ROLE OF THE TECTONIC FACIES CONCEPT IN OROGENIC ANALYSIS AND ITS APPLICATION TO TETHYS IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION

The purpose of this paper is to advocate the use of a tectonic facies concept which aids systematic and objective analysis of orogenic belts. The tectonic facies concept, as discussed here, focuses on the recognition of discrete tectonic settings, mainly those exposed at high crustal levels in orogenic belts. Application of the tectonic facies concept can help field geologists to relate plate-scale processes to outcrop geology. Tectonic facies are recognised based on knowledge of the modern oceans and margins and well constrained land settings. Tectonic facies (analogous to sedimentary facies) can be identified from integrated sets of field data and related laboratory studies. A number of tectonic facies models can be recognised in this way. Their identification aids interpretation and comparisons of orogenic belts. Palinspastic reconstructions require additional information, particularly age, kinematic and palaeomagnetic data. In this paper, the tectonic facies concept is tested by application to a well documented, mainly high-level orogenic segment, Tethys in the Eastern Mediterranean area, and is found to be an effective way both of the describing and interpreting this region. Other methods of tectonic analysis (e.g. recognition of tectono-stratigraphic terranes) may also be found useful in certain settings and can be used in conjunction with the tectonic facies concept.