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Continental crust

growth, collision and break-up

Photo: Anders Scherstén
Photo: Anders Scherstén

The Earth’s crust is formed and continuously reworked by magmatic and metamorphic processes as a consequence of plate tectonics and by mantle plume activity. Our research is directed towards reconstructions of continental blocks (e.g. supercontinents), terrane analysis in time and space, and crustal growth through time. Our research is done in close collaboration with international research groups, in which our expertise comprises high-resolution geochemical and isotopic analysis of minerals and rocks. Reconstruction of supercontinents is done by matching major coeval dyke swarms and other components of large igneous provinces, which are subsequently tested and refined by investigating the rocks’ palaeomagnetic signatures. Metamorphic petrology is integrated with isotope geology and structural geology in order to constrain the dynamic evolution of continent collisional settings. All these studies use advanced chemical and geochronological analyses of minerals on the micro-scale. The main geochronological and petrogenetic tools we use are based on the U-Pb, Lu-Hf and Ar-Ar isotope systems, which provide information on the timing and the rate of processes involved in the evolution of Earth’s continental crust.

Master students

Emilie Larsson
Joaen Stamsnijder
Sara Kullberg
Alexandra Glommé
Wictor Linders
Andreas Olsson

Latest Articles

Quadrupole LA-ICP-MS U/Pb geochronology of baddeleyite single crystals: Wohlgemuth-Ueberwasser et al., Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 2015

Impact origin for the Hummeln structure (Sweden) and its link to the Ordovician disruption of the L chondrite parent body: Alwmark et al., Geology, 2015

Geochronology and geochemical evidence for a magmatic arc setting for the Ni-Cu mineralised 1.79 Ga Kleva gabbro –diorite intrusive complex, southeast Sweden: Bjärnborg et al., GFF,2015

Zircon U-Pb, Hf and O isotope constraints on growth versus reworking of continental crust in the subsurface Grenville orogen, Ohio, USA: Petersson et al., Precambrian Research, 2015

Exhumation of an eclogite terrane as a hot migmatitic nappe, Sveconorwegian orogen: Möller et al., Lithos, 2015