40Ar/39Ar dating of synkinematic white mica: insights from fluid-rock reaction in low-grade shear zones (Mont Blanc Massif) and constraints on timing of deformation in the NW external Alps
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Published:January 01, 2008
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CiteCitation
Y. Rolland, M. Rossi, S. F. Cox, M. Corsini, N. Mancktelow, G. Pennacchioni, M. Fornari, A. M. Boullier, 2008. "40Ar/39Ar dating of synkinematic white mica: insights from fluid-rock reaction in low-grade shear zones (Mont Blanc Massif) and constraints on timing of deformation in the NW external Alps", The Internal Structure of Fault Zones: Implications for Mechanical and Fluid-Flow Properties, C. A. J. Wibberley, W. Kurz, J. Imber, R. E. Holdsworth, C. Collettini
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Abstract
This paper highlights the use of synkinematic white mica, biotite and phlogopite for the dating of deformation in ductile shear zones within crystalline rocks under low-grade metamorphic conditions. The Mont Blanc shear zones range from 1 mm to 50 m in width and have localized intense fluid flow, resulting in substantial differences in mineralogy and whole-rock geochemistry. On the basis of their synkinematic alteration assemblages and geographic distribution within the Mont Blanc Massif, three main metamorphic zones are distinguished within the network of shear zones. These are: (i) epidote±white mica-bearing assemblages; (ii) chlorite–phlogopite-bearing assemblages; and (iii) white mica±biotite±calcite±actinolite±epidote- bearing...
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Contents
The Internal Structure of Fault Zones: Implications for Mechanical and Fluid-Flow Properties

Faults are primary focuses of both fluid migration and deformation in the upper crust. The recognition that faults are typically heterogeneous zones of deformed material, not simple discrete fractures, has fundamental implications for the way geoscientists predict fluid migration in fault zones, as well as leading to new concepts in understanding seismic/aseismic strain accommodation. This book captures current research into understanding the complexities of fault-zone internal structure, and their control on mechanical and fluid-flow properties of the upper crust. A wide variety of approaches are presented, from geological field studies and laboratory analyses of fault-zone and fault-rock properties to numerical fluid-flow modelling, and from seismological data analyses to coupled hydraulic and rheological modelling. The publication aims to illustrate the importance of understanding fault-zone complexity by integrating such diverse approaches, and its impact on the rheological and fluid-flow behaviour of fault zones in different contexts.