The subduction and exhumation of the continental lithosphere: their effects on the structure and evolution of the orogens
Staff
- Carosi Rodolfo (Coordinator)
- Iaccarino Salvatore
- Jie Chen
- Matteo Simonetti
ERC Sectors
Activity
The research project deals with the characterization of the different mechanisms active, at different structural levels, during the evolution of orogenic belts and the exhumation of deep-seated crustal rocks.
The main topics of this research are related to: (1) the evolution, growth and collapse of mountains belts, (2) continental transpressive tectonics, (3) metamorphism, deformation and exhumation mechanisms operating during the geological history of deep-seated crustal rocks, (4) kinematics and strain patterns in high-strain zones.
Trough a multi-disciplinary approach based both on the contribution of structural geology (e.g., geological mapping, meso- and micro-structural analysis, study of kinematic vorticity and of finite strain, quartz and calcite petrofabrics) and of others earth sciences disciplines (e.g., petrology, petrochronology, numerical modeling) this project is aimed to constrain processes and their rates, active during the evolution of orogenic belts.
Study areas include examples of ancient and still active "large hot orogens" and of "small cold orogens". These areas include: (i) Himalaya-Karakoram-Tibet orogneic system, (ii) northern Apennine, (iii) western Alps, (iv) Variscan Belt in Sardinia (Italy) and in Maures Massif (France), (v) Ross orogen (northern Victoria Land, Antarctica).
Staurolite porphyroclast with asymmetric quartz strain shadows, pointing to a dextral sense of shear (staurolite-bearing micaschist, Maures Massif, France).
Protomylonite from the high-strain zone of the Ferriere-Mollieres shear zone, showing a dextral sense of shear (Argentera Massif, Western Alps, Italy).
Chocolate-type boudinage affecting carbonate-bearing veins (Punta Bianca, northern Apennine, Italy)
Bhagirathi leucogranite intruding sillimanite-bearing metapelites (Greater Himalayan Sequence) at the bottom and low-grade metasediments (Martoli formation) at the top (NW Himalaya, India)
Partnership
Publications
CAROSI R., MONTOMOLI C., IACCARINO S., MASSONNE H.-J., RUBATTO D., LANGONE A., GEMIGNANI, L. & VISONÀ D. (2016): Middle to late Eocene exhumation of the Greater Himalayan Sequence un the Central Himalayas: progressive accretion from the Indian Plate. (Geological Society of America Bulletin, 128, 1571-1592);
CAROSI R., D'ADDARIO E., MAMMOLITI E., MONTOMOLI C., SIMONETTI M. (2016). Geology of the northwestern portion of the Ferriere-Mollieres Shear Zone, Argentera Massif, Italy. (Journal of Maps, 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2016.1243491).
MONTEMAGNI C., FULIGNATI P., IACCARINO S., MARIANELLI P., MONTOMOLI C. & SBRANA A. (2016): Deformation and fluid flow in the Munsiari Thrust (NW India): a preliminary fluid inclusion study (Central Himalaya). (Atti della Società Toscana di Scienze Naturali Memorie, Serie A, doi: 0.2424/ASTSN.M.2016.22);
Decarlis A., Beltrando M., Manatschal G., Ferrando S. and Carosi R. (2017). Architecture of the distal Piedmont-Ligurian rifted margin in NW-Italy: hints for a flip of the rift system polarity. (Tectonics, in press, DOI: 10.1002/2017TC004561).
IACCARINO S., MONTOMOLI C., CAROSI R., MASSONNE H.-J. & VISONÀ D. (2017): Geology and tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Himalayan Metamorphic Core: insights from the Mugu Karnali transect, Western Nepal (Central Himalaya). (Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 35, 301-325, doi:10.1111/jmg.12233);
MONTOMOLI C., CAROSI R., RUBATTO D., VISONÀ D. & IACCARINO S. (2017): Tectonic activity along the inner margin of the South Tibetan detachment constrained by syntectonic leucogranite emplacement in Western Bhutan. (Italian Journal of Geosciences, 136, 5-14, doi:10.3301/IJG.2015.26);