Wilson cycle
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The Wilson cycle describes the opening and closing of ocean basins through plate tectonics. It is named after geophysicist J. Tuzo Wilson and provides a framework for understanding repeated continental rifting and collision.
The cycle begins when a continent stretches and splits, forming a rift valley and eventually a new ocean basin. Continued seafloor spreading widens the ocean and creates passive continental margins.
Subduction may later begin along the ocean margins, consuming oceanic crust and causing the basin to shrink. Island arcs and continental margins collide, and final continental collision closes the ocean and builds mountains.
Later rifting can begin another cycle. The Wilson cycle is closely related to supercontinent assembly and breakup and operates over hundreds of millions of years.
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- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_cycle