Geodynamic aspects of the Mesozoic Terrane Belt development in the Neotethys basins and Central Gondwana

Terrane belts are key elements for understanding the tectonic and geodynamic evolution of continental margins and adjacent oceanic domains. The principal elements of the Mesozoic Terrane Belt (MTB) of the Eastern Mediterranean were identified by Ben-Avraham in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and subsequent studies, including those of the present authors, incorporated additional terranes into this tectonic system. The MTB comprises a group of allochthonous terranes that were progressively amalgamated, primarily during the Mesozoic, within the evolving Neotethys domain. In this study, we integrate geological and geophysical evidence, including gravity, magnetic, seismic, paleomagnetic, seismotomographic, thermal, and GPS data, together with radiometric dating and tectonic–structural reconstructions. A comprehensive comparison of Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous successions, major magmatic events, and radiometric ages provides constraints on the timing of the final stages of MTB accretion. For the first time, structural–syn-sedimentary palinspastic reconstructions of the Central Gondwana margins for the Triassic and Jurassic are presented. These reconstructions provide new constraints on the spatial and temporal evolution of rifting, spreading, and associated tectonic processes during the development of the Neotethys Ocean. The MTB is bounded to the north by the Alpine collisional belt, to the south by the Neoproterozoic Gondwanan belt, and to the west by the oceanic troughs of the Western Levant and Herodotus basins. Its geometry and internal architecture are constrained by integrating multiple geological and geophysical datasets. The results indicate that the MTB underwent long-term counterclockwise rotation, which we attribute to the influence of a large-scale rotating mantle structure. We also identify and interpret an allochthonous block of ancient oceanic crust within the MTB characterized by the Kiama paleomagnetic signature. Interpretation of a paleomagnetic profile across the Carmel structure along the northern Israeli coast provides additional constraints on the tectonic and geodynamic architecture of the upper several kilometers of the crust. The timing and successive stages of MTB development are constrained by integrated tectono-radiometric analysis and are interpreted as pre-collisional, collisional, and post-collisional stages. The results provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the origin, evolution, and geodynamic significance of the MTB and its role in the tectonic development of the Eastern Mediterranean and the broader Near and Middle East.