View source for Earth:Neotectonics

'''Neotectonics''', a subdiscipline of [[Earth:Tectonics|tectonics]], is the study of the motions and deformations of [[Earth:Earth's crust|Earth's crust]] ([[Earth:Geology|geological]] and [[Physics:Geomorphology|geomorphological]] processes) that are current or recent in [[Earth:Geologic time scale|geologic time]].<ref>"Encyclopedia of Coastal Science" (2005), Springer, {{ISBN|978-1-4020-1903-6}}, Chapter 1: "Tectonics and Neotectonics" {{doi|10.1007/1-4020-3880-1}} </ref> The term may also refer to the motions/deformations in question themselves. Geologists refer to the corresponding time-frame as the '''neotectonic period''', and to the preceding time as the '''palaeotectonic period'''. 
Vladimir Obruchev coined the term ''neotectonics'' in his 1948 article,<ref>V.A. Obruchev (1948). "Osnovnye cherty kinetiki i plastiki neotektonik". ''Izv. Akad. Nauk, Ser. Geol.'', 5: 13–24</ref> defining the field as "recent tectonic movements occurred in the upper part of [[Earth:Tertiary|Tertiary]] ([[Earth:Neogene|Neogene]]) and in the [[Earth:Quaternary|Quaternary]], which played an essential role in the origin of the contemporary topography". Since then geologists have disagreed as to how far back to date "geologically recent" time, with the common meaning being that neotectonics is the youngest, not yet finished stage in Earth tectonics. Some authors consider neotectonics to be basically synonymous with "active tectonics", while others date the start of the neotectonic period from the middle Miocene. A general agreement has started to emerge that the actual time-frame may be individual for each geological environment and it must be set back in time sufficiently far to fully understand the current tectonic activity.<ref name=koster>Eduard A. Koster (2005) "The Physical Geography of Western Europe", {{ISBN|0-19-927775-3}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=9W7ofyqW5moC&dq=%22neotectonics+is%22&pg=PA25 Ch. 2: Neotectonics]</ref> 

In 1989 Spyros B. Pavlides suggested the definition:
 
<blockquote>"Neotectonics is the study of young tectonic events which have occurred or are still occurring in a given region after its [[Physics:Orogeny|orogeny]] or after its last significant tectonic set-up [...] The tectonic events are recent enough to permit a detailed analysis by differentiated and specific methods, while their results are directly compatible with seismological observations."<ref> {{cite journal | last1 = Pavlides | first1 = Spyros B. | year = 1989 | title = Looking for a definition of neotectonics | journal = Terra Nova | volume = 1 | issue = 3| pages = 233–235 | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-3121.1989.tb00362.x }}</ref></blockquote>

Many{{howmany|date=July 2013}} researchers have accepted this approach.<ref name=koster/>

The Center for Neotectonic Studies at the [[Organization:University of Nevada, Reno|University of Nevada, Reno]]<ref name="NeotectonicCenterUNR">{{cite web |url= http://neotectonics.seismo.unr.edu/CNSHome.html |title= Center for Neotectonic Studies |author= [[Organization:University of Nevada, Reno|University of Nevada, Reno]] }}</ref> defines neotectonics as 

<blockquote>“the study of geologically recent motions of the [[Earth:Crust (geology)|Earth's crust]], particularly those produced by [[Earth:Earthquake|earthquake]]s, with the goals of understanding the [[Physics:Geophysics|physics]] of [[Earth:Earthquake|earthquake]] recurrence, the growth of [[Earth:Mountain|mountain]]s, and the [[Earth:Seismology|seismic]] hazard embodied in these processes.”</blockquote>

One source of different interpretations for a region stems from the fact that changes in different tectonic plates of the region may occur at different times, giving rise to the notion of the "transitional time", during which both palaeotectonic and neotectonic features coexist. For example, for central/northern Europe, the transitional period stretches from the middle early Miocene to the Miocene-Pliocene boundary.<ref>A. Becker, " An attempt to define a "neotectonic period" for central and northern Europe", International Journal of Earth Sciences, Volume 82, Number 1, 1993 {{doi|10.1007/BF00563271}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Earth:Seismic hazard|Seismic hazard]]

==References==
<references/>

==Further reading==
* P. L. Hancock and G. D. Williams,  "Neotectonics", ''Journal of the Geological Society''; March 1986; v. 143; no. 2; p. 325-326; {{doi|10.1144/gsjgs.143.2.0323}} (<!--this webpage has this strange doi code, which appears corrupted  -->[http://jgs.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/143/2/325 article abstract])

[[Category:Tectonics]]

{{Sourceattribution|Neotectonics}}