Paleozoic evolution of the External Crystalline Massifs of the Western Alps

The External Crystalline Massifs (ECMs) of the Alps record, during the Paleozoic, the progressive closure of oceanic domains between Gondwana, Armorica and Avalonia in three contrasting tectonic domains. The eastern one shows the Early Devonian closure of the Central-European Ocean between Armorica and Gondwana along a northwest dipping subduction zone. The western domain is marked by Lower Ordovician rifting followed by Mid-Devonian obduction of the back-arc Chamrousse ophiolite. The central domain underwent Late Devonian to Dinantian extension in a back arc setting associated with southeast dipping subduction of the Saxo-Thuringian Ocean. Based on tectonostratigraphic correlations, we propose that the western domain shows an affinity to the Barrandian domain while the eastern and central domains correspond to the north-eastward extension of the Moldanubian zone, to the south of the present-day Bohemian Massif. From Mid-Carboniferous to Permian, the eastern and central domains of the ECMs, including the internal parts of the Maures Massif, Sardinia and Corsica were stretched towards the south-west along the ca. 1500 km long dextral ECMs shear zone preceding the opening of the Palaeo-Tethys ocean.     

The Variscan collage and orogeny (480–290 Ma) and the tectonic definition of the Armorica microplate: a review

The Variscan belt of western Europe is part of a large Palaeozoic mountain system, 1000 km broad and 8000 km long, which extended from the Caucasus to the Appalachian and Ouachita mountains of northern America at the end of the Carboniferous. This system, built between 480 and 250 Ma, resulted from the diachronic collision of two continents: Laurentia–Baltica to the NW and Gondwana to the SE. Between these two continents, small, intermediate continental plates separated by oceanic sutures mainly have been defined (based on palaeomagnetism) as Avalonia and Armorica. They are generally assumed to have been detached from Gondwana during the early Ordovician and docked to Laurentia and Baltica before the Carboniferous collision between Gondwana and Laurentia–Baltica. Palaeomagnetic and palaeobiostratigraphic methods allow two main oceanic basins to be distinguished: the Iapetus ocean between Avalonia and Laurentia and between Laurentia and Baltica, with a lateral branch (Tornquist ocean) between Avalonia and Baltica, and the Rheic ocean between Avalonia and the so‐called Armorica microplate. Closure of the Iapetus ocean led to the Caledonian orogeny: a belt resulting from collision between Laurentia and Baltica, and from softer collisions between Avalonia and Laurentia and between Avalonia and Baltica. Closure of the Rheic ocean led to the Variscan orogeny by collision of Avalonia plus Armorica with Gondwana. A tectonic approach allows this scenario to be further refined. Another important oceanic suture is defined: the Galicia–Southern Brittany suture, running through France and Iberia and separating the Armorica microplate into North Armorica and South Armorica. Its closure by northward (or/and westward?) oceanic and then continental subduction led to early Variscan (430–370 Ma) tectonism and metamorphism in the internal parts of the Variscan belt. As no Palaeozoic suture can be detected south of South Armorica, this latter microplate should be considered as part of Gondwana since early Palaeozoic times and during its Palaeozoic north‐westward drift. Thus, the name Armorica should be restricted to the microplate included between the Rheic and the Galicia–Southern Brittany sutures.     

The Palaeozoic Variscan oceans revisited

Geological evidence, supported by biogeographical data and in accord with palaeomagnetic constraints, indicates that “one ocean” models for the Variscides should be discarded, and confirms, instead, the existence of three Gondwana-derived microcontinents which were involved in the Variscan collision: Avalonia, North Armorica (Franconia and Thuringia subdivided by a failed Vesser Rift), and South Armorica (Central Iberia/Armorica/Bohemia), all divided by small oceans. In addition, parts of south-eastern Europe, including Adria and Apulia, are combined here under the new name of Palaeo-Adria, which was also Peri-Gondwanan in the Early Palaeozoic. Oceanic separations were formed by the break-up of the northern Gondwana margin from the Late Cambrian onwards. Most of the oceans or seaways remained narrow, but – much like the Alpine Cenozoic oceans – gave birth to orogenic belts with HP-UHP metamorphism and extensive allochthons: the Saxo-Thuringian Ocean between North and South Armorica and the Galicia-Moldanubian Ocean between South Armorica and Palaeo-Adria. Only the Rheic Ocean between Avalonia and peri-Gondwana was wide enough to be unambiguously recorded by biogeography and palaeomagnetism, and its north-western arm closed before or during the Emsian in Europe. Ridge subduction under the northernmost part of Armorica in the Emsian created the narrow and short-lived Rheno-Hercynian Ocean. It is that ocean (and not the Rheic) whose opening and closure controlled the evolution of the Rheno-Hercynian foldbelt in south-west Iberia, south-west England, Germany, and Moravia (Czech Republic). Devonian magmatism and sedimentation set within belts of Early Variscan deformation and metamorphism are probably strike-slip-related. The first arrival of flysch on the forelands and/or the age of deformation of foreland sequences constrains the sequential closure of the Variscan seaways (Galicia-Moldanubian in the Givetian; Saxo-Thuringian in the Early Famennian; Rheno-Hercynian in the Tournaisian). Additional Mid- to Late Devonian and (partly) Early Carboniferous magmatism and extension in the Rheno-Hercynian, Saxo-Thuringian and Galicia-Moldanubian basins overlapped with Variscan geodynamics as strictly defined. The Early Carboniferous episode was the start of episodic anorogenic heating which lasted until the Permian and probably relates to Tethys rifting.     

Study of melt and a clast of 546 Ma magmatic arc rocks in the 65 Ma Chicxulub bolide breccia,northern Maya block,Mexico: western limit of Ediacaran arc peripheral to northern Gondwana

The basement of the Maya block of eastern Mexico is generally covered by Mesozoic and Cenozoic platformal carbonate rocks. However, the 65.5 Ma Chicxulub meteorite impact in the northern Yucatan Peninsula excavated deep into the crust and brought crystalline basement fragments into the impact breccias. Common Pb isotopic data from impact melt and a granitic clast from drill core (Y6) are highly radiogenic, consistent with the Archaean derivation. A granodiorite clast in this breccia from drill core (Yaxcopoil-1) yielded a continuous range of concordant ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry zircon ages between 546 ± 5 Ma and 465 Ma, with three discordant zircons having ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages between 130 Ma and 345 Ma. The ca. 546 Ma age is interpreted as the age of granodiorite intrusion, with younger ages representing variable Pb loss during melting associated with the meteorite impact. This is consistent with previous U–Pb zircon data that gave an upper intercept age of 550 ± 15 Ma at Chicxulub, which becomes 545 ± 5 Ma when combined with the zircon data from distal ejecta. Such arc rocks are absent in the southern Maya block, and in the neighbouring Oaxaquia terrane (s.s.) they are replaced by a 546 ± 5 Ma plume-related dike swarm. On the other hand, Ediacaran arc rocks continue through the peri-Gondwanan terranes of the Appalachians and Europe (Florida, Carolinia, Avalonia, Iberia, Armorica, Massif Central, Bohemia, and NW Africa). Arc magmatism in these areas ended between 570 Ma (Newfoundland) and 540 Ma (Carolinia/UK) as the subduction zone was replaced by a transform fault along the northern Gondwanan margin. This age range is synchronous with the two-stage birth of Iapetus, suggesting that both are related to major plate reorganization. The source of plume-related dikes may have been located at the rift–rift–transform triple junction between Laurentia, Baltica, and Gondwana.     

Benthic foraminifera in sandy (siliciclastic) coastal sediments of the Arabian Gulf (Saudi Arabia): a technical report

The Uromia–Dokhtar Magmatic Arc (UDMA) is a northwest–southeast trending magmatic belt which is formed due to oblique subduction of Neotethys underneath Central Iran and dominantly comprises magmatic rocks. The Jebal-e-Barez Plutonic Complex (JBPC) is located southeast of the UDMA and composed of quartz diorite, granodiorite, granite, and alkali granite. Magmatic enclaves, ranging in composition from felsic to mafic, are abundant in the studied rocks. Based on the whole rock and mineral chemistry study, the granitoids are typically medium-high K calc-alkaline and metaluminous to peraluminous that show characteristics of I-type granitoids. The high field strength (HFS) and large ionic radius lithophile (LIL) element geochemistry suggests fractional crystallization as a major process in the evolution of the JBPC. The tectonomagmatic setting of the granitoids is compatible with the arc-related granitic suite, a pre-plate collision granitic suite, and a syncollision granitic suite. Field observations and petrographic and geochemical studies suggest that the rocks in this area are I-type granitoids and continental collision granitoids (CCG), continental arc granitoids (CAG), and island arc granitoid (IAG) subsections. The geothermobarometry based on the electron probe microanalysis of amphibole, feldspars, and biotite from selected rocks of JBPC implies that the complex formed at high-level depths (i.e., 9–12 km; upper continental crust) and at temperatures ranging from 650 to 750 °C under oxidation conditions. It seems that JBPC is located within a shear zone period, and structural setting of JBPC is extensional shear fractures which are product of transpression tectonic regime. All available data suggested that these granitoids may be derived from a magmatic arc that was formed by northeastern ward subduction of the Neotethyan oceanic crust beneath the Central Iran in Paleogene and subsequent collision between the Arabian and Iranian plates in Miocene.

     

The Central Iberian arc, an orocline centered in the Iberian Massif and some implications for the Variscan belt

An arcuate structure, comparable in size with the Ibero-Armorican arc, is delineated by Variscan folds and magnetic anomalies in the Central Iberian Zone of the Iberian Massif. Called the Central Iberian arc, its sense of curvature is opposite to that of the Ibero-Armorican arc, and its core is occupied by the Galicia-Trás-os-Montes Zone of NW Iberia, which includes the Rheic suture. Other zones of the Iberian Massif are bent by the arc, but the Ossa-Morena and South Portuguese zones are not involved. The arc formed during the Late Carboniferous, at final stages of thermal relaxation and collapse, and an origin related with right-lateral ductile transpression at the scale of the Variscan belt is proposed. The Central Iberian arc explains the width of the Central Iberian Zone, clarifies the position of the allochthonous terranes of NW Iberia, and opens new perspectives for correlations with the rest of the Variscan belt, in particular, with the Armorican Massif, whose central zone represents the continuation of the southwest branch of the arc detached by strike-slip tectonics.     

Terrane accretion and dispersal in the northern Gondwana margin. An Early Paleozoic analogue of a long-lived active margin

If reconstruction of major events in ancient orogenic belts is achieved in sufficient detail, the tectonic evolution of these belts can offer valuable information to widen our perspective of processes currently at work in modern orogens. Here, we illustrate this possibility taking the western European Cadomian–Avalonian belt as an example. This research is based mainly on the study and interpretation of U–Pb ages of more than 300 detrital zircons from Neoproterozoic and Early Paleozoic sedimentary rocks from Iberia and Brittany. Analyses have been performed using the laser ablation–ICP–MS technique. The U–Pb data record contrasting detrital zircon age spectra for various terranes of western Europe. The differences provide information on the processes involved in the genesis of the western European Precambrian terranes along the northern margin of Neoproterozoic Gondwana during arc construction and subduction, and their dispersal and re-amalgamation along the margin to form the Avalonia and Armorica microcontinents. The U–Pb ages reported here also support the alleged change from subduction to transform activity that led to the final break-up of the margin, the birth of the Rheic Ocean and the drift of Avalonia. We contend that the active northern margin of Gondwana evolved through several stages that match the different types of active margins recognised in modern settings.     

The missing Rheic Ocean magmatic arcs: Provenance analysis of Late Paleozoic sedimentary clastic rocks of SW Iberia

Early Carboniferous turbiditic sedimentary rocks in synorogenic basins located on both sides of the Rheic suture in SW Iberia were studied for provenance analysis. An enigmatic feature of this suture, which resulted from closure of the Rheic Ocean with the amalgamation of Pangea in the Late Carboniferous, is that there are no recognizable mid- to Late Devonian subduction-related magmatic rocks, which should have been generated during the process of subduction, on either side of it. U–Pb LA–ICP-MS geochronology of detrital zircons from Early Carboniferous turbidites in the vicinity of the Rheic suture in SW Iberia, where it separates the Ossa–Morena Zone (with Gondwana continental basement) to the north from the South Portuguese Zone (with unknown/Meguma? continental basement) to the south, reveals the abundance of mid- to Late Devonian (51–81%) and Early Carboniferous (13–25%) ages. The Cabrela and Mértola turbidites of the Ossa–Morena and South Portuguese zones, respectively, are largely devoid of older zircons, differing from the age spectra of detrital zircons in the oldest (Late Devonian) strata in the underlying South Portuguese Zone, which contain abundant Cambrian and Neoproterozoic ages. Mid- to Late Devonian zircons in the Cabrela Formation (age cluster at c. 391 Ma, Eifelian–Givetian transition) and Mértola Formation (age clusters at c. 369 Ma and at c. 387 Ma, Famennian and Givetian respectively) are attributable to a source terrane made up of magmatic rocks with a simple geological history lacking both multiple tectonic events and older continental basement. The terrane capable of sourcing sediments dispersed on both sides of the suture is interpreted to have been completely removed by erosion in SW Iberia. Given that closure of the Rheic Ocean required subduction of its oceanic lithosphere and the absence of significant arc magmatism on either side of the Rheic suture, we suggest: 1) the source of the zircons in the SW Iberia basins was a short-lived Rheic ocean magmatic arc, and 2) given the lack of older zircons in the SW Iberia basins, this short-lived arc was probably developed in an intra-oceanic environment.     

A comment on “Tectonic evolution of the Hengshan–Wutai–Fuping complexes and its implication for the Trans-North China Orogen”

In a recent issue of Precambrian Research (vol. 170, pp. 73–87), Wang (2009) published a paper entitled ‘Tectonic evolution of the Hengshan–Wutai–Fuping complexes and its implication for the Trans-North China Orogen, in which he proposes that (1) the formation of arc-related igneous rocks in the Hengshan and Wutai Complexes formed by northwest-directed subduction, not by (south)east-directed subduction; and (2) the Wutai granitoids were the products of an intra-oceanic island arc, not formed in a continent-derived arc. However, we consider both the structural and geochemical approaches Wang (2009) adopted to determine the polarity of the subduction and the tectonic setting of the Wutai granitoids are inappropriate or invalid. Firstly, all his structural observations used to determine the polarity of subduction are restricted to the Zhujiafang and Longquanguan ductitle shear zones, both of which developed at the late stage. It is unreliable to use kinematic indicators from these later structures to infer the polarity of the pre-collisional subduction. Secondly, Wang (2009) assumed that the initial positive ?(Nd) values (+0.5 to +4.5) of the Wutai granitoids indicate their generation directly from a mantle source, forming in an intra-oceanic arc. Such an interpretation is incorrect because the positive ?(Nd) values of the Wutai granitoids merely indicate that the igneous protoliths of these granitoids originated from a depleted mantle source, not the Wutai granitoids themselves. As the products of the earliest arc magmatism in the Wutai arc, the Wutai granitoids could not be generated directly from a mantle source but must have been derived by partial melting of juvenile crust.     

Major Late-Triassic strike-slip displacement in the Seven Devils terrane, Oregon and Idaho: A result of left-oblique plate convergence?

The shortening direction in rocks deformed in collision or subduction zones is not directly related to the plate-convergence vector; rather, it is perpendicular to the collision zone or subduction zone, even in cases where plate convergence is oblique. The component of convergence parallel to the subduction/collision zone is expressed by strike-slip displacement in the arc region behind the subduction zone. Such strike-slip shear zones have been recognized in the Seven Devils terrane of northeastern Oregon and adjacent Idaho. One of these (the Oxbow shear zone consisting of cataclasite, mylonite, and ultra-mylonite) trends northeasterly from Oxbow, Oregon to Cuprum, Idaho. The original rock types of the shear zone were plagiogranite, gabbro, diabase, bassalt, and keratophyre. The age of the mylonitization is constrained by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dates as Late Triassic. Meso- and microscopic structures (textures and quartz c-axes fabrics) indicate that the shear zone was formed by left-lateral, strike-slip motion. A minimum left-lateral displacement of 65 km has been estimated, but the true displacement may have been much larger. The Oxbow shear zone is interpreted as an intra-arc strike-slip zone of the Seven Devils terrane, related to left-oblique plate convergence during the Triassic.     

四川理塘地区花岗闪长岩特征及其增生楔弧岩浆活动

【研究目的】通过查明理塘地区拉扎嘎山花岗闪长岩的年龄、地球化学特征,探讨花岗闪长岩形成的时代、成因及构造背景,为研究甘孜—理塘洋盆俯冲增生构造演化过程提供依据。【研究方法】选取甘孜—理塘蛇绿混杂岩带俯冲增生楔内花岗闪长岩,系统开展岩相学、LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学和岩石地球化学研究。【研究结果】花岗闪长岩含有大量的角闪石、黑云母等铁镁矿物,局部见大量的闪长质包体和围岩捕掳体。岩体形成于晚三叠世（（207.2±1.5） Ma）,岩石属I型钙碱性准铝质花岗岩类,具富集大离子亲石元素Rb、Ba、K、Th、U,亏损高场强元素Nb、Ta、P、Zr、Ti,显示轻稀土富集、重稀土亏损的右倾式配分模式,具有Eu的负异常,是典型的火山弧型花岗岩。【结论】结合区域地质资料及本文研究成果,认为四川理塘地区拉扎嘎山花岗闪长岩与甘孜—理塘洋向西俯冲致使中咱地块东缘增生楔不断扩大密切相关,是增生楔杂岩熔融成不同类型岩浆混合的产物。创新点：四川理塘地区拉扎嘎山花岗岩形成于晚三叠世,具典型的火山弧型花岗岩地球化学特征,形成于甘孜—理塘洋西向俯冲致使增生楔杂岩熔融,为甘孜—理塘洋俯冲增生构造演化提供了新的证据。     

Tectonic controls on post-subduction granite genesis and emplacement: The late Caledonian suite of Britain and Ireland

Rates of magma emplacement commonly vary as a function of tectonic setting. The late Caledonian granites of Britain and Ireland are associated with closure of the Iapetus Ocean and were emplaced into a varying regime of transpression and transtension throughout the Silurian and into the early Devonian. Here we evaluate a new approach for examining how magma volumes vary as a function of tectonic setting. Available radiometric ages from the late Caledonian granites are used to calculate probability density functions (age spectra), with each pluton weighted by outcrop area as a proxy for its volume. These spectra confirm an absence of magmatic activity during Iapetus subduction between c. 455 Ma and 425 Ma and a dominance of post-subduction magmas between c. 425 Ma and 380 Ma. We review possible reasons why, despite the widespread outcrop of the late Caledonian granites, magmatism appears absent during Iapetus subduction. These include shallow angle subduction or extensive erosion and tectonic removal of the arc.In contrast to previous work, we find no strong difference in the age or major element chemistry of post-subduction granites across all terranes. We propose a common causal mechanism in which the down-going Iapetus oceanic slab peeled back and detached beneath the suture following final Iapetus closure. The lithospheric mantle was delaminated beneath the suture and for about 100 km back beneath the Avalonian margin. While magma generation is largely a function of gravitationally driven lithosphere delamination, strike slip dominated kinematics in the overlying continental crust is what modulated granitic magma emplacement. Early Devonian (419–404 Ma) transtension permitted large volumes of granite emplacement, whereas the subsequent Acadian (late Early Devonian, 404–394 Ma) transpression reduced and eventually suppressed magma emplacement.     

Variations in the kinematics of deformation along the Zagros inclined transpression zone,Iran: Implications for defining a curved inclined transpression zone

The combination of inclined collision and plate boundary shape can control the nature of deformation and the sense of shear along a transpression zone. The present study investigated the effects of a boundary zone with curvilinear shape along a transpression zone on the kinematics of deformation. The kinematics of the Zagros transpression zone varies with the orientation of the zone boundary. Detailed structural and microstructural studies showed sinistral sense of shear on the southeastern part of the Zagros inclined transpression zone (Fars Arc), but dextral sense of shear on the northwestern part of the zone. It is inferred that the both senses of shear were developed coevally under a bulk general shear, regional-scale deformation along a curved inclined transpression miming the shape of the Fras Arc of the Zagros and the reentrant of the Bandar Abbas Syntaxis. The Zagros transpression zone formed by inclined continental collision between the Afro-Arabian continent and Iranian microcontinent.     

Main differences between thrust belts

It is useful to differentiate between thrust belts that are related to east(E)-dipping or west(W)-dipping subduction. More precisely, these either follow or resist the overall ‘eastward’ mantle flow detected by the hot-spot reference frame. Because of the overall ‘westward’ drift of the lithosphere we find in E-dipping subduction that the basal decollement underlying the eastern plate reaches the surface and involves deep crustal rocks. With W-dipping subduction, however, we find that the basal decollement of the eastern plate is warped as well as subducted. Consequently thrust belts related to E- (or NE-) dipping subduction show conspicuous structural and morphologic relief, involve deep crustal rocks, and are associated with shallow foredeeps. On the other hand, thrust belts related to W- (or SW-) dipping subduction show relatively low structural and morphological relief, involve only shallow upper crustal rocks and are associated with deep foredeeps as well as back-arc extension. The accretionary wedge-foredeep-back-arc basin association is visualized as an overall eastward propagating tectonic wave. The accretionary wedge forms in the frontal parts and generally below sea-level. This is followed by forward migrating extension that cuts the earlier accretionary wedge. Typically such a system occurs in the context of overall W-dipping subduction and is characterized by an arcuate shape (e.g. Carpathians, Apennines, Barbados, etc.). Along the branches of the arc external transpression and internal transtension co-exist but with different sense (i.e. sinistral transpression contrasting with dextral transtension). We also observe that with W-dipping subduction the tangent to a pre- deformation marker is descending into the foredeep at an angle in the range of 1–10° while with E-(or NE-)dipping subduction the same marker would rise towards the hinterland with typical angles of about 5–10°. Foredeep subsidence is mainly controlled by the load of the thrust sheets in thrust belts due to E-(or NE-)dipping subduction and by the roll-back of the subduction hinge in accretionary wedges due to W-dipping subduction. Subsidence or uplift rates in the foredeeps and accretionary wedges related to the two different types of subduction are very different, providing different P-T-t paths in the two geodynamic realms. The present shape and structure of the thrust belts belonging to one of these two general types may help us in reconstructing the location of thinned lithosphere and basin evolution in the past.     

Mesoproterozoic Oaxaquia-type basement in peri-Gondwanan terranes of Mexico,the Appalachians,and Europe: T DM age constraints on extent and significance

The basement of most peri-Gondwanan terranes in Mexico, the Appalachians, the Caledonides, and the Variscides is buried beneath younger Ediacaran arc, Palaeozoic passive margin, and/or Mesozoic–Cenozoic platformal carbonates. However, it is exposed in the Oaxaquia terrane of Mexico (Oaxacan, Novillo, Huiznopala, and Guichicovi complexes), where it is characterized by ca. 1.0–1.3 billion year protolith ages and igneous rocks with depleted mantle model ages (T _DM) of 1.35–1.77 billion years. The T _DM ages represent a bulk average composition of the source and can be used as a tracer; these T _DM ages overlap with those in ca. 546 Ma arc clasts from the 65.5 Ma Chicxulub bolide breccia, suggesting that the northern Maya block is also underlain by Oaxaquia-type basement. Similar T _DM ages occur in Ediacaran arc rocks in Suwannee (Florida), NW Avalonia, Ganderia, Iberia, Armorica, and Bohemia, and in lower Palaeozoic plutons cutting adjacent Palaeozoic passive margin rocks (Acatlán Complex, Gander Group), suggesting that Oaxaquia-type basement underlies these regions. These T _DM ages are intermediate between those of SE Avalonia/Carolinia (0.75–1.1 billion years) and the ca. 2.0 Ga basement typical of NW Africa and the Channel Islands of the United Kingdom. The lateral extent of this Oaxaquia-type basement suggests that it formed a Precambrian rim around the periphery of northern Gondwana (Amazonia and NW Africa). The Oaxaquia-type basement beneath Ganderia and northwestern Avalonia suggests that these terranes were derived from the Oaxaquia margin of Amazonia. The polarity of the T _DM ages in Avalonia (younger to the SE) suggests that, rather than being transferred orthogonally across Iapetus, these peri-Gondwanan terranes rotated clockwise through ～90° before accretion to Laurentia.     

Lithospheric tectonic structures developed under high-grade metamorphism in the Southern part of Madagascar

Abstract

This paper describes the tectono-metamorphic evolution of a segment of the Precambrian deep crust, in the southern Madagascar island. This crust corresponds to an Archaean basement reworked by a widespread, late panAfrican event (550–580 Ma) during the formation of the Mozambican belt. The finite geometry and associated metamorphism are depicted by satellite imaging, field mapping and P-T estimations using both conventional thermobarometric methods and TWEEQ software program with internally consistent thermodynamic data and uniform set of solution models. The structural pattern developed during high-grade metamorphism shows the juxtaposition of domains with complex fold geometries separated by a 15 km wide ductile shear zone. Within the folded domains, kilometre scale interference patterns associated with strongly dipping metamorphic stretching lineations can be described as superposed folding (F1 and F2 folds). The tight and upright F2 folds result from East-West horizontal shortening. The shear zone is defined by homogeneous orientations of steep foliations, sub-horizontal stretching lineations, and kilometre scale strain gradient. Within the shear zone, we observe dominant non-coaxial criteria at various scales that are consistent with a sinistral strike-slip system during D2 deformation stage. Nevertheless, we have also found in the shear zone, geometries typical of a horizontal shortening. Such a strain pattern is characteristic of transpression tectonics.

The synkinematic metamorphic conditions are estimated on mafic garnetiferous metabasites. Results show that regional transpression tectonics has developed under very high and constant thermal regime (about 800°C). A pressure gap, of about 3 kbar between the domains separated by the shear zone is identified. This implies tectonic coupling of two different structural levels during tranpressive tectonic.     

Middle to late Triassic mélange exhumation along a pre-Andean transpressional fault system: coastal Chile (26°–42° S)

Mélanges occur as discontinuous, mappable, units along an extensive N–S-trending, steeply dipping zone of distributed shear in metamorphic complexes along the coast of central Chile. Large mélange zones, from north to south, near Chañaral, Los Vilos, Pichilemu, and Chiloé Island, contain variations in lithologic and structural detail, but are consistent in exhibiting cross-cutting fabric features indicating a progressive transition from earlier ductile to more brittle deformation. In the Infiernillo mélange near Pichilemu, Permian to Early Triassic, sub-horizontal schistosity planes of the Western Series schist are disrupted, incorporated into, and uplifted along high-angle, N–S- to NNE–SSW-trending brittle–ductile shears. Mylonitic and cataclastic zones within the mélange matrix indicate active lateral shear during cumulative exhumation from depths exceeding 12 km in some areas. Exotic lithologies, such as Carboniferous mafic amphibolite and blueschist, formed during earlier Gondwanide subduction, match well with similar rocks in the Bahia Mansa to Los Pabilos region 750 km to the south, suggesting possible dextral offset. The development of the Middle to Late Triassic, N–S=trending, near-vertical shear zones formed weaknesses in the crust facilitating later fault localization, gravitational collapse, and subduction erosion along the continental margin. The length and linearity of this zone of lateral movement, coincident with a general hiatus of regional arc magmatism during the Middle to Late Triassic, is consistent with large-scale dextral transpression, or possible transform movement, during highly oblique NNE–SSW convergence along the pre-Andean (Gondwana) margin. The resultant margin parallel N–S-trending shear planes may be exploited by seismically active faults along the present coastal area of Chile. The palaeo-tectonic setting during the transitional period between earlier Gondwanide (Devonian to Permian) and later Andean (Late Jurassic to present) subduction may have had some similarity to the presently active San Andreas transform system of California.     

Dextral transpression and late Eocene magmatism in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh Batholith (North India): implications for tectono-magmatic evolution of the Indo-Eurasian collisional arc

The trans-Himalayan Ladakh batholith is a result of arc magmatism caused by the northward subduction of the Tethyan oceanic lithosphere below the edge of the Eurasian plate. The batholith dominantly consists of calc-alkaline I-type granitoids which are ferromagnetic in nature with the presence of magnetite as the principal carrier of magnetic susceptibility. The mesoscopic and magnetic fabric are concordant and generally vary from WNW–ESE to ENE–WSW for different intrusions of ferromagnetic granites in different parts of the batholith. Strike of magnetic fabric is roughly parallel with the regional trend of the Ladakh batholith in the present study area and is orthogonal to the direction of India-Eurasia collision. In Khardungla and Changla section, the magnetic fabric is distributed in a sigmoidal manner. It is inferred that this sigmoidal pattern is caused by shearing due to transpression induced by oblique convergence between the two plates. U–Pb zircon geochronology of a rhyolite from the southern parts of the batholith gives a crystallization age of 71.7 ± 0.6 Ma, coeval with ~68 Ma magmatism in the northern parts of the batholith. The central part of the batholith is characterized by S-type two-mica granites, which gives much younger age of magmatism at 35.5 ± 0.5 Ma. The magnetic fabric of these two-mica granites is at a high angle to the regional trend of the batholith. It is proposed that these two-mica granites were emplaced well after the cessation of subduction and arc magmatism, along fractures that developed perpendicular to the regional strike of the batholith due to shearing.     

Prolonged Variscan to Alpine history of an active Eurasian margin (Georgia, Armenia) revealed by Ar/Ar dating

Variscan to Alpine magmatic activity on the North Tethys active Eurasian margin in the Caucasus region is revealed by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages from rocks sampled in the Georgian Crystalline basement and exotic blocs in the Armenian foreland basin. These ages provide insights into the long duration of magmatic activity and related metamorphic history of the margin, with: (1) a phase of transpression with little crustal thickening during the Variscan cycle, evidenced by HT-LP metamorphism at 329–337 Ma; (2) a phase of intense bimodal magmatism at the end of the Variscan cycle, between 303 and 269 Ma, which is interpreted as an ongoing active margin during this period; (3) further evolution of the active margin evidenced by migmatites formed at ca. 183 Ma in a transpressive setting; (4) paroxysmal arc plutonic activity during the Jurassic (although the active magmatic arc was located farther south than the studied crystalline basements) with metamorphic rocks of the Eurasian basement sampled in the Armenian foreland basin dated at 166 Ma; (5) rapid cooling suggested by similar within-error ages of amphibole and muscovite sampled from the same exotic block in the Armenian fore-arc basin, ascribed to rapid exhumation related to extensional tectonics in the arc; and finally (6) cessation of ‘Andean’-type magmatic arc history in the Upper Cretaceous. Remnants of magmatic activity in the Early Cretaceous are found in the Georgian crystalline basement at c. 114 Ma, which is ascribed to flat slab subduction of relatively hot oceanic crust. This event corresponds to the emplacement of an oceanic seamount above the N Armenian ophiolite at 117 Ma. The activity of a hot spot between the active Eurasian margin and the South Armenian Block is thought to have heated and thickened the Neo-Tethys oceanic crust. Finally, the South Eurasian margin was uplifted and transported over this hot oceanic crust, resulting in the cessation of subduction and the erosion of the southern edge of the margin in Upper Cretaceous times. Emplacement of Eocene volcanics stitches all main collisional structures.     

Testing the model of oblique transpression with oblique extrusion in two natural cases: Steps and consequences

Kinematic models of various types of transpression have been used to explain fabric features and strain in many natural deformation studies. Here, a mathematical model that encompasses all monoclinic and triclinic transpressional deformations including triclinic deformation with inclined simple shear (ϕ) and/or inclined extrusion orientations (υ) can be tested using a step-by-step approach with available field evidence. Two cases are presented. The first case from the Wabigoon–Quetico boundary in the Archean Superior Province utilizes both fabric orientation and quantified strain data. The best fit of the field evidence to the model indicates that deformation likely took place along subvertical shear zones via transpression with subhorizontal simple shear (ϕ = 0–20°) and variable inclined extrusion direction (extrusion can be either east or west and υ typically indicates extrusion orientations between 0 and 50° from vertical). The second case of the South Iberian shear zone has fabric orientation data, but no quantifiable strain possibilities. The best fit of the field evidence to the model indicates that deformation likely took place along a moderately inclined shear zone via transpression with subhorizontal simple shear (ϕ = 0–20°) and variable inclined extrusion direction (υ values between 0° and 80° from the true dip of the shear zone). Using this protocol in other examples of natural deformation will allow further constraints to be applied to kinematic models.