Petrology and chemistry of the Chalten Plutonic Complex and implications on the magmatic and tectonic evolution of the Southernmost Andes (Patagonia) during the Miocene

Résumé Scientific:Pétrologie et Géochimie du Complexe Plutonique de Chaltén et les conséquences pour l'évolution magmatique et tectonique du Andes du Sud (Patagonia) pendant le MiocèneLe sujet de cette thèse est le Complexe Plutonique de Chaltén (CHPC), situé à la frontière entre le Chili et l'Argentine, en Patagonie (49°15'S). Ce complexe s'est mis en place au début du Miocène, dans un contexte de changements tectoniques importants. La géométrie et la vitesse de migration des plaques en Patagonie a été modifiée suite l'ouverture de la plaque Farallon il y a 25Ma (Pardo-Casas and Molnar 1987) et la subduction de la ride active du Chili sous la plaque sud-américaine il y a 14Ma (Cande and Leslie 1986). Les effets de cette reconfiguration tectonique sur la morphologie et le magmatisme de la plaque supérieure sont encore sujets à discussion. Dans ce contexte, un groupe d'intrusions miocènes - telle que le CHPC - est particulièrement intriguant, car en position transitionnelle entre le batholithe patagonien et l'arc volcanique cénozoïque et récent à l'ouest, et les laves de plateau de Patagonie à l'est (Fig. 1). A cause de leur position tectonique transitoire, ces plutons isolés hors du batholithe représentent un endroit clé pour comprendre les interactions entre la tectonique à large échelle et le magmatisme en Patagonie. Ici, je présente de nouvelles données de terrain, petrologiques, géochimiques et géochronologiques dans le but de caractériser la nature du CHPC, qui était largement inconnu avant cette étude, dans le but de tester l'hypothèse de migration de l'arc et erosion par subduction.Les résultats de l'investigation géochimique (chapitre 2) montrent que le CHPC n'est qu'un exemple parmi les plutons isolés d'arrière arc ave une composition calco-alcaline caractéristique, c-à-d une signature d'arc. La plupart de ces plutons isolés ont une composition alcaline. Le CHPC, contrairement, a une signature calco-alcaline avec Κ intermédiaire, tel que le batholithe patagonien et la plupart des roches volcaniques quaternaires liées à l'arc le long des Andes.De nouvelles données géochronologiques U-Pb de haute précision sur des zircons, acquis par TIMS, sur le CHPC donnent des âges entre 17.0 et 16.4Ma. Les âges absolus sont en accord avec la séquence intrusive déduite des relations de terrain (chapitre 1). Ces données sont les premières contraintes d'âge U-Pb sur le CHPC. Elles montrent clairement que l'histoire magmatique du CHPC n'a pas de lien direct avec la subduction de la ride à cette latitude (Cande and Leslie 1986), car le complexe est au moins 6Ma plus ancien.Une comparaison en profondeur avec les autres intrusions d'âge Miocène en Patagonie révèlent - pour la première fois - une évolution temporelle intéressante. Il y a une tendance E-W distincte au magmatisme calco-alcalin entre 20-16Ma avec une diminution de l'âge vers l'est - le CHPC est l'expression la plus orientale de cette tendance. Je suggère que la relation espace-temps reflète une migration vers l'est (vers le continent) de l'arc magmatique. Je propose que le facteur principal contrôlant cette migration est la subduction rapide suite à la reconfiguration de la vitesse des plaques tectoniques après l'ouverture la plaque Farallon (à ~26Ma) qui résulterait en une déformation importante ainsi qu'à des taux élevés d'érosion dans la fosse de subduction.Les rapports d'isotopes radiogéniques (Pb, Sr, Nd) élevés, une signature 6018 basse et un rapport Th/La élevé sont des paramètres distinctifs pour les roches mafiques du CHPC. Le modèle isotopique présenté (chapitre 2) suggère que cette signature reflète une contamination de la source, dans le coin de manteau, plutôt qu'une contamination crustale. La signature des éléments en trace du CHPC indiquent que le coin de manteau a été contaminé par des composés terrigènes, le plus vraisemblablement par des sédiments paléozoïques.Les travaux de terrain, la pétrographie et la géothermobarométrie ont été utilisés dans le but de comprendre l'histoire interne du CHPC (chapitre 3). Ces données suggèrent deux niveaux distincts de cristallisation : l'un dans la croûte moyenne (6 à 4.5kbar) et l'autre à un niveau peu profond (3.5 à 2kbar). La modélisation isotopique AFC de la contamination crustale indique des taux variables d'assimilation, qui ne sont pas corrélés avec le degré de différenciation. Cela suggère que différents volumes de magma se sont différenciés en profondeur, de façon indépendante. Cela implique que le CHPC se serait formés en plusieurs puises de magmas provenant d'au moins trois sources différentes. Les textures des granodiorites et des granites indiquent des teneurs élevées en cristaux avant la mise en place et, par conséquent, des températures d'emplacement faibles. Les observations de terrain montrent que les roches mafiques sont déformées, alors que ce n'est pas le cas pour les granodiorites et granites (plus jeunes). La déformation des roches mafiques est encore sujet de recherche, afin de savoir si elle est liée à la déformation régionale en régime compressif ou à l'emplacement lui-même. Cependant, la mise en place de grand volume de magma felsique riche en cristaux suggère un régime d'extension.Scientific Abstract:Petrology and chemistry of the Chaltén Plutonic Complex and implications on the magmatic and tectonic evolution of the Southernmost Andes (Patagonia) during the MioceneThe subject of this thesis is the Chaltén Plutonic Complex (CHPC) located at the frontier between Chile and Argentina in Patagonia (at 49° 15 'Southern latitude). This complex intruded during early Miocene in a context of major tectonics changes. The plate geometry of Patagonia has been modified by changes in the plate motions after the break up of the Farallôn plate at 25Ma (Pardo-Casas and Molnar 1987) and by the subduction of the Chile spreading Ridge beneath South-America at 14 Ma (Cande and Leslie 1986). The effects of this tectonic setting on the morphology and the magmatism of the overriding plate are a matter of on-going discussion. Particularly intriguing in this context is a group of isolated Miocene intrusions - like the CHPC - which are located in a transitional position between the Patagonian Batholith and the Cenozoic and Recent volcanic arc in the West, and the Patagonian plateau lavas in the East (Fig. 1). Due to their transient tectonic position these isolated plutons outside the batholith represent a key to understanding the interaction between global-scale tectonics and magmatism in Patagonia. Here, I present new field, penological, geochemical and geochronological data to characterize the nature of the CHPC, which was largely unknown before this study, in order to test the hypothesis of time- transgressive magmatism.The results of the geochemical investigation (Chapter 2) show that the CHPC is only one among these isolated back-arc plutons with a characteristic calc-alkaline composition, i.e. arc signature. Most of these isolated intrusives have an alkaline character. The CHPC, in contrast, has a medium Κ calc-alkaline signature, like the Patagonian batholith and most of the Quaternary arc-related volcanic rocks along the Andes.New high precision TIMS U-Pb zircon dating of the CHPC yield ages between 17.0 to 16.4 Ma. The absolute ages support the sequence of intrusion relations established in the field (Chapter 1). These data are the first U-Pb age constraints on the CHPC, and clearly show that the magmatic history of CHPC has no direct link to the subduction of the ridge, since this complex is at least 6 Ma older than the time of collision of the Chile ridge at this latitude (Cande and Leslie 1986).An in-depth comparison with other intrusion of Miocene age in Patagonia reveals - for the first time - an interesting temporal pattern. There is a distinct E-W trend of calc-alkaline magmatism between 20-16 Ma with the younging of ages in the East - the CHPC is the easternmost expression of this trend. I suggest that this time-space relation reflects an eastward (landward) migration of the magmatic arc. I propose that main factor controlling this migration is the fast rates of subduction after the major reconfigurations of the plate tectonic motions after the break up of the Farallôn Plate (at -26 ) resulting in strong deformation and high rates of subduction erosion.High radiogenic isotope ratios (Pb, Sr, Nd) ratios, low 5018 signature and high Th/La ratios in mafic rocks are distinctive features of the CHPC. The presented isotopic models (Chapter 2) suggest that this signature reflects source contamination of the mantle wedge rather than crustal contamination. The trace element signature of the CHPC indicates that the mantle wedge was contaminated with a terrigenous component, most likely from Paleozoic sediments.Fieldwork, petrography and geothermobarometry were used to further unravel the internal history of the CHPC (Chapter 3). These data suggest two main levels of crystallization: one a mid crustal levels (6 to 4.5 kbar) and other a shallow level (3.5 to 2 kbar). Isotopic AFC modeling of crustal contamination indicate variable rates of assimilation, which are not correlated with the degree of differentiation. This suggests that different batches of magma differentiate independently at depths. This implies that the CHPC would have formed by several pulses of magmas from at least 3 different sources. Textures of granodiorites and granites indicate a high content of crystals previous to the emplacement and consequently low emplacement temperatures. Field observations show that the mafic rocks are deformed, whereas the (younger) granodiorites and granites are not. It is still subject of investigation whether the deformation of the mafic rocks is related to regional deformation during a compressional regime or to the emplacement it self. However, the emplacement of huge amount of crystal rich felsic magmas suggests an extensional regime.Résumé Grand PublicPétrologie et Géochimie du Complexe Plutonique de Chaltén et les conséquences pour l'évolution magmatique et tectonique du Andes du Sud (Patagonia) pendant le MiocèneLe Complexe Plutonique de Chaltén (CHPC) est un massif montagneux situé à 49°S à la frontière entre le Chili et l'Argentine, en Patagonie (région la plus au sud de l'Amérique du Sud). Il est composé de montagnes qui peuvent atteindre plus de 3000 mètres d'altitude, telles que le Cerro Fitz Roy (3400m) et le Cerro Torre (3100m). Ces montagnes sont composées de roches plutoniques, c.-à-d. des magmas qui se sont refroidis et ont cristallisés sous la surface terrestre.La composition chimique de ces roches montre que les magmas, qui ont formé ce complexe plutonique, font partie d'un volcanisme d'arc. Celui-ci se forme lorsqu'une plaque océanique plonge sous une plaque continentale. Les géologues appellent ce processus « subduction ». Dans un tel scénario, le manteau terrestre, qui se fait prendre entre ces deux plaques, fond pour former ainsi du magma. Ce magma remonte à travers la plaque continentale vers la surface. Si celui-ci atteint la surface, il forme les roches volcaniques, comme par exemple des laves. S'il n'atteint pas la surface, le magma se refroidit pour former finalement les roches plutoniques.Le long de la marge ouest d'Amérique du Sud, la plaque Nazca - qui se situe au sud-est de la plaque océanique pacifique - passe en dessous de la plaque d'Amérique du Sud. La bordure ouest du sud de la plaque sud-américaine a également été affectée par d'autres processus tectoniques, tels que des changements dramatiques dans les déplacements de plaques (il y a 25Ma) et la collision de la ride du Chili (depuis 15 Ma jusqu'à aujourd'hui). Ces caractéristiques tectoniques et magmatiques font de cette région un haut lieu pour les géologues. La plaque Nazca, s'est formée suite à l'ouverture d'une plaque océanique plus ancienne, il y a 25Ma. Cette ouverture est liée aux vitesses de subduction les plus rapides jamais connues. La ride du Chili est l'endroit où le sol de l'Océan Pacifique s'ouvre, formant deux plaques océaniques : les plaques Nazca et Antarctique. La ride du Chili subducte sous la plaque sud-américaine depuis 15Ma, en association avec la formation de grands volumes de magma ainsi que des changements morphologiques importants. La question de savoir lequel de ces changements tectoniques globaux affecte la géologie et la géographie de Patagonie a été, et est encore, discutée pendant de nombreuses années. De nombreux chercheurs suggèrent que la plupart des caractéristiques morphologiques et magmatiques en Patagonie sont liés à la subduction de la ride du Chili, mais cette suggestion est encore débattue comme le montre notre étude.Le batholithe de Patagonie du sud (SPB) est un énorme massif composé de roches plutoniques et il s'étend tout au long de la côte ouest de Patagonie (au sud de 47°S). Ces roches correspondent certainement aux racines d'un ancien arc volcanique, qui a été soulevé et érodé. Le CHPC, ainsi que d'autres petites intrusions dans la région, se situe dans une position exotique, à 100km à l'est du SPB. Certains chercheurs suggèrent que ces intrusions pourraient être liées à la subduction de la ride du Chili.Afin de débattre de cette problématique, nous avons utilisé différentes méthodes géochronologiques pour déterminer l'âge du CHPC et le comparer (a) à l'âge des roches intrusives similaires du SPB et (b) à l'âge de la collision de la ride du Chili. Dans ce travail, nous prouvons que le CHPC s'est formé au moins 7Ma avant la collision avec la ride du Chili. Sur la base des âges du CHPC et de la composition chimique de ses roches et minéraux, nous proposons que le CHPC fait partie d'un arc volcanique ancien. La migration de l'arc volcanique plus profondément dans le continent résulte de la grande vitesse de subduction entre 25 et lOMa. Des caractéristiques évidentes pour un tel processus - telles qu'une déformation importante et une vitesse d'érosion élevée - peuvent être rencontrées tout au long de la bordure ouest de l'Amérique du sud.

Tectonic evolution of the High Himalaya in upper Lahul (NW Himalaya, India)

The Upper Lahul region in the NW Himalaya is located in the transition zone between the High Himalayan Crystalline (HHC) to the SW and the Tethyan Zone sedimentary series to the NE. The tectonic evolution of these domains during the Himalayan Orogeny is the consequence of a succession of five deformation events. An early D1 phase corresponds to synmetamorphic, NE verging folding. This deformation created the Tandi Syncline, which consists of Permian to Jurassic Tethyan metasediments cropping out in the core of a large-scale synformal fold within the HHC paragneiss. This tectonic event is interpreted as related to a NE directed nappe stacking (Shikar Beh Nappe), probably during the late Eocene to the early Oligocene. A subsequent D2a phase caused SW verging folding in the HHC. This deformation is interpreted as contemporaneous with late Oligocene to early Miocene SW directed thrusting along the Main Central Thrust. In the Tethyan Zone, a D2b phase is marked by a decollement thrust, a system of reverse faults, and gentle folds, associated with SW directed tectonic movements. This deformation is related to an imbricate structure, characteristic of a shallow structural level, and developed in the frontal part of a nappe affecting the Tethyan Zone units of SE Zanskar (Nyimaling-Tsarap Nappe). A later D3 phase generated the Chandra Dextral Shear Zone (CDSZ), a large-scale, ductile, dextral strike-slip shear zone, located in the transition zone between the HHC and the Tethyan Himalaya. The CDSZ most likely represents a part of a system of early Miocene extensional and/or dextral, strike-slip shear zones-observed at the HHC-Tethyan Zone contact along the entire Himalaya. A final D4 phase induced large-scale doming and NE:verging back folding.

Jurassic sedimentary record and tectonic evolution of the northwestern corner of Africa

The history of the opening seaway from the westernmost Tethys to the Central Atlantic is traced by the analysis of the sedimentary facies development in the external Rif basin of Northern Morocco and the geological and seismic data from the Moroccan Atlantic continental margin. In the Rif basin, after the early Sinemurian, sedimentary facies dated by ammonites, foraminifers and brachiopods, indicate a progression of rapid subsidence resulting from extensional tectonic (tilted blocks, escarpment fault breccias, neptunian dykes etc.) from the N and NE to the S and SW. From the Toarcian to the Bajocian, deltas progress from the W and SW into the `'Rides sud-rifaines'' realm. From the late Bathonian to the Oxfordian, deep-sea fans develop in the external Rif. During the same period, deltaic sediments fill in the Middle Atlas basin of Eastern Morocco and progress into the external Rif. The top of the Jurassic is characterised by carbonate deposits. At the northwestern corner of Africa, the subsidence of the sedimentary basins by rifting is initiated in the late Triassic; however, at the Mazagan transect of the Atlantic continental margin, the tectonic pattern characteristic of a passive continental margin appears clearly only in the early Jurassic. At the foot of the Mazagan escarpment, the sedimentary record shows a foundering of the first bloc during early to middle Lias. A thermal uplift phase is indicated by emersion of the African margin shoulder in late Liassic, and thermal relaxation starts in the middle Jurassic. The morphology of this transect, compared with the conjugate side of the American continent is most easily explained by the uniform sense simple shear model.

Alpine tectonic evolution of a Jurassic subduction-accretionary complex: Deformation, kinematics and 40Ar/39Ar age constraints on the Mesozoic low-grade schists of the Circum-Rhodope Belt in the eastern Rhodope-Thrace region, Bulgaria-Greece

Deformation of the Circum-Rhodope Belt Mesozoic (Middle Triassic to earliest Lower Cretaceous) low-grade schists underneath an arc-related ophiolitic magmatic suite and associated sedimentary successions in the eastern Rhodope-Thrace region occurred as a two-episode tectonic process: (i) Late Jurassic deformation of arc to margin units resulting from the eastern Rhodope-Evros arc-Rhodope terrane continental margin collision and accretion to that margin, and (ii) Middle Eocene deformation related to the Tertiary crustal extension and final collision resulting in the closure of the Vardar ocean south of the Rhodope terrane. The first deformational event D-1 is expressed by Late Jurassic NW-N vergent fold generations and the main and subsidiary planar-linear structures. Although overprinting, these structural elements depict uniform bulk north-directed thrust kinematics and are geometrically compatible with the increments of progressive deformation that develops in same greenschist-facies metamorphic grade. It followed the Early-Middle Jurassic magmatic evolution of the eastern Rhodope-Evros arc established on the upper plate of the southward subducting Maliac-Meliata oceanic lithosphere that established the Vardar Ocean in a supra-subduction back-arc setting. This first event resulted in the thrust-related tectonic emplacement of the Mesozoic schists in a supra-crustal level onto the Rhodope continental margin. This Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous tectonic event related to N-vergent Balkan orogeny is well-constrained by geochronological data and traced at a regional-scale within distinct units of the Carpatho-Balkan Belt. Following subduction reversal towards the north whereby the Vardar Ocean was subducted beneath the Rhodope margin by latest Cretaceous times, the low-grade schists aquired a new position in the upper plate, and hence, the Mesozoic schists are lacking the Cretaceous S-directed tectono-metamorphic episode whose effects are widespread in the underlying high-grade basement. The subduction of the remnant Vardar Ocean located behind the colliding arc since the middle Cretaceous was responsible for its ultimate closure, Early Tertiary collision with the Pelagonian block and extension in the region caused the extensional collapse related to the second deformational event D-2. This extensional episode was experienced passively by the Mesozoic schists located in the hanging wall of the extensional detachments in Eocene times. It resulted in NE-SW oriented open folds representing corrugation antiforms of the extensional detachment surfaces, brittle faulting and burial history beneath thick Eocene sediments as indicated by 42.1-39.7 Ma Ar-40/Ar-39 mica plateau ages obtained in the study. The results provide structural constraints for the involvement components of Jurassic paleo-subduction zone in a Late Jurassic arc-continental margin collisional history that contributed to accretion-related crustal growth of the Rhodope terrane. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Anarak, Jandaq and Posht-e-Badam metamorphic complexes in central Iran: New geological data, relationships and tectonic implications

The Anarak, Jandaq and Posht-e-Badam metamorphic complexes occupy the NW part of the Central-East Iranian Microcontinent and are juxtaposed with the Great Kavir block and Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Our recent findings redefine the origin of these complexes, so far attributed to the Precambrian-Early Paleozoic orogenic episodes, and now directly related to the tectonic evolution of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. This tectonic evolution was initiated by Late Ordovician-Early Devonian rifting events and terminated in the Triassic by the Eocimmerian collision event due to the docking of the Cimmerian blocks with the Asiatic Turan block. The ``Variscan accretionary complex'' is a new name we proposed for the most widely distributed metamorphic rocks connected to the Anarak and Jandaq complexes. This accretionary complex exposed from SW of Jandaq to the Anarak and Kabudan areas is a thick and fine grain siliciclastic sequence accompanied by marginal-sea ophiolitic remnants, including gabbro-basalts with a supra-subduction-geochemical signature. New Ar-40/Ar-39 ages are obtained as 333-320 Ma for the metamorphism of this sequence under greenschist to amphibolite facies. Moreover, the limy intercalations in the volcano-sedimentary part of this complex in Godar-e-Siah yielded Upper Devonian-Tournaisian conodonts. The northeastern part of this complex in the Jandaq area was intruded by 215 +/- 15 Ma arc to collisional granite and pegmatites dated by ID-TIMS and its metamorphic rocks are characterized by Some Ar-40/Ar-39 radiometric ages of 163-156 Ma. The ``Variscan'' accretionary complex was northwardly accreted to the Airekan granitic terrane dated at 549 +/- 15 Ma. Later, from the Late Carboniferous to Triassic, huge amounts of oceanic material were accreted to its southern side and penetrated by several seamounts such as the Anarak and Kabudan. This new period of accretion is supported by the 280-230 Ma Ar-40/Ar-39 ages for the Anarak mild high-pressure metamorphic rocks and a 262 Ma U-Pb age for the trondhjemite-rhyolite association of that area. The Triassic Bayazeh flysch filled the foreland basin during the final closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean and was partly deposited and/or thrusted onto the Cimmerian Yazd block. The Paleo-Tethys magmatic arc products have been well-preserved in the Late Devonian-Carboniferous Godar-e-Siah intra-arc deposits and the Triassic Nakhlak fore-arc succession. On the passive margin of the Cimmerian block, in the Yazd region, the nearly continuous Upper Paleozoic platform-type deposition was totally interrupted during the Middle to Late Triassic. Local erosion, down to Lower Paleozoic levels, may be related to flexural bulge erosion. The platform was finally unconformably covered by Liassic continental molassic deposits of the Shemshak. One of the extensional periods related to Neo-Tethyan back-arc rifting in Late Cretaceous time finally separated parts of the Eocimmerian collisional domain from the Eurasian Turan domain. The opening and closing of this new ocean, characterized by the Nain and Sabzevar ophiolitic melanges, finally transported the Anarak-Jandaq composite terrane to Central Iran, accompanied by large scale rotation of the Central-East Iranian Microcontinent (CEIM). Due to many similarities between the Posht-e-Badam metamorphic complex and the Anarak-Jandaq composite terrane, the former could be part of the latter, if it was transported further south during Tertiary time. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evolution of the Pelagonian carbonate platform complex and the adjacent oceanic realm in response to plate tectonic forcing (Late Triassic and Jurassic), Evvoia, Greece

The Late Triassic and Jurassic platform and the oceanic complexes in Evvoia, Greece, share a complementary plate-tectonic evolution. Shallow marine carbonate deposition responded to changing rates of subsidence and uplift, whilst the adjacent ocean underwent spreading, and then convergence, collision and finally obduction over the platform complex. Late Triassic ocean spreading correlated with platform subsidence and the formation of a long-persisting peritidal passive-margin platform. Incipient drowning occurred from the Sinemurian to the late Middle Jurassic. This subsidence correlated with intra-oceanic subduction and plate convergence that led to supra-subduction calc-alkaline magmatism and the formation of a primitive volcanic arc. During the Middle Jurassic, plate collision caused arc uplift above the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) in the oceanic realm, and related thrust-faulting, on the platform, led to sub-aerial exposures. Patch-reefs developed there during the Late Oxfordian to Kimmeridgian. Advanced oceanic nappe-loading caused platform drowning below the CCD during the Tithonian, which is documented by intercalations of reefal turbidites with non-carbonate radiolarites. Radiolarites and bypass-turbidites, consisting of siliciclastic greywacke, terminate the platform succession beneath the emplaced oceanic nappe during late Tithonian to Valanginian time.

Structural analysis, clay mineralogy and K-Ar dating of fault gouges from Centovalli Line (Central Alps) for reconstruction of their recent activity

Between the cities of Domodossola and Locarno, the complex ``Centovalli Line'' tectonic zone of the Central Alps outlines deformation phases over a long period of time (probably starting similar to 30 Ma ago) and under variable P-T conditions. The last deformation phases developed gouge-bearing faults with a general E-W trend that crosscuts the roots of the Alpine Canavese zone and the Finero ultramafic body. Kinematic indicators show that the general motion was mainly dextral associated with back thrusting towards the S. The <2 mu m clay fractions of fault gouges from Centovalli Line consist mainly of illite, smectite and chlorite with varied illite-smectite, chlorite-smectite and chlorite-serpentine mixed-layers. Constrained with the illite crystallinity index, the thermal conditions induced by the tectonic activity show a gradual trend from anchizonal to diagenetic conditions. The <2 and <0.2 mu M clay fractions, and hydrothermal K-feldspar separates all provide K-Ar ages between 14.2 +/- 2.9 Ma and roughly 0 Ma, with major episodes at about 12,8, 6 and close to 0 Ma These ages set the recurrent tectonic activity and the associated fluid circulations between Upper Miocene and Recent. On the basis of the K-Ar ages and with a thermal gradient of 25-30 degrees C/km, the studied fault zones were located at a depth of 4-7 km. If they were active until now as observed in field, the exhumation was approximately 2.5-3.0 km for the last 12 Ma with a mean velocity of 0.4 mm/y. Comparison with available models on the recent Alpine evolution shows that the tectonic activity in the area relates to a continuum of the back-thrusting movements of the Canavese Line, and/or to several late-extensional phases of the Rhone-Simplon line. The Centovalli-Val Vigezzo zone therefore represents a major tectonic zone of the Central-Western Alps resulting from different interacting tectonic events. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing sedimentary evolution by means of Sr-isotope ratios : 3 case studies on the Caribbean plate : (Cretaceous: Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, Tertiary: Hess Rise, and La Désirade, Guadeloupe, France)

The understanding of sedimentary evolution is intimately related to the knowledge of the exact ages of the sediments. When working on carbonate sediments, age dating is commonly based on paleontological observations and established biozonations, which may prove to be relatively imprecise. Dating by means of strontium isotope ratios in marine bioclasts is the probably best method in order to precisely date carbonate successions, provided that the sample reflects original marine geochemical characteristics. This requires a precise study of the samples including its petrography, SEM and cathodoluminescence observations, stable carbon and oxygen isotope geochemistry and finally the strontium isotope measurement itself. On the Nicoya Peninsula (Northwestern Costa Rica) sediments from the Piedras Blancas Formation, Nambi Formation and Quebrada Pavas Formation were dated by the means of strontium isotope ratios measured in Upper Cretaceous Inoceramus shell fragments. Results have shown average 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.707654 (middle late Campanian) for the Piedras Blancas Formation, 0.707322 (Turonian-Coniacian) for the Nambi Formation and 0.707721 (late Campanian-Maastrichtian) for the Quebrada Pavas Formation. Abundant detrital components in the studied formations constitute a difficulty to strontium isotope dating. In fact, the fossil bearing sediments can easily contaminate the target fossil with strontium mobilized form basalts during diagenesis and thus the obtained strontium isotope ratios may be influenced significantly and so will the obtained ages. The new and more precise age assignments allow for more precision in the chronostratigraphic chart of the sedimentary and tectonic evolution of the Nicoya Peninsula, providing a better insight on the evolution of this region. Meteor Cruise M81 dredged shallow water carbonates from the Hess Rise and Hess Escarpment during March 2010. Several of these shallow water carbonates contain abundant Larger Foraminifera that indicates an Eocene-Oligocene age. In this study the strontium isotope values ranging from 0.707847 to 0.708238 can be interpreted as a Rupelian to Chattian age of these sediments. These platform sediments are placed on seamounts, now located at depths reaching 1600 m. Observation of sedimentologic characteristics of these sediments has helped to resolve apparent discrepancies between fossil and strontium isotope ages. Hence, it is possible to show that the subsidence was active during early Miocene times. On La Désirade (Guadeloupe France), the Neogene to Quaternary carbonate cover has been dated by microfossils and some U/Th-ages. Disagreements subsisted in the paleontological ages of the formations. Strontium isotope ratios ranging from 0.709047 to 0.709076 showed the Limestone Table of La Désirade to range from an Early Pliocene to Late Pliocene/early Pleistocene age. A very late Miocene age (87Sr/86Sr =0.709013) can be determined to the Detrital Offshore Limestone. The flat volcanic basement had to be eroded by wave-action during a long-term stable relative sea-level. Sediments of the Table Limestone on La Désirade show both low-stand and high-stand facies that encroach on the igneous basement, implying deposition during a major phase of subsidence creating accommodation space. Subsidence is followed by tectonic uplift documented by fringing reefs and beach rocks that young from the top of the Table Limestone (180 m) towards the present coastline. Strontium isotope ratios from two different fringing reefs (0.707172 and 0.709145) and from a beach rock (0.709163) allow tentative dating, (125ky, ~ 400ky, 945ky) and indicate an uplift rate of about 5cm/ky for this time period of La Désirade Island. The documented subsidence and uplift history calls for a new model of tectonic evolution of the area.

The Exotic Palaeo-Thethys Terrane in Central Iran: New geological data from Anarak, Jandaq and Posht-e-Badam areas

Résumé Le « terrane » d'Anarak-Jandak occupe une position géologique clé au nord-ouest du Microcontinent Centre-East Iranien (CE1M), connecté avec le Bloc du Grand Kavir et la ceinture métamorphique de Sanandaj-Sirjan. Nous discutons ici l'origine de ces différentes unités, reliées jusqu'à présent à des épisodes orogéniques d'âge Précambrien à Paléozoïque inférieur, pour conclure finalement de leur affinité paléotéthysienne. Leur histoire commence par un épisode de rifting d'âge Ordovicien supérieur-Dévonien inférieur, pour se terminer au Trias par la collision des blocs Cimmériens dérivé du Gondwana avec le Bloc du Turan d'affinité asiatique (événement Eocimmérien). La plus importante unité métamorphique affleurant au sud-ouest de la région de Jandak-Anarak-Kaboudan est une épaisse séquence silicoclastique à grains fins contenant des blocs ophiolitiques (marginal-sea-type), et des associations basalte-gabbro à signatures géochimiques de type supra-subduction. Dans la région de Nakhlak, nous avons daté ces gabbros par la méthode U-Pb à 387f0.11 Ma ; les roches métamorphiques pélitiques ont donné des âges de refroidissement Ar-Ar pour la muscovite de 320 à 333 Ma. Ce complexe d'accrétion "varisque" a été métamorphisé dans le faciès schiste vert-amphibolite au cours de l'accrétion de la ceinture granitique d'Airekan, d'âge Cambrien inférieur (549±15 Ma par la méthode U/Pb), qui affleure aujourd'hui à l'extrémité nord-ouest du terrane d'Anarak-Jandak . La subduction vers le nord de l'océan Paléotéthys depuis le Paléazoïque supérieur jusqu'au Trias, a permis l'accumulation de grandes quantités de matériel océanique dans la zone de subduction. Par exemple, une succession de guyots (Anarak, Kaboudan, et Meraji Seamounts) et de hauts sous-marins, entrés en collision oblique avec le prisme d'accrétion, est à l'origine d'un léger métamorphisme de type HP qui affecte ces séries {âges Ar-Ar de 280 à 230 Ma). De plus, le magmatisme bimodal de Chah Gorbeh est caractérisé d'une part par des roches de type trondjémite-gabbros (262 Ma), d'autre part par des laves en coussin de type basaltes alcalins-rhyolites; ces roches magmatiques ont recoupé l'ophiolite d'Anarak lors de la mise en place de cette dernière dans la fosse interne de subduction. Quant au prisme d'accrétion de Doshakh, d'âge essentiellement Permien supérieur, i1 a été accrété le long de la marge continentale et métamorphisé dans le faciès schiste vert. La fermeture de la Paléotéthys s'enregistre finalement par la sédimentation dans le bassin d'avant pays du flysch de Bayazeh, d'âge probable Triasique. Le matériel issu de l'arc magmatique de la Paléotéthys est très bien préservé dans les dépôts infra-arc Dévonien supérieur-Carbonifère de Godar-e-Siah, ainsi que dans la succession d'avant-arc de Nakhlak. Pendant l'intervalle Paléozoïque supérieur-Trias, la région de Jandak a été soumise à un régime extensif de type bassin d'arrière-arc, dont un témoin pourrait être la ceinture ophiolitique d'Arusan, elle-même comparable aux écailles ophiolitiques d'Aghdarband au nord-est de l'Iran. Cet ensemble métamorphique est recoupé par des granites d'arc à collisionnel datés à 215±15 Ma. Dans la région de Yazd, témoin de la marge passive Cimmérienne, la sédimentation syn-rift Silurienne à Dévonienne inférieure a été interrompue pendant l'intervalle Trias moyen-Trias supérieur; il en a été de même pour les dépôts de plate-forme Paléozoïque supérieur. L'érosion, qui dans ce dernier cas a atteint le Permien, pourrait être liée au bombement flexural de la marge passive. La collision finale n'a pas induit de déformations trop importantes, et se caractérise par la mise en place de nappes sur la marge passive. Cet événement est scellé par des dépôts molassique du Lias. D'un point de vue régional, la zone s'étendant actuellement de la Mer Noire au Pamir a été soumise à six épisodes d'extension-compression du Jurassique inférieur (début du l'ouverture en position arrière-arc de la Néotéthys) à l'Eocène moyen. Par exemple, le terrane d'AnarakJandak, probablement situé entre le Kopeh Dagh et la plate-forme nord Afghane, s'est complètement détaché de sa patrie d'origine au début du Crétacé supérieur. Des preuves de cet événement se retrouvent dans les séries de plate-forme de Khur (préservation de séries syn-rift puis de marge passive). Les ophiolites de Nain et de Sabzevar sont de plus interprétée comme un témoin de l'existence de ce bassin d'arrière-arc. Dans l'intervalle Eocène-Oligocène, l'indentation par la plaque indienne de l'Eurasie a été contemporaine de la rotation horaire de fragments de l'ancien microcontinent Iranien et de la formation du CEIM. Cette rotation est responsable du transport du terrane d'Anarak-Jandak vers sa position actuelle en Iran Central, et de la dislocation de Terranes de moindre importance, comme le bloc de Posht-e Badam. Depuis le Miocène supérieur, et à la suite de la collision entre l'Arabie et l'Iran, le ternane d'Anarak-Jandak a subi des déformations liées à l'activité d'une zone de cisaillement dextre parallèle à la suture du Zagros, à l'arrière de l'arc magmatique d'Uromieh-Dokhtar. Résumé large public Le Microcontinent Centre-Est Iranien occupe une position géologique clé au centre de l'Iran. Les différentes unités qui le composent, reliées jusqu'à présent à des épisodes orogéniques d'âge Précambrien à Paléozoïque inférieur, sont maintenant rajeunies et liés à la fermeture de l'océean Paléotéthys. Leur histoire commence par un épisode de rifting d'âge Ordovicien supérieur à Dévonien inférieur, pour se terminer au Trias par la collision des- blocs Cimmériens, dérivés du Gondwana, avec le Bloc du Turan d'affinité asiatique. Dans la marge active asiatique de la Paléotéthys, nous avons daté les restes d'un océan marginal à 387±0.11 Ma. Ce complexe d'accrétion a été métamorphisé au cours de la réaccrétion de la ceinture granitique d'Airekan, d'âge Cambrien inférieur (549±15 Ma), qui affleure aujourd'hui à l'extrémité nord-ouest du « terrane » d'Anarak-Jandak correspondant à la plus grande partie de la région étudiée. Le matériel issu de l'arc magmatique de la Paléotéthys est très bien préservé et daté du Dévonien supérieur-Carbonifère. Pendant l'intervalle Paléozoïque supérieur-Trias, la région a été soumise à un régime extensif de type bassin d'arrière-arc, dont un témoin pourrait être la ceinture ophiolitique d'Arusan, comparable aux écailles ophiolitiques d'Aghdarband au nord-est de l'Iran. Cet ensemble métamorphique est recoupé par des granites datés à 215±15 Ma. La subduction vers le nord de l'océan Paléotéthys depuis le Paléozoïque supérieur jusqu'au Trias, a permis l'accumulation de grandes quantités de matériel océanique dans la zone de subduction. Par exemple, une succession de volcans sous-marins, entrés en collision avec le prisme d'accrétion, est à l'origine d'un léger métamorphisme de type HP qui affecte ces séries (280 à 230 Ma). Quant au prisme d'accrétion de Doshakh, d'âge essentiellement Permien supérieur, il a été mis en place le long de la marge continentale et métamorphisé dans le faciès schiste vert. La fermeture de la Paléotéthys s'enregistre finalement par la sédimentation dans le bassin d'avant pays du flysch de Bayazeh, d'âge Triasique. Dans la région de Yazd, on trouve les témoins de la marge passive Cimmérienne, la sédimentation syn-rift Silurienne à Dévonienne inférieure a été interrompue pendant l'intervalle Trias moyen-Trias supérieur, marqué par la flexuration de la marge passive lorsqu'elle rentra en collision avec la marge active asiatique. Cet événement est scellé par des dépôts molassique à charbon du Lias. Le «terrane» d'Anarak-Jandak, probablement situé à l'origine entre le Kopeh Dagh et la plate-forme nord Afghane, s'est complètement détaché de cette région au début du Crétacé supérieur lors de l'ouverture d'un bassin d'arrière-arc, engendré, cette fois, par la subduction de l'océan Néotéthys situé au sud des blocs cimmériens. Des preuves de cet événement se retrouvent dans les séries syn-rift, puis de marge passive de Khour. Les ophiolites de Nain et de Sabzevar sont interprétées comme un témoin de l'existence de ce bassin d'arrière-arc. Dans l'intervalle Eocène-Oligocène, l'indentation de l'Eurasie par la plaque indienne a été contemporaine de la rotation horaire de fragments de l'ancien microcontinent centre-Iranien. Cette rotation de près de 90° est responsable du transport du « terrane » d'Anarak-Jandak vers sa position actuelle. Abstract The Anarak-Jandaq terrane occupies a strategic geological situation at the north-western part of the Central-East Iranian Microcontinent (CEIM) and in connection with the Great Kavir Block and Sanandaj-Sirjan metamorphic belt. Our recent findings redefine the origin of these mentioned areas so far attributed to the Precambrian-Early Palaeozoic orogenic episodes, to be now directly related to the tectonic evolution of the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean, commenced by Late Ordovician-Early Devonian rifting events and terminated in the Triassic by the Eocimmerian tectonic event due to the collision of the Cimmerian blocks with the Asiatic Turan block. The most distributed metamorphic unit that is exposed from the south-west of Jandaq to the Anarak and Kaboudan areas is a thick and fine grain siliciclastic sequence accompanied by marginal-sea-basin ophiolitic blocks including basalt-gabbro association with supra-subduction-geochemical signature. These gabbros in the Nakhlak area were dated by U/Pb method at 387.6 ± 0.11 Ma and the metamorphic pelitic rocks yielded a range of 320 to 333 Ma muscovite-cooling ages based on 40Ar/39 Ar method. This "Variscan" accretionary complex was metamorphosed in greenschist-amphibolite facies during accretion to the Lower Cambrian Airekan granitic belt (549 ± 15 Ma by U/Pb method) that crops out at the northwestern edge of the Anarak-Jandaq terrane. Continued northward subduction of the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean during the entire Late Palaeozoic-Middle Triassic brought huge amount of oceanic material to the subduction zone. One chain of Carboniferous-Triassic oceanic rises and seamounts (the Anarak, Kaboudan, and Meraji Seamounts) obliquely collided with the accretionary wedge and created a mild HP metamorphic event (280-230 Ma based on 40Ar/39Ar results). Bimodal magmatism of the Chah Gorbeh area is characterized by a 262 Ma trondjemite-gabbro as well as pillow alkalibasalts-rhyolites which intruded the Anarak ophiolite when it was being emplaced within the inner-wall trench. The mainly Late Permian-Triassic Doshakh wedge was accreted along the continent and metamorphosed under lower greenschist facies and the probable Triassic Bayazeh flysch filled the foreland basin during the final closure. The Palaeo-Tethys magmatic arc products have been well preserved in the Late Devonian-Carboniferous Godar-e-Siah intra-arc deposits and the Triassic Nakhlak fore-arc succession. During the Late Palaeozoic-Triassic times, the Jandaq area has been affected by back-arc extension and probably the Arusan ophiolitic belt is the remnant of this narrow basin comparable to the Aqdarband ophiolitic remnant in north-east Iran. This metamorphic belt was intruded by 215 ± 15 Ma arc to collisional granites. In the passive margin of the Cimmerian block, on the Yazd region, the Silurian-Early Devonian syn-rift succession as well as the nearly continuous Upper Palaeozoic platform-type deposition was interrupted during the Middle to Late Triassic time, local erosion down to Devonian levels may be related to flexural bulge erosion. The collision event was not so strong to generate intensive deformation but was accompanied by some nappe thrusting onto the passive margin. It is finally unconformably covered by Liassic continental molassic deposits. Related to the onset of Neo-Tethyan back-arc opening in Early Jurassic to Mid-Eocene times, six periods of extensional-compressional events have differently influenced an elongated area, extending from the West Black Sea to Pamir. The Anarak-Jandaq terrane which was situated somewhere in this affected area, probably between the Kopeh Dagh and North Afghan platform, was completely detached from its source at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous

Gondwana-derived microcontinents - The constituents of the Variscan and Alpine collisional orogens

The European Variscan and Alpine mountain chains are collisional orogens, and are built up of pre-Variscan ``building blocks'' which, in most. cases, originated at the Gondwana margin. Such pre-Variscan elements were part of a pre-Ordovician archipelago-like continental ribbon in the former eastern prolongation of Avalonia, and their present-day distribution resulted from juxtaposition through Variscan and/or Alpine tectonic evolution. The well-known nomenclatures applied to these mountain chains are the mirror of Variscan resp. Alpine organization. It is the aim of this paper to present a terminology taking into account their pre-Variscan evolution at the Gondwana margin. They may contain relics of volcanic islands with pieces of Cadomian crust, relics of volcanic arc settings, and accretionary wedges, which were separated from Gondwana by initial stages of Rheic ocean. opening. After a short-lived Ordovician orogenic event and amalgamation of these elements at the Gondwanan margin, the still continuing Gondwana-directed subduction triggered the formation of Ordovician Al-rich granitoids and; the latest Ordovician opening of Palaeo-Tethys. An example from the Alps (External Massifs) illustrates the gradual reworking of Gondwana-derived, pre-Variscan. elements during the Variscan and Alpine/ Tertiary orogenic cycles. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

High-resolution seismic images of potentially seismogenic structures beneath the northwest Canterbury Plains, New Zealand

The transpressional boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates in the central South Island of New Zealand comprises the Alpine Fault and a broad region of distributed strain concentrated in the Southern Alps but encompassing regions further to the east, including the northwest Canterbury Plains. Low to moderate levels of seismicity (e. g., 2 > M 5 events since 1974 and 2 > M 4.0 in 2009) and Holocene sediments offset or disrupted along rare exposed active fault segments are evidence for ongoing tectonism in the northwest plains, the surface topography of which is remarkably flat and even. Because the geology underlying the late Quaternary alluvial fan deposits that carpet most of the plains is not established, the detailed tectonic evolution of this region and the potential for larger earthquakes is only poorly understood. To address these issues, we have processed and interpreted high-resolution (2.5 m subsurface sampling interval) seismic data acquired along lines strategically located relative to extensive rock exposures to the north, west, and southwest and rare exposures to the east. Geological information provided by these rock exposures offer important constraints on the interpretation of the seismic data. The processed seismic reflection sections image a variably thick layer of generally undisturbed younger (i.e., < 24 ka) Quaternary alluvial sediments unconformably overlying an older (> 59 ka) Quaternary sedimentary sequence that shows evidence of moderate faulting and folding during and subsequent to deposition. These Quaternary units are in unconformable contact with Late Cretaceous-Tertiary interbedded sedimentary and volcanic rocks that are highly faulted, folded, and tilted. The lowest imaged unit is largely reflection-free Permian Triassic basement rocks. Quaternary-age deformation has affected all the rocks underlying the younger alluvial sediments, and there is evidence for ongoing deformation. Eight primary and numerous secondary faults as well as a major anticlinal fold are revealed on the seismic sections. Folded sedimentary and volcanic units are observed in the hanging walls and footwalls of most faults. Five of the primary faults represent plausible extensions of mapped faults, three of which are active. The major anticlinal fold is the probable continuation of known active structure. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred on 4 September 2010 near the southeastern edge of our study area. This predominantly right-lateral strike-slip event and numerous aftershocks (ten with magnitudes >= 5 within one week of the main event) highlight the primary message of our paper: that the generally flat and topographically featureless Canterbury Plains is underlain by a network of active faults that have the potential to generate significant earthquakes.

Organization of pre-Variscan basement areas at the north-Gondwanan margin

Pre-Variscan basement elements of Central Europe appear in polymetamorphic domains juxtaposed through Variscan and/or Alpine tectonic events. Consequently, nomenclatures and zonations applied to Variscan and Alpine structures, respectively, cannot be valid for pre-Variscan structures. Comparing pre-Variscan relics hidden in the Variscan basement areas of Central Europe, the Alps included, large parallels between the evolution of basement areas of future Avalonia and its former peri-Gondwanan eastern prolongations (e.g. Cadomia, Intra-Alpine Terrane) become evident. Their plate-tectonic evolution from the Late Proterozoic to the Late Ordovician is interpreted as a continuous Gondwana-directed evolution. Cadomian basement, late Cadomian granitoids, late Proterozoic detrital sediments and active margin settings characterize the pre-Cambrian evolution of most of the Gondwana-derived microcontinental pieces. Also the Rheic ocean, separating Avalonia from Gondwana, should have had, at its early stages, a lateral continuation in the former eastern prolongation of peri-Gondwanan microcontinents (e.g. Cadomia, Intra-Alpine Terrane). Subduction of oceanic ridge (Proto-Tethys) triggered the break-off of Avalonia, whereas in the eastern prolongation, the presence of the ridge may have triggered the amalgamation of volcanic arcs and continental ribbons with Gondwana (Ordovician orogenic event). Renewed Gondwana-directed subduction led to the opening of Palaeo-Tethys.