Modelling tectonic styles and ultra-high pressure (UHP) rock exhumation during the transition from oceanic subduction to continental collision

Warren, Clare J.; Beaumont, Christopher; Jamieson, Rebecca Anne

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2007.11.025

Cited by 260 publications

(195 citation statements)

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“…Although some of the above variables have been explored previously [Gerya et al, 2002[Gerya et al, , 2008Warren et al, 2008aWarren et al, , 2008bYamato et al, 2008;Sizova et al, 2012], few studies have addressed the influence of these factors specifically in the context of Alpine-type orogens, and none has produced a quantitative working model that explains the essential tectonic features of the Western Alps.…”

Section: Key Pointsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Alps 2: Controls on crustal subduction and (ultra)high‐pressure rock exhumation in Alpine‐type orogens

2014

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Building on our previous results, we use 2-D upper mantle-scale thermomechanical numerical models to explore key controls on the evolution of Alpine-type orogens and the Alps per se, focusing on (ultra)high-pressure ((U)HP) metamorphic rocks. The models show that UHP rocks form and exhume by burial and subsequent buoyant ascent of continental crust in the subduction conduit. Here we test the sensitivity of the models to surface erosion rate, crustal heat production, plate convergence/divergence rates, geometry of the subducting continental margin, and strength of the retrocontinent. Surface erosion affects crustal exhumation but not early buoyant exhumation. Metamorphic temperatures increase with crustal radioactive heat production. Maximum burial depth prior to exhumation increases with plate convergence rates, but exhumation rates are only weakly dependent on subduction rates. Onset of absolute plate divergence does not trigger exhumation in these models. We conclude that contrasting peak pressures, exhumation rates, and volumes of (U)HP crust exhumed in the Alps orogen primarily reflect along-strike contrasts in the geometry, thermal structure, and/or strength of the subducting microcontinent (Briançonnais) and continental (European margin) crust. The experiments also support the interpretation that the Western Alps (U)HP Internal Crystalline Massifs exhumed as composite, stacked plumes and that these plumes drove local crustal extension during orogen-scale shortening. For weak upper plate retrocrusts, postexhumation retrothrusting forms a retrowedge. Overall, these results are consistent with predictions using the exhumation number (ratio of buoyancy to side traction forces in the conduit), which expresses the combined parameter control of the depth/volume of crustal subduction and the transition to buoyant exhumation.

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Section: Key Pointsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Crustal materials undergo pressure-and temperature-dependent density changes corresponding to the eclogite and coesite-eclogite phase transitions following Warren et al [2008a] (Table 1) and reverse during exhumation. There are no corresponding rheological changes.…”

Section: A5 Density Volume and Mass Conservation During Phase Tranmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Alps 2: Controls on crustal subduction and (ultra)high‐pressure rock exhumation in Alpine‐type orogens

2014

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“…Two contrasting tectonic styles of continental subduction are predicted on the basis of numerical experiments: one-sided subduction (overriding plate does not subduct) and two-sided subduction (both plates subduct together) [Tao and O'Connell, 1992;Pope and Willett, 1998;Faccenda et al, 2008;Warren et al, 2008a], also with some other intermediate possibilities; while only the one-sided subduction can produce significant syntectonic UHP rocks exhumation [Warren et al, 2008a]. On the basis of the analog and numerical modeling studies, processes of HP-UHP rocks exhumation can be divided into the following groups: (1) syncollisional exhumation of coherent and buoyant crustal slab, with weak zone formation at the entrance zone of subduction channel [Chemenda et al, 1995[Chemenda et al, , 1996Toussaint et al, 2004a], that can be accompanied by delamination of the subducting lithosphere [Boutelier et al, 2004]; (2) episodic ductile extrusion of HP-UHP rocks from the subduction channel to the surface or crustal depths [Beaumont et al, 2001;Warren et al, 2008a]; and (3) continuous material circulation in the rheologically weak subduction channel stabilized at the plate interface, with materials exhumed from different depths [Burov et al, 2001;Gerya et al, 2002;Stöckhert and Gerya, 2005;Yamato et al, 2007;Warren et al, 2008a].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[5] First, in numerical models the HP and UHP rocks in the subduction channel usually start to exhume nearly at the same time (<5 Ma) [e.g., Warren et al, 2008a;Yamato et al, 2008]. So the temporal discrepancies between HP-UHP slices are not notable.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[3] Besides the systematic geological/petrological studies of the UHP terranes, analog [e.g., Chemenda et al, 1995Chemenda et al, , 1996Chemenda et al, , 2000Boutelier et al, 2004] and numerical modeling [e.g., Beaumont et al, 2001;Burov et al, 2001;Toussaint et al, 2004a;Burg and Gerya, 2005;Gerya et al, 2008;Yamato et al, 2007Yamato et al, , 2008Warren et al, 2008aWarren et al, , 2008bCurrie et al, 2007] become more and more important for investigating the continental subduction processes associated with burial and exhumation of crustal rocks. Two contrasting tectonic styles of continental subduction are predicted on the basis of numerical experiments: one-sided subduction (overriding plate does not subduct) and two-sided subduction (both plates subduct together) [Tao and O'Connell, 1992;Pope and Willett, 1998;Faccenda et al, 2008;Warren et al, 2008a], also with some other intermediate possibilities; while only the one-sided subduction can produce significant syntectonic UHP rocks exhumation [Warren et al, 2008a].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Polyphase formation and exhumation of high‐ to ultrahigh‐pressure rocks in continental subduction zone: Numerical modeling and application to the Sulu ultrahigh‐pressure terrane in eastern China

Gerya

2009

J. Geophys. Res.

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[1] High-to ultrahigh-pressure (HP-UHP) metamorphic rocks commonly form and exhume during the early continental collision, and many questions related to their origin still remain unresolved. We focus our study on explaining the poly metamorphic origins of many HP-UHP terranes composed of tectonic units having strongly variable ages, peak metamorphic conditions, and P-T paths. These features are especially well characterized for the Sulu UHP terrane in eastern China which we have chosen therefore as the reference case. We conducted 2-D thermomechanical numerical modeling of continental subduction associated with formation and exhumation of HP-UHP rocks. Our experiments suggest existence of several consequent episodes of (U)HP rocks exhumation related to the inherently cyclic origin of continental crust subduction-detachment-exhumation processes. Three major phases of these processes are identified in our reference model for the Sulu UHP terrane: (1) first and (2) second exhumation episodes of HP rocks originated in the subduction channel at lithospheric depths and (3) exhumation of UHP rocks originated at asthenospheric depths. Numerical models also suggest that subducted UHP rocks which are positively buoyant compared to the mantle may detach from the slab forming a flattened plume underplating the overriding lithosphere. This sublithospheric plume may exist for several million years being heated to 800-900°C by the surrounding hot mantle. At the later stage, upward extrusion of hot partially molten rocks from the plume may exhume high-temperature (HT) UHP complexes toward the surface.Citation: Li, Z., and T. V. Gerya (2009), Polyphase formation and exhumation of high-to ultrahigh-pressure rocks in continental subduction zone: Numerical modeling and application to the Sulu ultrahigh-pressure terrane in eastern China,

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Plate rotation during continental collision and its relationship with the exhumation of UHP metamorphic terranes: Application to the Norwegian Caledonides

Bottrill

Hunen

Cuthbert

et al. 2014

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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Lateral variation and asynchronous onset of collision during the convergence of continents can significantly affect the burial and exhumation of subducted continental crust. Here we use 3-D numerical models for continental collision to discuss how deep burial and exhumation of high and ultrahigh pressure metamorphic (HP/UHP) rocks are enhanced by diachronous collision and the resulting rotation of the colliding plates. Rotation during collision locally favors eduction, the inversion of the subduction, and may explain the discontinuous distribution of ultra-high pressure (UHP) terranes along collision zones. For example, the terminal (Scandian) collision of Baltica and Laurentia, which formed the Scandinavian Caledonides, resulted in the exhumation of only one large HP/UHP terrane, the Western Gneiss Complex (WGC), near the southern end of the collision zone. Rotation of the subducting Baltica plate during collision may provide an explanation for this distribution. We explore this hypothesis by comparing orthogonal and diachronous collision models and conclude that a diachronous collision can transport continental material up to 60 km deeper, and heat material up to 300 C hotter, than an orthogonal collision. Our diachronous collision model predicts that subducted continental margin material returns to the surface only in the region where collision initiated. The diachronous collision model is consistent with petrological and geochonological observations from the WGC and makes predictions for the general evolution of the Scandinavian Caledonides. We propose the collision between Laurentia and Baltica started at the southern end of the collisional zone, and propagated northward. This asymmetric geometry resulted in the counter clockwise rotation of Baltica with respect to Laurentia, consistent with paleomagnetic data from other studies. Our model may have applications to other orogens with regional UHP terranes, such as the Dabie Shan and Papua New Guinea cases, where block rotation during exhumation has also been recorded.

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Modelling tectonic styles and ultra-high pressure (UHP) rock exhumation during the transition from oceanic subduction to continental collision

Cited by 260 publications

References 58 publications

The Alps 2: Controls on crustal subduction and (ultra)high‐pressure rock exhumation in Alpine‐type orogens

The Alps 2: Controls on crustal subduction and (ultra)high‐pressure rock exhumation in Alpine‐type orogens

Polyphase formation and exhumation of high‐ to ultrahigh‐pressure rocks in continental subduction zone: Numerical modeling and application to the Sulu ultrahigh‐pressure terrane in eastern China

Plate rotation during continental collision and its relationship with the exhumation of UHP metamorphic terranes: Application to the Norwegian Caledonides

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