TY - JOUR A1 - Jozi Najafabadi, Azam A1 - Haberland, Christian A1 - Le Breton, Eline A1 - Handy, Mark R. A1 - Verwater, Vincent F. A1 - Heit, Benjamin A1 - Weber, Michael T1 - Constraints on crustal structure in the vicinity of the adriatic indenter (European Alps) from Vp and Vp/Vs local earthquake tomography JF - Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth N2 - In this study, 3-D models of P-wave velocity (Vp) and P-wave and S-wave ratio (Vp/Vs) of the crust and upper mantle in the Eastern and eastern Southern Alps (northern Italy and southern Austria) were calculated using local earthquake tomography (LET). The data set includes high-quality arrival times from well-constrained hypocenters observed by the dense, temporary seismic networks of the AlpArray AASN and SWATH-D. The resolution of the LET was checked by synthetic tests and analysis of the model resolution matrix. The small inter-station spacing (average of similar to 15 km within the SWATH-D network) allowed us to image crustal structure at unprecedented resolution across a key part of the Alps. The derived P velocity model revealed a highly heterogeneous crustal structure in the target area. One of the main findings is that the lower crust is thickened, forming a bulge at 30-50 km depth just south of and beneath the Periadriatic Fault and the Tauern Window. This indicates that the lower crust decoupled both from its mantle substratum as well as from its upper crust. The Moho, taken to be the iso-velocity contour of Vp = 7.25 km/s, agrees with the Moho depth from previous studies in the European and Adriatic forelands. It is shallower on the Adriatic side than on the European side. This is interpreted to indicate that the European Plate is subducted beneath the Adriatic Plate in the Eastern and eastern Southern Alps. KW - European Alps KW - crustal structure KW - subduction KW - seismic tomography KW - body waves Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JB023160 SN - 2169-9313 SN - 2169-9356 VL - 127 IS - 2 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Saki, Adel A1 - Miri, Mirmohammad A1 - Oberhänsli, Roland T1 - High temperature - low pressure metamorphism during subduction of Neo-Tethys beneath the Iranian plate BT - evidence for mafic migmatite formation in the Alvand complex (western Iran) JF - Mineralogy and petrology N2 - Subduction of Neo-Tethys oceanic lithosphere beneath the Iranian plate during the Mesozoic formed several igneous bodies of ultramafic to intermediate and felsic composition. Intrusion of these magmas into a regional metamorphic sequence (the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone) caused partial melting and formation of migmatites with meta-pelitic protoliths. The Alvand complex (west Iran) is a unique area comprising migmatites of both mafic and pelitic protoliths. In this area, the gabbroic rocks contain veins of leucosome at their contact with pyroxenite and olivine gabbro. These leucosomes are geochemically and mineralogically different from leucosomes of the meta-pelitic migmatites and clearly show properties of I-type granites. Microscopic observations and whole rock compositions of the mafic migmatite leucosomes show that migmatization occurred through partial melting of biotite, hornblende and plagioclase. Thermobarometric calculations indicate 800 degrees C and 3.7 kbar for partial melting, although phase diagram modeling demonstrates that the presence of water could decrease the solidus temperature by about 40 degrees C. Our results suggest an asthenospheric magma upwelling as the source of heat for partial melting of the gabbroic rock during subduction of Neo-Tethys oceanic crust under the western edge of the Iranian plate. The present study also reveals relationships between migmatization and formation of S- and I -type granites in the area. KW - partial melting KW - mafic migmatite KW - pelitic migmatite KW - Neo-Tethys KW - subduction KW - Gabbroic rocks Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-020-00721-z SN - 0930-0708 SN - 1438-1168 VL - 114 IS - 6 SP - 539 EP - 557 PB - Springer CY - Wien [u.a.] ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Muldashev, Iskander A. A1 - Sobolev, Stephan T1 - What controls maximum magnitudes of giant subduction earthquakes? JF - Geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems N2 - Giant earthquakes with magnitudes above 8.5 occur only in subduction zones. Despite the developments made in observing large subduction zone earthquakes with geophysical instruments, the factors controlling the maximum size of these earthquakes are still poorly understood. Previous studies have suggested the importance of slab shape, roughness of the plate interface contact, state of the strain in the upper plate, thickness of sediments filling the trenches, and subduction rate. Here, we present 2-D cross-scale numerical models of seismic cycles for subduction zones with various geometries, subduction channel friction configurations, and subduction rates. We found that low-angle subduction and thick sediments in the subduction channel are the necessary conditions for generating giant earthquakes, while the subduction rate has a negligible effect. We suggest that these key parameters determine the maximum magnitude of a subduction earthquake by controlling the seismogenic zone width and smoothness of the subduction interface. This interpretation supports previous studies that are based upon observations and scaling laws. Our modeling results also suggest that low static friction in the sediment-filled subduction channel results in neutral or moderate compressive deformation in the overriding plate for low-angle subduction zones hosting giant earthquakes. These modeling results agree well with observations for the largest earthquakes. Based on our models we predict maximum magnitudes of subduction earthquakes worldwide, demonstrating the fit to magnitudes of all giant earthquakes of the 20th and 21st centuries and good agreement with the predictions based on statistical analyses of observations. KW - giant earthquakes KW - earthquake modeling KW - subduction Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009145 SN - 1525-2027 VL - 21 IS - 9 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Konrad-Schmolke, Matthias A1 - Babist, Jochen A1 - Handy, Mark R. A1 - O'brien, Patrick J. T1 - The physico-chemical properties of a subducted slab from garnet zonation patterns (Sesia Zone, Western Alps) JF - Journal of petrology N2 - Garnets in continentally derived high-pressure (HP) rocks of the Sesia Zone (Western Alps) exhibit three different chemical zonation patterns, depending on sample locality. Comparison of observed garnet zonation patterns with thermodynamically modelled patterns shows that the different patterns are caused by differences in the water content of the subducted protoliths during prograde metamorphism. Zonation patterns of garnets in water-saturated host rocks show typical prograde chemical zonations with steadily increasing pyrope content and increasing XMg, together with bell-shaped spessartine patterns. In contrast, garnets in water-undersaturated rocks have more complex zonation patterns with a characteristic decrease in pyrope and XMg between core and inner rim. In some cases, garnets show an abrupt compositional change in core-to-rim profiles, possibly due to water-undersaturation prior to HP metamorphism. Garnets from both water-saturated and water-undersaturated rocks show signs of intervening growth interruptions and core resorption. This growth interruption results from bulk-rock depletion caused by fractional garnet crystallization. The water content during burial influences significantly the physical properties of the subducted rocks. Due to enhanced garnet crystallization, water-undersaturated rocks, i.e. those lacking a free fluid phase, become denser than their water-saturated equivalents, facilitating the subduction of continental material. Although water-bearing phases such as phengite and epidote are stable up to eclogite-facies conditions in these rocks, dehydration reactions during subduction are lacking in water-undersaturated rocks up to the transition to the eclogite facies, due to the thermodynamic stability of such hydrous phases at high P-T conditions. Our calculations show that garnet zonation patterns strongly depend on the mineral parageneses stable during garnet growth and that certain co-genetic mineral assemblages cause distinct garnet zonation patterns. This observation enables interpretation of complex garnet growth zonation patterns in terms of garnet-forming reactions and water content during HP metamorphism, as well determination of detailed P-T paths. KW - dehydration KW - high-pressure metamorphism KW - Sesia Zone KW - subduction KW - thermodynamic modelling Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egl039 SN - 0022-3530 VL - 47 IS - 11 SP - 2123 EP - 2148 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Socquet, Anne A1 - Valdes, Jesus Pina A1 - Jara, Jorge A1 - Cotton, Fabrice Pierre A1 - Walpersdorf, Andrea A1 - Cotte, Nathalie A1 - von Specht, Sebastian A1 - Ortega-Culaciati, Francisco A1 - Carrizo, Daniel A1 - Norabuena, Edmundo T1 - An 8month slow slip event triggers progressive nucleation of the 2014 Chile megathrust JF - Geophysical research letters N2 - The mechanisms leading to large earthquakes are poorly understood and documented. Here we characterize the long-term precursory phase of the 1 April 2014 M(w)8.1 North Chile megathrust. We show that a group of coastal GPS stations accelerated westward 8months before the main shock, corresponding to a M(w)6.5 slow slip event on the subduction interface, 80% of which was aseismic. Concurrent interface foreshocks underwent a diminution of their radiation at high frequency, as shown by the temporal evolution of Fourier spectra and residuals with respect to ground motions predicted by recent subduction models. Such ground motions change suggests that in response to the slow sliding of the subduction interface, seismic ruptures are progressively becoming smoother and/or slower. The gradual propagation of seismic ruptures beyond seismic asperities into surrounding metastable areas could explain these observations and might be the precursory mechanism eventually leading to the main shock. KW - seismology KW - GPS KW - subduction KW - precursor Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073023 SN - 0094-8276 SN - 1944-8007 VL - 44 SP - 4046 EP - 4053 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Konrad-Schmolke, Matthias A1 - O'Brien, Patrick J. A1 - Zack, Thomas T1 - Fluid Migration above a Subducted Slab-Constraints on Amount, Pathways and Major Element Mobility from Partially Overprinted Eclogite-facies Rocks (Sesia Zone, Western Alps) JF - Journal of petrology N2 - The Western Alpine Sesia-Lanzo Zone (SLZ) is a sliver of eclogite-facies continental crust exhumed from mantle depths in the hanging wall of a subducted oceanic slab. Eclogite-facies felsic and basic rocks sampled across the internal SLZ show different degrees of retrograde metamorphic overprint associated with fluid influx. The weakly deformed samples preserve relict eclogite-facies mineral assemblages that show partial fluid-induced compositional re-equilibration along grain boundaries, brittle fractures and other fluid pathways. Multiple fluid influx stages are indicated by replacement of primary omphacite by phengite, albitic plagioclase and epidote as well as partial re-equilibration and/or overgrowths in phengite and sodic amphibole, producing characteristic step-like compositional zoning patterns. The observed textures, together with the map-scale distribution of the samples, suggest open-system, pervasive and reactive fluid flux across large rock volumes above the subducted slab. Thermodynamic modelling indicates a minimum amount of fluid of 0 center dot 1-0 center dot 5 wt % interacting with the wall-rocks. Phase relations and reaction textures indicate mobility of K, Ca, Fe and Mg, whereas Al is relatively immobile in these medium-temperature-high-pressure fluids. Furthermore, the thermodynamic models show that recycling of previously fractionated material, such as in the cores of garnet porphyroblasts, largely controls the compositional re-equilibration of the exhumed rock body. KW - fluid migration KW - subduction KW - fluid-rock interaction KW - Sesia Zone Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egq087 SN - 0022-3530 VL - 52 IS - 3 SP - 457 EP - 486 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ohuchi, Tomohiro A1 - Nishihara, Yu A1 - Kawazoe, Takaaki A1 - Spengler, Dirk A1 - Shiraishi, Rei A1 - Suzuki, Akio A1 - Kikegawa, Takumi A1 - Ohtani, Eiji T1 - Superplasticity in hydrous melt-bearing dunite Implications for shear localization in Earth's upper mantle JF - Earth & planetary science letters N2 - Deformation experiments on hydrous melt-bearing dunite (olivine+4 vol% orthopyroxene+4 vol% clinopyroxene with less than 2.5 vol% of the melt phase) were conducted at pressures of 1.3-5.7 GPa and temperatures of 1270-1490 K in order to explore the effect of intergranular fluids on the plastic flow of olivine in Earth's upper mantle. The strain rate was proportional to steady-state creep strength to the 2.1 power, and the creep strength markedly increased with increase in grain size. Developments of the crystallographic preferred orientation of olivine and flattening of olivine grains were hardly observed even after 33-55% shortening of the samples. These observations show that grain boundary sliding (GBS) dominated the deformation of olivine (i.e., superplasticity). The creep strength of hydrous melt-bearing dunite was 2-5 times lower than that of melt-free dunite. The dependence of creep rate on melt fraction is known to be expressed empirically as (epsilon) over dot(phi) = (epsilon) over dot(0) exp(alpha phi), where alpha is a constant and phi is the melt fraction. The experimentally obtained value of alpha was in the range of 150-230, corresponding to 5-7 times the reported values for the olivine-basalt system at 0.3 GPa (i.e., creep strength of dunite was efficiently reduced by the hydrous melt). Superplasticity is the dominant creep mechanism of olivine in fluid-bearing fine-grained peridotites under low-temperature and high-stress conditions (i.e., peridotite shear zones in the upper mantle). Superplasticity induced by geological fluids would play an important role in the shear localization (and thus initiation of subduction) in the upper mantle. KW - olivine KW - hydrous melt KW - grain boundary sliding KW - superplasticity KW - shear localization KW - subduction Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.04.032 SN - 0012-821X VL - 335 IS - 12 SP - 59 EP - 71 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -