Sedimentary Basins Related to the Transformed Consolidated Crust: Specific Features of the Present-Day Structure and the Formation Mechanism

摘要

Deep sedimentary basins with transformed crust display a number of specific features in the structure of their sedimentary cover and the consolidated crust. Their origin is associated with salients of anomalous mantle material, which are marked by the surface of the asthenosphere. The mechanism of anomalous mantle's effect on the lithosphere consists in rock ceramization (sintering) that increases the P-wave velocity. This process results in a sharp rise of the M-discontinuity. Therefore, only a minor, high-velocity part of the consolidated crust is retained within the lithosphere.