Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6444691 | Journal of Structural Geology | 2016 | 17 Pages |
Abstract
The three structural levels correlate well with previously recognized spatial variations in the degree of serpentinization. It is therefore tempting to consider that the intensity of serpentinization played a major role in the way deformation has been distributed across the Peridotite Nappe. However, even the least altered peridotites, in the upper level, contain so much serpentine that, according to theoretical and experimental work, they should be nearly as weak as pure serpentinite. Hence, no strong vertical gradient in strength due to variations in the degree of serpentinization is expected within the exposed part of the nappe. Our proposal is that strain localization along the serpentine sole results from the juxtaposition of the nappe, made of weak serpentinized peridotites, against the strong mafic rocks of its substratum. This interpretation is at odds with the intuitive view that would consider the nappe, made of peridotites, as stronger than its basement.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Geology
Authors
Benoît Quesnel, Pierre Gautier, Michel Cathelineau, Philippe Boulvais, Clément Couteau, Maxime Drouillet,