Blueschists, eclogites, and decompression assemblages of the Zermatt-Saas ophiolite: High-pressure metamorphism of subducted Tethys lithosphere

2005/05/01 by K. Bucher, Kurt Bucher · 6 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Geological and Geochemical Analysis #earthquake and tectonic studies #High-pressure geophysics and materials

paper · doi:10.2138/am.2005.1718

Abstract

The Zermatt-Saas ophiolite of the Swiss Alps represents a complete sequence of Mesozoic Tethys oceanic lithosphere. The ophiolite was subducted during early phases of the Alpine orogeny and the mafic rocks were transformed to eclogites and blueschists. Metabasalts locally preserve pillow structures in which glaucophanite forms rims on eclogitic pillow cores. Omphacite-garnet-glaucophane-epidote-ferroan dolomite-Mg-chloritoid-talc-paragonite-chlorite. rutile form characteristic coeval blueschist- and eclogite-facies assemblages.

Cited by

• Influence of Inherited Rifted Margin Architecture on Continental Collision Dynamics
• Intra-grain variability of hydrogen and trace elements in rutile
• Carbon retention during subduction of ophicarbonate rocks from the Zermatt-Saas unit (Western Alps)
• The role of the antigorite + brucite to olivine reaction in subducted serpentinites (Zermatt, Switzerland). [europepmc]
• What's down there? The structures, materials and environment of deep-seated slow slip and tremor. [europepmc]
• A rapid transition from subduction to Barrovian metamorphism: geochronology of mafic-ultramafic relicts of oceanic crust in the Central Alps, Switzerland. [europepmc]

Related

• Petrology and Trace Element Budgets of High-pressure Peridotites Indicate Subduction Dehydration of Serpentinized Mantle (Cima di Gagnone, Central Alps, Switzerland)
• Metamorphic soles from the Albanian ophiolites: Petrology, 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology, and geodynamic evolution
• Unmixing a mélange: the petrology and history of a disrupted and metamorphosed ophiolite, SE Turkey
• Fossil crust‐to‐mantle transition, Val Malenco (Italian Alps)
• Ophiolites of Japan.