Sketch of African Adriatic Plates
Keeping in mind that the sedimentary rock protolith is a passive margin sediment, use the modern-day orientation of the metamorphic gradient to create a simple map view sketch of the European and African/Adriatic plates just prior to the collision that created the Alps. Assume that the orientation of the tectonic plates is the same now and at the time of your sketch. The top of your map should be north. Refer to Figure 1 for the positions of the samples from problem
1.Your map should include:
- The European and African/Adriatic plates, oriented approximately correctly
- The ocean basin between the plates that has since been subducted (and its name; refer to the Introduction)
- A probable location you could find the (passive margin) sedimentary rock protolith
- A probable location you could find the (mafic, phaneritic) igneous rock protolith
- The probable location of the subduction zone (hint: are subduction zones part of an active or passive margin?)
- A north arrow (the top of the map is north)
3. Draw a line perpendicular to the subduction zone in your figure from problem 2 and label the endpoints A and A’, respectively. Create a simple, tectonic plate-scale cross-section along the line. Your cross-section should include:• The names of the plates/ocean basin involved (same as above)
- One plate in the process of being subducted beneath the other (the subduction zone should be in the same place as above)
- The locations of the sedimentary and igneous protoliths (from above)
- Label the location on the cross section where you would find the highest-grade metamorphic rocks
