The Brossasco-Isasca Unit (BIU) of the southern Dora-Maira Massif (DMM), Western Alps, is one of the most studied ultra-high pressure (UHP) units in the world. However, the interpretation of UHP metamorphism in the BIU is still a highly debated and challenging issue. The structural and tectonometamorphic setting of the southern DMM is described in the literature as a tectonic "sandwich", with the UHP unit in the middle, bounded by two high-pressure (HP) eclogitic units in the footwall (the San Chiaffredo Unit, SCU) and hanging wall (the Rocca Solei Unit, RSU), respectively. These three units are in turn sandwiched between two blueschist-facies units (the Pinerolo Unit, PU, at the bottom, and the Dronero-Sampeyre Unit, DSU, at the top). In contrast to the well-constrained P-T evolution of the BIU, peak P-T conditions for its bounding HP units are poorly constrained, most studies dating back to over 20 years ago and mostly relying on conventional thermobarometric methods. This study aims to update our knowledge about the P-T evolution experienced by the whole tectonometamorphic package of the southern DMM. For the first time, peak P-T conditions and prograde evolution for the five units (PU, SCU, BIU, RSU, DSU) forming the southern DMM tectonic "sandwich" are estimated using the same, internally consistent and therefore comparable, modern thermobarometric approaches. The study focuses on metapelites (i.e., garnet-bearing phengitic micaschists) and combines multi-equilibrium thermobarometry (Average PT) with the P-T pseudosection approach. Our results demonstrate that most of the southern DMM nappe stack (i.e., SCU, RSU and also the PU, that was originally considered as a blueschist-facies unit) experienced eclogitefacies metamorphism under similar peak P-T conditions (500-520°C, 20-24 kbar), and followed the same prograde path, suggesting similar burial mechanisms. The UHP BIU followed an early prograde evolution similar to that of the other eclogitic units of the southern DMM tectonic "sandwich". The attainment of UHP peak conditions occurred through an earlier steep, almost isothermal increase in pressure and a later increase in temperature. The DSU is the only unit of the southern DMM nappe stack that did not experience eclogite-facies metamorphism (peak metamorphism at blueschist-facies conditions: 450-470 °C, 17-18 kbar) and it is separated from the eclogitic units by a shear zone (the Valmala Shear Zone), whose interpretation requires further studies. These new data represent the inescapable starting point for any conceptual model aiming for a deeper understanding of the subduction/exhumation processes of UHP Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation continental units.
Deciphering the pre-orogenic evolution of subducted continental basement is challenging due to pervasive reworking of crust during subduction and exhumation. Survival of such polycyclic basement may occur locally in low strain domains bounded by intensely overprinted rocks. The Palaeozoic history of basement involved in Alpine continental subduction is investigated in the northern Dora-Maira Massif where a kilometre-scale domain of low strain preserves a pre-Alpine amphibolite-facies foliation in garnet-biotite orthogneiss and garnet-staurolite micaschist. By contrast, a first generation garnet is the only pre-Alpine relict in pervasively reworked domains surrounding the lowstrain domain. Thermodynamic modelling based on garnet isopleths in micaschist constrains the pre-Alpine pressure-temperature (P-T) evolution from 4 to 5 kbar and $500 C to 6-7 kbar and $650 C, which is consistent with Barrovian metamorphism up to the staurolite zone. In this micaschist, monazite included in garnet rims provide an age of 324 AE 6 Ma (95% confidence interval; c.i.). On the basis of textural and chemical data, this is interpreted as recording peak Barrovian metamorphic conditions. Low Th/U metamorphic zircon overgrowths and crystals yield an age of 304 AE 2 Ma (95% confidence interval). On the basis of the trace element concentrations and rare earth element (REE) patterns measured in garnet and metamorphic zircon, the latter is tentatively interpreted as having grown during early exhumation or cooling, involving garnet consumption and fluid infiltration. The reconstructed Variscan Barrovian metamorphism of the northern Dora-Maira basement is consistent with that documented in the External Crystalline Massifs and in the Austroalpine domain of the Alps. The Palaeozoic basement of the Dora-Maira Massif likely represents upper crustal material, later involved in Alpine continental subduction under high-to ultra-high-pressure conditions.
The distribution of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism (UHP) at the scale of a mountain belt is of prime importance for deciphering its past subduction history. In the Western Alps, coesite has been recognized in the southern Dora-Maira Massif, in the lens-shaped Brossasco-Isasca Unit, but has not been found up to now in the other parts of the massif. We report the discovery of a new UHP unit in the northern Dora-Maira Massif (Western Alps), named Chasteiran Unit. It is only a few tens of metres thick and consists of graphite-rich, garnet–chloritoid micaschists, whose protoliths may be black shales of Silurian age. Garnet inclusions (chloritoid, rutile) and its growth zoning allow to precisely model the P–T evolution. Coesite crystals, which are pristine or partially transformed to palisade quartz occur as inclusions in the garnet outer cores. According to thermodynamic modelling, garnet displays a continuous record of growth during the prograde increase in P and T (25–27 kbar 470–500 °C) (stage 1), up to the coesite stability field (27–28 kbar 510–530 °C) (stage 2), as well as sub-isothermal decompression of about 10 kbar (down to 15 kbar 500–515 °C) (stage 3). The main regional, composite, foliation, marked by chloritoid and rutile, began to develop during this stage, and was then overprinted by chlorite–ilmenite (stage 4). The Chasteiran Unit is discontinuously exposed in the immediate hangingwall of the Pinerolo Unit, and it is located far away from, and without physical links to the classic UHP Brossasco-Isasca Unit. Moreover, it records a different, much colder, P–T evolution, showing that different slices were detached from the downgoing subduction slab. The Chasteiran Unit is the fourth and the coldest Alpine UHP unit known so far in the entire Alpine belt. Its P–T conditions are comparable to the ones of the Tian Shan coesite–chloritoid-bearing rocks.
In the Valmala sector of the southern Dora Maira Massif (Western Alps), two different eclogiteand blueschist-facies units (i.e. the Rocca Solei and Dronero units, respectively), are separated by a shear zone (i.e. the Valmala Tectonic Unit), which peculiarly consists of mixed slices of ophiolitic and continental rocks. A detailed geological map at 1:10,000 scale allowed to point out that the tectonic slices within the Valmala Tectonic Unit consist of 'native' rock slices wrenched from the overlying Dronero Unit, and 'exotic' rocks likely sourced from other units of the Dora Maira and from a continental margin and an oceanic basin. On the contrary, rock slices sourced from the underlying Rocca Solei Unit are lacking. The overall tectonic stack results after an early subduction-related deformation phase (i.e. the D1), and the pervasive overprinting of two subsequent exhumation-related deformation phases (i.e. the D2 and D3). The Valmala Tectonic Unit is inferred to have played a role in decoupling the southern Dora Maira Massif during subduction, and/or in driving exhumation of the ultra-high pressure rocks occurring in the adjoining Brossasco-Isasca Unit.
<p>The distribution of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism (<em>UHP</em>) at the scale of a mountain belt is of prime importance for deciphering its past subduction history. In the Western Alps, coesite has been recognized in the southern Dora-Maira massif, in the lens-shaped Brossasco-Isasca Unit, but has not been found up to now in the other parts of the massif. We report the discovery of a new <em>UHP</em> unit in the northern Dora-Maira Massif (Western Alps), named Chasteiran Unit (Manzotti et al. 2022). It is only a few tens of metres thick and consists of garnet-chloritoid micaschists. Garnet inclusions (chloritoid, rutile) and its growth zoning allow to precisely model the <em>P</em>&#8211;<em>T</em> evolution. Coesite crystals, which are pristine or partially transformed to palisade quartz occur as inclusions in the garnet outer cores. According to thermodynamic modelling, garnet displays a continuous record of growth during the prograde increase in <em>P</em> and <em>T</em> (25&#8211;27 kbar 470&#8211;500 &#176;C) (stage 1), up to the coesite stability field (27&#8211;28 kbar 520&#8211;530 &#176;C) (stage 2), as well as sub-isothermal decompression of about 10 kbar (down to 15 kbar 500&#8211;515 &#176;C) (stage 3). The main regional, composite, foliation, marked by chloritoid and rutile, began to develop during this stage, and was then overprinted by chlorite-ilmenite (stage 4). The Chasteiran Unit is discontinuously exposed in the immediate hangingwall of the Pinerolo Unit, and it is located far away from, and without physical links to the classic <em>UHP</em> Brossasco-Isasca Unit. Moreover, it records a different, much colder, <em>P&#8211;T</em> evolution, showing that different slices were detached from the downgoing subduction slab. The Chasteiran Unit is the fourth and the coldest Alpine <em>UHP</em> unit known so far in the entire Alpine belt. Its <em>P&#8211;T</em> conditions are comparable to the ones of the Tian Shan coesite-chloritoid-bearing rocks.</p> <p>&#160;</p> <p>Manzotti, P., Schiavi, F., Nosenzo, F., Pitra, P., Ball&#232;vre, M. (2022). A journey towards the forbidden zone: a new, cold, UHP unit in the Dora-Maira Massif (Western Alps). <em>Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology</em>, in press.</p> <p>&#160;</p>
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