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Deformation fabrics of the Cima di Gagnone peridotite massif, Central Alps, Switzerland: evidence of deformation at low temperatures in the presence of water

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Abstract

We report a new observation of the olivine B-type lattice-preferred orientation (LPO), from the garnet peridotite at Cima di Gagnone, Switzerland. The olivine B-type fabric forms at low temperatures and/or high stress in the presence of water, and is of particular interest because it may be used to explain the trench-parallel shear-wave splitting that is often observed at subduction zones. In conjunction with the olivine B-type fabric, we have found strong orthopyroxene LPO that is identical to those formed under water-free conditions. This suggests that water may not have a significant effect on orthopyroxene fabric. From the olivine microstructure, we determine that a stress of 22 ± 8 MPa was applied during the deformation event that formed the olivine LPO. Using an olivine flow-law, and assuming geological strain-rates, we determine the temperature of deformation to be 800 ± 175°C. This does not preclude an ultra-deep origin for the ultramafic rocks at Cima di Gagnone, but indicates that much of the deformation recorded in the microstructure occurred at modest temperatures.

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Acknowledgments

This paper is dedicated to the late Professor Volkmar Trommsdorff, who graciously guided our visits to Cima di Gagnone and Alpe Arami. K. Kunze is thanked for his input on previous studies of Cima di Gagnone. G. Hirth and an anonymous reviewer are thanked for their help clarifying our arguments. Z. Jiang is thanked for helpful discussions, and assistance with EBSD. This study was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (EAR-0309448), a grant from the Geological Society of America (7526-03), and by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences.

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  1. Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, PO Box 208109, New Haven, CT, 06520-8109, USA

    Philip Skemer, Ikuo Katayama & Shun-ichiro Karato

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  1. Philip Skemer
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  2. Ikuo Katayama
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  3. Shun-ichiro Karato
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Correspondence to Philip Skemer.

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Communicated by T.L. Grove

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Skemer, P., Katayama, I. & Karato, Si. Deformation fabrics of the Cima di Gagnone peridotite massif, Central Alps, Switzerland: evidence of deformation at low temperatures in the presence of water. Contrib Mineral Petrol 152, 43–51 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-006-0093-4

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