When Continents Collide: Geodynamics and Geochemistry of Ultrahigh-Pressure Rocks

The few coesite-bearing outcrops have conventionally been considered as anomalies but the number of orogenic belts that contain diamond, coesite or other indications of metamorphic pressures >2Gpa has increased to more than 15. This indicates that subduction of continental fragments to depths of 100-150 km may have played a significant role in the formation of mountain belts. This volume brings together the geochemical, geophysical and geodynamical approaches to study the processes active during ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) tectonics. The collection of papers demarkates the frontier of our understanding of the creation, preservation, and exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure rocks. Audience: This volume will be of interest to any earth scientist interested in ultrahigh pressure processes and the formation and modification of continental crust.