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Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
Fig. 1 | Progress in Earth and Planetary Science

Fig. 1

From: Structural context and variation of ocean plate stratigraphy, Franciscan Complex, California: insight into mélange origins and subduction-accretion processes

Fig. 1

Cartoon showing OPS evolution and age patterns versus accretion. The schematic stratigraphic columns are age-scaled rather than thickness-scaled. Columns a-d show how OPS arriving at the trench at the same time may vary along strike, in this case owing to subducting of fracture zones and crust formed off-axis. Obliquity of subduction relative to isochrons on the oceanic plate, which should be considered the general case, will introduce another level of complexity. Columns a-e show that pelagic sections formed far apart may share a common age range for part of their pelagic section. This suggests caution in correlating incomplete OPS sections where the basal pelagic rocks directly overlying sea floor volcanic rocks are not exposed. Columns f-j show the stacking of sporadically accreted OPS at one position along a trench. Compare to Franciscan Complex columns shown in Fig. 5b, c

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