EVOLUTION OF THE ALTAID TECTONIC COLLAGE AND PALEOZOIC CRUSTAL GROWTHIN EURASIA

A new tectonic model, postulating the growth of giant subduction-accre tion complexes along a single magmatic arc now found contorted between Siberia and Baltica, shows that Asia grew by 5.3 million square kilom etres during the Palaeozoic era. Half of this growth may have occurred by the addition of juvenile crust newly extracted from the mantle, su pporting models of considerable continental growth continuing througho ut the Phanerozoic eon.