Thermal structure and exhumation history of the Lesser Himalaya in central Nepal

The Lesser Himalaya (LH) consists of metasedimentary rocks that have been scrapped off from the underthrusting Indian crust and accreted to the mountain range over the last ~20 Myr. It now forms a significant fraction of the Himalayan collisional orogen. We document the kinematics and thermal metamorphism associated with the deformation and exhumation of the LH, combining thermometric and thermochronological methods with structural geology. Peak metamorphic temperatures estimated from Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material decrease gradually from 520°–550°C below the Main Central Thrust zone down to less than 330°C. These temperatures describe structurally a 20°–50°C/km inverted apparent gradient. The Ar muscovite ages from LH samples and from the overlying crystalline thrust sheets all indicate the same regular trend; i.e., an increase from about 3–4 Ma near the front of the high range to about 20 Ma near the leading edge of the thrust sheets, about 80 km to the south. This suggests that the LH has been exhumed jointly with the overlying nappes as a result of overthrusting by about 5 mm/yr. For a convergence rate of about 20 mm/yr, this implies underthrusting of the Indian basement below the Himalaya by about 15 mm/yr. The structure, metamorphic grade and exhumation history of the LH supports the view that, since the mid-Miocene, the Himalayan orogen has essentially grown by underplating, rather than by frontal accretion. This process has resulted from duplexing at a depth close to the brittle-ductile transition zone, by southward migration of a midcrustal ramp along the Main Himalayan Thrust fault, and is estimated to have resulted in a net flux of up to 150 m^2/yr of LH rocks into the Himalayan orogenic wedge. The steep inverse thermal gradient across the LH is interpreted to have resulted from a combination of underplating and post metamorphic shearing of the underplated units

Crustal types and Tertiary tectonic evolution of the Alborán sea, western Mediterranean

Multichannel seismic reflection images across the transition between the east Alborán and the Algero-Balearic basins show how crustal thickness decreases from about 5 s two-way traveltime (TWTT, ∼15 km thick) in the west (east Alborán basin) to ∼2 s TWTT typical of oceanic crust (∼6 km thick) in the east (Algero-Balearic basin). We have differentiated three different crustal domains in this transition, mainly on the basis of crustal thickness and seismic signature. Boundaries between the three crustal domains are transitional and lack evidence for major faults. Tilted blocks related to extension are very scarce and all sampled basement outcrops are volcanic, suggesting a strong relationship between magmatism and crustal structure. Stratigraphic correlation of lithoseismic units with sedimentary units of southeastern Betic basins indicates that sediments onlap igneous basement approximately at 12 Ma in the eastern area and at 8 Ma in the western area. Linking seismic crustal structure with magmatic geochemical evidence suggests that the three differentiated crustal domains may represent, from west to east, thin continental crust modified by arc magmatism, magmatic-arc crust, and oceanic crust. Middle to late Miocene arc and oceanic crust formation in the east Alborán and Algero-Balearic basins, respectively, occurred during westward migration of the Gibraltar accretionary wedge and shortening in the Betic-Rif foreland basins. Arc magmatism and associated backarc oceanic crust formation were related to early to middle Miocene subduction and rollback of the Flysch Trough oceanic basement. Subduction of this narrow slab beneath the Alborán basin was coeval with collision of the Alborán domain with the Iberian and African passive margins and subsequent subcontinental-lithosphere edge delamination along the Betic-Rif margins

Analyse de l'efficacité de la conversion de la biomasse en bioproduit : Rôle de la stœchiométrie et proposition d'une efficacité théorique maximale

International audienc

Metamorphic structure of the Western and Ligurian Alps

Mitt. Österr. Miner. Ges., v. 149, p. 125-144, 2004International audienc

Interpreting high-pressure phengite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar laserprobe ages: an example from Saih Hatat, NE Oman

New single grain fusion and core-rim 40Ar/39Ar laserprobe phengite data from the Saih Hatat high-pressure terrane in NE Oman show that individual samples yield a range of apparent ages which is similar to that previously reported from across the entire terrane. The majority of the determined ages are older than the previously reported U-Pb zircon peak metamorphic age. Core to rim age variations within individual grains range from no discernible difference across the grain to grains with older cores, or, rarely, older rims; some samples manifest all three patterns. Numerical diffusion modelling shows that due to the peak temperature of ca. 550°C, the measured apparent ages cannot be explained by simple cooling or by partial retention of crystallisation or detrital ages in an open system. The age variability is better explained by spatially and temporally variable open or closed system behaviour at the mm-cm scale coupled with pervasive and heterogeneously distributed excess argon. Anomalously old eclogite phengite 40Ar/39Ar ages are due either to internally derived 40Ar inherited from a K-bearing precursor, or externally derived 40Ar distributed by grain boundary fluids. Mica-rich schists within the eclogite boudins yield younger phengite ages, suggesting excess argon was absent or diluted. Pelites hosting the eclogite appear to have been affected by later fluid ingress during deformation and greenschist-facies overprint and yield very variable ages commonly with apparently older rims on younger cores. The grain- and sample-scale age variations measured in Saih Hatat indicate that the grain boundary network in eclogite pods was not an efficient transfer pathway for argon transport, whereas the grain boundary network in the surrounding pelites acted as a more efficient pathway on the timescale of the metamorphic cycle

Multistage growth of Fe–Mg–carpholite and Fe–Mg–chloritoid, from field evidence to thermodynamic modelling

© 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. We provide new insights into the prograde evolution of HP/LT metasedimentary rocks on the basis of detailed petrologic examination, element-partitioning analysis, and thermodynamic modelling of well-preserved Fe–Mg–carpholite- and Fe–Mg–chloritoid-bearing rocks from the Afyon Zone (Anatolia). We document continuous and discontinuous compositional (ferromagnesian substitution) zoning of carpholite (overall XMg = 0.27–0.73) and chloritoid (overall XMg = 0.07–0.30), as well as clear equilibrium and disequilibrium (i.e., reaction-related) textures involving carpholite and chloritoid, which consistently account for the consistent enrichment in Mg of both minerals through time, and the progressive replacement of carpholite by chloritoid. Mg/Fe distribution coefficients calculated between carpholite and chloritoid vary widely within samples (2.2–20.0). Among this range, only values of 7–11 correlate with equilibrium textures, in agreement with data from the literature. Equilibrium phase diagrams for metapelitic compositions are calculated using a newly modified thermodynamic dataset, including most recent data for carpholite, chloritoid, chlorite, and white mica, as well as further refinements for Fe–carpholite, and both chloritoid end-members, as required to reproduce accurately petrologic observations (phase relations, experimental constraints, Mg/Fe partitioning). Modelling reveals that Mg/Fe partitioning between carpholite and chloritoid is greatly sensitive to temperature and calls for a future evaluation of possible use as a thermometer. In addition, calculations show significant effective bulk composition changes during prograde metamorphism due to the fractionation of chloritoid formed at the expense of carpholite. We retrieve P–T conditions for several carpholite and chloritoid growth stages (1) during prograde stages using unfractionated, bulk-rock XRF analyses, and (2) at peak conditions using compositions fractionated for chloritoid. The P–T paths reconstructed for the Kütahya and Afyon areas shed light on contrasting temperature conditions for these areas during prograde and peak stages