JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 87, NO.

B5, PAGES 3861-3867, MAY 10, 1982

The Emplacement of Ophiolites by Collision

ZvI BEN-AVRAHAM AND AMOS NUR

Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305

DAVID JONES

U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94305

Ophiolites,recognizedin most of the world's orogenicbelts, are generallyinterpretedto be oceanic

crust and upper mantle (lithosphere)fragmentsthat have been incorporatedinto continentalmarginsat
consumingplate boundaries.We suggestthat the mechanismfor ophiolite emplacementis the samein
both the Alpine and Andean-type orogenes. In both geological settings, obduction of oceanic
lithosphereonto the continentallithosphereis causedby the convergenceof light, buoyantbodiessuch
as oceanicplateaus,continentalslivers, island arcs, or old hot spot traces. For example, the Troodos
ophiolite complex, previously interpreted by some workers as resultingfrom continental collision,
may have been emplacedby the collisionof Cyprus with the EratosthenesPlateau embeddedin the
oceaniceasternMediterraneancrust. On the other hand, the Upper JurassicCoastRangeophiolitesof
California, previouslyinterpretedas resultingfrom typical oceanicsubduction,may be the result of a
continuousinjection of thick nonsubductablepackagesof light, continentallyderived sedimentary
rocks, seamounts,and plateausinto the subductionzones. Many other ophiolite complexesmay be
similarly related to accreted terranes.

INTRODUCTION ic, and/or carbonate rocks that are structurally bounded

The term ophiolite refers to a distinctive assemblageof below by a major thrust fault (underlyingrocks are not part
mafic to ultramafic rocks ideally including, in ascending of the craton), and (3) highly disruptedophiolitic rocks that
occur as isolated blocks in a matrix of sheared serpentinite
order, ultramafic, gabbroic, mafic sheeted dike, mafic vol-
canic complexes,and overlyingpelagic sedimentaryrocks, ('serpentinite m61ange')or, more commonly, in a sheared
including ribbon chert and limestone [Geotimes, 1972]. but little metamorphosedpelitic matrix.
Ophiolites are generally interpretedas fragmentsof oceanic These three categoriescan be gradationalin part, but all
crust and upper mantle which were generatedat mid-ocean seem to be variable phenomenaassociatedwith the more
ridgesor marginalbasinsand subsequentlyincorporatedinto general problem of growth of new continentalcrust through
accretion of allochthonousterranes [Coney et al., 1980;Ben-
continental margins at consumingplate boundaries[Cole-
man, 1971; Dewey and Bird, 1970, 1971; Davies, 1971; Avraham et al., 1981]. More specificexplanations, such as
Moores and Vine, 1971; Church, 1972]. They have been
that of Gealey [1980], who believes that many of the ophioli-
recognized in most Phanerozoic orogenic belts of the world tic belts represent the forearc limb of an island arc which
including the Mediterranean, New Guinea, New Caledonia, collided with a passive continental margin or a continental
the Appalachians, and the North American Cordillera. Most fragment, are too restrictive and are not applicableto many
ophiolitic occurrences.
geologists agree that most of the slabs of ophiolite are
allochthonous from where they occur today [Coleman,
ROLE OF COLLISION
1977].
The actual mechanism of ophiolite emplacement along A conceptual model for ophiolite emplacementby conti-
continental margins, however, is highly debated [Coleman, nental collision is described by the 'flake tectonics' of
1977, 1980]. Most explanations have focused on ophiolitic Oxburgh [ 1972], involving splittingof the lithospherewithin
slabsthat have been emplacedCobducted')onto continental the continentalcrustthat is causedby the topographyof the
lithosphere, such as the Vourinous and Troodos massifsin continental crust, which may be several kilometers higher
the Mediterranean region. These occurrences have been than the oceaniccrust. Mattauer et al. [1980]have suggested
explained by 'flake tectonics' [Oxburgh, 1972] or by 'sub- that the choking of subductionis necessaryfor ophiolite
duction flipping' [Roeder, 1973]. However, the tectonic emplacementin general.
setting of ophiolites is far more complex than indicated by Emplacementof ophiolitein zoneswhich are not associat-
theserelatively simpleexamples[Dewey, 1976].A review of ed with continental collision is more difficult to understand.
ophiolite occurrences in the western Cordilleran of North Because during regular subductionof ocean lithosphere
America by Irwin and Jones [1981] shows three broad deformation remains confinedto a narrow zone, it is unclear
tectonic settings: (1) sheets of ophiolite with minor chert why emplacementof ophiolitesshouldtake place. Therefore
emplaced over mildly to intensely deformed rocks of conti- the emplacementof ophiolitesaround the Pacific marginsis
nental affinity, (2) ophiolitic rocks forming the depositional often thought to involve young or anomalouslyhot oceanic
base of very thick (--•4-10 km) sequencesof clastic, volcan- lithospherefrom which the ophioliteswere derived [Dewey,
1976; Coleman, 1977], suchas the subductionof a spreading
Copyright ¸ 1982 by the American GeophysicalUnion. ridge or the collision of an active volcanic arc with continen-
Paper number 2B0220. tal margin and the closureof a marginalbasin [Karig, 1972;
0148-0227/82/002B-0220505.00 Dewey, 1976]. In both situations, young, hot oceanic litho-
3861
3862 BEN-AVRAHAM ET AL.: OPHIOLITE EMPLACEMENT

sphereis interactingwith the subductionzone. The volcanic by a polarity switch or a jump to the oceanic side of the
arc-continent collision mechanism has been invoked to ex-
plateau [Dickinson, 1978].Thus someof the oceanicplateaus
plain the emplacementof ophiolitesin Papua-NewGuinea, that causedthe emplacementof ophiolitesupon their arrival
Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, and New Caledonia[Da- in subduction zones are still offshore.
vies, 1971, 1980; Aubouin, 1980; Parrot and Dugas, 1980; There is evidence suggestingthat the emplacement of
Gealey, 1980] as well as in the Josephineophiolite in ophiolites was accomplishedby the collision of relatively
northwesternCalifornia [Harper, 1980]. The destructionof small microplates even in the Alpine system [Burchfiel,
marginalbasinsmay explainthe closeassociations of many 1980], preceding the full collision of the respective conti-
ophiolites with island arc assemblages[Coleman, 1977], nents. This conclusion suggests that ophiolites may be
whereas active ridge subduction and the destruction of emplaced in the early stagesof ocean-basinclosure, before
marginalbasinsmay explainthe shorttime spanbetweenthe and during the collision stage of the tectonic cycle. There-
formation of many ophiolitesand their emplacement[e.g., fore, ophiolitesmay not simply indicate the suturezone of
Christensenand Salisbury,1975]. Whateverthe specific closure of their respective ocean basins[Church, 1980] but
details, there appearsto be goodagreementthat the arrival also the arrival of fragments into subductionzones. These
of elevated crust, such as an active spreadingridge or fragmentsmay or may not be the forerunnersof continental
volcanic arc, at continentalmarginis necessaryfor obduc- collision.
tion to proceed. If our conceptsare correct, then ophiolitesmust be parts
of an oceanic crustal section thicker than normal oceanic
PROPOSED MODEL
crust because the oceanic crust involved was derived from
During the past few years abundant evidence has been the marginsof various highsin the ocean suchas microcon-
gatheredin supportof the conceptthat much of the Pacific tinents and oceanicplateaus. Also, their compositionmust
margin of North America constitutes an enormous tectonic be somewhat different from normal oceanic crust. Indeed,
collage formed by the accretion of allochthonousterranes Cameron et al. [1980] have noted the petrographicdissimi-
during the Mesozoic [Coneyet al., 1980;Joneset al., 1977; larities between most ophiolites and ocean floor basalts
Monger and Price, 1979;Hamilton, 1969].This evidencehas sampledfrom large ocean basinsand marginalbasins.The
led to a changein the long held view of the North American mechanical process responsiblefor deriving these anoma-
Cordillera as an entirely Andean-typecontinentalmargin lous pieces is unclear.
orogen which has evolved as a result of continuous subduc-
EXAMPLES
tion activity during Mesozoic-Cenozoictime. Recent work
by Monger and Price [1979], Coney et al. [1980], and Ben- According to the model outlined above, ophiolites are
Avraham et al. [1981] shows that the North American emplaced along continental marginsas a result of collisions
Cordillera has evolved throughcollisionssimilarto typical between relatively small features such as oceanicplateaus
continentalcollision, such as the Himalayan orogen. Al- and continents at subduction zones. We believe that this
lochthonousterranesare alsofoundin otherportionsof the model is true for both the subduction-typeorogenyaround
North Pacific margin such as Siberia and Japan; many of the Pacific margin and the Alpine orogen, as revealed by
these terranes have migrated several thousand kilometers several examples from the Pacific margin and the Alpine
over periods of tens of millions of years [e.g., Hillhouse, system.
1977;McElhinny, 1973].We suggestthat the emplacementof
ophiolites is associated with the accretion of such terranes. Cyprus
Modern analogiesfor someallochthonousterranesmay be The Troodos ophiolite complex, consideredthe best stud-
found in the puzzling rises or plateaus, present in all of ied ophiolite complex in the world [Coleman, 1977; Gass,
today's oceans [Ben-Avraham et al., 1981]. Included are 1963; Moores and Vine, 1971], is thought to be a portion of
rises which have been thought of as extinct arcs, extinct oceanic crust that formed at a spreadingcenter in the Tethys
spreadingridges, detachedand submergedcontinentalfrag- Ocean or within a basin along the Tethys marginduringthe
ments, anomalousvolcanicpiles, or uplifted normal oceanic Mesozoic. The emplacementof the complex probably took
crust. Someof theseoceanicplateausare presentlycolliding place some time in Late Cretaceous [Robertson, 1977]. Two
with subductionzones, suchas the Nazca ridgewith South mechanismsof emplacementhave been proposed.In one the
America, while others will collide in the future, such as the Troodos massif corresponds to the ridge axis itself [i.e.,
Shatsky rise with Japan. Desmet et al., 1980]. In a more popular view, the Troodos
The transformationof oceanicplateausinto allochthonous ophiolite complex is identified as an allochthonousslab of
terranes may take different forms dependingon, among ocean crust which has been thrust over the African shield
other things,whethertectonicstressis highor low. Seismic- [Gass and Masson-Smith, 1963; Vine et al., 1973]. Accord-
ity impliesthat stressin the easternPacificis high because ing to this view the easternMediterraneanis underlainby an
most of the seismic energy is released there [Kanamori, extension of the continental crust of the African shield
1977]. As a result, the colliding ridges may accrete to the [Woodside, 1977]and is thus thoughtto be a typical Alpine
continent through extensive deformation. In western North ophiolite, emplaced by the collision between Africa and
America the emplacementof ophiolitesvia allochthonous Turkey. The similarity of this complex to those in the
terranesis sometimesdifficultto trace becauseof the large- Apennines, the Vourinous, the Othris region, the Taurides,
scale concurrent and postaccretionaryhorizontal transla- and the Hatay-Bassit [Coleman, 1977] also favors this con-
tionsof hundredsof kilometers[MongerandPrice, 1979].In clusion.
contrast, in the low-stressregime, such as in the west and However, recent geophysicalstudiesin the easternMedi-
north Pacific, plateaus are not forced into the continents. terranean and in Cyprus indicate that this model may be
Instead, the subductionzone configurationcan be changed incorrect. Newly completed seismicrefraction results [Ben-
 BEN-AVRAHAM ET AL.: OPHIOLITE EMPLACEMENT 3863

Today the region between Cyprus and Eratosthenesis the

deepestin this area but bearsno clear evidencefor present
underthrusting.It is consideredthe northernboundaryof the
Sinai plate, which is still an active collisionzone, as evident
by the seismicity[McKenzie, 1972].Current interpretations
which suggestthat the ophiolitecomplexis a rootlessslabof
oceanic crust approximately 11 km thick [Gass, 1967; Vine
et al., 1973] are consistent with a transitional crust which
could have originally been part of the EratosthenesSea-
mount margin.
This situation is similar to the collision of the Bahama
bank with Cuba and Hispaniola. The Bahama also went
throughperiodsof uplift. The emplacementof ophiolitesin
Cuba has been interpreted as the result of a collision
between the Cuban arc and the Bahamaplatform [Gealey,
1980]duringthe middle Eocene. Similarly, the ophiolitesin
Hispaniolamay have beenemplacedby collisionwith the
Bahama bank.
Fig. 1. Th• Troodos ophiolit• complex on Cyp•s and th•
Eratosth•n•s s•amount •n th• •ast• M•dit•an•an. V•loc•ty
s•ctions of Cyp•s and •ast• M•dit•an•an ar• in k•s, and th• Western Pacific
location is m•k•d by t•angl•s [•t•r B•-A•m• •t •L, 19•9].
Open c•rcl•s sho• th• bound•y of th• subbottomstscturn •h•ch
The western Pacific is characterizedby marginal basins
produc•s th• Eratosth•n•s magneticanomaly[•t•r B•-A•m• •t associated with a low-stress regime. As a result, upon
•L, 19V•]. collision of an oceanic plateau with a plate boundary,
subductionwill eitherjump to the oceanicsideof the plateau
Avraham et al., 1979] show that the crust in the eastern or flip to the opposite side of the island arc. Therefore
Mediterranean south of Eratosthenes seamount is oceanic, plateaustend to dock intact with the surroundingcontinental
not continental, and is overlain by more than 10 km of margins. We suggestthat this docking process may be
sediment. Cyprus itself was found to be underlain by a responsiblefor thrusting ophiolite onto land. Several exam-
normal continental crust 30-km thick with a velocity of 6.0 ples of ophiolitesassociatedwith oceanicplateausoffshore
km/s to 10 km depth (Figure 1). This finding rules out can be recognizedin the western Pacific where ophiolitic
continental collision with Africa as the mechanism for the belts are known from New ZealandthroughNew Caledonia,
emplacementof the Troodos ophiolite complex. New Guinea, the Indonesian Archipelago, Japan, to the
Given the oceaniccrust, we suggestthat the Eratosthenes KamchatkaPeninsula.Severalof themare discussed below.
seamount south of Cyprus is responsiblefor the emplace- Geologicalevidencefrom Papua, which is underlainby a
ment. It is the most prominent bathymetric feature in the continental portion of Australia [Davies, 1980; Parrot and
eastern Mediterranean besideCyprus itself, rising 1200-1700 Dugas, 1980], shows that a northward dipping subduction
m above its surroundings,with a plateauliketop at about790 zone existed north of Papua prior to ophiolite emplacement
m below sea level, referred to by Ryan et al. [1971] as the in Paleocene
to earlyEocenetime.We suggestthecausefor
Eratosthenesplateau. Analysisof the large magneticanoma- boththeemplacement of themainophiolite
beltin Papua-
lies surrounding the Eratosthenes seamount [Ben-Avraharn New Guinea, and the cessationof subductionactivity is the
et al., 1976] revealed that it is superimposedon a much Trobriand platform, now locatedjust north of easternPapua
larger root structure, which occupiesa substantialportion of (Figure 2). This platform with a crustal thicknessof 24km
the eastern Mediterranean basin. The analysis also suggests [Finlayson et al., 1977] docked and caused the shift in
that the Eratosthenes seamount, including its subsurface subduction.Much like the Troodos ophiolite, the thickness
continuation, may have been rotated counterclockwisesince of the Papua ophiolite complex, estimatedto be 8-10 km
the time of its formation. [Davies, 1980], is greater than normal oceanic crust.
The process of emplacement of the Troodos ophiolite The ophiolites in the Solomon Islands were possibly
complex may have been as follows. During the Late Creta- emplaced in a similar manner. Subductionto the south was
ceous, northward underthrustingof the normal oceanic part active along the north Solomontrench during Oligoceneto
of the African plate took place along a subductionzone Miocene time. Upon the arrival of the OntongJava plateau
situated south of Cyprus [Robertson, 1977]. The Eratosthe- about 12m.y. ago[ParrotandDugas, 1980],ophioliteswere
nes seamount moved north and collided with Cyprus some- emplacedand subductionflippedto the southernsideof the
time in the Campanian. The arrival of the Eratosthenes SolomonIslands.Paleomagnetic resultsfrombasementrock
seamountthen emplacedthe allochthonøusTroodosophio- recovered at DSDP site 289 on the Ontorig Java plateau
lite complexin Maastrichtiantime. Thereafter, uplift pulses which has crustal thicknessup to 42 km [Fururnotoet al.,
occurred in the middle Miocene and the Pleistocene [Robert- !976] indicate that it moved 32ø north [Hammond et al.,
son, 1977] as a result of the continuousjostling of the 1975]before collidingwith the Solomonarc. At presentthere
Eratosthenesseamountwith Cyprus. Geologicalevidencein is no active collision between the Ontorig Java plateau
souther
nCyprus
[Greitzer
andConstantinou,
1978]
indicates(Figure 2) and the Solomon Islands.
that a topographichigh, probably the Eratosthenessea- A few ophiolite bodiesexist on the island of Luzon in the
mount, was above sea level and served as a sediment source Philippines, in the Cordillera Central and Zambales Range
between the upper Oligocene and the upper Miocene. on the west, and in the Sierra Madre Range on the east. The
3864 BEN-AVRAHAM ET AL.: OPHIOL!TE EMPLACEMENT

Oo

AND PL.

10øS

1,50 ø 160øW

Fig. 2. Papuaophiolitecomplex,SolomonIslandophiolitecomplexes,and OntongJavaandTrobriandplateausin the

southwest Pacific.

latter is associatedwith the Benham rise (Figure 3), offshore North America [Coney et al., 1980]. One of the best known
east of Luzon. At present,an active subductionzone exists examples is the Cache Creek terrane, which consistsof a
along the Manila trench west of Luzon. Karig [1973] sug- thick assemblageof upper Paleozoicfusulinid-bearinglime-
geststhat prior to the presentsubductionalongthe Manila stone overlying mafic and ultramafic rocks of ophiolitic
trench, subduction was active on the east side of Luzon character. Monger [1975, 1977]has suggestedthat the lime-
connectingthe Philippinetrench and the Ruykyu trench. We stone accumulated on basaltic seamountsbuilt directly on
suggestthat it was the arrival of the Benham rise at the oceanic crust, comparableto the present-dayBahamapla-
trench on the east side of Luzon during the Miocene which teau. The presencewithin the limestoneof Tethyan fusulinid
causedthe emplacementof the ophiolitein the SierraMadre faunas not indigeneousto North America [Monger and
Range, the cessationof subduction,and its flipping to the Ross, 1971] attests to the allochthonous nature of the Cache
Manila trench on the west side of the island. The ophiolites Creek terrane. Structurallyboundingthe lower limit of this
on the west side of Luzon were possiblyemplacedat later terrane is a major thrust fault, below which occur Mesozoic
stagesdue to collisionsof seamountswith the Manila trench
[Hawkins, 1980]. Hawkins believes that the Zambales Range
120øE 130 ø
formed in a differentplaceand movedto its presentposition
by the late Tertiary time. 20 ø
The emplacementof otherophiolitesin the westernPacific
may also be related to the accretion of oceanic plateausat
plate boundaries. For example, the collision of the Sula
platform, a continentalfragmentfrom New Guinea [Hamil-
ton, 1979], with Celebescould have causedthe emplacement
of the ophiolite complex on the eastern side of the island.
The ophiolitesin the Shimantoterrane in southernShikoku,
Japan, could have been emplaced by the collision of the
northward moving Izu Bonin ridge with Japan. Recent
paleomagneticstudies (S. Uyeda, written communication,
1980) show that much of the Shimanto terrane has far
southern origins.

Eastern Pacific
10øN
The high-stressregime in the easternPacific [Uyeda and
Kanamori, 1979] causesthe collisionof accretedplateausto
continueuntil they are fully incorporatedinto the continental
margin, causingextensivedeformation.Numerousallochth- Fig. 3. The Sierra Madra, Cordillera Central, and Zambales
onous terranes, some of which were once oceanic plateaus ophioliticcomplexeson Luzon and Benhamrise in the Philippine
with ophiolitic basement,have been identifiedin western Sea.
 BEN-AVRAHAM ET AL.' OPHIOLITE EMPLACEMENT 3865

, w • E
WL•
J •
• • w
• • • Z

• z • • • •w •NGE
THU•
• eOe
•..' •/ G•EAT
VALLEY
•EA LEVEL
• • ..••;. •LP. 7' • .
SEQUENCE

BASEMENT
' / I•••PH
IOLIT
E
FRAGMENTS YOLLABOLLYTERRANE
O 25 50 Km
I I i

Fig. 4. Schematiccrosssectiondrawn acrossthe Coast Rangeof Calffo•ia from Point Arena to Stonyford[after

volcani½lasticrocks of the Stikine terrane [Monger, 1975]. minor chert and volcanic rocks. The intervening melange
Another exampleof ophioliticrocks that form the baseof matrix is lithologically and pa!eontologicallysimilar to the
a thick, well-stratifiedsequenceis the CoastRangeophiolite lower part of the Great Valley Sequenceand containsblocks
of California [Bailey et al., 1970;Hopson et al., 1981]. This of pillow basalt and ultramafic rocks probably derived from
Late Jurassic ophiolite is depositionallyoverlain by a very the Coast Range ophiolite [Blake and Jones, 1974].
thick (--•20 km), structurally simple sequence of Upper Parts of the Franciscanassemblageare metamorphosedto
Jurassic
andCretaceous
marineturbiditicsandstone,
mud- blue schist facies, implying high pressure-low temperature
stone, and conglomerate (Great Valley Sequence). These conditionsgenerallyattributedto subductionzones. The
rocks are widespread throughout the coastal ranges of disrupted character of the melange matrix is also a feature
western California and southwesternOregon and occur as commonly associated with zones of convergence [Hsu,
far southas the VizcainoPeninsulaof Baja California, 1971].
Mexico. Thus, the Coast Rangeophioliteis the largest, most Possibly,the emplacementof the CoastRangeophioliteat
continuous,and best-studiedophioliticsuiteknown in North highcrustallevelsis a resultof thecontinuous
injection
of
America. thick nonsubductablepackages of light, continentally de-
Throughout its extent, the Coast Range ophiolite and rived sedimentary rocks, seamounts,and plateaus into the
overlying
sedimentary areboundbelowby a major subduction
package zones.
Thisinjection
caused
progressive
western
fault, known as the Coast Range thrust [Bailey et al., 1970]. migration of the main zone of convergencealongwhich most
This structure, originally nearly a flat fault, has been folded of the oceanic crust and overlying pelagic material disap-
locally and overturnedby later Cenozoicmovements(Figure peared. The continentallyderived material known as the
Yolla Bolly terrane is considered to be an allochthonous
4). Beneath the Coast Range thrust is a structurallycomplex
assemblageknown as the Franciscancomplex, consistingof terrane of uncertain origin [Blake and Jones, 1974]. Only
many imbricated coherent slabsor nappesof variable sizes scrapsof transportedseamounts[Alvaez et al., 1980]remain
set in a matrix of disruptedargillite [Blake and Jones, 1974,
as vestiges of the passageof vast volumes of oceanic crust
1981; Jones et al., 1978]. under the continental margin. Most of these thicker oceanic
The coherentslabsvary in composition from oceanic fragments were tectonically kneaded into the melange ma-
assemblages(seamounts), composed dominantly of pillow tfix, which is thus a residum of locally derived sediments,
basalt capped by limestone and chert, to thick packagesof scraps of ophiolite basement, and remnants of far-traveled
continentally
derivedquartzofeldspathic
gray•ackewith allochthonous terranes.

---M .- -........ M .... M

ß

Fig. 5. Cartoondepicting
eraplacement
of anophiolite
bycollision
ofa continental
fragment
witha continental
margin
(modifiedfrom Oxburgh [1972]).
3866 BEN-AVRAHAM ET AL..' OPHIOLITE EMPLACEMENT

CONCLUSION Geology of ContinentalMargins, pp. 853-872, Springer-Verlag,

New York, 1974.
We suggestthat the mechanismfor ophioliteemplacement Burchfiel,B. C., EasternEuropeanAlpine systemandthe Carpathi-
is the samein both the Alpine and Andean-typeorogenes.In an oroclineas an exampleof collisiontectonics,TectonophysicS,
both cases,obductionof oceaniclithosphereonto the conti- 63, 31-61,. 1980.
nental lithosphere is caused by the convergenceof light, Cameron, W. E., E.G. Nisbet, and V. J. Dietrich, Petrographic
dissimilaritiesbetween ophiolitic and ocean-floorbasalts,in
buoyant bodiesin the form of oceanicplateaus,continental Ophiolites,ProceedingsInternational OphioliteSymposium,Cy-
slivers,islandarcs, or old hot spottraces(Figure5). Without prus, 1979, edited by A. Panayiotou, pp. 182-192, Geological
such light material, obduction does not occur. As an exam- Survey Departmentof Cyprus, Nicosia, 1980.
ple, the Troodosophiolitecomplexpreviouslythoughtto be Christensen,N. I., and M. H. Salisbury,Structureand constitution
of the lower oceaniccrust,Rev. Geophys.SpacePhys.,13, 57-86,
a typical continental collision-type, was possiblyemplaced 1975.
by the collision of Cyprus with the Eratosthenesplateau Church, W. R., Ophiolite:Its definition,originas oceaniccrust,and
which is embedded in the oceanic eastern Mediterranean mode of emplacementin orogenicbelts, with specialreferenceto
crust. We have also suggested that different modes of the Appalachians,Publ. 42, pp. 71-85, Can. Dep. of Energy,
collision occur in the western and eastern Pacific. In the Mines and Resour., Ottawa, 1972.
Church, W. R., Late Proterozoicophiolites,OrogenicMafic and
western Pacific where the stress regime is low, collision of Ultramafic Association,edited by C. Allegre and J. Aubouin,
an oceanicplateauwith a plate boundarycausesthe subduc- Colloq. Int. CNRS, 272, 105-117, 1980.
tion zone to eitherjump to the oceanicsideof the plateauor Coleman, R. G., Plate tectonic emplacementof upper mantle
flip to the oppositeside of the island arc. Thus some of the peridotitesalongcontinentaledges,J. Geophys.Res., 76, 1212-
1222, 1971.
oceanicplateauswhich emplacedophiolitesupon their colli- Coleman, R. G., Ophiolites,Ancient OceanicLithosphere?,edited
sion with subduction zones are still offshore. In the eastern
by P. J. Wyllie, 229 pp., Springer-Verlag,New York, 1977.
Pacific the stressregime is high. As a result, the colliding Coleman,R. G., Ophiolitetectonicsand metamorphism, Orogenic
plateaus may accrete to the continent through extensive Mafic and Ultramafic Association,edited by C. Allegre and J.
deformation. In western North America the emplacement Aubouin, Colloq. Int. CNRS, 272, 167-184, 1980.
Coney,P. J., D. L. Jones,andJ. W. H. Monger,Cordilleransuspect
process is involved with large-scaleconcurrent and postac- terranes, Nature, 288, 329-333, 1980.
cretionary horizontal translationsof hundredsof kilometers. Davies,H. L., Peridotite-gabbro-basalt complexin easternPapua:
We suggestthat the Upper JurassicCoast Rangeophiolites, An overthrust plate of oceanic mantle and crust, Bull. Bur. Min.
previously interpretedas a typical oceanicsubduction-type, Resour. Geol. Geophys.Aust., 128, 48 pp., 1971.
may be the result of the continuous injection of thick Davies, H. L., Crustal structureand emplacementof ophiolitein
southeasternPapuaNew Guinea, OrogenicMafic and Ultramafic
nonsubductablepackagesof light, continentallyderived sed- Association,edited by C. Allegre and J. Aubouin,Colloq. Int.
imentary rocks, seamounts,and plateausinto the subduction CNRS, 272, 17-33, 1980.
zones. We find that many other ophiolite complexes may Desmet, A., C. Gagny, H. Lapierre, J. F. Parrot, G. Rocci, andJ. J.
also be related to accreted terranes. Wagner, Petrogeneseet evolutiond'un complexefionienophioli-
tique: Exemple du Troodos(Chypre), OrogenicMafic and Ultra-
mafic Association,editedby C. Allegre and J. Aubouin,Colloq.
Acknowledgments. We thank Robert G. Colman for comments Int. CNRS, 272, 39-53, 1980.
and suggestions.This work was supportedby the geophysics Dewey, J. F., Ophiolite obduction, Tectonophysics,31, 93-120,
program, Earth Science Division, U.S. National Science Founda- 1976.
tion.
Dewey, J. F., and J. M. Bird, Mountain belts and the new global
tectonics,J. Geophys.Res., 75, 2625-2647, 1970.
REFERENCES
Dewey, J. F., and J. M. Bird, Origin and emplacementof the
Alvarez, W., D. V. Kent, I. Premoli-Silva, R. A. Schweickert, and ophiolite suite: Appalachian ophiolites in Newfoundland, J.
R. H. Larson, Franciscancomplex limestonedepositedat 17ø Geophys. Res., 76, 3179-3206, 1971.
south paleolatitude, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 91, 476-484, 1980. Dickinson, W. R., Plate tectonic evolution of north Pacificrim, J.
Aubouin, J., Sur la position tectonique des ophiolites, Orogenic Phys. Earth Suppl., 26, S1-19, 1978.
Mafic and Ultramafic Association, edited by C. Allegre and J. Finlayson, D. M., B. J. Drummond, C. D. M. Collins, and J. B.
Aubouin, Colloq. Int. CNRS, 272, 185-196, 1980. Connely, Crustal structuresin the regionof the Papuanultramafic
Bailey, E. H., M. C. Blake, Jr., and D. L. Jones, On-land Mesozoic belt, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 14, 13-20, 1977.
oceanic crust in California and coast ranges, U.S. Geol. Surv. Furumoto, A. S., J.P. Webb, M. E. Odegard,and D. M. Hussong,
Prof. Pap., 700-C, C70-C81, 1970. Seismicstudieson the OntongJava Plateau, 1970, Tectonophy-
Ben-Avraham, Z., Y. Shoham, and A. Ginzburg, Magnetic anoma- sics, 34, 71-90, 1976.
lies in the eastern Mediterranean and the tectonic setting of the Gass,I. G., Is the TroodosMassifof Cyprusa fragmentof Mesozoic
Eratosthenes Seamount, Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc., 45, 105- ocean floor?, Nature, 220, 39-42, 1963.
123, 1976. Gass, I. G., The ultrabasicvolcanic assemblageof the Troodos
Ben-Avraham, Z., A. Behle, J. Makris, A. Ginzburg, P. Geise, L. Massif, Cyprus,in Ultramaficand RelatedRocks,editedby P. J.
Steinmetz, and R. B. Whitmarsh, Crustal structure of the eastern Wyllie, pp. 121-134, JohnWiley, New York, 1967.
Mediterranean: A seismicrefractionprofile from Israel to Cyprus Gass,I. G., and D. Masson-Smith,The geologyandgravityanoma-
(abstract), Eos Trans. AGU, 60, 886-887, 1979. lies of the Troodos Massif, Cyprus, Philos. Trans. R. Soc.
Ben-Avraham, Z., A. Nur, D. Jones, and A. Cox, Continental London, Ser. A, 255, 417-467, 1963.
accretion and orogeny: From oceanic plateaus to allochthonous Gealey, W. K., Ophioliteobductionmechanism,in Ophiolites,
terranes, Science, 213, 45-54, 1981. ProceedingsInternationalOphioliteSymposium,Cyprus,1979,
Blake, M. C., Jr. and D. J. Jones,Origin of Franciscanmelangesin editedby A. Panayiotou,
pp. 228-243,Geological
SurveyDepart-
northern California, Modern and Ancient GeosynclinalSedimen- ment of Cyprus, Nicosia, 1980.
tation, Spec. Publ. Soc. Econ. Paleontol. Mineral., 19, 345-357, Geotimes,Penrosefield conferenceon ophiolites,17, 24-24, 1972.
1974. Greitzer,Y., andC. Constantinou,
Geologyof KourisRiverValley,
Blake, M. C., Jr., and D. L. Jones,The Franciscanassemblageand southof TroodosMassif,Cyprus(abstract),in TenthInternation-
related rocks in northern California: A reinterpretation, in The al Congresson Sedimentology,Abstracts,vol.l, pp. 272-273,
Geotectonic Development of California, edited by W. G. Ernst, International Associationof Sedimentologists,Jerusalem,Israel,
pp. 307-328, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1981. 1978.
Blake, M. C., Jr., D. L. Jones, and C. A. Landis, Active continental Hamilton, W., MesozoicCaliforniaandthe underflowof the mantle,
margins: Contrasts between California and New Zealand, in The Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 80, 2409-2430, 1969.
 BEN-AVRAHAM ET AL.: OPHIOLITE EMPLACEMENT 3867

Hamilton, W., Tectonics of the Indonesian region, U.S. Geol. Surv. McElhinny,M. W., Paleomagnetism andPlate Tectonics,358pp.,
Prof. Pap., 1078, 345 pp., 1979. CambridgeUniversity Press,New York, 1973.
Hammond, S. R., L. W. Kroenke, and F. Theyer, Northward McKenzie, D., Active tectonicsof the Mediterraneanregion,
motion of the Ontong-JavaPlateau between -110 and -30 m.y.: Geophys.J. R. Astron. Soc., 30, 109-185, 1972.
A paleomagneticinvestigationof DSDP site 289, Initial Rep. Deep Monger, J. W. H., Upper Paleozoicrocks of the Altin terrane,
Sea Drill. Proj., 30, 415-418, 1975. northwesternBritish Columbia and south-centralYukon, Geol.
Harper, G. D., The JosephineOphiolite--Remains of a Late Juras- Surv. Pap. Geol. Surv. Can., 74-47,63 pp., 1975.
sic marginal basin in northwestern California, Geology, 8, 333- Monger, J. W. H., Ophioliticassemblages in the CanadianCordille-
337, 1980. ra, North American Ophiolites, edited by D. G. Coleman and
Hawkins, J. W., Jr., Petrology of back-arc basins and island arcs: W. P. Irwin, Bull. Oreg. Dep. Geol. Miner. Ind., 95, 59-64, 1977.
Their possible role in the origin of ophiolites, in Ophiolites, Monger, J. W. H., and R. A. Price, Geodynamicevolutionof the
Proceedings International Ophiolite Symposium, Cyprus, 1979, CanadianCordillera--Progress andproblems,Can. J. Earth Sci.,
edited by A. Panayiotou,pp. 244-254, GeologicalSurvey Depart- 16, 770-791, 1979.
ment of Cyprus, Nicosia, 1980. Monger, J. W. H., and C. A. Ross, Distributionof fusulinaceansin
Hillhouse, J. W., Paleomagnetismof the Triassic Nikolai green- the westernCanadianCordillera,Can. J. Earth Sci., 8, 259-278,
stone, south central Alaska, Can. J. Earth Sci., 14, 2578-2592, 1971.
1977. Moores, E. M., and F. J. Vine, The TroodosMassif, Cyprusand
Hopson, C. A., J. M. Mattinson, and E. A. Pessagno,Jr., Coast other ophiolitesat oceaniccrust:Evaluationand implications,
Range ophiolite, western California, in The GeotectonicDevelop- Philos. Trans.R. Soc. London, Ser. A, 268, 443-466, 1971.
ment of California, edited by W. G. Ernst, pp. 419-510, Prentice- Oxburgh,E. R., Flake tectonicsand continentalcollision,Nature,
Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1981. 239, 202-204, 1972.
Hsu, K. J., Franciscan melanges as a model for eugeosynclinal Parrot, J. F., and F. Dugas,The disruptedophioliticbelt of the
sedimentationand underthrustingtectonics,J. Geophys.Res., 76, southwestPacific: Evidence of an Eocene subductionzone,
1162-1170, 1971. Tectonophysics,66, 349-372, 1980.
Irwin, W. P., and D. L. Jones, Distribution, age, and tectonic Roeder, D. H., Subductionand orogeny,J. Geophys.Res., 78,
significanceof ophiolites of western North America, in IGCP 5005-5024, 1973.
Ophiolite Project, edited by N. Bogdonov, in press, John Wiley, Robertson,A. H. F., Tertiaryuplifthistoryof the Troodosmassif,
New York, 1981. Cyprus, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 88, 1763-1772,1977.
Jones, D. L., N.J. Silberling, and J. W. Hillhouse, Wrangellia-a Ryan, W. B. F., D. J. Stanley,J. B. Hersey, D. A. Fahlquist,and
displacedterranein northwestern
North America,Can.J. Earth T. D. Allan, The tectonicsandgeologyof the Mediterranean Sea,
Sci., 14, 2565-2577, 1977. in TheSea, vol. 4, editedA. Maxwell,pp. 387-492,JohnWiley,
Jones, D. L., M. C. Blake, Jr., E. H. Bailey, and R. J. McLaughlin, New York, 1971.
Distribution and character of upper Mesozoic subductioncom- Uyeda, S., and H. Kanamori,Back-arcopeningand the modeof
plexes along the west coast, North America, Tectonophysics,47, subduction,J. Geophys.Res., 84, 1049-1061,1979. •
207-222, 1978. Vine,F. J., C. K. Poster,
andI. G. Gass,Aeromagnetic
survey
of
Kanamori, H., The energyreleasein great earthquakes,J. Geophys. the Troodosigneousmassif,Cyprus,Nature Phys.Sci., 244, 34-
Res., 82, 2981-2987, 1977. 38, 1973.
Karig, D. E., Remnant arcs, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 83, 1057-1068, Woodside, J. M., Tectonic elements and crust of the eastern
1972. Mediterranean,Mar. Geophys.Res., 3, 317-354, 1977.
Karig,D. E., Plateconvergence
betweenthe Philippines
andthe
Ryukyu Islands, Mar. Geol., 14, 153-168, 1973.
Mattauer, M., F. Proust, and P. Tapponnier, Tectonic mechanismof
obduction, in relation with high pressuremetamorphism,Orogen- (ReceivedMay 11, 1981;
ic Mafic and Ultramafic Association, edited by C. Allegre and J. revisedJanuary25, 1982;
Aubouin, Colloq. Int. CNRS, 272, 197-201, 1980. acceptedFebruary 8, 1982.)