Geotectonic hypotheses at the beginning of the 21st century

Abstract

In this contribution to the volume honouring Ott Ch. Hilgenberg the main directions of thought in the field of geotectonics at the beginning of the 21st century are reviewed. However, because of its seminal importance for the geological thinking during most of the last century, the Wegener (continental drift) hypothesis is also included and opens the review. It is followed by the critical presentation of Plate tectonics and the hypotheses of Earth expansion, Surge tectonics and Wrench tectonics. Finally the authors present their own view, which may best be described as shear-belt tectonics or tectonics above asthenocurrents. In their opinion, to expand knowledge on crust and mantle, terms like plate, slab, sliver a.o., that imply rigidity, should be abandoned and replaced by terms used in fluid dynamics (e.g. currents, laminar and turbulent flow, vortices).