest by the Mozambique Channel and the extension of the Falkland-Agulhas geosuture is considered to be the northeastward moving S3 slice that wedges out in that direction between the S2 and S4 slices. A counterclockwise converging pattern of the

1977; Gansser, 1980]. Quoting Carey [1976, p. 406, Figure 171], '... the Ninety East ridge marks a dextral megashear along which India and Asia are offset nearly 4000 km with respect to Australia.' S6-The Malayasian slice. The eastward thrusting of the folds of the Burman arc [Tapponnier and Molnar, 1976, p. 322] could be generated by the oblique collision of the S5 and S6 slicesin a manner analogous to the generation of the NE trending fold system of the Levant [Neev, 1975]. On the other hand, the southward curve of the Kang Ting fault [Tapponnier and Molnar, 1976, Figure 1, p. 322] (as well as our Figure 2) is in agreement with the counterclockwise convergence noted along the geosutures of our system. The eastern boundary of the Malayasian slice is marked by a more than 1500-km-long N-S trending fossil transform
fault which bisects the island of Java and the entire Sunda

10,702

NEEV AND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

or slices approach it diagonally and even tangentially, thereby tending to coalesce with it. Such a pattern suggests oblique collision, which exerts both north to south compressional forces on the belt and also tangential west to east shear forces along it. A significant difference in the seismic behavior and geological history of these two provinces, to the south and north of the Alpine-Himalayan suture zone, was stressedby Gansser [1980, pp. 50-51]. Similarly, based on theoretical and observational considerations, Tapponnier and Molnar [1976, p. 321, Figure 1] expect that deformation of a rigid India into a plastic Asia is bounded not far north of the Altyn Tagh and the Herat faults. Although the idea of opposing compressionalforces, as a causative factor in the generation of this orogenic belt, is not new [viz. Suess, 1888], the model we propose may provide a new perspective.
Another basic difference between the southern and

northern provinces of the global system is the manner in which the geosutures tend to evolve away from the Alpine-Himalayan 'eye' of the spiral. The southern (and western) slices tend to straighten somewhat or evolve away from the 'eye' (Figure 2), whereas the northern ones Apparent and True Sensesof Movement straighten somewhat and then again convolve (this time of the Different Slices clockwise) toward the Arctic Ocean, as shown in Figures 2-4. When plotted on a Lambert azimuthal equal-area The spiral geosuture and slice system portrayed in projection centered on the north pole (Figure 4), the geo- Figure 2 is considered to be a centripetal or center-seeking sutures form another spiral pattern, whose 'eye' is located system which is converging on the Alpine-Himalayan on the Eurasian side of the north pole, close by the 80th Belt from north and south. On the south each of the slices parallel, centered between the pole, Svalbard(Spitzbergen), approaching the Alpine-Himalayan Belt is moving in relative Novaya Zemlya, and Severnaya Zemlya. opposition to its neighbors. However, in actuality all of Interesting analogues to these spiral patterns were them appear to be moving in the same direction, inward, described from Mars, following the surveys of Mariners 7 but at differing rates. This interpretation is based on the

and a variety of unusual surface features were also present.... ' [Murray, 1973, p. 60]. The dark lines, which outline the north polar spiral, 'are mostly valleys or southward-facing escarpmentsthat are free of frost' [Carr and Evans, 1980, p. 19]. These authors realized that this pattern forms a spiral and suggested that it could be 'the result of erosion by winds spiraling out from the poles.' This explanation does not appeal to us, as both polar spirals appear to have been distorted by horizontal shifting, which seems unlikely for eolian features reflecting a meteorological pattern. It appears therefore that these north and south polar spiral patterns on Mars reflect structural features which could be analogous to the north polar spiral of geosutures on our globe. If the twin polar spiral features on Mars are actually analogous to the pattern we find dose to the earth's north pole, then another spiral should also be found dose to earth's south pole. We would expect this latter spiral to be convoluted counterclockwise, as on Mars. The magnitudes of the Martian polar structures are appreciably smaller than the equatorial one.

and 9 [Carr et al., 1973; Murray, 1973]. They describea system of geosutures which occurs 'as closely spaced parallel arrays... or as isolated fractures severalthousand kilometers long' and forms a pattern which is 'approximately radial to the Tharsis ridge' [Carr et al., 1973, p. 4036]. However, their geological maps as well as the shaded relief map of Mars [ U.S. Geological Survey, 1972 ] suggest that this radial pattern is more similar to a counterclockwise convoluted spiral feature (Figure 5a). According to Carr [1980, p. 631] this pattern is associated with a large, positive free-air gravity anomaly and the large volcanoes of the Tharsis bulge. Although Carr [1980]
considers it to have affected almost one third of the

axiom that the Indian, Arabian, and African plates, which

correspond in part to relevantslices of cur system, are all

moving north and colliding with the Alpine-Himalayan

planet's surface, it seems to us to cover appreciably more than that. This spiral pattern of fractures is centered at

Belt [viz. Powell and Conaghan, 1973; Dewey et al., 1973; Ben-Avraham and Nut, 1976]. Such a process could be explained on a geometric basis in the following way. The combined width of the southern slices along their front with the Alpine-Himalayan Belt is appreciably smaller than their combined width as measured across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. This difference in width is related to and expressedin the wedge shapesof the slices. The squeezing effect of the centripetal spiral movements of these slices could therefore be lessened by their alternating arrangements and by changes in their individual
rates of movement.
directions.

The resultant

effect between

individual

the Martian equator (0 latitude and110W longitude). It

was almost perfectly preserved in its pristine condition, and its age is estimated at about 4 billion years [Carr, 1980, p. 631]. Peculiar quasicircular structures of laminated terrains, expressed as dark lines and composed of CO2 ice, were described by Murray [ 1973, pp. 60-63] for both the south and north poles of Mars. The images of these polar cap features (Murray [1973] as well as those from U.S. Geological Survey [1972] and Batson et al. [1979, maps MC-lb-d and MC-30a-c]) suggest that they have acquired

slices could suggest apparent movements in opposing

, On the other hand, all the slices to the north of the Alpine-Himalayan Belt appear to move right laterally relative to one another and to approach tangentially the orogenic belt. This implies smooth movements of each

slice relative to illsneighbor withoutrequiring analternating

pattern or any other geometrical accommodation. Perhaps this pattern has a causative relationship with the wider stretch of the 'eye' of the system on its northeastern end in eastern Siberia as compared with its southeastern end, spiralpatternsrather than circularones(Figures5b and 5c). where it terminates close to the Ninety East Ridge. In pondering these movements the reader should conThe north polar spiral appears to be clockwise convoluted, whereas the southern one is counterclockwise. The frost sider that large-scalemovement along the geosutures,such cover over the south pole during its winter seasonof 1969 as that suggested along the Pelusium megashear system, 'was thin (probably less than a few meters on the average) could be the exception rather than the rule.

NEEVANDHALL' A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

10,703

0o

2 70 90

270

0o

180

5C
Fig. 5.

SOUT.o,

E,o.

(a) A globalsystem of primordial (4 billionyearsold [Carr,1980]) counterclockwise spiraling geosutures on

Mars, compiledfrom the geological map of Mars [Murray, 1973] and the shaded relief map of Mars [U.S. Geological Survey, 1972]. The spiral pattern formed by the Martian geosutures is remarkably similar to the one found on earth. Its 'eye,' however,is locatedalongthe Martian equatorcloseto the 110Wmeridianand is associated with the Thatsis

volcanic bulge.(b) Map of the Martiannorthpola r region asit appeared on October12, 1972 [U.S. Geological Survey,
1972], indicating the existenceof a clockwiseconvolutedspiral pattern. The relief of the spiralinggeosutures aswell as the distortedcharacterof the pattern suggest large-scale wrenchfaulting and indicateits tectonic origin. An erosional origin due to atmospheric-eolian factors therefore seemsunlikely. (c) Map of the Martian south polar region as it appearedon February 28, 1972 [U.S. Geological Survey, 1972]. A counterclockwise convolutedspiral pattern is formedby geosutures and againseems tectonicallycontrolled(seedescription for Figure5b).

Tectonic

Features

and Patterns Associated

With the Geosutures

The following features were found along the different

geosutures.

1. Orogenic belts were found, such asthe Verkhoyansk, Yenhey, Ural, and Tien Shan in Siberia, the Carpathian, Norwegian Caledonides, and the Pyrenees in Europe, and

the Atlas in NW Africa as well as the Rocky Mountains, Ellesmere, and East Greenland chains in North America. The Alpine-Himalayan Belt is also associatedwith orogenic belts, although it was produced by the joint effects of the entire system of converging geosutures. 2. Elongate troughs associated with compressional features often characterize large segments of geosutures. These include the Donetz and the West Norwegian Basin

10,704

NEEV AND HALL: A GLOBALSYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

in N4, the Superior-Huronian Trough along the boundary of N1 and N2, and the Benue Basin and the Pelusium line along the Pelusium megashear system. 3. It has been suggested that midplate continental and

and (3) the early Proterozoic age of the Labrador Trough

(within N2). Consequently, it' is assumed that the spiral

geosuture pattern was imprinted into the earth's crust during Arcbean times (assuming the time span of this oceanicswellsare formed by the samehot spot mechanism. era to extend from the primordial stage of the earth up to The linear chains of igneous intrusions are supposedto have the Proterozoic some 2500 m.y. ago). This conclusion been produced by these deep lithospheric thermal plumes partially agrees with those of other authors quoted above as the plates moved over them [Morgan, 1972; Crough, regarding the age of origin of many faults which are asso1981 ]. McHone [ 1981 ] suggests a reactivated fracture zone ciated with the Regmatic Shear Pattern of the crust, viz. mechanism to explain the Jurassic- to Cretaceous-aged 'the regmatic system is of primordial age...' [Thomas, linear pattern of volcanism of the New England onshore 1976, p. 539]. However, indications for recent activities and offshore. These fractures correspond to a segment of along the different geosuturesare also frequently found.

the South Atlas-Kelvin-Great Lakes geosutureand are in

agreement with the definition of geosutures. Many of the North Atlantic hot spot tracks outlined by Heestand and Crough [1981, Figure 2] could be modified to agree with our geosutures there. The SW-NE trending positive gravity anomaly features mapped at the Hoggat Massif coincide with the configuration of the Precambrian basement swell there [Crough, 1981, Figures 2 and 4] and follow a segment of our Guinea Bissau-Sirte-Pliny geosuture (N1, see
The Origin of the Global System of Geosutures

Although a discussion of the origin of the global system is beyond the scope of this paper, we have devoted much thought to this question. Our speculations, which will be developed in a further publication, can be summarized as follows. Excepting the remote possibility that the global system is a coincidental composition of segmentsof older above). These data support the suggestedrelationships and younger geosutures, it seemsprobable that it is a much which Neev et al. [1982] proposed to exist between the older and perhaps even primordial system. We speculate Tibesti and other Central African hot spots and the geo- that this system developed independently from, and consutures of the Pelusium megashearsystem there. It is there- siderably before, the post-Jurassicplate tectonic activity. fore possible that the global system of geosuturesand the However, despite their different origins, it seems likely has existed between the two moving slices they define occasionally provide favorable that some coordination conditions for a variety of intrusive phenomena along the systemsof plates and slices. geosutures. Depending upon the geometry of the slice movements, a broad spectrum of point, line, or propagating Practical Implications hot spot traces could be produced. 4. Many geosutures of our system terminate at juncMetallic ore deposits. The association of metallic ore tions of arcuate fold belts or island arcs (Figures 1 and 2). depositswith deep-seatedfractures is an old idea considered These occurrences are especially abundant along the south- by many authors, viz. '... the distribution of the largest ern flanks of the Alpine-Himalayan Belt and along the endogenic concentrations of ores in different parts of the northern margins of the Pacific. The northeast apex of world... suggest that the main ore controlling deep-seated Greenland could be another case. The Oman Line (contact fractures reflect a pattern of basement fractures which of S1 and S2) sequentially crossestwo such junctions: may be considerably regular' [Kutina, 1976, p. 565]. A the first is along the southern Zagros (at Makaran)and the thorough comparison of such an approach with our model second is at the junction of the Elburz and Kopet Dag of global geosutures is called for. Such a correlation chains. A genetic relationship might be found between should be superimposed on other well-known ordered these two types of features. occurrencesof ore depositswhich are found along different geological features such as the Andes, the Cordillera, and The Age of the Global System of Geosutures the Appalachian orogenic belts. These are occasionally and only indirectly related to our system. The repeated rejuvenations which have occurred along The following are a few selected examples which look the different geosutures have often camouflaged older instructive. The 'only known economic or near-economic phases of activity, thereby making it difficult to determine deposits of gold, tin and copper' in the southern Brazilian their ultimate age of origin. However, in view of Scheibner's Precambrian Shield occur along the east-west segment of [1976] theory of lateral propagation of major shearsand the Oman-South Angola-South Brazil geosuture [Offield assuming a common origin for all the components of the et al., 1977]. These authorsassociate the copper,lead, tin, global system, the oldest age determined for even one and gold ore deposits of Rhodesia and Zambia to the segment of a geosuture may indicate the minimum age extension of the South Brazil geosuture across Africa. of the entire system. Although these African deposits are located along the Precambrian ages were determined for geosutures in Lfideritz geosuture, other ore deposits are noted also along NE and South Brazil, in Africa (the Benue Basin), in the the South Angola-Lake Albert-Bab A1 Mandeb geosuture. Middle East (the Dead Sea Rift and the Oman Line), and An even more pronounced concentration is noticed along in Siberia (the Uralides and Yenisey Ridge), but the oldest a parallel trend which roughly coincides with the northern are (1) the Arcbean age inferred for the Superior-Huronian boundary of South Africa [ Times of London, 1975, segment of the South Atlas-Kelvin-Great Lakes geosuture pp. XXII-XXIII]. Perhaps it indicates the existence of (see above), (2) the early Precambrian age of Lake Albert, another northeast trending geosuture there. perhaps indicating the age of the Angola-Bab el Mandeb Other linear concentrations of ore depositswhich may segment of the geosuture bounding slice S1 on its south, correlate with geosuturesof our system are also indicated

NEEV AND HALL' A GLOBALSYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

10,705

on the same map. These are the Tien Shan, Tornquist, Elbe, Pyreheart, the Kelvin-Huron-Great Lakes, and the Puerto Rico-Cuba-Parrasshears. The copper and other ore deposits in southeastern Arizona may be correlated with the Texas shear. The distribution of copper and molybdenum mines in the central and southern United States

converging geosutures closing on an 'eye' that stretches along the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt. The second

pattern is formed as geosutures approaching the earth's

north polar region converge clockwise to form another smaller spiral, whose 'eye' is located close to the north pole.

[Argall, 1974] may be correlated with the Florida-Ouachita,

Rocky Mountains geosuture. Oil. The persistant tectonic activity along the samegeosutures for perhaps billions of years may be an important factor causing (1) the continuous subsidence of basins

An analogoussituation was noted on the planet Mars, where a large counterclockwise converging spiral pattern of planetary dimensions forms an 'eye' along the Martian
equator. Twin spiral patterns were also noticed on both

and the excessive accumulation of sediments in them, (2) intensive fracturing, thereby increasing the porosity of nearby rocks, and (3) the occasional increase in the geothermal gradient, thereby promoting the maturation
of source rocks.

poles of Mars. The north one convolvesclockwise,whereas the south polar one is counterclockwise. If the north polar spiral on earth is a valid genetic analogueto that on Mars, then a counterclockwise converging system of geosutures may also be identified close to earth's south pole.
The crustal slices which are bounded by the different

geosuturesof the proposed system approach the Alpineof the sedimentary basins of the world [St. John, 1980, Himalayan belt in different ways. Those converging from Plate 1] and our suggestedsystem of geosuturesis re- the south collide frontally with the belt and suggest quested. Such an approach is needed even though we apparent movement of each in opposing directions with realize that the oil productivity of a basin is determined respect to its neighbors. In fact they all move inward but by factors which are not always relevant to the existence at differing rates. On the other hand, the slices on the of an associated geosuture. Some examples are mentioned northern side of the belt are tangentially shearing and below. sequentially sliding along each other. These differences The en echelon distribution of the different productive made an imprint on the geological and seismic histories sedimentary basins along the belt which extends from of the two relevant provinces.The generationof the AlpineFlorida and the Caribbean in the southeast, through the Himalayan orogenic belt is the product of the inward Rocky Mountains province up to Alberta and possibly convolution or centripetal processof this spiral. even up to the McKenzie Delta, in the north, is in agreeAlthough the identification of the geosutures, which ment with the pattern of the different geosutures along the comprise the global system, is conjectural, the smooth
An attempt to correlate between the distribution pattern
contact of the N1 and N2 slices and could have been

controlled by them. Although the North African productive and nonproductive basinsare stretched along a belt which roughly parallels

extension of many of them across ocean basins and continents and the coherent general pattern which they form lend credibility to their existence in reality. Being among the oldest features on earth, the difficulty in hitherto

the Tethyan (Mediterranean) trend, they also appear to be related to an en echelon arranged(left laterally shifted?), diagonally (ENE) trending system of slices.These are (from east to west)' (1) Western Desert-Nile Delta, (2)MurzukSirte-Cyrenaica, (3) Polignac-Ghadames-LibyanOffshore, (4) Reggane-Saoura-Pelagian, (5) Tindouf-Colomb BecharAlgerian Sahara, and (6) Essaouira-AtlasFoldbelt.
Another example could be the association of the North Sea basin with the Carpathian and Caucasian oil fields. The distribution of the Ural-Volga (from the Caspian Depression in the south to Pechora in the north), the West Siberian and the East Siberian oil fields, appears to be directly related to the Ural, Yenisey and Verkhoyansk geosutures, respectively. The eastern margins of these productive basins closely follow the relevant geosutures but are more randomly located to the west. If the subsidenceof the Arctic Basin is a processwhich is associated with the tectonic activity of the spiral pattern there, then it could have had a very long history of accumulation of marine sediments. This could make it an

identifying them is no puzzle. Unlike the apparent situation on one-plate planets such as Mars, younger crustal movements along geosutureson earth, which are driven by platerecycling processes, have no doubt camouflaged much

of the patternof our proposed global system. Some Ofthe

fracture zones were propagatedand formed along disrupted geosutures which have functioned, during certain stages

of their existence, as transcurrent faults. Nevertheless,

magnitudes of horizontal shifts along the geosutures are not always appreciable. Apprehending the existence of the global system of geosutures may improve our understanding of many other features which were hitherto not satisfactorily explained. Among these are, for example, (1) the indentation of the Zagros Mountains at their intersection with the OmanSouth Angola-South Brazil geosuture, (2) the termination

attractive area for oil exploration, perhaps analogous to

the Persian Gulf.

of the East African rift systemalong the above geosuture, (3) the tectonic nature of the geosuture along the Great Lakes which corresponds with the southwestern and western limits of the Canadian Shield, (4)the correlation between the peculiar configuration of West Africa, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and the east coast of the Americas (the zig-zag shape of the Atlantic Ocean), and (5) the
orientation and configuration of the Ural Mountains and the other Siberian geosutures. The correlation between some of the geosutures and

SYNOPSIS

A global system of converginggeosutureswas identified. The system forms at least two spiral patterns. The first pattern is the largest and consists of counterclockwise

hydrocarbon accumulations as well as metallic ore deposits may stimulate new concepts and leads for economic geological explorations elsewhere.

10,706

NEEV AND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

Acknowledgments.This work was carriedout underProject DeLoczy, L., Tectonismotransversal na Amtrica do Sul e suas 20743 with the GeologicalSurvey of Israel, Israel Ministry of relaqtes gentticascom as zonas de fratura das Cadeias MeioEnergy and Infrastructure.The opinionsexpressed by the authors Ocenicas, An. Acad.Bras.Cidnc., 42, 185-205, 1970. are their own and do not necessarily reflect thoseof the funding Dewey, J. F., W. C. PitmanIII, W. B. F. Ryan, andJ. Bonnin,Plate
agency. The Martian spiralswere drafted by Carmela Hadar. Critical reviews and constructive comments by Z. Ben-Avraham, A. Cohen, P. May, I. Rosenman, and two anonymous reviewers are much appreciated. REFERENCES

tectonics and the evolution of the Alpine System, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 84, 3137-3180, 1973. Dimroth, E., Labrador Geosyncline: Type example of early Proterozoic cratonic reactivation, Precambrian Plate Tectonics, Chapt. 13, edited by A. Kr/aner, Der. Precambrian Geol., 4, 331-352,
1981.

Douglas, R. J. W., Geology and economic minerals of Canada, Econ. Geol. Rep. Geol. Surv. Can., 1, 1972. Abdel-Gawad, M., and L. Tubbesing, Transverseshear in south-

western North America- A tectonicanalysis, Proceedings of Fahring, W. F., E. Irving,and G. D. Jackson, Test of natureand
the First International Conference on the New Basement Tecextent of continental drift asprovided by study of Proterozoic

tonics,Salt Lake City, Utah, June3-7, 1974, editedby R.A. Hodgson, S. P. Gay, Jr., and J. Y. Benjamins, Utah Geol.Assoc.

dike swarms of Canadian Shield, Arctic Geology, editedby M.G. Pitcher, Mere.Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.,19,583-586, 1973.

Publ., 5, 61-80, 1976. Fainstein, R., and J. D. Milliman, Structure and origin of three Albritton, C. C., Jr., and J. F. Smith, The TexasLineament, Int. continental-margin plateaus, northeasternBrazil, Bull. Am. Geol.Cong., MexicoCity, Sect.5,501-518, 1956. Assoc. Pet. Geol.,63, 218-238, 1979. Almeida,F. F. M. de, G. Amaral,U. G. Cordani, andK. Kawashita, Falcon,N. L., The geology of the north-east margin of the Arabian
The Precambrian evolution of the South American cratonic basementshield,Adv. Sci.,24,31-42,1967.

marginsouthof the AmazonRiver, in Ocean Basins andMargins, Francheteau, J., and X. Le Pichon, Marginal fracturezonesas
vol. 1, The South Atlantic, edited by A. E. M. Nairn and F.G. Stehli,pp. 411-446, Plenum,New York, 1973. structural framework of continental marginsin South Atlantic Ocean,Bull. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.,56,991-1007, 1972.

Ambraseys, N. N., Studiesin historical seismicity and tectonics, Furon,R., G6ologie du plateau Iranien(Perse - Afganistan - B61ouin The Environmental Historyof theNearandMiddleEastSince tchistan), Mdm.Mus.Natl. Hist. Nat., 7, 177-411, 1941. theLastIce Age,editedby W. C. Brice, pp. 185-210, Academic, Gansser, A., New aspects of the geologyof centralIran, Proc.
New York, 1978. WorldPet. Congr.,4,280-300, 1955.

Amurskiy,G.I., The Ural-Oman Lineament and its role in regional Gansser, A., Factsandtheories on the Andes, J. Geol.Soc.London, structure of CentralAsia,Geotectonics, 10, 134-141, 1977. 129, 93-131, 1973. Argall, G. O., Jr., Map of open pit Copperand Molybdenum mines Gansser, A., The significance of the Himalayansuturezone, Tecof the world (including majorundeveloped porphery Cu andMo tonophysics, 62, 37-5 2, 1980. deposits), published by WorldMining, first ed., Miller Freeman, Gary, M., R. McAfee, Jr., and C. L. Wolf, Glossary of Geology,
American GeologicalInstitute, Washington,D.C., 1972. Girdler, R. W., and P. Styles, Seafloor spreadingin the western Gulf of Aden,Nature, 271,615-617, 1978. southern Europe and northern Africa: Result of a right-lateral shear zone between the Appalachians and the Urals, Geol. Soc. Grant, A. C., Geophysical results from the continental margin off southern Baffin Island, Canada's Continental Margins, edited Am. Bull., 88, 1305-1320, 1977. by C. J. Yorath, E. R. Parker, and D. J., Glass,Mere. Can. Soc. Arvidson, R. E., E. A. Guiness,J. W. Strebeck,G. F. Davies,and Pet. Geol., 4,411-431, 1975. K. J. Schulz, Image processing applied to gravity and topographic data covering the continental U.S., Eos Trans. A GU, Grant, A. C., Problems with plate tectonics: the Labrador Sea, Bull. Can. Pet. Geol., 28, 25 2-278, 1980. 63(18), 261-265, 1982. Bartholomew, J. C., The Edinburgh WorldAtlas, or AdvancedAtlas Grantz, A., S. Eittreim, and D. A. Dinter, Geology and tectonic development of the continental margin north of Alaska, Tecof Modern Geography, 6th ed., John Bartholomew, Edinburgh, 1967. tonophysics, 59,263-291, 1979. Batson, R. M., P.M. Bridges, and J. L. Inge, Atlas of Mars: The Hall, J. K., Geophysical evidence for ancient sea-floor spreading from Alpha Cordillera and Mendeleyev Ridge, Arctic Geology, 1:5,000,000 Map Series, NASA Spec.Publ., SP-438, 1979. edited by M. G. Pitcher, Mere. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., 19, 542Ben-Avraham, Z., The evolution of marginal basins and adjacent 561, 1973. shelvesin east and southeastAsia, Tectonophysics, 45, 269Hamilton, W., The Uralides and the motion of the Russian and 288, 1978. Siberianplatforms, Geol. Soc.Am. Bull., 81, 2553-2576, 1970. Ben-Avraham, Z., and E. T. Bunce,Geophysical study of the ChagosHeestand, R. L., and S. T. Crough, The effect of hot spots on the Laccadiveridge, Indian Ocean,J. Geophys.Res., 82(8), 12951305, 1977. oceanic age-depthrelation, J. Geophys.Res., 86, 6107-6114, 1981. Ben-Avraham,Z., and A. K. Cooper, Early evolution of the Bering Sea by collision of oceanic rises and North Pacific subduction Heezen, B.C., The deep-sea floor, in ContinentalDrift, edited by S. K. Runcorn, pp. 235-288, Academic,New York, 1962. zones,Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 92(7), 485-495, 1981. Ben-Avraham, Z., and A. Nut, Slip rates and morphology of con- Heezen, B.C., and M. Tharp, World ocean floor, Mercator panoramic chart, scale 1:23,230,300, U.S. Navy, Washington, D.C., tinental collisionbelts, Geology,4(11), 661-664, 1976.
San Francisco, 1974.

Arthaud, F., and Ph. Mattt, Late Paleozoic strike-slip faultingin

Benkhelil, J., BenueTrough and BenueChain, Geol. Mag., 119(2),

155-168, 1982.

1977.

Hemmet, C., Die Lineamente des Zagros-Gebirgesim Iran, Berl. Geowiss. Abh. ReiheA, 20, 137-152, 1980. Berzin,N. A., Zona glavnogo razlomaVostochnogo Sayana, Nauka, Moscow, 1967. Holmes, A., Principlesof PhysicalGeology, 2nd ed., ThomasNelson, London, 1965. Brinkmann,R., Geologyof Turkey, Elsevier,New York, 1976. Johnson, G. L., and P. R. Vogt, Marine geology of Atlantic Ocean Buttman, V. S., Faults of middle Asia, Am. J. Sci., 280,725-744, 1980. north of the Arctic Circle, Arctic Geology, edited by M. G. Pitcher, Mere. Am. Assoc.Pet. Geol., 19, 161-170, 1973. Carey, W. S., The Expanding Earth, Elsevier,New York, 1976. Kent, D. V., and N. D. Opdyke, The early Carbonferous paleoCart, M. H., The geologyof Mars,Am. Sci., 68,626-635, 1980. magnetic field of North America and its bearing on tectonicsof Cart, M. H., and N. Evans, Images of Mars-the Viking extended mission,NASA Spec. Publ., SP144, 1980. the northern Appalachians,Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 44, 365372,1979. Cart, M. H., H. Masursky,and R. S. Saunders, A generalized geologic Kerr, J. W., Did Greenland drift along Nares Strait?, Bull. Can. Pet. map of Mars,J. Geophys. Res., 78,4031-4036, 1973. Geol., 28, 279-289, 1980. Cooper, A. K., M. S. Marlow, and Z. Ben-Avraham, Multichannel seismicevidencebearing on the origin of Bowers Ridge, Bering King, P. B., Tectonic map of North America, scale 1:5,000,000, Int. Geol. Congr., Comm. for the Geol. Map of the World, U.S. Sea, Geol. Soc.Am. Bull., 92(7), 474-484, 1981. Geol. Surv., Reston, Va., 1968. Crough, S. T., Free-air gravity over the Hoggar massf, Northwest Africa: Evidence for alteration of the lithosphere, Tectono- King, P. B., Tectonic Map of North America, scale 1:5,000,000, U.S. Geol. Surv., Reston, Va., 1969. physics,77, 189-202, 1981.

NEEV AND HALL.' A GLOBAL SYSTEMOF SPIRALINGGEOSUTURES

10,707

Basin (easternmost Mediterranean), Geology, 3, 683-686, King, P. B., The Evolution of North America, 2nd ed., Princeton 1975. University Press,Princeton, N.J., 1977. Kiryukhin, L. G., Geotectonicprerequisites of oil and gaspresence Neev, D., The Pelusium Line-A major transcontinental shear, Tectonophysics, 38, T1-T8, 1977. in Prejurassic sediments of young platforms in Eurasia,GeoNeev, D., J. K. Hall, and J. M. Saul, The Pelusiummegashear system tectonics, 2, 36-49, 1978. across Africa and associatedlineament swarms, J. Geophys. Klitgord, K. D., P. Poponoe,and H. Schouten,Florida: A Jurassic Res., 87, 1015-1030, 1982. transformplate boundary, submittedto J. Geophys. Res., 1982. Kluth, C. F., and P. J. Coney, Plate tectonics of the ancestral O'Driscoll, E. S. T., The double helix in global tectonics,Tectonophysics,63, 397-417, 1980. Rocky Mountains,Geology,9(1), 10-15, 1981. Kutina, J., Relationshipbetween the distribution of big endogenic Offield, T. W., E. A. Abbott, A. R. Gillespie, and S. O. Loguercio, Structure mapping on enhancedLandsat imagesof southern ore deposits and the basement fracturepattern- examples from Brazil: Tectonic control of mineralization and speculations four continents, Proceedings of the First International Conon metallogeny, Geophysics, 42, 482-500, 1977. ference on The New BasementTectonics, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 3-7, 1974, edited by R. A. Hodgson,S. P. Gay, Jr., and O'Leary, D. W., and S. L. Simpson,Remote sensorapplications to tectonism and seismicityin the northern part of the MissisJ. Y. Benjamins,Utah Geol.Assoc.Publ., 5,565-593, 1976. sippiembayment, Geophysics, 42, 542-548, 1977. Ladd, J. W., Relativemotion of South America with respect to A. L. Knipper,M. S. North America and Caribbean tectonics, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., Peive,A. V., A. L. Yanshin,L. P. Zonenshain, Markov, A. A. Mossakovsky, A. S. Perfilkev, Yu. M. Pushcha87, 969-976, 1976. roysky, A. E. Shlezinger, and N. A. Shtreis,Formation of the Laughton,A. S., D. P. McKenzie,and J. G. Sclater,The structure continental earth's crust of North Eurasia (relative to the comand evolution of the Indian Ocean, Int. Geol. Congr. Rep. pilation of the new tectonic map), Geotectonics,5, 6-23, Session,24th, 65-73, 1972. 1976. Le Pichon,X., and J. Angelier,The Hellenicare and trenchsystem: Ltd., Tectonic map of the Middle East, scale A key to the neotectonic evolutionof the eastern Mediterranean Petroconsultants, 1:5,000,000, in Geologyand HydrocarbonPotential of the area,Tectonophysics, 60, 1-42, 1979. Middle East, enclosure10, Geneva, 1977. Manspeizer, W., J. H. Puffer, and H. L. Cousminer, Separation of Morocco and eastern North America: A Triassic-Liassic stratiPitman, W. C., III, and M. Talwani, Sea-floor spreading in the North Atlantic, Geol. Soc.Am. Bull., 83,619-646, 1972. graphic record,Geol.Soc.Am. Bull., 89, 901-920, 1978. Marlow, M. S., and A. K. Cooper,Mesozoic andCenozoicstructural Powell, C. M., and P. J. Conaghan,Plate tectonicsand the Himalayas,Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 20, 1-12, 1973. trends under southern Bering Sea shelf, Bull. Am. Assoc.Pet. Powers,R. W., L. F. Ramirez, C. D. Redmont, and E. L. Elberg, Geol., 64(12), 2139-2155, 1980. Geologyof the Arabian Peninsula, U.S. Geol. Surv.Prof. Pap., Marsh, J. S., Relationships between transform directionsand al560-D. 1966 kaline igneousrock lineaments in Africa and South America, Scheibner,E., Theory of lateralpropagation (infliction, imposition) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 18, 317-323, 1973. of major shears,Proceedings of the First InternationalConMartin, A. K., C. J. H. Hartnady,and S. W. Goodlad,A revised fit ference on The New Basement Tectonics, Salt Lake City, Utah, of South America and South Central Africa, Earth Planet. Sci. June 3-7, 1974, edited by R. A. Hodgson,S. P. Gay, Jr., and Lett., 54,293-305, 1981. J. Y. Benjamins, Utah Geol.Assoc. Publ., 5,604-608, 1976. McConnell,R. B., The geological development of the rift system of Scholl, D. W., E. C. Buffington,and M. S. Marlow, Plate tectonics eastern Africa, Geol.Soc.Am. Bull., 83, 2549-2572, 1972. and the structural evolution of the Aleutian-Bering Sea region, McConnell, R. B., Evolution of taphrogeniclineaments in conContributions to the Geology of the Bering Sea Basin and tinentalplatforms,Geol.Rundschau., 63(2), 389-430, 1974. Adjacent Regions,edited by R. B. Forbes, Spec. Pap. Geol. McHone, J. G., Comment and reply on 'Mesozoichotspot epeiroSoc. Am., 151, 1--31, 1975. genyin eastern North America'by S. T. Crough,Geology, 9(8), Scholle,P. A., The Sestii-Voltaggio Line: A transformfault induced 341-343, 1981. tectonicboundarybetweenthe Alps and the Apennines, Am. J. McKenzie,D., and J. G. Sclater,The evolutionof the Indian Ocean Sci., 269, 343-359, 1970. since the Late Cretaceous,Geophys.J. R. Astron. Soc., 25, Sclater, J. G., and J. R. Heirtzler, An introduction to deep sea 437-528, 1971. drilling in the Indian Ocean, in Indian Ocean Geologyand BioMenard,H. W., Geologyof the Pacificseafloor, Experientia,15, strattraphy, edited by J. R. Heirtzler, pp. 1-24, Washington, 205-213, 1959. D.C., 1977. Menaxd,H. W., Marine Geologyof the Pacific, McGraw-Hill, New Simpson,E. S. W., Evolutioniof the South Atlantic, Geol. Soc. S. York, 1964. Air., Annex. 80, 1-15, 1977. Mohajer-Ashjai, A., H. Behzadi,and M. Berberian,Reflectionson the rigidity of the Lut Block and recentcrustaldeformationin Slettene, R. L., L. E. Wilcox, R. S. Blouse, and J. B. Sanders, Bouguer Gravity Anomaly Map of Africa, scale 1:20,000,000 easternIran, Tectonophysics, 25,281-301, 1975. with 20 mgal contours,Tech. Pap. 73-007, 2nd ed., U.S. Def. Moody, J. D., Crustal shear patterns and orogenesis, TectonoMapp. AgencyAerospace Cent., St. LouisAFS, Mo., 1973. physics, 3, 479-522, 1966. Moody, J. D., andM. J. Hill, Wrench-fault tectonics, Geol.Soc.Am. St. John, B., Sedimentarybasinsof the world and giant hydrocarbon accumulations, text and 1:40,000,000 scale map, Am. Bull., 67, 1207-1246, 1956. Assoc.Pet. Geol., Tulsa, Okla., 1980. Morgan,W. J., Platemotionsand deepmantleconvection, Studies of 'Shear patterns of the earth's crust' in Earth and SpaceSciences, edited by R. Shagam, R. B. Hat- Sonder, R. A., Discussion by F. VeningMeinesz, Eos Trans.AGU, 28(6), 923-946, 1947. graves, W. J. Morgan, F. B. Van Houten, C. A. Burk, H. D. St6cklin, J., A reviewof the structural historyand tectonics of Iran, Holland, and L. C. Hollister,Mere. Geol. Soc. Am., 132, 7-22, Geol. Surv. of Iran, Teheran, 1965. 1972. Mstislavsky, M. M., A.M. Mezentsev, and L. V. Olofinsky,Tectonic St6cklin, J., Structural history and tectonics of Iran: A review, Bull. Am. Assoc.Pet. Geol., 52, 1229-1258, 1968. zonation of the Pre-Jurassic basementof the Mangyshlakuplift St6cklin, J., Possible ancientcontinental maxgins in Iran, in Geology zone, Geotectonics, 2, 63-77, 1980. of Continental Margins,editedby C. A. Burk and C. L. Drake, Muehlberger,W. R., Late Paleozoicmovement along the Texas pp. 873-887, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1974. Lineament,Trans. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 24(4), 385-392, 1965. St6cklin, J., J. Eftekhar-nezhad, and A. Hushmand-zadeh, Central Murray, B.C., Mars from Mariner 9, Sci. Am., 228(1), 48-69, Lut reconnaissance - East Iran, Rep. Geol. Surv. Iran, 22, 1973. 1972. Nafe, J. E., and C. L. Drake, Floor of the North Atlantic-Summary E., DasAntlitz der Erde, F. Tempsky,Vienna, 1888. of geophysical data, North Atlantic-Geologyand Continental Suess, Sundvor,E., and E. Nysaether, Geological outlineof the Norwegian Drift, editedby M. Kay, Mere. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.,12, 59-

continental margin between 60 and 68 North, Canada's 87, 1969. ContinentalMargins,edited by C. J. Y orath, E. R. Parker,and National Geographic Society, National Geographic physicalglobe, D. J. Glass, Mere. Can.Soc.Pet. Geol.,4,267-281, 1975. scale1:31,360,000, Washington, D.C., 1979. of the polar marginof Neev,D., Tectonicevolutionof the Middle East and the Levantine Sweeney,J. F., Structureand development

10,708

NEEV AND HALL: A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF SPIRALING GEOSUTURES

North America, in Dynamics of Passive Margins, Geodyn. Ser., vol. 6, edited by R. Scrutton, pp. 17-29, AGU, Washington, D.C., 1982. Tapponnier, P., and P. Molnar, Slip-line field theory and large-scale continental tectonics, Nature, 264, 319-324, 1976. Thomas, G. E., The crustal fracture system of North America and its possible origin, Proceedingsof the First International Conference on The New Basement Tectonics, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 3-7, 1974, edited by R. A. Hodgson, S. P. Gay, Jr., and J. Y. Benjamins,Utah Geol.Assoc.Publ., 5,537-549, 1976. Times of London, Times Atlas of the World, 5th ed., prepared in collaboration with John Bartholomew, Edinburgh, 1975. UNESCO, International tectonic map of Europe, scale 1:2,500,000, Moscow, 1964. UNESCO, Tectonic map of Africa, scale1:15,000,000, G. Choubert and A. Faure-Muret, convenors,Paris, 1968. UNESCO, International geological map of Europe, scale 1: 5,000,000, H. R. V. Gaertner and H. W. Walther, coordinators,
Hannover, 1971.

with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA, Reston, Va.,

1972.

U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic map of the Arabian Peninsula, scale 1:2,000,000, U.S. Geol. Surv. MiscellaneousGeologic Investigations Map 1-270A, 1973. U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office, Bathymetric map of the Medi-

terranean Sea, scale1:1,100,000 at latitude 3730'N, six charts

prepared under the direction of the U.S. Nav. Oceanogr.Office, Washington, D.C., 1971. Vening Meinesz, F. A., Shear patterns of the earth's crust, Eos Trans.AGU, 28(1), 1-61, 1947. Wegener, A., Die Entstehung der Kontinente und Ozeane, 3rd ed., Friedr. Vieweg, Braunschweig, 1922. Wilson, J. T., A new classof faults and their bearingon continental drift, Nature, 207, 343-347, 1965. Winrefer, E. L., Anomalies in the tectonic evolution of the Pacific,

in Geophysicsof the Pa. cific Ocean Basin and Its Margins, Geophys.Mono. Serv., vol. 19, edited by G. H. Sutton, M. H.
Manghnani, and R. Moberly, pp. 269-278, D.C., 1976.
(Received December 2,1981; revisedMay 18, 1982; accepted July 23, 1982.)

AGU, Washington,

UNESCO, Geologicalworld atlas, scale 1:10,000,000, G. Choubert

and A. Faure-Muret, convenors, Paris, 1976.

U.S. Geological Survey, Shaded relief map of Mars, scale 1: 25,000,000 at the equator, from the Atlas of Mars, MM 25M 1R, 1:25 Million Cartographic Series 1-810, prepared in cooperation