Tectono-metamorphic history of the ophiolitic Lento unit (northern Corsica): evidences for the complexity of accretion-exhumation processes in a fossil subduction system

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 99-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Levi ◽  
Alessandro Malasoma ◽  
Michele Marroni ◽  
Luca Pandolfi ◽  
Matteo Paperini
2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 1063-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle J. Markley ◽  
Steven R. Dunn ◽  
Michael J. Jercinovic ◽  
William H. Peck ◽  
Michael L. Williams

The Central Metasedimentary Belt boundary zone (CMBbz) is a crustal-scale shear zone that juxtaposes the Central Gneiss Belt and the Central Metasedimentary Belt of the Grenville Province. Geochronological work on the timing of deformation and metamorphism in the CMBbz is ambiguous, and the questions that motivate our study are: how many episodes of shear zone activity did the CMBbz experience, and what is the tectonic significance of each episode? We present electron microprobe data from monazite (the U–Th–Pb chemical method) to directly date deformation and metamorphism recorded in five garnet–biotite gneiss samples collected from three localities of the CMBbz of Ontario (West Guilford, Fishtail Lake, and Killaloe). All three localities yield youngest monazite dates ca. 1045 Ma; most of the monazite domains that yield these dates are high-Y rims. In comparison with this common late Ottawan history, the earlier history of the three CMBbz localities is less clearly shared. The West Guilford samples have monazite grain cores that show older high-Y domains and younger low-Y domains; these cores yield a prograde early Ottawan (1100–1075 Ma) history. The Killaloe samples yield a well-defined prograde, pre- to early Shawinigan history (i.e., 1220–1160 Ma) in addition to some evidence for a second early Ottawan event. In other words, the answers to our research questions are: three events; a Shawinigan event possibly associated with crustal thickening, an Ottawan event possibly associated with another round of crustal thickening, and a late Ottawan event that resists simple interpretation in terms of metamorphic history but that coincides chronologically with crustal thinning at the base of an orogenic lid.


2011 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. Heaman ◽  
Ch. O. Böhm ◽  
N. Machado ◽  
T. E. Krogh ◽  
W. Weber ◽  
...  

The Pikwitonei Granulite Domain located at the northwestern margin of the Superior Province is one of the largest Neoarchean high-grade terranes in the world, with well-preserved granulite metamorphic assemblages preserved in a variety of lithologies, including enderbite, opdalite, charnockite, and mafic granulite. U–Pb geochronology has been attempted to unravel the protolith ages and metamorphic history of numerous lithologies at three main localities; Natawahunan Lake, Sipiwesk Lake, and Cauchon Lake. The U–Pb age results indicate that some of the layered enderbite gneisses are Mesoarchean (3.4–3.0 Ga) and the more massive enderbites are Neoarchean. The high-grade metamorphic history of the Pikwitonei Granulite Domain is complex and multistage with at least four episodes of metamorphic zircon growth identified: (1) 2716.1 ± 3.8 Ma, (2) 2694.6 ± 0.6 Ma, (3) 2679.6 ± 0.9 Ma, and (4) 2642.5 ± 0.9 Ma. Metamorphic zircon growth during episodes 2 and 3 are interpreted to be regional in extent, corresponding to M1 amphibolite- and M2 granulite-facies events, respectively, consistent with previous field observations. The youngest metamorphic episode at 2642.5 Ma is only recognized at southern Cauchon Lake, where it coincides with granite melt production and possible development of a major northeast-trending deformation zone. The timing and multistage metamorphic history recorded in the Pikwitonei Granulite Domain is similar to most Superior Province high-grade terranes and marks a fundamental break in Archean crustal evolution worldwide at the termination of prolific global Neoarchean greenstone belt formation.


2012 ◽  
Vol 220-221 ◽  
pp. 23-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan O’Neil ◽  
Richard W. Carlson ◽  
Jean-Louis Paquette ◽  
Don Francis

2019 ◽  
Vol 132 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 884-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Roda ◽  
Michele Zucali ◽  
Alessandro Regorda ◽  
Maria Iole Spalla

Abstract In the Sesia-Lanzo Zone, Western Alps, the Rocca Canavese Thrust Sheets (RCT) subunit is characterized by a mixture of mantle- and crust-derived lithologies, such as metapelites, metagranitoids, metabasics, and serpentinized mantle slices with sizes ranging from meters to hundreds of meters. Structural and metamorphic history suggests that the RCT rocks experienced a complex evolution. In particular, two different peak conditions were obtained for the metabasics, representing different tectono-metamorphic units (TMUs), namely, D1a under eclogite facies conditions and D1b under lawsonite-blueschist-facies conditions. The two TMUs were coupled during the syn-D2 exhumation stage under epidote-blueschist-facies conditions. The different rocks and metamorphic evolutions and the abundance of serpentinites in the tectonic mixture suggest a possible subduction-related mélange origin for the RCT. To verify whether a subduction-related mélange can record tectono-metamorphic histories similar to that inferred for the RCT, we compare the pressure-temperature evolutions with the results of a 2-D numerical model of ocean-continent subduction with mantle wedge serpentinization. The predictions of the numerical model fully reproduce the two peak conditions (D1a and D1b) and the successive exhumation history of the two TMUs within the subduction wedge. The degree of mixing estimated from field data is consistent with that predicted by the numerical simulation. Finally, the present-day location of the RCT, which marks the boundary between the orogenic wedge (Penninic and Austroalpine domains) and the southern hinterland (Southalpine domain) of the Alpine chain, is reproduced by the model at the end of the exhumation in the subduction wedge. Therefore, the comparison between natural data and the model results confirms the interpretation of the RCT as a subduction-related mélange that occurred during exhumation within a serpentinized mantle wedge.


2019 ◽  
Vol 131 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 1857-1870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian-Wei Zi ◽  
Birger Rasmussen ◽  
Janet R. Muhling ◽  
Wolfgang D. Maier ◽  
Ian R. Fletcher

AbstractMafic-ultramafic rocks of the Kabanga-Musongati alignment in the East African nickel belt occur as Bushveld-type layered intrusions emplaced in metasedimentary sequences. The age of the mafic-ultramafic intrusions remains poorly constrained, though they are regarded to be part of ca. 1375 Ma bimodal magmatism dominated by voluminous S-type granites. In this study, we investigated igneous monazite and zircon from a differentiated layered intrusion and metamorphic monazite from the contact aureole. The monazite shows contrasting crystal morphology, chemical composition, and U-Pb ages. Monazite that formed by contact metamorphism in response to emplacement of mafic-ultramafic melts is characterized by extremely high Th and U and yielded a weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 1402 ± 9 Ma, which is in agreement with dates from the igneous monazite and zircon. The ages indicate that the intrusion of ultramafic melts was substantially earlier (by ∼25 m.y., 95% confidence) than the prevailing S-type granites, calling for a reappraisal of the previously suggested model of coeval, bimodal magmatism. Monazite in the metapelitic rocks also records two younger growth events at ca. 1375 Ma and ca. 990 Ma, coeval with metamorphism during emplacement of S-type granites and tin-bearing granites, respectively. In conjunction with available geologic evidence, we propose that the Kabanga-Musongati mafic-ultramafic intrusions likely heralded a structurally controlled thermal anomaly related to Nuna breakup, which culminated during the ca. 1375 Ma Kibaran event, manifested as extensive intracrustal melting in the adjoining Karagwe-Ankole belt, producing voluminous S-type granites. The Grenvillian-aged (ca. 990 Ma) tin-bearing granite and related Sn mineralization appear to be the far-field record of tectonothermal events associated with collision along the Irumide belt during Rodinia assembly. Since monazite is a ubiquitous trace phase in pelitic sedimentary rocks, in contact aureoles of mafic-ultramafic intrusions, and in regional metamorphic belts, our study highlights the potential of using metamorphic monazite to determine ages of mafic-ultramafic intrusions, and to reconstruct postemplacement metamorphic history of the host terranes.


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