Imperial College London

Dr Valentin LAURENT

Faculty of EngineeringDepartment of Earth Science & Engineering

Senior Teaching Fellow in Pedagogic Transformation
 
 
 
//

Contact

 

v.laurent

 
 
//

Location

 

Royal School of MinesSouth Kensington Campus

//

Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@phdthesis{Laurent:2017,
author = {Laurent, V},
title = {Strain localization in high-pressure low-temperature shear zones and the 40Ar/39Ar isotopic record},
year = {2017}
}

RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - THES
AB - Exhumation mechanisms of high-pressure low-temperature (HP-LT) metamorphic rocks in subduction zones are complex and actively discussed. The study of fossilized subduction zones allows a better comprehension of these mechanisms, showing that exhumation of HP-LT rocks is mainly accommodated along crustal-scale ductile shear zones. This study aims at constraining the geometry, the kinematic and the timing of the tectonometamorphic history of the HP-LT Cycladic Blueschist Unit (CBU) cropping out in Greece. A main objective is to constrain the timing of strain localization at different scales during exhumation to better understand the mechanical behaviour of subduction zones. Three principal methods of investigation have been used, including i) a structural fieldwork that allows to characterize the geometry, the kinematic and the distribution of deformations, highlighting progressive strain localization during exhumation toward the base of the CBU and along shear zones, ii) a metamorphic petrology study aiming at determining the P-T evolution of the CBU, and iii) 40Ar/39Ar dating used to constrain the timing of the tectonometamorphic evolution of the CBU and the timing of strain localization within kilometre- to millimetre-scale shear zones showing different degrees of retrogression. We observe an obvious correlation between the intensity of finite deformation, the degree of retrogression and youngest mica ages. A major result of this thesis work is that the preservation of eclogite and blueschist-facies rocks does not necessarily imply fast exhumation rates. Our results instead suggest that the exhumation history of the CBU is relatively long, spanning over ca. 30 Ma. Consequently, it appears that the exhumation rate is not the main parameter controlling the degree of retrogression of HP-LT metamorphic rocks in the CBU compared to progressive strain localization during exhumation along a cold retrograde P-T evolution within the subduction channel.
AU - Laurent,V
PY - 2017///
TI - Strain localization in high-pressure low-temperature shear zones and the 40Ar/39Ar isotopic record
ER -