Basal Shear-Zone of the Lower allochthon in the Morais complex (Portugal): microstructural and neutron diffraction constraints.

Author(s):  
Jeremie Malecki ◽  
Juan Gómez Barreiro ◽  
Manuela Durán Oreja ◽  
José Ramón Martínez Catalán ◽  
Magdalena Tettamanti ◽  
...  

<p>The NW Iberian Massif represents a segment of the Variscan Belt, where several allochthonous complexes crop out: : Cabo Ortegal, Ordenes and Malpica-Tuy, in Spain, and Bragança and Morais in Portugal. These allochthonous complexes comprise allochthonous units, overthrusting parautochthonous and autochthonous units. The suture zone of the Variscan orogeny in the NW Iberia preserves the testimony of the collisional dynamics between Gondwana and Laurussia during the Carboniferous. The stacking of allochthonous units into an accretion wedge, and their subsequent incorporation by thrusts into the continental margin of Gondwana, resulted in polyphasic tectonothermal evolution. Different units record valuable information about the deformation mechanisms, rheological behaviour and the configuration of plates during the Palaeozoic.</p><p>The kinematic and deformational evolution of major tectonic boundaries of the Variscan Allochthonous units, as well as their mutual relationship in Iberia is critical, in order to constrain their regional meaning and correlation with similar units along the European Variscan Belt. In shear-zones, plastic deformation of polycrystalline aggregates result into microstructural and textural fingerprints that need to be interpreted. Quantitative analyses of fabrics has been crucial in untangling complex tectonothermal evolutions. In this case neutron diffraction experiments have been conducted in transmission mode in the Institute Laue-Langevin (ILL) (France), to characterize mylonites from the basal shear zone of the Lower Allochthon in Morais Complex. Two different experimental sets have been tested in D1B and D20 beamlines, comparing textural standards and new vanadium sample holders in order to optimize the procedure. Diffraction data were refined with Rietveld software MAUD to obtain quantitative texture information and orientation distribution functions (ODF) for main phases. Afterward, pole figures of relevant planes were interpreted in terms of slip-system activity to understand deformation conditions. Overall, microstructural data and fabric analysis points to a top-to-the SE shearing with a pure-shear component in the mylonitic flow.</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Shear zones, texture analysis, neutron diffraction, Rietveld method, Variscan orogeny, Morais complex.</p>

Minerals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Zucali ◽  
Daniel Chateigner ◽  
and Bachir Ouladdiaf

Eight samples of limestones and marbles were studied by neutron diffraction to collect quantitative texture (i.e., crystallographic preferred orientations or CPO) of calcite deforming at different depths in the crust. We studied the different Texture patterns developed in shear zones at different depth and their influence on seismic anisotropies. Samples were collected in the French and Italian Alps, Apennines, and Paleozoic Sardinian basement. They are characterized by isotropic to highly anisotropic (e.g., mylonite shear zone) fabrics. Mylonite limestones occur as shear zone horizons within the Cenozoic Southern Domain in Alpine thrust-and-fold belts (Italy), the Briançonnais domain of the Western Alps (Italy-France border), the Sardinian Paleozoic back-thrusts, or in the Austroalpine intermediate units. The analyzed marbles were collected in the Carrara Marble, in the Austroalpine Units in the Central (Mortirolo) and Western Alps (Valpelline). The temperature and depth of development of fabrics vary from <100 ∘ C, to 800 ∘ C and depth from <10 km to about 30 km, corresponding from upper to lower crust conditions. Quantitative Texture Analysis shows different types of patterns for calcite: random to strongly textured. Textured types may be further separated in orthorhombic and monoclinic (Types A and B), based on the angle defined with the mesoscopic fabrics. Seismic anisotropies were calculated by homogenizing the single-crystal elastic tensor, using the Orientation Distribution Function calculated by Quantitative Texture Analysis. The resulting P- and S-wave anisotropies show a wide variability due to the textural types, temperature and pressure conditions, and dip of the shear planes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Schrank

&lt;p&gt;About 50 years ago, John Ramsay and colleagues established the thorough foundation for the field-scale observational and mathematical description of the structures, deformation, and kinematics in ductile shear zones. Since then, these probably most important instabilities of the ductile lithosphere enjoyed an almost explosive growth in scientific attention. It is perhaps fair to say that this tremendous research effort featured four main themes:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1] The historic scientific nucleus &amp;#8211; quantification of shear-zone geometry, strain and associated kinematic history from field observations&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[2] Qualitative and quantitative analysis of microphysical deformation mechanisms in the field and the laboratory&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[3] Shear-zone rheology&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[4] The development of physically consistent mathematical models for shear zones, mainly using continuum mechanics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In concert, these four cornerstones of shear-zone research enabled tremendous progress in our understanding of why and how ductile shear zones form. So, what are some of the outstanding problems?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A truly comprehensive model for ductile shear zones must account for the vast range of length and time scales involved, each easily covering ten orders of magnitude, as well as the associated intimate coupling between thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and chemical processes. The multi-scale and multi-physics nature of ductile shear zones generates scientific challenges for all four research themes named above. This presentation is dedicated to highlighting exciting challenges in themes 2, and 3 and 4.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the microanalytical arena [2], the nano-scale is an exciting new frontier, especially when it comes to the interplay between metamorphism and ductile deformation. The nano-frontier can be tackled with new synchrotron methods. I showcase some applications to fossil shear-zone samples and discuss opportunities for in-situ experiments. In the domain of rheology [3], I present some simple experiments with strain-softening materials and field observations that support the notion: transient rheological behaviour is very important for shear localisation. In the modelling domain [4], some recent examples for the intriguing physical consequences predicted by new multi-physics and cross-scale coupling terms in ductile localisation problems are illustrated.&lt;/p&gt;


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Durán Oreja ◽  
Jeremie Malecki ◽  
Juan Gómez Barreiro

&lt;p&gt;Two samples of mylonitic-ultramylonitic ortogneisses collected along the Cont&amp;#237;n shear zone were investigated for crystal preferred orientation and seismic anisotropy. Neutron diffraction data obtained at the D1B beamline at ILL (Institute Laue-Langevin, Grenoble) were analyzed with the Rietveld method as implemented in the code MAUD, to obtain the orientation distribution functions (ODF) of the principal phases (quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, phlogopite, muscovite and riebeckite). Texture and microstructure are compatible with the plastic deformation of the aggregates under medium to low-temperature conditions. Kinematic analysis supports a top-to-the SE sense of shear, suggesting a thrust character. Using preferred orientation data and single crystal elastic tensors, P and S-waves velocities and elastic anisotropy have been calculated. We have explored the role of several factors controlling the elastic properties of rocks, particularly the role of strain state and mineral changes in a shear zone. Those factors have a direct impact on the medium impedance and consequently on the interphase reflectivity. P-wave velocities, S-wave splitting and anisotropy increase with muscovite content. Seismic anisotropy is linked with the texture symmetry, which can result in large deviations between actual anisotropy and that measured along Cartesian XYZ sample directions (lineation/foliation reference frame). This is significant for the prediction and interpretation of seismic data. (Research support CGL2016-78560-P)&lt;/p&gt;


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Simonetti ◽  
Rodolfo Carosi ◽  
Chiara Montomoli ◽  
Salvatore Iaccarino

&lt;p&gt;Paleogeographic reconstruction and recognition of the tectono-metamorphic evolution of ancient orogenic belt is often complex. The combination of an adequate amount of paleomagnetic, metamorphic, structural and geochronological data is necessary. Fundamental data derive from the study of regional-scale shear zones, that can be directly observed, by combining detailed field work with structural analysis, microstructural analysis and petrochronology. The Southern European Variscan Belt in the Mediterranean area was partially overprinted by the Alpine cycle (Stampfli and Kozur, 2006) and correlations are mainly based on lithological similarities. Little attention has been paid to the compatibility of structures in the dispersed fragments. A main debate is the connection among the Corsica-Sardinia Block (CSB), the Maures-Tanneron Massif (MTM) and the future Alpine External Crystalline Massifs (ECM) (Stampfli et al., 2002; Advokaat et al., 2014) and if these sectors were connected by a network of shear zones of regional extent, known as the East Variscan Shear Zone (EVSZ).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We present a multidisciplinary study of shear zones cropping out in the CSB (the Posada-Asinara shear zone; Carosi et al., 2020), in the MTM (the Cavalaire Fault; Simonetti et al., 2020a) and in the ECM (the Ferriere-Molli&amp;#232;res and the Emosson-Berard shear zones; Simonetti et al., 2018; 2020b).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kinematic and finite strain analysis allowed to recognize a transpressional deformation, with a major component of pure shear and a variable component of simple shear, coupled with general flattening deformation. Syn-kinematic paragenesis, microstructures and quartz c-axis fabrics revealed that shear deformation, in all the studied sectors, occurred under decreasing temperature starting from amphibolite-facies up to greenschist-facies. A systematic petrochronological study (U-Th-Pb on monazite collected in the sheared rocks) was conducted in order to constrain the timing of deformation. We obtained ages ranging between ~340 Ma and ~320 Ma. Ages of ~340-330 Ma can be interpreted as the beginning of the activity of the EVSZ along its older branches while ages of ~320 Ma, obtained in all the shear zones, demonstrate that they were all active in the same time span.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The multidisciplinary approach revealed a similar kinematics and tectono-metamorphic evolution of the studied shear zones contributing to better constrain the extension and timing the EVSZ and to strength the paleogeographic reconstructions of the Southern Variscan belt during Late Carboniferous time, with important implications on the evolution of the Mediterranean area after the Late Paleozoic. This case study demonstrates how paleogeographic reconstructions could benefit from datasets obtained from large-scale structures (i.e., shear zones) that can be directly investigated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Advokaat et al. (2014). Earth and Planetary Science Letters 401, 183&amp;#8211;195&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Carosi et al. (2012). Terra Nova 24, 42&amp;#8211;51&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Carosi and Palmeri (2002). Geological Magazine 139.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Carosi et al. (2020). Geosciences 10, 288.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Simonetti et al (2020a). International Journal of Earth Sciences 109, 2261&amp;#8211;2285&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Simonetti et al. (2020b). Tectonics 39&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Simonetti et al. (2018). International Journal of Earth Sciences. 107, 2163&amp;#8211;2189&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stampfli and Kozur (2006). Geological Society, London, Memoirs 32, 57&amp;#8211;82&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stampfli et al. (2002). Journal of the Virtual Explorer 8, 77&lt;/p&gt;


Author(s):  
Michele Zucali ◽  
Daniel Chateigner ◽  
Bachir Ouladdiaf

Eight samples of limestones and marbles were studied by neutron diffraction to collect Quantitative Texture (i.e. Crystallographic Preferred Orientations or CPO) of calcite deforming at different depths in the crustal profile. We studied the different CPO patterns developed in shear zones at different depth and their influence on seismic anisotropies. Samples were collected in the French and Italian Alps, Apennines and Paleozoic Sardinian basement. They are characterized by different mesoscopic fabrics, from isotropic to highly anisotropic (e.g. mylonite shear zone). Mylonite limestones occur as shear zone horizons within the Cenozoic Southern Domain in Alpine thrust-and-fold belts (Italy), the Brian&ccedil;onnais domain of the Western Alps (Italy-France border), the Sardinian Paleozoic back-thrusts or in the Austroalpine Upper units. The analyzed marbles were collected in the Carrara Marble, in the Austroalpine Units in the Central (Mortirolo) and Western Alps (Valpelline). The temperature and depth of development of the fabrics vary from shallow, &lt; 100&deg;C, to more than 800&deg;C at depth of about 30 km. Quantitative Texture Analysis shows different types of patterns for calcite CPO, from random (Type A) to strongly textured (Type B); Type B may be further separated in orthorhombic and monoclinic, based on the angle defined with the mesoscopic fabrics, namely the shear plane. Seismic anisotropies were calculated by homogenizing the single crystal elastic tensor, using the Orientation Distribution Function calculated by the Quantitative Texture Analysis. The resulting P- and S-waves anisotropies show a wide variability due to the textural types, depth within the crustal profile, and dip of the shear planes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ragini Saraswati ◽  
Tapas Kumar Biswal

&lt;p&gt;Shear zones in the high-grade terranes represent the tectonic- fossils of strain history. One such shear zones, namely Balaram-Jogdadi shear zones defining the terrane boundary of the Ambaji granulites of the South Delhi terrane Aravalli &amp;#8211;Delhi Mobile belt, NW India, provide evidence for strain variation during exhumation of lower-middle crustal rocks. Compilation of field and microscopic analysis of various samples of mylonite from shear zones suggest that the part of shear zone contains high-grade mineral assemblages such as cordierite, sillimanite, spinel, garnet in quartzo-feldspathic mylonite rock and exhibit signature of thrusting in which garnet behaved as brittle phase and quartz and feldspar grain show ductile deformation. 2D and 3D strain analysis estimate a plane to flattening type of strain pattern. Principal strain planes are used to calculate the strain ratios for estimation of variation of strain along the shear zone. This study indicates high-grade mylonite accommodates high strain. The flow of rigid porphyroclasts estimates mean kinematic vorticity number varies from 0.47 to 0.68, which indicates the dominance of pure shear during shearing. Vorticity by the Rs/&amp;#952; method in quartz grain estimates ranges from 0.7 to 0.95, suggesting a non-steady strain towards the end of deformation. High-grade mylonites were overprinted by low-temperature mylonitisation marked by minerals like quartz, feldspar, biotite in which feldspar porphyroclast shows brittle deformation and quartz, biotite show ductile deformation. Several shear kinematics indicate top-to-NW sinistral strike-slip shearing. Thus it has been interpreted that the shear zone had undergone non-steady strain. The initial thrusting phase was dominated by more pure shear component. The strike-slip shearing part was dominated by more simple shear component. Monazite geochronology sets the age of shearing at 834-778 Ma suggesting the exhumation was a transition event between Grenville to Pan-African orogeny.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keywords: Shear zone, Deformation, Vorticity, 3D strain analysis, Monazite dating&lt;/p&gt;


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Agliardi ◽  
Marco M. Scuderi ◽  
Nicoletta Fusi ◽  
Cristiano Collettini

&lt;p&gt;Giant rockslides creep for centuries and then can fail catastrophically posing major threats to society. There is growing evidence that creeping landslides are widespread worldwide and extremely sensitive to hydrological forcing, especially in climate change scenarios. Rockslide creep is the results of progressive rock failure processes, leading to rock damage accumulation, permeability enhancement and strain localization within basal shear zones similar to tectonic faults. As shear zone accumulate strain, they become thicker and less permeable, favoring the development of perched aquifers. Since then, the creep behavior of mature rockslides becomes dominated by hydro-mechanical interaction with external triggers, e.g. rainfall and snowmelt. However, the mechanisms regulating the slow-to-fast transition toward their catastrophic collapse remain elusive, and statistical and simplified mathematical models used for collapse prediction are usually unable to account for the full spectrum of observed slip behaviors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here we couple laboratory experiments on natural rockslide shear zone material, sampled from high quality drillcores, and in situ observations (groundwater level and surface displacement) to investigate the mechanism of rockslide response to short-term pore pressure variations within basal shear zones at the Spriana rockslide (Italy). Using a biaxial apparatus within a pressure vessel, we characterized the strength and permeability of the phyllosilicate-rich shear zone material at in situ stress, as well as the rate and state frictional properties for shear rates typical of the slow-to-fast transition of real rockslides. Then we carried out non-conventional pore pressure-step creep experiments, in which shear stress is maintained at subcritical levels and pore pressure is increased stepwise while monitoring shear zone slip and dilatancy until runaway failure.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our results, that are quantitatively consistent with in situ monitoring observations, provide a scale-independent demonstration that short-term pore pressure variations originate a full spectrum of creep styles, modulated by slip-induced undrained conditions. Shear zones respond to fluid pressure increments by impulsive acceleration and dilatancy, causing spontaneous deceleration followed by sustained steady-rate creep. Increasing fluid pressure results in high creep rates and eventual collapse. Laboratory experiments quantitatively capture the in situ behavior of giant rockslides, providing physically-based basis to improve forecasting models for giant mature rockslides in crystalline rocks.&lt;/p&gt;


Author(s):  
Michele Zucali ◽  
Daniel Chateigner ◽  
Bachir Ouladdiaf

Eight samples of limestones and marbles were studied by neutron diffraction to collect 2 Quantitative Texture (i.e., Crystallographic Preferred Orientations or CPO) of calcite deforming at 3 different depths in the crust. We studied the different Texture patterns developed in shear zones at 4 different depth and their influence on seismic anisotropies. Samples were collected in the French and 5 Italian Alps, Apennines, and Paleozoic Sardinian basement. They are characterized by isotropic to 6 highly anisotropic (e.g., mylonite shear zone) fabrics. Mylonite limestones occur as shear zone horizons 7 within the Cenozoic Southern Domain in Alpine thrust-and-fold belts (Italy), the Briançonnais domain 8 of the Western Alps (Italy-France border), the Sardinian Paleozoic back-thrusts or in the Austroalpine 9 intermediate units. The analyzed marbles were collected in the Carrara Marble, in the Austroalpine Units 10 in the Central (Mortirolo) and Western Alps (Valpelline). The temperature and depth of development of fabrics vary from &lt; 100◦C, to 800◦C and depth from &lt;10 km to about 30 km, corresponding from upper 12 to lower crust conditions. Quantitative Texture Analysis shows different types of patterns for calcite: 13 random to strongly textured. Textured types may be further separated in orthorhombic and monoclinic 14 (Types A and B), based on the angle defined with the mesoscopic fabrics. Seismic anisotropies were 15 calculated by homogenizing the single crystal elastic tensor, using the Orientation Distribution Function 16 calculated by the Quantitative Texture Analysis. The resulting P- and S-waves anisotropies show a wide 17 variability due to the textural types, temperature and pressure conditions, and dip of the shear planes.


2021 ◽  
pp. jgs2021-032
Author(s):  
Clara Abu ◽  
Christopher A-L. Jackson ◽  
Malcolm Francis

Submarine landslides (slides) are some of the most voluminous sediment gravity-flows on Earth and they dominate the stratigraphic record of many sedimentary basins. Their general kinematics and internal structure are relatively well-understood. However, how slides increase in volume and internally deform as they evolve, and how these processes relate, in time and space, to the growth of their basal (shear) zone, are poorly understood. We here use three high-resolution 3D seismic surveys from the Angoche Basin, offshore Mozambique to map strain within a shallowly buried, large, and thus seismically well-imaged slide (c. 530 km3). We document several key kinematic indicators, including broadly NW-trending lateral margins and longitudinal shears bounding and within the slide body, respectively, and broadly NE-trending symmetric pop-up blocks in the slide toe. Approximately 7 km downdip of the slide toe wall, thrusts and related folds also occur within otherwise undeformed slope material, with thrusts detaching downwards onto the downslope continuation of the basal shear zone underlying the slide body. Based on the style, trend, and distribution of these features, and their cross-cutting relationships, we propose an emplacement model involving two distinct phases of deformation: (i) bulk shortening, parallel to the overall SE-directed emplacement direction, with contractional shear strains reaching c. 8%; and (ii) the development of broadly emplacement direction-parallel shear zones that offset the earlier-formed shortening structures. We infer that the contractional strains basinward of the slide body formed due to cryptic basinward propagation of the basal shear zone ahead of and to accommodate updip sliding and shortening associated with, the entire slide mass. Our study demonstrates the value of using 3D seismic reflection data to reveal slide emplacement kinematics, especially the multiphase, non-coaxial nature of deformation, and the dynamics of basal shear zone growth.


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