Structural evolution of a nappe complex,southern Vanoise massif,French Penninic Alps

The Arpont-Parrachée region in the southern Vanoise massif comprises a stack of minor fold- and thrust-nappes that were emplaced during subduction and closure of the Piémont ocean basin in Late Cretaceous to Eocene time. The stack includes the Arpont nappe, composed mainly of pre-Permian schist metamorphosed to blueschist facies early in the Alpine history, and several sheets of Permian to Eocene metasedimentary rocks. Nappe formation, recumbent folding, and associated ductile deformation postdated the high-pressure metamorphic peak, and probably involved translation to the northwest. The rocks were then refolded by large- and small-scale folds trending roughly E-W. These deformational events were accompanied by a decrease in metamorphic pressure, indicating uplift. They were followed by regional greenschist-facies metamorphism, which caused breakdown of high-pressure parageneses, annealing of microstructures, and widespread growth of albite porphyroblasts. The entire nappe pile was then refolded by large- and small-scale folds overturned towards the southeast. Reorientation of small-scale structures with increasing strain by this event indicates a large component of ESE-directed shear, which culminated in the formation of anastomosing ductile shear-zones.