Alfred Kröner Knihy

This volume offers a comprehensive overview of the geology of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), formed by the accretion of various geological features such as island arcs, ophiolites, and microcontinents over a span of 1000-250 million years. Known as the Altaids, this extensive orogenic belt stretches from the Ural Mountains to eastern Siberia and represents a complex evolution lasting over 800 million years, from the late Mesoproterozoic to the end of the Paleozoic. The CAOB comprises numerous accreted terranes, including island arcs, oceanic plateaux, and remnants of oceanic crust preserved as fragmented ophiolites. While the broad history of this vast region is reasonably well understood, significant questions remain regarding crustal growth rates, the origins of continental fragments, mechanisms of accretion and collision, terrane rotations during orogeny, and the age and composition of the lower crust. Many areas within Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and parts of Mongolia, have been inadequately addressed in Western literature. The contributions primarily come from Russian scientists with extensive field and laboratory experience in the CAOB, providing valuable insights into the terranes. Given Central Asia's increasing importance due to its mineral wealth, this volume appeals to a wide audience in geosciences, from academia to industry.