glacial and syntectonic sedimentation the upper proterozoic kingston peak formation southern panamint range eastern california a sedimentological stratigraphic study of the upper proterozoic kingston peak formation in the southern panamint range shows that it was deposited under glacial conditions with contemporaneous volcanism and tectonic activity evidence for glaciation rests primarily upon 1 the homogeneity thickness and lateral extent of two diamictite units 2 the facies association of the diamictite and 3 presence of striated stones and dropstones within the formation elsewhere in the death valley area in the panamint range pillowed basalt interbedded with diamictite demonstrates synchronous subaqueous volcanism lower kingston peak units rest on a variable substrate and locally overlap faults indicating tectonism prior to deposition tectonism during kingston peak deposition is inferred from abrupt thickness changes and buried faults sedimentation was chiefly on a submerged continental platform and locally terrestrial during a period of incipient rifting two ice advances are recorded with associated sea level fluctuations the formation thickens northward from 40 to about 1 200 m over 40 km initial sediments were fine grained and in basins a few kilometres across nearby islands provided coarse debris overlying sandstone and conglomerate indicate regression predominantly massive diamictite as much as 450 m thick and interpreted as lodgment till or glacioma rine sediment records the first ice advance a northward increase in diamictite thickness decrease in clast size and facies change from diamictite to argillite and graywacke suggest a southern source overlying laminated limestone marks a transgression succeeding interbedded sandy limestone thick bedded graywacke and parallel laminated siltstone and sandstone double in thickness over a few kilometres demonstrating local subsidence and renewed terrigenous input trough cross laminated arkosic sandstone and conglomerate overlain by predominantly massive diamictite as much as 190 m thick with a locally erosive base represent glaciofluvial deposits and lodgment till and record the second ice advance

sedimentary challenge to snowball earth evidence from the magnetic field fossilized in sedimentary rocks suggests that more than 600 million years ago ice occupied tropical latitudes a popular explanation for these findings the snowball earth concept envisages a fully frozen earth for millions of years caused by a runaway ice albedo feedback a rapid catastrophic meltback at very high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide is thought to have ended this extreme climatic state however sedimentary rocks deposited during these cold intervals indicate that dynamic glaciers and ice streams continued to deliver large amounts of sediment to open oceans throughout the glacial cycle the sedimentary evidence therefore indicates that despite the severity of glaciation some oceans must have remained ice free significant areas of open ocean have important implications for the survival and diversification of life and for the workings of the global carbon cycle the snowball earth concept envisages a fully frozen earth for millions of years several times during the neoproterzoic era between 1 000 and 542 million years ago however the sedimentary evidence suggests that despite the severity of glaciation some oceans must have remained ice free

on the hellenic subduction zone and the geodynamic evolution of crete since the late middle miocene abstract in recent syntheses of the geodynamic evolution of the aegean area the hellenic subduction zone and in particular its initiation plays a central role two basic aspects of the recent comprehensive model put forward by le pichon angelier and co workers are a initiation of subduction along the hellenic arc is inferred to have taken place approximately 13 ma ago whereas several others have suggested approximately 5 ma and b migration of the trench system to the south southwest giving rise to an extensional regime in the back arc region which led to general subsidence and formation of the present day aegean sea new data on the structure of the upper mantle underneath the aegean area indicate that the former aspect requires modification the seismic velocity structure indicating a northward dipping slab down to a depth of at least 600 km and the depth distribution of earthquake hypocenters can not be reconciled with straightforward initiation of subduction approximately 13 ma ago estimates of about 5 ma for the time of initiation of the present subduction zone are even more difficult to reconcile assuming 400 km as an upper bound for the effect of stretching of the aegean sea and of other processes contributing to the separation of crete from the eurasian mainland we arrive at an age for the hellenic subduction zone of at least 26 ma as to aspect b geological data of crete lend strong support to the idea that on crete compressional tectonics is of much greater importance than current models imply combining geophysical and geological data we propose a modification of the tectonic evolution for the cretan segment of the hellenic arc whereas the basic process of extension caused by a migrating trench system roll back in a land locked basin remains a very useful and sound concept the tectonics of the margins of a region subject to stretching in this case crete may be more complicated than hitherto thought in our model the documented fragmentation of crete into several basins which started about 12 ma ago is not attributed to initiation of subduction but to inception of the roll back process compressional tectonics on crete is taken to be associated with deformation of the crust resulting from the overall tensional stress regime

cretaceous tertiary structures and kinematics of the serbomacedonian metamorphic rocks and their relation to the exhumation of the hellenic hinterland macedonia greece the kinematic pattern and associated metamorphism of the predominant ductile deformation and the subsequent deformational stages of the serbomacedonian metamorphic rocks and granitoids are presented in terms of peri tethyan tectonics a systematic record of structural and metamorphic data gives evidence of a main top to ene to ese ductile flow of cretaceous age 120 90 ma associated with a crustal stretching and unroofing a subordinate wsw to wnw antithetic sense of movement of the tectonic top is observed in places the associated metamorphic conditions are estimated at 4 5 7 5 kbar and 510 580 c during eocene to miocene times these fabrics were successively deformed by low angle extensional de ductile shear zones with top to ne and sw sense of movement and brittle shear zones of similar kinematic pattern suggesting a transition from ductile to brittle deformation de deformation was accompanied during its later stages by nw se directed shortening we also discuss the relation of this cretaceous tertiary deformation of the serbomacedonian metamorphic rocks with the eocene to miocene ductile top to southwestward crustal shear of the adjacent rhodope crystalline rocks we regard the serbomacedonian and the rhodope metamorphic rocks to represent related metamorphic provinces the most recent exhumation and cooling history of which is bracketed between the eocene and neogene

an evaluation of criteria to deduce the sense of movement in sheared rocks some of the most useful criteria for the deduction of the sense of shear are summarized for use in areas where unequivocal field evidence is lacking apparently conflicting evidence from rotated pressure shadow regions around porphyroclasts and porphyroblasts is clarified the use of quartz crystallographic fabric asymmetry to deduce the shear sense in the bulk rock should be treated with caution and used only together with detailed microstructural observations

a ductile extensional shear zone at the contact area between hp lt metamorphic units in the talea ori central crete greece deformation during early stages of exhumation from peak metamorphic conditions we report on an extensional ductile shear zone in central crete at the contact area between the high pressure low temperature hp lt metamorphic phyllite quartzite unit sensu stricto pq s str and the talea ori group plattenkalk unit mapping and microscopic analysis along the 20 km long contact reveal extensional shear bands shear band cleavages c type and associated quartz veins in both units occurring over a width of up to a kilometer the shear offset along the shear bands is systematically perpendicular to the contact with the hanging block pq s str being downfaulted abundant discordant quartz veins are associated to shear band boundaries asymmetric boudinage and foliation boudinage forming m wide vein networks these mesoscopic deformation structures together with related microstructures such as strain shadows growth rims of albite porphyroblasts and stylolites indicate dissolution precipitation creep as main deformation mechanism accompanied by vein formation temperatures during deformation are indicated to be close to peak metamorphic temperatures 300 350 c by the growth rims of albite porphyroblasts and micas present in the shear band cleavages which are consistent with quartz vein microstructures showing subgrains and sutured high angle grain boundaries peak metamorphic temperatures inferred by the degree of graphitization of carbonaceous material are similar in the hanging wall and the footwall of the shear zone which is consistent with fast and nearly adiabatic exhumation our study demonstrates the importance of ductile shear zones with high strain rate dissolution precipitation creep and vein formation in hp lt metamorphic rocks for the early exhumation history

constraints on the kinematics of post orogenic extension imposed by stretching lineations in the aegean region abstract new kinematic data from shear zones of tertiary age in the metamorphosed basement of the aegean region in combination with published kinematic lithological and palaeomagnetic data have enabled us to determine a detailed kinematic evolution of the region during post orogenic extension in the aegean three distinct stages are recognised firstly extension of both the western and eastern aegean started in the late oligocene early miocene 36 25 ma ago initially in an 023 direction stage two started shortly after this with the division of the aegean crust into the west aegean block a coupled assemblage of small blocks bound on its northwestern and southeastern margins by the scutari pec line and mid cycladic lineament fracture zones respectively between 25 ma and 3 ma the west aegean block underwent 30 clockwise rotation whilst the eastern aegean underwent on average 19 anticlockwise rotation rotation of the west aegean block as a semi coherent block was aided by the relative coolness of the block compared to the warmer eastern aegean region as the crust thinned and rotated the nw se trending faults which characterise the west aegean block were cross cut by e w trending faults in the latest miocene pliocene the thermal front migrated westwards into the west aegean block and the mid cycladic lineament ceased activity the final kinematic stage marked the start of the subdivision of the west aegean block into two portions in the pliocene the southeastern portion nw cycladic area coupled with the sw cycladic area to form a central aegean block that started to translate southwest the northern and western portion rotated a further 10 15 clockwise whilst the southeastern rim rotated anticlockwise these data demonstrate that aegean post orogenic extension is not dominated by a single block rotation or radial spreading event but is characterised by the sequential formation and reformation of lithospheric scale blocks that have developed in response to large scale partitioning of rotational strain

extension in compressional orogenic belts the eastern alps extension in the eastern alps encompasses the following 1 extension accompanying simple shear crustal stacking subhorizontal stretching occurs along flat lying foliations and regionally consistent stretching lineations with associated high strains on a local scale stretching results from extrusion of ductile sediments squeezed between rigid basement blocks basement blocks during thrust sheet imbrication the overall geometric effect is crustal thickening 2 classical extensional tectonics extension first occurs as a consequence of accretion and underthrusting of continental and oceanic material and represents gravitational adjustment of an unstable orogenic wedge extension then occurs as a consequence of terminal continental collision and is accommodated by lateral extrusion of crustal of crustal blocks the overall geometric effect is crustal thinning extension is generally oriented subparallel to the strike of the orogen

second look at suspect terranes in southern mexico the boundary between the xolapa and the guerrero mixteca and juarez or oaxaca terranes is a zone of normal faulting indicating north south subhorizontal extension stratigraphic and geochronometric evidence dates tectonic uplift of the xolapa terrane as late cretaceous and tertiary we propose that the xolapa terrane represents a late mesozoic early tertiary magmatic arc built near or on north american continental crust and we discuss as possible tectonic uplift mechanisms 1 extension associated with back arc rifting 2 extension during gravitational spreading of the upper and middle crust and 3 transtension within a strike slip regime established during formation of the caribbean both far and near field deformations indicate distributed transtension therefore a single regional tectonic framework can account for the mesozoic and cenozoic geologic history of these terranes

thrust faults and extensional detachment faults in cretan tectono stratigraphy implications for middle miocene extension abstract the revised tectono stratigraphy of crete and especially of the phyllites quartzites complex demonstrated the distinction of the probable paleozoic low medium grade metamorphic rocks of the arna unit from the underlying permo triassic phyllites and associated carbonate sediments trypali facies of western crete unit as well as the overlying permo triassic phyllites and associated sediments of the tyros ravdoucha beds at the base of the tripolis unit the pre existing mixture of the above tectono stratigaphic units in a single complex created a number of misinterpretations as far as stratigraphy metamorphism and interpretation of low angle faults as thrusts or detachments especially in cases where the inferred tectonic contact concerns the transition between the tyros beds and the base of the tripolis carbonate platform there is no structural omission and therefore the contact represents a minor disharmonic sliding surface and not a detachment based on the revised tectono stratigraphic analysis the determination of the structural omission for each tectonic contact was possible and several detachments were described for the first time footwall rocks of the detachments comprised several tectonic units usually from the lower nappes and hanging wall rocks comprised several tectonic units usually from the upper nappes the detachment may separate not only metamorphosed units in the footwall mani western crete arna from non metamorphosed units in the hanging wall tripolis pindos and higher nappes but also all other possible combinations from the cretan nappe pile extension in crete started in the middle late miocene with the formation of extensional detachment faults the reported extensional structures of oligocene to early miocene age do not correspond to crustal extension of crete but to localized shear zones related to nappe stacking and the exhumation of metamorphic rocks extensional detachments in crete form a tectonic horst through two oppositely dipping e w trending zones one dipping north related to the opening of the cretan basin and the other dipping south related to the formation of the messara supra detachment basin the deformation history of units within crete can be summarized as i compressional deformation producing arc parallel east west trending south directed thrust faults in oligocene to early miocene time ii extensional deformation along arc parallel east west trending detachment faults in middle miocene time with hanging wall motion to the north and south and iii late miocene quaternary transtensional deformation along high angle normal and oblique normal faults that disrupt the older arc parallel structures

porphyroclast systems as kinematic indicators porphyroclasts of relatively strong minerals in mylonites commonly have an internal monoclinic shape symmetry defined by tails of dynamically recrystallized material the geometry of a porphyroclast and its tails called a porhyroclast system can serve as a valuable indicator of the sense of vorticity porphyroclast systems have been divided into and types on the basis of the geometry of the tails types have wedge shaped recrystallized tails whose median lines lie on opposite sides of a reference plane parallel to the tails and containing the symmetry axis for the system types are further subdivided into a a types in which the porphyroclast is isolated in a relatively homogeneous matrix and b types in which the porphyroclast system is associated with a shear band foliation in the matrix types typically have narrow recrystallized tails whose median lines cross the reference plane adjacent to the porphyroclast consequently embayments of matrix material occur adjacent to the porphyroclasts and the tails display characteristic bends a porphyroclast system in a mylonite develops when the relatively weak dynamically recrystallized grain aggregate in the porphyroclast mantle changes its shape due to non coaxial flow in the adjacent matrix this behaviour has been modelled in shear box experiments passive marker lines around rigid cylinders embedded in silicone putty were subjected to simple shear the experiments were modified to simulate a change in recrystallization rate r with respect to rate of deformation by decreasing the diameter of the rigid cylinder during deformation at variable rates the ratio r appears to be one of the most important factors in determining which porphyroclast system will develop at high r values flow of recrystallized material away from the porphyroclast is continuously appended by the production of new grains and wedge shaped a type tails develop at low r values relatively few new grains are added to the tails which become thinned and deflected by drag due to the spinning motion of the porphyroclast in addition most porphyroclast systems at low shear strains are of a type or lack monoclinic symmetry whereas types are only developed at high shear strain values complex porphyroclast systems characterized by two generations of tails are observed in many of the natural and model shear zones studied and may form due to fluctuating r conditions that allow isolated a and type porphyroclast systems to be used as sense of vorticity indicators are the systems should have a monoclinic shape symmetry matrix grain size should be small with respect to porphyroclast size matrix fabric should be homogeneous deformation history should be simple and observations should be made on sections normal to the inferred bulk vorticity vector for the mylonite

sense of nappe emplacement from quartz c axis fabrics an example from the betic cordilleras spain preferred crystallographic orientation patterns fabrics in zones of ductile deformation beneath nappes are a potentially useful indicator of the sense of nappe translation quartz c axis fabrics from a shear zone beneath the pile of higher betic nappes in the betic cordilleras spain have distinctly asymmetric topologies revealed by constructing a fabric skeleton these skeletons closely resemble those produced by computer simulations of quartz fabric development basedon taylor bishop hill theory the fabric asymmetry indicates a northerly sense of transport for the nappes consistent with field evidence from the same area analyses of both c and a axis fabrics based on asymmetric intensity distributions within the fabric give equivocal results and may reflect the presence of earlier preferred orientation patterns predating nappe emplacement

tertiary extension of continental crust and uplift of psiloritis metamorphic core complex in the central part of the hellenic arc crete greece kinematic analysis of the deformation in central crete suggests that the structural evolution and exhumation of the high pressure low temperature hp lt rocks outcropping at the mount psiloritis metamorphic core complex are associated with a regional miocene north south extension and thinning of the continental crust this tectonic regime developed under bulk coaxial strain conditions with ductile deformation in the lower and brittle deformation in the upper crust and followed on the decompressional path a north south compression associated with a hp lt metamorphism in the lower crust this compressional event took place during oligocene early miocene and led to overthickening of the accretionary wedge in the hellenic arc an east west directed compression accompanied in the final stages the miocene north south extension of the continental crust

detachments in high pressure mountain belts tethyan examples abstract using the case examples of the phyllite quartzite nappe of crete the bundnerschiefer nappe of the engadine window in the alps and the infraophiolitic units of the saih hatat window in the oman mountains we describe the tectono metamorphic signature of large scale extensional detachments in high pressure belts in these three cases retrograde p t paths were accompanied by the formation of large scale extensional shear zones that contributed to the exhumation and extreme thinning of the metamorphic pile the direction of transport along later detachments was parallel to the direction of convergence detachments being first localized within or near the brittle ductile transition zone below the major shear zone or between the shear zones in oman the deformation regime was more coaxial and involved a significant component of vertical shortening metamorphic data mostly derived from the petrology of metapelites show that domains characterized by coaxial strain have nearly isothermal decompression paths type ii while those immediately below the detachments were subjected to more efficient cooling during exhumation type i the detachments thus affect both the deformation history and the p t evolution of the lower plate the existence of the two types of cooling paths is a good test of the extensional nature of a tectonic contact

cyclostratigraphic constraints on the duration of the datangpo formation and the onset age of the nantuo marinoan glaciation in south china abstract constructing an accurate timeline is critical for reconstructing the earth systems through critical transitions in climate geochemistry and life existing dates constrain synchronous initiation ca 717 ma and termination ca 660 ma of the sturtian glaciation from multiple continents the termination of the younger marinoan glaciation is also well dated at ca 635 ma but the onset of this glaciation is only roughly constrained as ca 654 ma south china and ca 639 ma namibia to test if the marinoan glaciation started close to ca 654 ma or ca 639 ma we have conducted a cyclostratigraphic study on the cryogenian non glacial datangpo formation that conformably overlies and underlies sturtian and marinoan glacial diamictites respectively in a deep water basin section in south china a total of 28 765 magnetic susceptibility ms measurements from a drillcore of the 292 m thick muddy siltstone and shale dominated datangpo formation are used for cyclostratigraphic analysis the results reveal significant decameter to meter scale sedimentary cycles of 16 12 m 3 6 3 0 m 1 0 0 8 m and 0 6 0 4 m the ratios of these cycle wavelengths match well with those of the milankovitch cycles calibrated for the cryogenian period the established astrochronologic time scale suggests that the duration of the datangpo formation is about 9 8 million years together with the radiometric age of ca 660 ma for the termination of the sturtian glaciation the cyclostratigraphic data suggest that the nantuo marinoan glaciation in south china initiated at ca 650 ma which is slightly younger than but consistent with the ca 654 ma u pb age from the top of the datangpo formation in shelf sections this age however is significantly older than the ages obtained from marinoan age glacial diamictites in south china ca 636 ma and namibia ca 639 ma given that most of the shelf sections may have suffered from glacial erosion obtaining the onset age of the marinoan glaciation should focus on relatively complete deep water successions

the late alpine evolution of an extensional shear zone naxos greece the mid miocene structural evolution of the metamorphic complex on naxos involved deformation in a kilometre scale low angle ductile shear zone the structures described are consistent with exhumation of the metamorphic complex during crustal extension after and possibly during localized high temperature barrovian style metamorphism non coaxial fabrics developed throughout the structural history indicate that upper levels were transported to the north during ductile extension this shear sense is opposite that inferred previously for the development cordilleran style metamophic core complexes in the cvclades ductile deformation was accompanied during its later stages by e w directed compression

new insights from 40ar 39ar laserprobe dating of white mica fabrics from the pelion massif pelagonian zone internal hellenides greece implications for the timing of metamorphic episodes and tectonic events in the aegean region

active simultaneous uplift and margin normal extension in a forearc high crete greece abstract the island of crete occupies a forearc high in the central hellenic subduction zone and is characterized by sustained exhumation surface uplift and extension the processes governing orogenesis and topographic development here remain poorly understood dramatic topographic relief 2 6 km astride the southern coastline of crete is associated with large margin parallel faults responsible for deep bathymetric depressions known as the hellenic troughs these structures have been interpreted as both active and inactive with either contractional strike slip or extensional movement histories distinguishing between these different structural styles and kinematic histories here allows us to explore more general models for improving our global understanding of the tectonic and geodynamic processes of syn convergent extension we present new observations from the south central coastline of crete that clarifies the role of these faults in the late cenozoic evolution of the central hellenic margin and the processes controlling quaternary surface uplift pleistocene marine terraces are used in conjunction with optically stimulated luminesce dating and correlation to the quaternary eustatic curve to document coastal uplift and identify active faults two south dipping normal faults are observed which extend offshore offset these marine terrace deposits and indicate active n s margin normal extension further marine terraces preserved in the footwall and hanging wall of both faults demonstrate that regional net uplift of crete is occurring despite active extension field mapping and geometric reconstructions of an active onshore normal fault reveal that the subaqueous range front fault of south central crete is synthetic to the south dipping normal faults on shore these findings are inconsistent with models of active horizontal shortening in the upper crust of the hellenic forearc rather they are consistent with topographic growth of the forearc in a viscous orogenic wedge where crustal thickening and uplift are a result of basal underplating of material that is accompanied by extension in the upper portions of the wedge within this framework a new conceptual model is presented for the late cenozoic vertical tectonics of the hellenic forearc

cambrian granitoids in pre alpine basement of crete greece evidence from u pb dating of zircon the pre alpine basement of eastern crete consists of at least three sub complexes which show differences in age and grade of pre alpine metamorphism u pb analyses of zircons of two orthogneisses yielded upper intercepts in the concordia diagram at 511 16 ma chamezi crystalline complex and 514 14 ma myrsini crystalline complex these values are interpreted as protolith ages of the gneisses suggesting that parts of the basement underwent cadomian pan african imprints at the northern margin of gondwana the lower intercept ages are attributed to alpine subduction which led to high pressure low temperature metamorphism t ca 300 c brittle ductile deformation and hydrothermal fluid activity due to pervasive alpine fluid migration the zircons of the chamezi crystalline complex display disturbed zonation and solution resulting in 87 radiogenic pb loss ca and al gain and zr depletion

postnappe stacking extension and exhumation of high pressure low temperature rocks in the island of crete greece the island of crete consists largely of nappes of contrasting lithologies and metamorphism that were stacked southward during an oligocene early miocene n s compression with the lower nappes undergoing a high pressure low temperature hp lt metamorphism this was followed by a n s miocene crustal extension that caused thinning of the nappes and uplift of the hp lt metamorphic rocks ductile conditions took place in the lower nappes associated with a retrograde greenschist metamorphism while semiductile to brittle conditions took place in the upper nappes a major normal detachment fault separates the lower and the upper nappes the quartz texture analyses and the symmetry of structures indicate bulk coaxial deformation while the results of strain analysis suggest both constrictional and flattening strains a younger ne sw compression affected both the thinned nappe pile and the late miocene pliocene sedimentary basins finally a pliocene ne sw extension led to further uplift and exhumation of the hp lt metamorphic rocks this cyclic tectonometamorphic process of alternate compression and extension took place during the migration of the hellenic orogenic belt toward the most external units including successive tectonic events

fish tanks of eastern crete greece as indicators of the roman sea level abstract the ancient fish tanks and fish traps of crete are relics of the roman domination of the island they were usually constructed near the major urban centers of that period the direct relationship of their various functional characteristics with past sea levels and the relatively accurate determination of their construction dates establish them as sensitive indicators of sea level change through space and time the fish tanks presented in detail in this study namely those of matala chersonissos mochlos and sitia and the fish trap in the gulf of zakros have all been reported recorded and or interpreted in regard to their operation by previous researchers in the absence of a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to the issue uneven methodologies inaccurate data and wrong measurements have led to erroneous conclusions about sea level during their operation and about the size and direction of vertical tectonic movements in eastern crete during the upper holocene the present study is based on a new underwater survey in the course of which the architectural and functional features of the ancient constructions were reexamined precisely their depth from modern sea level was measured and their relationship with coastal landforms indicative of a past sea levels was investigated a review of their manner of operation and their modern submerged position allowed the definition of a roman mean sea level 1 24 m 0 09 m below the present one the submersion of the central and eastern parts of crete included in the same tectonic block with a total length of at least 150 km at an average tectonic rate of 0 65 mm year during the last 1900 100 years occurred as is shown by historical evidence during a paroxysmal tectonic event probably related to the strong earthquake of 1604

miocene high pressure metamorphism in the cyclades and crete aegean sea greece evidence for large magnitude displacement on the cretan detachment the cyclades in the backarc region of the present hellenic subduction zone are known for widespread late cretaceous to eocene high pressure metamorphism in the cycladic blueschist unit we report 40 ar 39 ar and rb sr phengite ages of 24 21 ma for high pressure metamorphism 8 10 kbar 350 400 c in the lowest tectonic unit in the cyclades the basal unit which structurally underlies the cycladic blueschist unit the basal unit is correlated with the tripolitza unit of the external hellenides in the forearc region of the hellenic subduction zone the tripolitza unit is unmetamorphosed on crete where it is separated from the underlying high pressure 8 10 kbar 300 400 c plattenkalk and phyllite quartzite units by the extensional cretan detachment the age for high pressure metamorphism in the latter units is similar to our age for the basal unit in the cyclades because pressure temperature conditions in the plattenkalk and phyllite quartzite units on crete and the basal unit in the cyclades are also similar they must have been in close proximity in the early miocene hellenic subduction zone a palinspastic reconstruction suggests a subsequent displacement of 100 km on the cretan detachment this is one of the greatest displacement magnitudes ever reported from detachment faults because of this large offset the cretan detachment was an efficient agent for exhuming high pressure rocks

the tectonic development of the hellenic arc and the sea of crete a synthesis abstract we use field analyses together with interpretation of aerial photographs orbital imagery and sea beam data to define more accurately the geometry of fault systems in the hellenic arc the tectonics of the area are dominated by extensional processes related to normal faulting we then use sea beam data previous oceanographic studies and extrapolation of field analyses on surrounding islands to describe the fault pattern of the cretan sea basin which is found consistent with the land fault pattern the mechanisms of the late neogene and quaternary deformation of the central and southern aegean region are analysed in terms of stress trajectories as revealed by field studies of fault populations we then examine the subsidence of the sea of crete in terms of a model of uniform stretching of the lithosphere the opening of the sea of crete was cylindrical and did not result in bending of crete this leads us to modify the southern portion of an earlier kinematic reconstruction of aegea in agreement with recent paleomagnetic results the implications of the opening of the sea of crete on the tectonic evolution of the straits to the west and east of crete are discussed finally the uplift of the outer arc is explained by underplating due to subduction

along strike variations of p t conditions in accretionary wedges and syn orogenic extension the hp lt phyllite quartzite nappe in crete and the peloponnese syn orogenic detachments in accretionary wedges make the exhumation of high pressure and low temperature metamorphic rocks possible with little erosion the velocity of exhumation within the subduction channel or the accretionary complex and thus the shape of p t paths depend upon the kinematic boundary conditions a component of slab retreat tends to open the channel and facilitates the exhumation we document the effect of slab retreat on the shape of p t paths using the example of the phyllite quartzite nappe that has been exhumed below the cretan syn orogenic detachment during the miocene in crete and the peloponnese data show a clear tendency toward colder conditions at peak pressure and during exhumation where the intensity of slab retreat is larger this spatial evolution of p t gradient is accompanied with an evolution from a partly coaxial regime below the peloponnese section of the detachment toward a clearly non coaxial regime in crete

miocene detachment in crete and exhumation p t t paths of high pressure metamorphic rocks a major problem posed by the geology of crete is the horizontal contact of an upper unit without miocene metamorphism onto a metamorphosed lower one with early miocene high pressure low temperature hp lt parageneses this very sharp contact is roughly parallel to the major oligo miocene thrust planes which were reactivated as a large scale detachment which allowed exhumation of high pressure units we describe the extensional deformation and the metamorphic evolution of the lower plate most first order deformation features relate to the retrogression from high pressure to low pressure conditions a n s pervasive stretching is observed everywhere often associated with a top to the north sense of shear the extreme variation of thickness of the phyllite quartzite nappe upper part of the lower plate is probably the result of large scale boudinage similar to the one seen in large outcrops the most important observation is the systematic occurrence of fresh carpholite immediately below the base of the tripolitza nappe except in northwestern crete where a late extensional shear zone is present deeper in the nappe pile carpholite is systematically retrograded this observation reveals a drastically different pt history for the upper part of the phyllite quartzite nappe it also suggests that the late extensional shear zone found along the northern side of crete cuts inside the metamorphic structure and brings the nonmetamorphosed tripolitza nappe directly in contact with the deeper parts of the phyllite quartzite nappe pt t paths suggest a fast temperature decrease in the top of the phyllite quartzite during retrogression and hence during the top to the north shear the deeper part of the phyllite quartzite nappe shows a low temperature regime throughout but its pt path includes an isothermal decompression in the first stage we produce a tentative map of domains having experienced similar pt trajectories during decompression the overall cool regime is related to the continuous underthrusting of cola continental units during exhumation isothermal decompression observed in the core of the phyllite quartzite nappe implies fast exhumation during extension and the faster cooling of the upper part is related to a continuous displacement toward the north of a cooler unit during exhumation single grain 39ar 40ar ages obtained on phengites 15 25 ma in various structural sites are in good agreement with these conclusions and with the geological context suggesting that underthrusting of cold units at the front the accretionnary complex occurred contemporaneously with unroofing below a north dipping detachment near the top of the wedge the age of this detachment is bracketed between the end of the high pressure event 20 ma and the deposition of the breccia early to middle miocene in the neogene basins

aftermath of a snowball earth 1 using a simple 3 box model of the ocean atmosphere system we simulate the cycling of carbon and strontium in the aftermath of a global glaciation model simulations include the delivery of alkalinity to seawater from intense carbonate and silicate weathering under high pco2 conditions as well as ocean mixing air sea gas exchange and biological productivity the 13c of the first carbonate precipitated after the glaciation depends on the pco2 temperature the saturation state of the surface ocean and kinetic effects associated with mineral precipitation with no biological productivity the model produces 13c values between 1 and 3 consistent with observations this is in direct contradiction with arguments by kennedy et al 2001a who suggest that the 13c value of dissolved carbon in a snowball ocean and directly afterward must be 5 kennedy et al assume the carbon isotope cycle is in steady state which does not apply to a global glaciation and also neglect any effect of high pco2 on the carbonate chemistry of seawater a major difference between our findings and the qualitative predictions of hoffman et al 1998 is our interpretation of the cap dolostone as representing an interval dominated by carbonate weathering of exposed continental shelves as a result the 2 drop in the 13c observed in the cap dolostone is unlikely to be the product of rayleigh distillation of atmospheric co2 via silicate weathering instead we interpret the 2 drop in the 13c values as indicative of an increase in sea surface temperature which lowers the fractionation between co2 and carbonate kinetic isotope effects associated with rapid precipitation from a highly supersaturated surface ocean may also be important rayleigh distillation of atmospheric co2 via silicate weathering is a viable explanation for the continued drop in the 13c values in the limestone sequence above the cap dolostone with biological productivity and carbonate weathering driving a slow increase in 13c values once pco2 levels decline our study also simulates the cycling of strontium in seawater in contrast to the finding of jacobsen and kaufman 1999 and kennedy et al 2001a model simulations show a drop in 87sr 86sr of less than 0 001 during 5 million years of global glaciation and an increase of less than 0 001 over the entire episode of silicate weathering our calculations emphasize the importance of considering the changes in seawater chemistry due to high pco2 in evaluating the snowball earth hypothesis

the paleogeography of late neogene central crete inferred from the sedimentary record combined with albinaria land snail biogeography abstract phylogenetic and geographic relations of recent land organisms often agree with results from tectonical and paleogeographic reconstructions in the hellenic island arc greece albinaria land snails gastropoda pulmonata clausiliidae are used to provide paleogeographical information in a combined analysis of their present distributional ranges and the sedimentary record late tertiary neogene islands in the region of present day crete existed for 6 9 myear before the arc was uplifted 3 2 myear ago pliocene the albinaria fauna of crete is known to be relictual in central crete an area of 3800 km2 the distributional ranges of 15 parapatrically dispersed albinaria species were determined based on differences in their ecological behavour the species are subdivided into two groups group 1 exclusively living on pre neogene substrate is believed to have largely conserved pre pliocene ranges and group 2 partly living on neogene partly on pre neogene substrates is assumed to have occupied the land which appeared after late neogene uplift events together with the sedimentary record albinaria helps to reconstruct the dynamic paleogeographic developments and block movements in central crete since the serravallian the conclusions imply 1 that some of the involved populations have been separated from each other for up to 11 myear and 2 that providing information on paleoislands recent land snails may contribute to geoscientific questions concerning the rate and timing of uplift and erosion

s c mylonites two types of foliations are commonly developed in mylonites and mylonitic rocks a s surfaces related to the accumulation of finite strain and b c surfaces related to displacement discontinuities or zones of relatively high shear strain there are two types of s c mylonites type i s c mylonites described by berthe et al typically occur in deformed granitoids they involve narrow zones of intense shear strain which cut across mylonitic foliation type ii s c mylonites described here have widespread occurrence in quartz mica rocks involved in zones of intense non coaxial laminar flow the c surfaces are defined by trails of mica fish formed as the result of microscopic displacement discontinuities or zones of very high shear strain the s surfaces are defined by oblique foliations in the adjacent quartz aggregates formed as the result of dynamic recrystallization which periodically resets the finite strain clock these oblique foliations are characterized by grain elongations alignments of segments of the grain boundary enveloping surfaces and by trails of grains with similar c axis orientations examples of this aspect of foliation development in mylonitic rocks are so widespread that we suggest the creation of a broad class of s c tectonites and a deviation from the general tradition of purely geometric analysis of foliation and time relationships kinematic indicators such as those discussed here allow the recognition of kilometre scale zones of intense non coaxial laminar flow in crustal rocks and unambiguous determination of the sense of shear

eo alpine metamorphism in the uppermost unit of the cretan nappe system petrology and geochronology the uppermost unit of the cretan nappe system consists of ophiolites on the top and an ophiolitic melange at the base

the neoproterozoic noonday formation death valley region california the neoproterozoic cambrian succession in the death valley region of the southwestern united states is among the best exposed and easily accessible in the world the largest single exposure of these strata occurs in the panamint range on the west side of death valley and it although variably metamorphosed contains the most complete sections of the noonday formation cap carbonate sequence new geological mapping measured sections and high resolution carbon isotope data for the noonday formation in this range enable establishment of a unified stratigraphy across the death valley region that consists of three units from the base upward they include the sentinel peak member of light gray massive to laminated fine dolostone locally containing vugs and tubes variably filled with micrite spar or quartz and rarely galena and varying from 2 to 200 m in thickness the radcliff member composed of feldspathic shale and sandstone and thin bedded limestone 0 200 m thick and the newly defined mahogany flats member of gray commonly stromatolitic thin to medium bedded fine dolostone that is 200 m thick at its type locality carbon isotopic trends in the panamint range match to within 1 2 reproducibility those known for the equivalent nonmetamorphosed strata in the eastern death valley sections a composite section of the noonday formation displays a chemostratigraphic profile with values near 3 through the cap dolostone of the sentinel peak member a decline to 6 in the lower part of the radcliff member followed by a recovery to near 0 and subsequent decline toward 2 in the remainder of the radcliff units and lower mahogany flats member and then a return to positive values 4 through the remainder of the mahogany flats member this pattern matches the ediacaran cap carbonate in namibia remarkably well and assuming our carbon isotopic correlations are correct it indicates that noonday deposition occurred at the beginning of the ediacaran period and that the immediately underlying wildrose diamictite of the kingston peak formation probably represents the younger cryogenian marinoan glacial episode

duration and nature of the end cryogenian marinoan glaciation the end cryogenian glaciation marinoan is portrayed commonly as the archetype of snowball earth yet its duration and character remain uncertain here we report u pb zircon ages for two ash beds from widely separated localities of the marinoan equivalent ghaub formation in namibia 639 29 0 26 ma and 635 21 0 59 ma these findings verify for the first time the key prediction of the snowball earth hypothesis for the marinoan glaciation i e longevity with a duration of 4 m y they also show that the nonglacial interlude of cryogenian time spanned 20 m y or less and that glacigenic erosion and sedimentation and at least intermittent open water conditions occurred 4 m y prior to termination of the marinoan glaciation

rapid exhumation of high pressure metamorphic rocks in kythera peloponnese greece revealed by apatite u th he thermochronology abstractapatite u th he and apatite fission track cooling ages from high pressure hp metamorphic rocks in the south aegean forearc along the kythera strait kythera and southeastern peloponnese suggest rapid exhumation during middle to late miocene times hp rocks from the kythera strait exhibit two perpendicular extensional structures samples with arc normal or arc parallel extensional fabrics yielded apatite u th he cooling ages of 8 10 ma the more precise u th he ages are consistent with previously reported apatite and zircon fission track ages obtained from the same rock units the less precise but still accurate fission track data provided a reference for u th he dating on relatively young uranium poor apatites the combined data therefore precisely and accurately constrain the exhumation history of hp rocks and indicate that localized arc parallel extension in the kythera strait was active for an 5 m yr interval during the regional arc expansion

raman spectroscopic carbonaceous material thermometry of low grade metamorphic rocks calibration and application to tectonic exhumation in crete greece we present new raman spectra data of carbonaceous material cm to extend the range of the raman spectra of cm thermometer rscm to temperatures as low as 100 8c previous work has demonstrated that raman spectroscopy is an excellent tool to describe the degree of graphitization of cm a process that is independent of pressure but strongly dependent on metamorphic temperature a linear relationship between temperature and the raman parameter r2 derived from the area of the defect band relative to the ordered graphite band forms the basis of a previous thermometer because r2 shows little variability in low temperature samples 330 8c serves as a lower limit on the existing thermometer herein we present raman spectra from a suite of low temperature 100 to 300 8c samples from the olympics mountains and describe other aspects of the raman spectra of cm that vary over this range in particular the raman parameter r1 the ratio of heights of the disordered peak to ordered peak varies regularly between 100 and 350 8c these data together with published results from higher temperature rocks are used to calibrate a modified rscm thermometer applicable from 100 to 700 8c application to low grade metasediments in the otago region in the south island of new zealand gives temperatures consistent with previous estimates demonstrating the reliability of the modified rscm thermometer we apply the modified rscm thermometer to 53 samples from crete to evaluate the role of the cretan detachment fault in exhuming miocene high pressure low temperature metamorphic rocks exposed there the metamorphic rocks below the detachment the plattenkalk and phyllite quartzite units give metamorphic temperatures that range from 250 to 400 8c consistent with previous petrologic estimates we also demonstrate that the tripolitza unit which lies directly above the detachment gives an average metamorphic temperature of about 260 8c the modest break in metamorphic temperature in central crete indicates that the cretan detachment accounts for only 5 to 7 km of exhumation of the underlying hp lt metamorphic rocks which were initially accreted at 35 km we argue that the bulk of the exhumation 28 km out of 35 km total occurred by pervasive brittle stretching and erosion of structural units above the detachment d 2005 elsevier b v all rights reserved

late miocene to recent tectonic evolution of crete greece geological observations and model analysis abstract using a numerical model we focus on the late middle miocene to recent kinematic evolution of the cretan segment of the hellenic arc geological observations of crete are given a quantitative interpretation in terms of tectonic mechanisms controlling the evolution of the active arc boundary this was achieved by calculating intra plate stress fields for various possible distributions of forces and comparing the models with observations the models address specific questions concerning important changes in the observed horizontal stress patterns we deal with the question of what caused extension to initiate modelling results of the collapse of an earlier formed topography and extensional forces acting on the plate boundary are compared with a newly reconstructed tectonostratigraphy of crete our results suggest that arc normal pull is the dominant force that generates the late miocene extension in the cretan segment of the overriding plate although arc normal pull in combination with intra plate spreading forces cannot be excluded the observed transform motions in the pliny and strabo trenches led us to incorporate experiments with additional resistance on the eastern levantine segment of the hellenic arc the models performed with a transform resistance along the trenches are in agreement with the cretan deformation for the pliocene to recent period the stress fields for the short duration compressional periods around the middle late miocene and the miocene pliocene boundary are modelled by assuming resistive instead of tensional forces acting at the overriding margin

extension and exhumation of the hp lt rocks in the hellenic forearc ridge localized intensive ductile and ductile brittle extension of along the arc orientation is prominent in phyllite quartzite unit pqu rocks in kythera and the adjacent southeastern peloponnese but declines in prominence to the north and to the south along the cretan peloponnese ridge using zircon and apatite fission track dating we find that this structural characteristic is correlated with the youngest zircon fission track cooling ages of 14 to 9 ma and with the highest pressure temperature condition recorded in the metamorphic rocks below the structural detachment the cooling ages of the high pressure phyllite quartzite unit pqu rocks along the hellenic forearc ridge show that exhumation migrated from both crete and from the peloponnese to the area with the youngest ages in kythera and the southeastern peloponnese starting in the early miocene and continuing to the present trench rollback and slab retreat expanded the hellenic arc and this bending of the arc from an initial more rectilinear geometry increased areas of oblique convergence and we suggest this localized the subsequent arc parallel extension and local enhanced exhumation of hp rocks the zircon fit exhumation ages from the arc parallel stretching episode restrict the ductile part of this episode in exposed rocks to between about 14 and 9 ma apatite ft ages suggest brittle along arc extension continued to about 7 ma this episode is proposed to be the result of a temporary higher rate of rollback and slab retreat younger normal faults including those which define the margins of the present hellenic arc show return to arc normal extension

origin of mud breccia from the mediterranean ridge accretionary complex based on evidence of the maturity of organic matter and related petrographic and regional tectonic evidence abstract drilling the milano mud dome situated in the olimpi field on the northern flank of the mediterranean ridge accretionary complex has documented episodic eruptive activity over the last 1 to 1 5 million years mud extrusion is related to backthrust faulting due to subduction of the africa plate beneath a relatively rigid backstop of cretan continental crust the mud dome is mainly composed of mud breccia with up to 65 of polymictic clasts embedded in a clayey matrix previously published results from petrography and new maturity data of both clasts and mud matrix presented here allow us to distinguish between two different areas of provenance 1 a northern province characterised by a trimodal maturity distribution of organic material was found for the majority of the mud breccia matrix samples studied similarly some of the clasts studied show the three vitrinite reflectance populations these are carbonate and sandstone clasts inferred to have been eroded from the upper nappes of the cretan thrust stack after exhumation in the late miocene as well as mudstone clasts clay mineralogy of these clasts coincides with earlier results on seafloor samples of a northern provenance recovered in the hellenic trench 2 a southern provenance is proposed for a second group of clasts with a bimodal maturity distribution not showing the second population 0 64 0 82 rm these clasts are litharenites calcilutites and calciturbidites of a proposed southern provenance i e north africa the presence of huminite in all clast and matrix samples studied 0 26 0 45 rm is indicative of a shallow burial history estimates regarding the depth of mobilisation of the mud using the regional thermal gradient indicate burial not deeper than 2 km below the seafloor organoclastic matrix components mirror the northern clast provenance so that prior to subduction and subsequent extrusion deposition of the mud in the northeastern mediterranean can be inferred we propose a model in which sediment from the north was trapped within the forerunner of the pliny trench this sediment was deposited above the backstop of the subduction complex which was later overridden by the accretionary prism as a result of incipient collision density inversion forces then favoured uprise and extrusion of underconsolidated sediments as mud volcanoes the mud matrix was probably largely derived from a messinian succession although alternatives remain possible

rifting and shallow dipping detachments clues from the corinth rift and the aegean the corinth rift is superimposed on the hellenic nappe stack that formed at the expense of the apulian continental crust above the subducting african slab extension started in the pliocene and the major steep normal faults that control the geometry of the present day rift were born very recently some 600 kyr ago only they root into a shallow dipping zone of microseismicity recorded near the base of the upper crust the significance of this seismogenic zone is debated considering the northward dip of the zone of microseismicity the depth of microearthquakes and their focal mechanisms we observe a strong similarity with the northern cycladic detachments in terms of expected pressure temperature conditions and kinematics we herein show 1 that the formation of the corinth rift can be considered a part of a continuum of extension that started some 30 35 ma in the aegean and that was recently localised in a more restricted area 2 that the present day structure and kinematics of the corinth rift can be explained with a series of decollements relayed by steeper ramps that altogether formed a mechanically weak crustal scale detachment and 3 that the deformation fluid behaviour and metamorphic features seen in the northern cycladic metamorphic core complexes can be good analogues of the processes at work below the corinth rift

the cretan ophiolite bearing melange greece a remnant of alpine accretionary wedge abstract new data collected in central crete on the ophiolite bearing units result in a better understanding of the role and tectonic significance of these units in the construction of this segment of the hellenides these nappes are composed of three main tectonic units that characterized by different metamorphic facies conditions are represented by an un metamorphosed lower unit a greenschist to hp greenschist facies intermediate unit and a blueschist facies upper unit these chaotic thrust nappes include blocks of oceanic and continental deriving rocks and can be considered as a remnant of an accretionary complex the lower unit represents the toe of the wedge whereas the intermediate and upper units refer to the innermost and deeper subducted portions exhumed and superimposed on top of each other during the early stages of continental collision the structural evolution of the accretionary wedge was controlled by four main contractional deformation events that including distinct groups of structures developed at different crustal levels were driven by sse and ssw directions of tectonic transport our data strongly suggest that the ophiolite bearing tectonic wedge was accreted during the paleogene subduction of a late jurassic cretaceous oceanic realm beneath the continental margin of the pelagonian domain and it was successively involved in the continental collision with the adria block the greenschist to blueschist facies metamorphism and the subsequent exhumation and emplacement of the intermediate and upper units above the frontal portion of the wedge may mainly be due to deep duplexing marking the onset of continental collision we thus suggest that the ophiolite bearing units of crete represent a single suture zone related to the closure of a unique oceanic domain pindos cycladic ocean subducted beneath the internal hellenides platform continental domains thus assuming the significance of a southern oceanic seaway of the largest eastern neotethys developed since the triassic between eurasia and africa

some guidelines for the practical application of fry s method of strain analysis abstract a systematic analysis of patterns in artificial and natural point distributions is presented in order to demonstrate how the nature and degree of anticlustering of point distributions affect the character of fry diagrams derived from them ideally anticlustered artificial point distributions illustrate the nature of the dependence between the degree of anticlustering and the minimum number of points required in such a distribution if it is to reveal strain accurately by fry s method in addition these distributions provide straightforward results which aid in the interpretation of less ideally anticlustered natural point distributions the results from the artificial distributions may be used to estimate the minimum number of points required for strain determination in natural distributions of varying degrees of anticlustering as long as the anticlustering is sufficiently strong however application of the results from the artificial distributions to less strongly anticlustered natural point distributions shows not only that the existence of a vacancy field is an insufficient criterion for determining whether or not fry s method is appropriate for strain determination but also that the nature of the anticlustering in these natural distributions limits the effectiveness of enhancing strain definition by increasing the number of points composing the distribution

two diamictites two cap carbonates two δ13c excursions two rifts the neoproterozoic kingston peak formation death valley california stratigraphic mapping of the neoproterozoic glaciogenic kingston peak formation death valley california provides evidence for two temporally discrete extensional deformation episodes these episodes are bracketed by the sourdough limestone and noonday dolomite the facies characteristics and 13 c data ranging between 2 15 and 2 56 and 1 88 and 4 86 respectively of which make them equivalent to sturtian and varangian age cap carbonates respectively this constrains the two extensional episodes along the southwestern margin of laurentia to ca 700 ma and ca 600 ma these observations and data show that the field evidence for mid neoproterozoic breakup and the predictions from tectonic subsidence curves for a latest neoproterozoic breakup are both correct thus neoproterozoic plate reconstructions must account for two discrete rift episodes separated by 100 m y or more confining rifting to within the kingston peak formation thereby places the younger proterozoic rocks of the southwestern great basin in the rift to drift tectonic phase

geologic evidence of earthquakes at the snohomish delta washington in the past 1200 yr exposed channel banks along distributaries of the lower snohomish delta in the puget lowland of washington reveal evidence of at least three episodes of liquefaction at least one event of abrupt subsidence and at least one tsunami since ca a d 800 the 45 measured stratigraphic sections consist mostly of 2 4 m of olivegray intertidal mud containing abundant marsh plant rhizomes the most distinctive stratigraphic unit is a couplet comprising a 0 523 cm thick laminated fining upward tsunami laid sand bed overlain by 2210 cm of gray clay we correlated the couplet which is generally 2 m below the modern marsh surface across an 20 km2 area sand dikes and sand filled cracks to 1 m wide which terminate upward at the couplet and sand volcanoes preserved at the level of the sand bed record liquefaction at the same time as couplet deposition differences in the type and abundance of marsh plant rhizomes across the couplet horizon as well as the gray clay layer suggest that compaction during this liquefaction led to abrupt local lowering of the marsh surface by as much as 50 75 cm radiocarbon ages show that the tsunami and liquefaction date from ca a d 800 to 980 similar to the age of a large earthquake on the seattle fault 50 km to the south we have found evidence for at least two and possibly as many as five other earthquakes in the measured sections at two or more stratigraphic levels above the couplet sand dikes locally feed sand volcanoes radiocarbon ages and stratigraphic position gov suggest that one set of these dikes formed ca a d 910 990 radiocarbon ages on a younger set indicate a limiting maximum age of a d 1400 1640 we also interpret a sharp lithologic change from olive gray rhizome rich mud to grayer rhizome poor mud 1 m above the couplet to indicate a second abrupt lowering of the marsh surface during an earthquake ca a d 1040 1400 but no conclusive liquefaction structures have been identified at this horizon two distinctive coarse sand laminae 30 80 cm below the couplet may record tsunamis older than a d 800 thus study shows that in the past 1200 yr this part of washington s puget lowland has been subjected to stronger ground shaking than in historic times since ca 1870

geochronological constraints on neoproterozoic rifting and onset of the marinoan glaciation from the kingston peak formation in death valley california usa

uplift and exhumation of high pressure metamorphic terrains the example of the cycladic blueschist belt aegean sea the cycladic blueschists emerged from a depth of more than 50 km during the tertiary these rocks are now covered only by a thin fraction of the synmetamorphic overburden upper plate remnants of the upper plate include low p crystalline rocks and sediments which have been juxtaposed onto the lower plate blueschists in several stages since the early miocene the low angle contacts operated as normal faults which removed the overburden from above the cycladic blueschists detailed investigations on tinos island indicate that the fractured blocks of the upper plate lying above a low angle normal fault did not rotate this shows that the faults initiated as rather gently dipping fractures similar structures were also reported from other blueschist terrains kinematic analysis of such flat lying faults implies that the synmetamorphic overburden should be mostly located several hundred kilometers away from the present exposure of the blueschists considering that the cycladic blueschist belt exposes successively shallower units in the west and that rocks of the upper plate have an anatolian nature we suggest that these blueschists were dragged from beneath turkey we recognize that the blueschist unit has undergone further thrusting in the final stage of the exhumation as have its counterparts elsewhere in the hellenides the emergence of the blueschists in the tertiary was concomitant with continental collision and thrusting in the hellenides the operation of low angle normal faults with large extensional displacements occurred within this context of collision tectonics this extension occurred parallel to the strike of the convergent orogen

archimedes revisited a structural test of eclogite emplacement models in the austrian alps high pressure rocks of the eclogite zone tauern window eastern alps formed at 20 kb 600 c uplift was fast without post burial heating extensive near field and far field deformation of the eclogite zone and its surroundings provide evidence for a tectonic uplift mechanism published emplacement models buoyant rise underplating and extension wrench faulting create distinct patterns of crustal deformation and are therefore testable by structural analysis we show that emplacement related deformation and its kinematics are consistent with underplating and extension extension is two phased the first phase may be driven by changes in rate or direction of plate convergence the second phase is due to large scale underplating of continental crust

faulting and effects of earthquakes on minoan archaeological sites in crete greece abstract examination of damages affecting the buildings of the archaeological sites of phaistos and agia triada southern crete suggests that these minoan settlements were probably destroyed by two major seismic events characterized by mks intensities of ix x and occurred at the end of the protopalatial 1700 bc and the neopalatial 1450 bc periods geological and morphological studies carried out in the neighbouring areas show the occurrence of e w trending quaternary normal fault segments spili and agia galini faults that control the present topography and morphology and exhibit steep young scarps mostly holocene in age these fault segments are related to a nw se extension direction which is consistent with that indicated by the available focal mechanisms of the earthquakes occurring in this area in the last 50 years combining structural and seismic data we can infer that the spili and agia galini fault segments could represent good candidates to be considered active faults generating large earthquakes m 6 5 that were responsible for the damages of phaistos and agia triada this hypothesis suggests that the minoan palatial centres were destroyed by several large earthquakes related to ruptures along distinct fault segments rather than by a single catastrophic event that caused the abrupt destruction of the minoan civilisation in the eastern mediterranean

chemical versus mechanical denudation in meta clastic and carbonate bedrock catchments on crete greece and mechanisms for steep and high carbonate topography on crete as is common elsewhere in the mediterranean carbonate massifs form high mountain ranges whereas topography is lower in areas with meta clastic rocks this observation suggests that differences in denudational processes between carbonate rich rocks and quartzofeldspathic units impart a fundamental control on landscape evolution here we present new cosmogenic basin average denudation rate measurements from both 10be and 36cl in meta clastic and carbonate bedrock catchments respectively to assess relationships between denudation rates processes and topographic form we compare total denudation rates to dissolution rates calculated from 49 new and previously published water samples basin average denudation rates of meta clastic and carbonate catchments are similar with mean values of 0 10 mm a and 0 13 mm a respectively the contribution of dissolution to total denudation rate was 10 in the one measured meta clastic catchment and 40 for carbonate catchments 0 05 mm a suggesting the dominance of physical over chemical weathering at the catchment scale in both rock types water mass balance calculations for three carbonate catchments suggests 40 90 of surface runoff is lost to groundwater to explore the impact of dissolution and infiltration to groundwater on relief we develop a numerical model for carbonate denudation we find that dissolution modifies the river profile channel steepness and infiltration changes the fluvial response time to external forcing furthermore we show that infiltration of surface runoff to groundwater in karst regions is an efficient way to steepen topography and generate the dramatic relief in carbonates observed throughout crete and the mediterranean

map view restoration of aegean west anatolian accretion and extension since the eocene 1 the aegean region greece western turkey is one of the best studied continental extensional provinces here we provide the first detailed kinematic restoration of the aegean region since 35 ma the region consists of stacked upper crustal slices nappes that reflect a complex paleogeography these were decoupled from the subducting african adriatic lithospheric slab especially since 25 ma extensional detachments cut the nappe stack and exhumed its metamorphosed portions in metamorphic core complexes we reconstruct up to 400 km of trench perpendicular ne sw extension in two stages from 25 to 15 ma the aegean forearc rotated clockwise relative to the moesian platform around euler poles in northern greece accommodated by extensional detachments in the north and an inferred transfer fault se of the menderes massif the majority of extension occurred after 15 ma up to 290 km by opposite rotations of the western and eastern parts of the region simultaneously the aegean region underwent up to 650 km of post 25 ma trench parallel extension leading to dramatic crustal thinning on crete we restore a detachment configuration with the mid cycladic lineament representing a detachment that accommodated trench parallel extension in the central aegean region finally we demonstrate that the sakarya zone and cretaceous ophiolites of turkey cannot be traced far into the aegean region and are likely bounded by a pre 35 ma n s fault zone this fault became reactivated since 25 ma as an extensional detachment located west of lesbos island the paleogeographic units south of the izmir ankara sava suture however can be correlated from greece to turkey

neoproterozoic ice sheets and olistoliths multiple glacial cycles in the kingston peak formation california the kingston peak formation is a diamictite bearing succession that crops out in the death valley region california usa an exceptionally thick 1 5 km outcrop belt in its type area the kingston range provides clear insights into the dynamics of mid cryogenian sturtian ice sheets in laurentia seven detailed logs allow the lateral and vertical distribution of facies associations to be assessed we recognize 1 diamictite facies association ice proximal glacigenic debris flows 2 lonestone bearing facies association ice marginal hemipelagic deposits and low density gravity flows with iceberg rafting 3 pebble to boulder conglomerate facies association ice proximal cogenetic glacigenic debris flows and high density turbidites 4 megaclast facies association olistostrome and hemipelagic sediments subject to ice rafting and 5 interbedded heterolithics facies association low density turbidites and hemipelagic deposits the stratigraphic motif allows three glacial cycles to be inferred across the range ice minimum conditions interrupting the kingston peak succession are associated with the development of an olistostrome complex succeeded by a thick accumulation of boulder conglomerates deposited during ice readvance the data testify to a strong glacial influence on sedimentation within this ancient subaqueous succession and to highly dynamic ice sheet behaviour with clear glacial cycles during the sturtian glaciation

late pleistocene holocene retreat of the west antarctic ice sheet system in the ross sea part 2 sedimentologic and stratigraphic signature sedimentologic geotechnical geochemical and accelerator mass spectrometer ams radiocarbon data from two marine geologic cruises in the ross sea have allowed us to constrain facies relationships and temporal changes in the west antarctic ice sheet the selection of core sites was facilitated by the use of multibeam bottom imagery and a good quality chirp subbottom reflection system a complex but consistent succession of facies documents a number of environments from subglacial to open marine massive mud rich diamictons have low water contents contain in places a calcareous microfossil assemblage show minimal textural variation and contain low and uniform total organic carbon values this reflects a subglacial setting this unit passes upward into a stratified thin granulated facies consisting of pelletized sandy muddy gravel that is loosely compacted and contains a variable water content and concentrated horizons of pebble sized clasts this facies reflects the lift off zone or thin water film between the basal debris and sea floor overlying this unit are silty clays that contain a well sorted very fine grained sand component there are no coarse grains within this unit this facies is in part laminated and reflects deposition beneath an ice shelf near and away from the grounding line zone the ice shelf facies passes upward into a siliceous mud and ooze unit that represents deposition in an open marine setting a sandy volcaniclastic rich subfacies marks the transition from ice shelf to open marine environments found at the calving line the 86 ams radiocarbon dates on organic matter provide an accurate chronology for 19 cores ice shelf conditions were established in the outer drygalski trough by 11 0 25 ka and perhaps earlier this transition took place in the joides basin by 10 8 ka the calving front of the ross ice shelf passed over the drygalski trough at 74 s by 9 5 0 25 ka the timing of deglaciation in the ross sea calls into question current models for the contribution of antarctic glacial ice to holocene sea level rise and suggests that recession was relatively gradual and more closely aligned with northern hemisphere deglaciation and its associated eustatic pulse

dynamics of orogenic wedges and the uplift of high pressure metamorphic rocks subduction accretion complexes can be approximated as wedge shaped continua with a rigid buttress behind and a subducting litho spheric slab beneath thick wedges undergoing prograde metamorphism have a negligible long term yield strength and are likely to exhibit a complex nonlinear viscous rheology such a wedge will tend to deform internally until it reaches a stable configuration in which the gravitational forces generated by the wedge geometry balance the traction exerted on its underside by the subducting slab accretion of material at the wedge front will lengthen the wedge and cause it to shorten internally to regain the stable geometry this shortening will be expressed as late out of sequence thrusting backthrusting and folding conversely underplating of sediment or crustal slices will thicken the wedge which may need to extend internally to regain stability extension will cause listric normal faults that may merge downward into zones of ductile extension continued underplating at depth and compensating extension above provides a mechanism for bringing high p low t metamorphic rocks to upper levels in the rear of the wedge where they are commonly observed many major tectonic boundaries in convergent orogens such as the coast range thrust in the franciscan complex major nappe contacts in the alps and the contact between the nevado filabride and higher betic nappe complexes in the betic cordillera show abrupt increases in metamorphic grade downward across them this is consistent with their origin or reactivation as uplift related extensional structures

the metamorphic and structural evolution of the phyllite quartzite nappe of western crete abstract the phyllite quartzite pq nappe constitutes an external allochthonous complex of the hellenides on the island of crete and shows a polyphase structural history a first phase of deformation f 1 produced recumbent isoclinal folds a penetrative schistosity and boudinage under high p low t metamorphic conditions mylonite formation at the top of the pq nappe below the overriding tripolitza nappe further boudinage and schistosity s 2 represent a late tectono metamorphic episode post metamorphic small folds f 3 lineations and a crenulation cleavage were formed synchronously with transport of the pq nappe a last phase f 4 developed small folds a fracture crenulation cleavage and large scale folds after nappe movement it is suggested that high p low t metamorphism in the pq rocks originated during subduction nappe transport of the higher unmetamorphosed units which were thrust over the pq nappe began under waning metamorphic conditions subsequent transport of the pq nappe itself also occurred after the completion of metamorphism and after the formation of the mylonite at its top

tectonic subsidence of the early paleozoic passive continental margin in eastern california and southern nevada quantitative analysis of tectonic subsidence in cambrian and ordovician platform carbonates and associated strata exposed in the spring mountains nevada and the nopah funeral and inyo ranges california indicates that subsidence associated with this segment of the early paleozoic passive continental margin is exponential in form consistent with thermal contraction of the lithosphere following extension as in other parts of the north american cordillera continental separation in the southern great basin appears to have taken place between 590 and 545 ma these results are not sensitive to uncertainties in stratigraphic thickness biostratigraphic age control or paleobathymetry uncertainties in the cambrian time scale lead to predictable variations in the inferred time of onset of thermal subsidence but they have no effect on the inferred stratigraphic position of the rift to post rift transition a younger age for the base of the middle cambrian results in a younger inferred age of onset of thermal subsidence accompanied by greater rates of subsidence during the cambrian whereas a significantly older estimate of the onset of thermal subsidence can be obtained only if the base of the middle cambrian is substantially older than 540 ma a possibility that is inconsistent with available data results of the subsidence analysis are particularly significant because this is one of the few regions along the length of the north american cordillera where they can be compared directly to the geologic evidence for syn rift and post rift deposition basement involved faulting associated with the amargosa basin aulacogen ceased during deposition of the noonday dolomite which is thought to be older than 700 680 ma on the basis of stromatolites of late riphean affinity the overlying johnnie formation contains supposed vendian stromatolites younger than 700 680 ma if it is assumed that our results indicate the timing of the final rift to post rift transition then either the ages inferred from stromatolites are incorrect or the lithosphere was thinned regionally after deposition of the noonday the latter possibility is supported by limited geologic evidence for extension in latest proterozoic and early cambrian time the lack of appreciable physical evidence for crustal extension after deposition of the noonday however may imply that 1 a uniform extension model for lithospheric thinning is inappropriate for this part of the margin or that 2 some or all of the localities studied are continentward of the hinge zone and that the observed subsidence is exaggerated by flexural loading in a deeper basin to the west

coastal aquifer assessment based on geological and geophysical survey northwestern crete greece groundwater preservation comprises a major problem in water policy the comprehension of the groundwater hydraulic systems can provide the means to approach this problem generally drilling is expensive and time consuming on the other hand new techniques have been applied during the last few decades that provide useful information on the depth and quality of aquifers among them transient electromagnetic method tem is an appealing method that provides fast results with minimum field crew and solves several hydrogeological problems many portable systems for single site measurements are commercially available the tem fast 48hpc was used for acquiring 106 soundings in the northwestern crete in greece for defining the hydrogeological characteristics of the study area since there were no available data from boreholes detailed geological hydrolithological and tectonic survey was applied prior to the geophysical measurements all the data were integrated to produce a secure and reliable hydrogeological model for the study area prior to any future hydrowell specifically geometrical and hydraulic data of the study area groundwater were acquired two unconnected aquifers were detected and their possible contamination due to saltwater intrusion was analyzed and eliminated moreover a location for borehole construction and groundwater pumping based on the potential of the aquifer system was proposed finally the contribution of tem and electrical resistivity tomography geophysical methods in studying complex coastal aquifers is shown by this work

back arc extension and denudation of mediterranean eclogites eclogite facies rocks exposed in mediterranean back arcs are delimited from above by low angle normal faults and detachments nevertheless our work demonstrates that these extensional structures associated with back arc extension played only a limited role in removing the overburden from above the eclogites extension in mediterranean back arcs began in the late oligocene or early miocene but the pressure temperature time p t t paths of eclogite facies rocks exposed in these areas indicate that a major part of the overburden several tens of kilometers has been removed from above these rocks prior to the oligo miocene we show that the time period bracketed between the peak of eclogite metamorphism eocene in the central aegean probably upper cretaceous in corsica and the betics and the onset of back arc extension in the oligo miocene was characterized by thrust faulting in the central aegean corsica and the betics eclogite bearing units were partly unroofed and then overthrusted lower pressure units we emphasize that with one exception tinos island greece the entire inventory of extensional contacts operated subsequently to the overthrusting of the eclogites above the lower grade sequences thus mediterranean back arc extension lags behind a major part of the denudation process and is superposed on orogenic wedges that contain eclogite facies rocks at relatively shallow structural levels we emphasize that the mode of occurrence of eclogites in mediterranean back arc regions involves a continuum of in situ crustal accretion below the eclogites widespread p t paths that show cooling or isothermal decompression and lower grade rocks at the bottom of the structural pile thus instead of reflecting whole crust back arc extension the tectonic style associated with the denudation of mediterranean eclogites better fits an active accretionary wedge setting this is similar to the mode of occurrence of eclogite facies rocks in mountain belts such as the western alps where decompression was synorogenic and back arc extension played no role

comparison of quartz microfabric with strain in recrystallized quartzite abstract the relationship between quartz c axis microfabric and strain is examined in six specimens of recrystallized quartzite conglomerate in which strain was measured using pebble shapes four rocks subjected to plane strain display a direct relationship between the strength of preferred orientation and the strain intensity the c axis distributions in these rocks as well as a rock subjected to moderate extensional strain are crossed girdles with maxima near the intermediate principal strain axis and connecting girdles at acute angles to the direction of maximum shortening a rock subjected to moderate flattening strain has several maxima clustered near the direction of maximum shortening and a weak connecting girdle through the intermediate principal strain axis these results are generally similar to those of other studies comparing strain and tectonite fabrics and also with experimental and computer simulation studies of fabrics the degree of preferred orientation is related to total strain and therefore microfabrics in quartzites may be cautiously interpreted as qualitative indicators of strain intensity uncertainties are greater however for correlations of fabric patterns with shapes of the strain ellipsoid an observed increase in recrystallized grain sizes with increasing strain suggests that flow stress was lower in the more strained rocks

an early cambrian rift to post rift transition in the cordillera of western north america the upper proterozoic and lower palaeozoic wedge of miogeoclinal strata in the north american cordillera is widely regarded as evidence for a proto pacific passive margin1 3 the rifting history of this margin appears to have been protracted possibly spanning 200 myr in a tectonic setting that is not well understood3 quantitative subsidence analyses of lower palaeozoic strata between british columbia and utah however provide indirect evidence that the transition from rifting to post rift cooling occurred within a relatively short interval of time although probably not synchronously between 600 and 555 myr refs 4 6 this age is significantly younger than that implied in previous studies1 2 we describe here new field data which together with published geological data provide direct evidence of a latest proterozoic or early cambrian age for the rift to post rift transition the data support recent arguments for widespread initiation of passive margins around the edge of the north american craton close to the cambrian precambrian boundary7

thermochronologic evaluation of postcollision extension in the anatolide orogen western turkey 1 to better understand the driving mechanisms behind the transition from collision to extension in a convergent orogen data from multiple low temperature thermochronometers were obtained from the simav detachment fault sdf the earliest developed major extensional structure recognized in the western anatolide orogen of western turkey twenty two zircon fission track ft 26 apatite ft 12 apatite u th he ages and 26 apatite ft track length analyses are presented the data establish that the sdf was a major extensional fault active between 25 and 19 ma the coincidence in timing of magmatism with cessation of sdf activity implies the detachment became locked owing to doming induced by magma emplacement zircon ft ages away from the influence of miocene magmatism record rapid footwall cooling between 25 and 21 ma at a slip rate of up to 15 km myr and demonstrate that active ductile deformation along the sdf migrated northward with time apatite ft ages from the footwall of the sdf are spatially invariant over 100 km and consistently 2 3 myr younger than the zircon fission track ages from the same samples these data are consistent with a regional but relatively rapid erosion linked cooling phase that removed 2 3 km of overburden following cessation of sdf activity but before deposition of sedimentary rocks on the detachment surface at 16 4 ma postcollision extension of the anatolide orogen with development of the sdf can be best explained as the result of postcollision magmatism and thermal weakening of the crust inducing the extensional reactivation of an earlier major out of sequence thrust

the shuram and subsequent ediacaran carbon isotope excursions from southwest laurentia and implications for environmental stability during the metazoan radiation current understanding of secular changes in the carbon isotopic composition of mid to late ediacaran carbonates suggests a relatively long steady recovery of the global ocean from the shuram negative excursion followed by a smaller negative excursion at the precambrian cambrian boundary new radiometric stratigraphic and carbon isotope data from thick exposures of the upper johnnie formation in the panamint range of eastern california combined with data from carbonate rich facies of the stirling quartzite in the funeral mountains confirm an ediacaran age for these strata and provide a more complete record of isotopic variations during this time interval than previously determined from sw laurentia and other key sections around the globe a siltstone in the lower part of the johnnie formation yielded a detrital zircon grain with an age of 640 33 0 09 ma lowering the maximum radiometric age constraint on the johnnie formation by 400 m y consistent with an ediacaran age based on chemo and biostratigraphic data in contrast to previous c isotope compilations from this region which were generally based on relatively thin portions of the cordilleran miogeocline near its depositional hinge the more basinward exposures exhibit a recovery from values near 12 to 0 within the upper part of the johnnie formation details in the shape of the chemostratigraphic profile through the upper johnnie formation closely match those in profiles through the wonoka formation in south australia which lies above the basal ediacaran global stratotype section and point and the shuram buah interval in oman confirming temporal correlation and suggesting genesis through changes in the isotopic composition of the global ocean the shuram excursion in sw laurentia is followed by at least three smaller ediacaran to earliest cambrian isotopic excursions recorded within from oldest to youngest the uppermost johnnie formation the middle stirling quartzite and the lower wood canyon formation these data indicate that the negative excursion associated with the base of the cambrian is not a unique post shuram event and that post shuram pre cambrian animal evolution occurred in an environment of repeated large magnitude fluctuations in the carbon isotopic composition of the global ocean

metamorphic core complexes of cordilleran type in the cyclades aegean sea greece the islands of ios and naxos in the cycladic archipelago greece contain elongate domes over which a pervasive north to north northeast stretching lineation is warped these islands may be metamorphic core complexes of cordilleran type involving middle crustal rocks drawn upward and outward from underneath the sedimentary basins now 100 km to the south from ca 25 ma onward during uplift the crystalline rocks now exposed on the islands were deformed noncoaxially in the deeper levels of a major shallow dipping ductile shear zone this shear zone may have connected with low angle normal faults in its upper levels because it is probable that its later history involved the metamorphic complexes being dragged out from under a stretching and fracturing upper plate composed mainly of unmetamorphosed sedimentary and ophiolite suite rocks this model can be extended to explain the exhumation of the high pressure low temperature metamorphic rocks on crete which with the cyclades forms a distended paired metamorphic belt separated by an active sedimentary basin

static recrystallization of vein quartz pebbles in a high pressure low temperature metamorphic conglomerate abstract microfabrics of quartz pebbles in hp lt c 1 gpa c 350 c metamorphic conglomerates are investigated the conglomerate was deformed by dissolution precipitation creep while the interior of the pebbles remained undeformed the different pebbles display a wide variety of quartz microstructures imported from the source rocks one type of pebble is derived from quartz veins it shows old grains with numerous fluid inclusions subgrains and undulatory extinction which are partly replaced by new grains devoid of inclusions and substructure free dislocation densities are on the order of 1012 m 2 in both grains we conclude that 1 the quartz vein underwent inhomogeneous crystal plastic deformation in the source rock 2 recrystallization took place by strain induced grain boundary migration starting from small crystalline volumes poor in defects 3 recrystallization was purely static and commenced during re burial of the conglomerate which 4 was simultaneously deformed by dissolution precipitation creep at low differential stress insufficient for crystal plastic deformation of quartz 5 fluid inclusions within old grains were eliminated and their fluid content was drained along the migrating high angle grain boundaries and 6 strain induced grain boundary migration ceased once the driving force became too low by static recovery concurrent to recrystallization within the deformed old grains