Relationship between syndeformational partial melting and crustal-scale magmatism and tectonism across the Wet Mountains, central Colorado

The Xuelongshan high strain zone: Cenozoic structural evolution and implications for fault linkages and deformation along the Ailao Shan–Red River shear zone

“…Through field observations and melt microstructural analysis, shear zones, and melt reactions across the Wet Mountains, central Colorado, Levine et al (2013) documented widespread partial melting in the middle crust of the Wet Mountains, central Colorado, that appear to have may similarities to the Cenozoic and active Western Yunnan tectonic zones (Searle et al, 2010). Searle (2013) also suggested that exhumed sections of middle crustal rocks that underwent partial melting and are composed of regional migmatite are known from several mountain ranges including the Cenozoiceongoing HimalayaeKarakoram ranges.…”

“…15C), which has widespread migmatites with horizontal foliations and abundant midecrust melt channels (Levine et al, 2013;Searle, 2013). Melts are preferentially localized along the anisotropic foliation planes, forming early layered or stromatic migmatites during the locally crustal thickening (Levine et al, 2013;Searle, 2013). According to the speculation by Searle (2013), on a broad scale, deformation and partial melting are usually synchronous leading to a positive feedback (Rosenberg and Handy, 2005).…”

“…8 and 9). These observations indicate that the core of the gneiss dome underwent extensively ductile deformation and partial melting at high temperatures (Levine et al, 2013).…”

“…Therefore, the Midecrustal melting triggered upward ductile extrusion (antiform) of a midecrustal layer structured by a crustalescale ductile shear base (Fig. 15C), which has widespread migmatites with horizontal foliations and abundant midecrust melt channels (Levine et al, 2013;Searle, 2013). Melts are preferentially localized along the anisotropic foliation planes, forming early layered or stromatic migmatites during the locally crustal thickening (Levine et al, 2013;Searle, 2013).…”

The recognition of former melt flux through high‐strain zones

“…Representing the final stages of crystallization of melt as conditions drop below the solidus, pseudomorphs of melt are typically granitic in composition (e.g. Carvalho et al, 2016;Levine, Mosher, & Siddoway, 2013;Rosenberg & Riller, 2000;Schulmann et al, 2008), although a portion of pseudomorphs are expected to overgrow solid grains lining pores and therefore be cryptic in nature. We use "melt pseudomorph" to represent single or multiple minerals that have crystallized from melt filling microscopic porosity.…”