Tectonophysics

Dynamic processes of the Southeast (SE) Asia convergent system and its impact on continental deformation and marginal basin formation

Subduction plays an essential role in the dynamics of the Earth's mantle, controls the mixing of the surficial materials with those deep in Earth interior, and is also responsible for enormous risks associated with geohazards in densely populated regions. SE Asia lies in the joint area of the Eurasia, Indian-Australia and the Pacific plates, and is surrounded largely by subduction zones where these major plates are convergent from the west, south and east, forming a curved-shape subduction system in map view. Its interior is complicated by internal subduction zones, such as the Molucca dual subduction zone and the Manila Trench, and a cluster of marginal basins, including the South China Sea, Sulawesi Sea et al. This convergent environment makes the SE Asia a uniquely natural laboratory to understand the interactions between the multiple overriding plates, the subducting and mantle convection. Decades of studies on SE Asia have greatly improved our understanding on the deep structure, deformation, material exchanges and evolution history of this convergent system. However, large uncertainties and controversies remain due to the knowledge gaps in the deep mantle structure, especially beneath the ocean basins lack of seismic experiments and petrology samples. There are also great differences in the degree of research on how the subducted materials influenced the island arc and intraplate magmatic activities. All in all, it is important yet remains unclear how the deep structure, material cycling, and thermal state inherited from the interactions between the Pacific, Indian-Australia, Eurasia Plates, or even the disappeared Neo-Tethys slabs, control the tectonics of the SE Asia.

As the growing body of dataset have been collected across the SE Asia, different fields such as geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and numerical and analog modeling, must be integrated for further understanding. The call for papers for this special issue will therefore encourage investigations and collaborations from multiple fields and set the parameters for a deep conversation about the dynamic processes of the SE Asia. The proposed topic of this special issue remains focused but should be of broad interest to readers in the field of solid earth and past climate.

Special issue information:

• Prof. Weiwei Ding, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resource, China Key Laboratory of Submarine Geoscience.
• Prof. Jian Lin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Department of Geology and Geophysics.
• Prof. Liang Zhao, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Science.
• Prof. Manuel Pubellier, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris Sorbonne University.
• Prof. Xiaolong Huang , Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science.
• Dr. Jonny Wu, Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston.
• Prof. Graciano P. Yumul Jr., School of Environmental Science and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños.
• Prof. Carla B. Dimalanta, Rushurgent Working Group, National Institute of Geological Sciences, University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Manuscript submission information:

The journal’s submission platform Editorial Manager: https://www.editorialmanager.com/tecto/default.aspx will be available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue from 1 September 2022. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript and select the article type of " VSI:Convergent Southeast Asian Tectonics" when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: https://www.elsevier.com/journals/tectonophysics/0040-1951/guide-for-authors

Timeline:

• Submissions open on 1 September 2022
• Submissions close on 1 May 2023

Learn more about the benefits of publishing in a special issue: https://www.elsevier.com/authors/submit-your-paper/special-issues

Interested in becoming a guest editor? Discover the benefits of guest editing a special issue and the valuable contribution that you can make to your field: https://www.elsevier.com/editors/role-of-an-editor/guest-editors