Zanchetta 2011

Journal of Geodynamics 51 (2011) 245–263
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Journal of Geodynamics
journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jog
Cretaceous-Eocene compression in the central Southern Alps (N Italy) inferred

from 40 Ar/39 Ar dating of pseudotachylytes along regional thrust faults
Stefano Zanchetta a,∗ , Paolo D’Adda a , Andrea Zanchi a , Valentina Barberini a , Igor M. Villa a,b
a
Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche e Geotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, P.za della Scienza 4, Milano 20126 Italy
b
Institut für Geologie, Universität Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t
Article history: The integration of structural analyses with 40 Ar/39 Ar dating of fault-related pseudotachylytes provides
Received 3 August 2010 time constraints for the reconstruction of the Alpine evolution of the central portion of the South Alpine
Accepted 30 September 2010 orogenic wedge. In the northern sector of the belt a Variscan basement is stacked southward on the
Available online 8 October 2010
Permian to Mesozoic cover along regional faults (Orobic and Porcile thrusts). Fault zones, slightly post-
dating a first folding event of Alpine age, experienced a complex evolution through the ductile and brittle
Keywords:
deformation regime, showing greenschist facies mylonites overprinted by a penetrative cataclastic defor-
Pseudotachylyte
40 mation. Generation of fault-related pseudotachylyte veins marks the onset of brittle conditions, lasting
Ar/39 Ar dating
Orobic thrust
up to the youngest episodes of fault activity. 40 Ar/39 Ar dating of the pseudotachylyte matrix of 9 samples
Porcile thrust give two separated age clusters: Late Cretaceous (80–68 Ma) and latest Palaeocene to Middle Eocene
Compressive deformation (55–43 Ma). These new data provide evidence that the pre-Adamello evolution of the central Southern
Alps was characterised by the superposition of different tectonic events accompanying the exhumation
of the deepest part of the belt through the brittle–ductile transition. The oldest pseudotachylyte ages
demonstrate that south-verging regional thrusting in the central Southern Alps was already active dur-
ing the Late Cretaceous, concurrently with the development of a synorogenic foredeep basin where the
Upper Cretaceous Lombardian Flysch was deposited.
Our reconstruction provides direct evidence for an important Cretaceous “EoAlpine” orogenic event
which was nearly coeval to the HP metamorphism affecting the Austroalpine units of the eastern Alps. In
our view, the Upper Cretaceous Southern Alps can be interpreted as the south-verging retrobelt, which
formed during subduction phenomena active to the north in the Austroalpine realm.
© 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction orogenic events. The age and extent of Alpine deformation in the
central Southern Alps is a matter of debate since the work of De
In most orogenic belts, radiometric dating of syntectonic min- Sitter and De Sitter-Koomans (1949) and the first tectonic inter-
erals allows to numerically date the regional structural evolution. pretations by Gaetani and Jadoul (1989) and Laubscher (1985). The
On the other hand, if deformation occurs at low temperature meta- absence of an Alpine metamorphism and syn-tectonic sediments
morphic conditions, such method cannot be applied. Thus, in the within the mountain belt significantly hampers the reconstruction
past, absolute time-markers were generally derived by indirect of the timing of the deformation events. The first reliable radio-
evidence of active deformation in the sedimentary record of the metric age constraints for the Alpine deformation were given in
foreland basins or by dating pre-, syn- and post-tectonic magmatic the past by Rb/Sr and K/Ar isotopic data (Del Moro et al., 1983)
bodies. Recent techniques developed for the accurate dating of on the Adamello pluton (43–31 Ma) which crosscuts part of the
fault-related pseudotachylytes (Kelley and Spray, 1997; Müller et fold and thrust structures occurring in the central Southern Alps
al., 2002) and clay minerals in fault gouge (van der Pluijm et al., (Del Moro et al., 1983; Brack, 1984; Schönborn, 1992). Recent U-Pb
2001) provide a novel and unique opportunity to constrain fault zircon data on magmatic bodies postdating regional thrust faults
motions and, consequently, active deformation in orogenic belts. (D’Adda et al., 2010) constrain to pre-Middle Eocene times thrust
The Orobic Alps (central Southern Alps, N Italy) represent a activity west of the Adamello, suggesting that the whole orogenic
non-metamorphic fold-and-thrust belt formed during the Alpine wedge of the central Southern Alps was already formed before Mid-
dle Eocene. On the other hand, the onset of the Alpine deformation
still remains to be constrained. The occurrence of a Late Creta-
∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 0264482063; fax: +39 0264482073. ceous orogeny was envisaged by several authors (Laubscher, 1985;
E-mail address: [email protected] (S. Zanchetta). Doglioni and Bosellini, 1987; Bernoulli and Winkler, 1990; Bersezio
0264-3707/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jog.2010.09.004
246 S. Zanchetta et al. / Journal of Geodynamics 51 (2011) 245–263
Fig. 1. Tectonic outline of the study area. (a) Tectonic outline of the Western and Central Alps. (b) Geological sketch of the central Orobic Alps (Southalpine tectonic domain).
The Orobic and Porcile thrusts are evident east of Passo San Marco where the South Alpine basement overrides the Permian-Mesozoic sedimentary cover along the Orobic
and the Porcile thrusts represent an intra-basement brittle/ductile shear zone. The extent of the detailed geological map of Fig. 2 is highlighted. The geological sketch was
drawn on the basis of existing maps (Casati and Gnaccolini, 1967; Forcella and Jadoul, 2000) and original field work by the authors. OT, Orobic Thrust; PT, Porcile Thrust; PL,
Periadriatic Lineament; MF, Mortirolo Fault; O-A, Orobic Anticline; TC-A, Trabuchello-Cà Bianca Anticline.
et al., 1993) based on the occurrence of a thick Cenomanian to Cam- (Carminati et al., 1997), which involves both the basement and a
panian turbiditic succession deposited in the Lombardian basin and Permian to Cenozoic cover succession. Alpine metamorphism was
now exposed in the southern sector of the belt. weaker than that suffered by the Austroalpine units to the north of
The occurrence of fault rocks formed along regional thrust faults the Tonale Line (Carminati et al., 1997; Crespi et al., 1982; Spalla et
affecting the Variscan crystalline basement of the belt (the Orobic al., 1999; Colombo and Tunesi, 1999), attaining lower greenschist
and Porcile thrust) offer the opportunity to date the oldest defor- facies conditions (Carminati et al., 1997; Crespi et al., 1982; Albini
mational events. Pseudotachylyte veins occur, in fact, within these et al., 1994).
fault zones, discontinuously decorating thrust surfaces (Siletto, The pre-Alpine basement of the Southern Alps is thrust south-
1990; Meier, 2003; Carminati and Siletto, 2005). ward on the Permian to Mesozoic sedimentary successions along
In this paper, we show how new 40 Ar/39 Ar data on pseudo- the Orobic thrust and related faults, which form a continuous fault
tachylytes can be integrated with fold, cleavage and fault zone system extending more than 80 km in length (Fig. 1). South of the
analyses to reconstruct the onset and subsequent stages of the Orobic thrust, an array of three anticlines, with a dextral en-échelon
Alpine deformation in the central Southern Alps which are up to arrangement, the Orobic Anticlines (Schönborn, 1992), occurs. These
now poorly constrained. Considering that some of the obtained regional folds show WSW-ENE trending axes and affect both the
pseudotachylyte ages give a direct evidence for Cretaceous com- metamorphic basement and the sedimentary cover ranging from
pressive deformation in the Southern Alps, we also discuss the the Upper Carboniferous-lowermost Permian Basal Conglomerate
possible relationships with the Cretaceous orogenic events recog- to the Triassic Servino and Carniola di Bovegno. The Orobic Anticlines
nised in the Austroalpine domain (Schmid et al., 2004) and its are bounded to the south by the Valsassina-Valtorta-Valcanale fault
bearings for the geodynamic evolution of the Alps. system that acted as a wedging fault during south-verging thrust
propagation (Laubscher, 1985; Schönborn, 1992).
2. Geological outline of the central Southern Alps South of the Valsassina-Valtorta-Valcanale fault, E-W trending
antiformal thrust stacks occur. They consist of Lower Triassic to Car-
The central Southern Alps are located between Como Lake and nian formations, forming large S-verging thrust sheets (Carbonate
the Giudicarie Line (Fig. 1). They belong to the S-verging retro-belt Allochthonous Units of Gaetani and Jadoul (1989). These units are
of the Alps (Laubscher, 1985), from which they are separated by the back-thrusted to the south by an Upper Triassic succession along
E–W trending Tonale Line, a segment of the Periadriatic fault sys- the south-dipping Clusone – Oltre Antea fault system (Zanchi et
tem (Schmid et al., 1989). The structure of the Southern Alps west of al., 1990). The external part of the belt includes also the Jurassic
the Giudicarie Line is typical of a thick-skinned fold-and-thrust belt and Cretaceous successions, unconformably covered by the Oligo-
S. Zanchetta et al. / Journal of Geodynamics 51 (2011) 245–263 247
Fig. 2. Geological–structural maps of the study area. (a) Geological–structural map of the Orobic and Porcile thrusts close to Passo San Marco (BG, Italy). The three insets (c,
d and e) show in details the location of the studied pseudotachylyte samples and the structural pattern along the analysed thrust segments.
Miocene foredeep deposits of the Gonfolite Lombarda and related regional foliation. Relics of the S1 foliation, marked by the SPO
sediments forming the so-called Milano Belt (Laubscher, 1985), (Shape Preferred Orientation) of biotite and minor white mica,
now deeply buried below the post-Tortonian succession of the are best preserved within granitoid gneisses. Phase assemblages
Po Plain. suggest amphibolite facies conditions for the sin-D1 metamorphic
event (Carminati and Siletto, 2005; Spalla et al., 1999; Milano et al.,
3. Structural analyses along the Orobic and Porcile thrust 1988; Cadel et al., 1996). The meso- and microfabric of the base-
systems ment are characterised by a pervasive foliation, namely S2 , marked
by the SPO of chlorite, white mica and minor biotite. The devel-
In the Passo San Marco area and upper Tartano valley, the Oro- opment of S2 , generally assumed to be Variscan in age (Spalla et
bic and the Porcile thrusts stack a poly-metamorphic basement al., 1999; Cadel et al., 1996), corresponds to a diffused retrogres-
consisting of metapelites, metapsammites and acidic metaintru- sion under greenschist facies conditions. The Variscan age of both
sive gneisses on the Lower Permian – to earliest Triassic succession D1 and D2 deformation phases and associated metamorphism is
belonging to the sedimentary cover of the Southern Alps. The Oro- testified by the transposition of the igneous contacts of the meta-
bic thrust cross-cuts the Porcile fault 2 km WNW of Cima dei Siltri intrusives bodies of Ordovician age occurring in the area (Siletto,
(Fig. 2). West of this intersection point the Orobic thrust trends 1990; Bergomi, 2004). The S2 foliation dips to N-NW with dip angles
roughly E–W and stacks mica schists and gneisses (“Scisti di Edolo”) ranging between 35◦ and 70◦ (Fig. 3).
on the Servino and the Upper Permian red conglomerates of Ver- The extent, geometry and significance of the D3 deformation
rucano Lombardo. The Porcile thrust, a high-angle reverse fault phase in the crystalline basement has been largely described and
reaching a NNW dip of 60◦ , shows an ENE-WSW trend across is generally interpreted as the first Alpine deformational event, as
the southern slopes of Valtellina. The basement unit sandwiched similar structures also affect the sedimentary cover (Carminati and
between these two faults consists of biotite – white mica gneisses Siletto, 2005; Spalla et al., 1999; Milano et al., 1988; Cadel et al.,
and mica schists (“Gneiss di Morbegno”) with minor leucocratic 1996; Blom and Passchier, 1997). Our field structural analyses show
gneisses (“Gneiss Chiari del Corno Stella”). A distinctive feature of how D3 open to medium-tight folds interfere with pre-existing
the Porcile thrust is the occurrence, along the fault zone, of tectonic D1 and D2 structures without the development of a S3 axial plane
slices derived from Servino and Verrucano Lombardo, locally asso- schistosity. A millimetre-scale crenulation accompanies D3 folds in
ciated to thin layers (up to 7–8 m) of Carniola di Bovegno (Fig. 2b mica-rich lithologies. In the hanging wall of the Orobic thrust, W of
and c). In the Laghi di Porcile area (Fig. 2b), the fault zone is also Cima dei Siltri (Fig. 2), and in the hanging wall of the Porcile thrust,
marked by metre-thick quartz veins containing distinctive Fe-rich D3 fold axes dip N-NE with dip angles in the order of 20–35◦ . D3
ore deposits. fold axes gently rotate in the footwall of the Porcile thrust (Fig. 3f),
The metamorphic basement displays a polyphase evolution where they plunge gently eastwards. The age of the D3 deforma-
showing the occurrence of at least three distinct deformation tion phase in the basement is not well constrained, even if folds and
phases. D1 structures are chiefly preserved within massive quartz- faults related to this event are cross-cut by the Adamello pluton (De
rich lithologies; they usually form small rootless folds within the Sitter and De Sitter-Koomans, 1949).
Fig. 3. Structural data of fold elements in the basement. Equal area, lower hemisphere stereographic projections of structural data referred to the South Alpine basement in
the hanging wall of the Orobic thrust and along the Porcile thrust (see text for comments).
Continuous outcrops along the road south of San Marco Pass observed within the mylonitic bands. The mylonitic foliation (Sm )
allow a detailed study of the geometrical relationships between D2 dips N to NNW with dip angles close to 45◦ (Fig. 4b). Sm is cross-
and D3 structures and the fault zone of the Orobic thrust. D3 folds cut by dark-coloured cataclastic shear zones generally steeper than
progressively rotate approaching to the fault zone, becoming par- Sm .
allel to greenschist facies mylonitic shear zones discontinuously About 150 fault planes have been measured along the Orobic
developed in its hanging wall. Continuous mylonitic layers devel- thrust in the San Marco area along cataclastic bands. Rose diagrams
oped in the Meriggio Gneiss occur along the Porcile fault east of (Fig. 4b) relative to reverse faults show a preferential ENE-WSW
Laghi del Porcile. trend with a northward dip ranging between 20◦ and 60◦ , due to
The re-orientation of pre-existing D3 fold axes suggests that the the occurrence of secondary R shears. Striations along the mea-
first stages of ductile deformation along the Orobic thrust post- sured fault surfaces mainly indicate dip-slip motions (Fig. 4b). Melt
date D3 deformation. The greenschist facies mylonitic foliation is generation surfaces of pseudotachylyte veins show very similar
only locally preserved within the fault zone, as brittle structures geometrical features with a medium-angle dip (50–60◦ ), suggest-
strongly overprint the pre-existing fabric. A loosely constrained ing that the genesis of pseudotachylytes is directly related to brittle
reverse shear sense is determined from s–c and s–c structures, stages of thrust propagation (Fig. 4c).
Fig. 4. Structural data of the Orobic thrust fault zone. Equal area, lower hemisphere stereographic projections of mylonitic foliation, reverse faults and pseudotachylyte fault
veins along the Orobic thrust. Reverse dip-slip faults dip 5–10◦ steeper than the pre-existing greenschist mylonitic foliation. Pseudotachylyte fault veins display coherent
geometries with the measured reverse faults and allow a direct association of friction-induced melting to reverse movements along the Orobic Thrust.
The Porcile thrust displays a similar structural evolution, with cross-cut mylonitic foliation, cataclastic bands and pseudotachy-
a ductile stage characterised by greenschist facies mylonites with lyte veins. Both SP1 and SP2 display a reverse kinematics inferred
incomplete micas recrystallisation followed by a transition to brit- from centimetre-scale drag folds and offset of pre-existing fabric
tle conditions associated with the development of pseudotachylyte elements.
veins. The mylonitic foliation dips to NW with a mean dip angle Post-thrusting deformation resulted in left- and right-lateral
of 55–60◦ (Fig. 5), considerably steeper than the Sm developed strike-slip faults that reactivated some of the main thrust surfaces,
along the Orobic thrust. The transition to the brittle regime is pointing to a complex evolution of the Orobic and Porcile thrusts
characterised by the formation of cataclasites (1–20 m thick), con- possibly related to re-activations in response of the Tertiary activity
centrated along the contacts between the cover tectonic slices of the Tonale Line.
(Fig. 2b and c) and the mica schist forming the hanging wall of The Permian to Lower Triassic cover succession in the footwall
the fault zone. Measured fault planes dip NNW, with a 10–15◦ of the Orobic thrust shows open to medium-tight folds having a
clockwise rotation with respect to Sm (Fig. 5). Fault striations and metre-scale wavelength, well developed in the terrigenous succes-
kinematic indicators point to a mainly dip-slip motion along the sion of Servino. An axial plane pressure-solution cleavage locally
brittle fault zone, with a reverse sense accompanied by a minor occurs in fine-grained sandstones and siltstones. Fold axial planes
left-lateral component. Pseudotachylyte melt generation surfaces and cleavage dip N to NW with dip angles ranging between 40◦ and
and injection veins occur within cataclasites along dip-slip reverse 55◦ (Fig. 6b), resulting parallel to the Orobic thrust surface. The geo-
faults (Fig. 5), suggesting that paleoseismic activity was closely metric features of folds and cleavage thus suggest close geometrical
related to pure thrusting along the Porcile fault. relationships between brittle and ductile fabrics developed along
A successive deformation phase was observed in the Passo San the Orobic thrust and the deformation pattern of the sedimentary
Marco area. Discrete brittle shear planes (SP1 and SP2 , Fig. 6g) cover.
Fig. 5. Structural data of the Porcile thrust fault zone. Equal area, lower hemisphere stereographic projections of mylonitic foliation, reverse faults and pseudotachylyte fault
veins along the Porcile Thrust in the study area. The greenschist facies mylonitic foliation results here steeper than subsequent reverse faults and associated pseudotachylyte
veins.
Fig. 6. Structural data in the sedimentary cover. Equal area, lower hemisphere stereographic projections of fold axes, axial planes and cleavage data in the sedimentary cover
cropping out in the footwall of the Orobic and Porcile thrusts. Data on shear planes (SP1 and SP2) postdating pseudotachylytes are also reported.
Fig. 7. Field photographs of pseudotachylyte veins. (a) Pseudotachylyte vein within two mica gneisses along the Orobic Thrust (W of Passo San Marco). It vein consists
of a fault-vein with sharp but undulate contacts with the host rock and minor reservoir/injection veins. Coin diameter in all figures is 20 mm. (b) Symmetrically zoned
pseudotachylyte fault vein with clast laden black rims (1–2 mm thick) and a central, lighter coloured part with minor clasts. (c) Cataclasites overprinting pre-existing
pseudotachylyte veins. (d) Large pseudotachylyte injection vein within K-feldspar gneisses along the Porcile Thrust.
4. Pseudotachylyte fabric and petrography within the same fault vein, can be also observed at the micro-scale
(see below, Fig. 8a).
Pseudotachylytes are interpreted to represent frictional melt- Pseudotachylyte veins with thickness in excess of 5 mm usually
ing products related to coseismic slip along faults (Sibson, 1975; display two symmetric outer black layers (Fig. 7d) and a lighter-
Magloughlin and Spray, 1992; Swanson, 1992). Pseudotachylyte coloured vein centre containing large inherited clasts. The dark grey
formation age can thus provide time constraints for fault activity. to brass-like coloured vein centre has in most cases sharp contacts
The pseudotachylyte veins occurring along the Orobic and the with the black outer layers.
Porcile thrusts discontinuously decorate fault planes and typically Microfabric and petrography of pseudotachylyte veins were
display a thickness from few millimetres to 20–25 mm, with rare determined by optical microscopy and SEM (Scanning Electron
reservoir veins (or injection veins sensu Sibson (Sibson, 1975)) Microscopy) on polished thin sections. Clasts derived from the
reaching 70–80 mm along the Porcile thrust east of Laghi del Por- wall rock consist of quartz, plagioclase and minor lithics. The
cile. They occur in different lithologies, as two-mica gneiss, mica clast/matrix ratio decreases towards the vein centre, whereas the
schists and K-feldspar gneiss (Laghi del Porcile area). Host rocks clast size increases. Reservoir pseudotachylyte veins, derived from
usually display a cataclastic/ultracataclastic fabric and only in a few the melt injections from the melt generation surfaces towards the
cases pseudotachylytes occur within greenschist facies mylonites. wall rock, usually occur along pre-existing fractures or secondary
Pseudotachylyte veins display only minor reactivations along a suc- veins. They are typically unzoned and display a clast/matrix ratio
cessive set of discrete brittle shear planes (SP1 and SP2 ) sub-parallel close to zero, probably due to a “bottle-neck” effect (O’Hara, 2001).
to the main reverse fault planes. Dilatational epidote-chlorite veins, Quartz and plagioclase clasts are rounded or sub-rounded, with an
1–5 mm thick, locally cross-cut all the previous thrust-related aspect ratio of 1–1.5. Elongated clasts are usually aligned paral-
structures. lel to the vein margins. The occurrence of widespread resorption
Cataclastic bands related to the brittle evolution of the Por- embayments in quartz and lithic clasts (Figs. 8 and 9) supports
cile and Orobic thrusts always post-date the white mica + chlorite the effective presence of melt during pseudotachylyte formation.
greenschist facies mylonitic foliation, and pseudotachylyte veins Isoclinal and convolute folds marked by alternating light and
in turn cross-cut cataclasites. Structural analyses of the fault zones dark coloured matrix layers are common features observed in
suggest that pseudotachylytes generation is related to the late most of the analysed samples and are likely to be an effect of
stages of fault zones evolution occurring at ambient temperatures melt flow (Berlenbach and Roering, 1992; Lin, 2008). The pseu-
lower than 350–400 ◦ C, which represent the higher temperature dotachylyte matrix consists of a cryptocrystalline poly-mineralic
limit for white mica + chlorite phase assemblage in mylonites. aggregate of quartz + biotite + plagioclase ± titanite ± epidote ± K-
Microstructural analyses in thin sections revealed that quartz feldspar. Magnetite, ilmenite and sulfides sporadically occur in
recrystallisation within mylonitic bands is dominated by grain samples derived from K-feldspar or epidote-bearing gneisses. In
bulging, again pointing to a temperature not in excess of 400 ◦ C samples where both ilmenite and titanite crystallised from the pris-
(Passchier and Trouw, 2006; Stipp et al., 2002). tine melt, ilmenite occurs only within the black walls rimming the
Cross-cutting relationships between different pseudotachylyte pseudotachylyte/wall rock contact, whereas titanite is found only
generations have been observed in the field, within the Orobic in the central part of the veins.
and Porcile fault zones although no systematic relationships have Biotite represents the most abundant pristine mineral phase. It
been established. Multiple events of friction-induced melting, also occurs both as spherulithic aggregates reaching 50 ␮m in diameter
Fig. 8. Optical microscope images of pseudotachylyte microfabric, all images at parallel nicols. (a) Two generation of pseudotachylytes. The first one (on the left-bottom
part of the image) has a darker colour and isotropic fabric. The second pseudotachylyte vein displays flow structures. The light rim between the two veins belongs to the
second pseudotachylyte as well as the light areas within the first generation vein. Such areas are made of melt intruded in the pre-existing fractured pseudotachylyte as
confirmed by EMP analyses (sample SM2C). (b) Inherited quartz clasts within cryptocrystalline pseudotachylyte matrix. Pristine biotite preferentially crystallised in haloes
around clasts (sample PO11). (c) Clast laden pseudotachylyte vein cross-cutting chlorite + white mica mylonitic foliation (SM3). (d) Convolute folds individuated by flow
banding in pseudotachylyte matrix (SM7A0).
and in laths up to 100 ␮m in length (Fig. 9a). Biotite crystallites of pseudotachylytes (Müller et al., 2002). A crucial assumption of
are typically more abundant close to the vein/wall rock con- 40 Ar/39 Ar dating of pseudotachylyte melt is that all the radiogenic
tact and decrease towards the vein centre. In several samples Ar contained in the melting minerals escapes the system and that
biotite laths are concentrated in 20–100 ␮m thick layers within accumulation of “new” radiogenic Ar starts just after quenching.
the pseudotachylyte vein (Figs. 8 and 9); in other samples they Melting and subsequent cooling last 101 –103 s (Spray, 1987) and
are homogeneously distributed (Fig. 9b). The shape preferred ori- 40 Ar/39 Ar ages are so considered to reflect the crystallisation age
entation of biotite parallel to vein margins is likely to be an of pseudotachylytic melts. On the other hand the short duration of
effect of syn-flow crystallisation. Biotite laths crystallised from the the melting-cooling process could not allow all the inherited 40 Ar
melt differ from host rock biotite not only for shape, size and to escape the melt (Kelley et al., 1994), making difficult the dating
microstructures, but also in composition, with a systematically of pseudotachylytes (Sherlock et al., 2009).
higher Ti-content. Another major problem related to pseudotachylyte dating is the
common occurrence within pseudotachylytic veins of a variable
40 Ar/39 Ar amount of inherited clasts/minerals older than the pseudotachy-
5. dating of fault-generated pseudotachylytes
lyte itself. The occurrence of undetected mixed mineral generations
would lead to systematic inaccuracies in dating (Müller et al., 2002;
5.1. Assumptions for the 40 Ar/39 Ar method applied to
Vance et al., 2003). According to Müller et al. (2002), in order
pseudotachylytes
to interpret the complex interplay of alteration phases, matrix,
and clasts, it is necessary and sufficient to identify mixing end-
Frictional heat released during coseismic slip along faults could
members by chemical correlation diagrams and relate the inferred
trigger melting of the host rock across a few millimetres to some
end-members to chemical analyses.
centimetres wide zone adjacent to the slip surface. Minerals react
The correlation between Ca/K and Cl/K ratios derived from Ar
to frictional heating with different behaviour, chiefly controlled by
mass spectrometry and EMPA (Electron Microprobe analysis) anal-
their melting point and mechanical strength (Spray, 1992). Hydrous
yses allows the recognition of the distinct chemical reservoirs
minerals as amphiboles and micas have a lower melting tempera-
activated during stepwise heating experiments. With this method
ture and yield strength with respect to quartz and feldspars and
is so possible to recognise gas release steps related to alteration
are therefore preferentially consumed during frictional melting
phases, pseudotachylyte matrix and microlites, and inherited clasts
(Spray, 1992). The melt origin of pseudotachylytes implies that
(Müller et al., 2002).
they are generated in a high temperature process that is able to
re-equilibrate the isotopic system.
Isotope dating techniques applied on pseudotachylytes relate 5.2. Experimental and analytical methods
on Rb-Sr (Müller et al., 2002; Petermann et al., 1989) and 40 Ar/39 Ar
(Kelley and Spray, 1997; Magloughlin et al., 2001; Pennacchioni Nine samples of pseudotachylyte veins were selected for pet-
et al., 2006; Sherlock et al., 2009) systems. If K-bearing minerals rographical investigation, microchemical analyses and 40 Ar/39 Ar
are involved in the melting process (micas and amphiboles) the dating (see Fig. 2 and Appendix A for sample description and loca-
K–Ar isotopic system is the most suited to attempt isotopic dating tion). Sample were selected among veins that display only one melt
selection of samples before dating has given very good results, as

shown in Section 5.3.
MicroCT analyses were performed with a BIR Actis 130/150
Desktop Micro-focus CT/DR system (Department of Geosciences
and Geotechnologies, University of Milano-Bicocca). The cores
were fixed to a plastic sample holder with their longitudinal axis in
a vertical position. The X-ray tube was supplied with an energy of
100 keV and 80 mA. The dimensions of the voxel (3D pixel, which
indicates the resolution of the images) of the obtained images
are: x, y = 0.0025 mm, x = 0.0027 mm. Each 2D image (slice) repre-
sents a sample thickness of 0.0027 mm. The maximum resolution
achieved after image processing of raw data was in the order of
5–10 ␮m.
The obtained 3D microCT image stacks were processed with the
NIH-ImageJ software (NIH: http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/).
X-ray microCT produces stacks of two-dimensional grey-value
images (referred to as “slices”) that reveal the internal structure of
an object. The contrast in a X-ray CT image is generated by dif-
ferences in X-ray absorption within the scanned object, mainly
depending on its density and variations of chemical composition
(i.e. mean atomic number). A clear and exhaustive explanation of
this technique works can be found in Denison et al. (1997).
Pseudotachylyte matrix appears generally lighter in colour
(Fig. 10) than quartz, plagioclase and also lithic clasts, com-
monly dominated by quartz. In order to automatically perform the
image processing, the grey-scale threshold values used to iden-
tify inherited clasts were defined by comparison with SEM images
(100–1200×). Three micro-cores were firstly scanned with the
microCT, then cut perpendicular to their longitudinal axis, mounted
in araldite, polished with diamond paste and coated with graphite.
BSE (Back Scattered Electrons) images were combined with qual-
itative EDS analyses to identify mineral phases. The comparison
between SEM data and corresponding MicroCT slices allowed the
definition of accurate greyscale threshold values for each mineral
Fig. 9. Backscattered electron images (BSE-SEM) of microstructures within the phase to be used for image processing. Manual correction were later
pseudoachylyte veins. (a) Interleaved biotite-rich and biotite-poor layers within performed on processed MicroCT stacks of images to eliminate the
matrix. Biotite laths reach 80–100 ␮m in size. Injection vein in K-feldspar gneisses outer rim of the micro-cores, usually falling within the threshold
along the Porcile Thrust (sample PO8B). (b) Biotite crystallites with a poorly defined window of quartz due to “edge effect” during acquisition (Fig. 10).
SPO deflected around large quartz clasts (sample SM3).
Selected micro-cores were cleaned ultrasonically in deionised
water and then wrapped in aluminium foil.
Samples and standards were irradiated for 5 h in a fast neutron
impulse, in order to avoid bias due to pseudotachylyte matrix re- flux at the Triga Mark II reactor at the University of Pavia (Italy).
heating and possible Ar loss following a new impulse of melt. Stepwise heating experiments were performed at the Geochronol-
Polished thin sections for petrographical characterisation, SEM ogy Laboratory of the University of Bern (Switzerland). Samples
(Scanning Electron Microscope) and EMP (Electron Micro Probe) were loaded in a double vacuum resistance furnace attached to a
were cut from the opposite face of rock chips later drilled to obtain SAES C50 Zr–Al getter pump. The samples were heated in 10–11
micro-cores for stepwise heating experiments. steps for 15–30 min at temperatures from 500 ◦ C to 1400 ◦ C. The
The chemical composition of the pseudotachylyte matrix has released gas was transferred in 7 min to a second getter (AP10)
been determined with a Jeol JXA 8200 microprobe (Department and, after additional 15–45 min cleaning up, the gas was led to a
of Earth Sciences, University of Milano), equipped with five WDS MAP215-50B rare gas mass spectrometer. The gas was measured
(wave-length-dispersive) and one EDS (energy-dispersive) spec- through a Faraday cup in peak jumping mode between 35.5 and
trometers. Natural silicates have been used as standards. Matrix 40.5 mass. Analytical data of 40 Ar/39 Ar stepwise-heating exper-
analyses were performed with 5–10 ␮m beam diameter at 15 kV iments are reported in Appendix C after machine background
and 5 nA of beam current in order to avoid Cl, Na and K diffu- (0.5 ± 0.15 fL for masses 36, 37 and 39) and 37 Ar decay corrections
sion. Resulting data have been processed trough a ZAF correction only. Furnace blanks had atmospheric composition and ranged
procedure. Most of the samples have been also investigated with from 0.2 pL to 0.5 pL in the 1000–1400 ◦ C temperature interval.
an EDS-equipped SEM (Department of Geosciences and Geotech- The following interference corrections were used to calculate
nologies, University of Milano-Bicocca) to check the textural ages (relative to a MMhb-1 standard age of 523.1 Ma, see Renne
characteristics observed with the optical microscope. Analytical et al. (1988)): (39 Ar/37 Ar)Ca = 0.00067; (36 Ar/37 Ar)Ca = 0.000255;
data for pseudotachylytes matrix are reported in Appendix C. (40 Ar/39 Ar)K = 0.011. Data reduction procedures together with
To reduce the effect of inherited clasts/minerals on the Ar- uncertainties on discrimination and interference corrections are
release patterns all the drilled micro-cores (70–100 mg), we have those described by Villa et al. (2000).
experimented for the first time a new technique, based on scanning In the present series of analyses the 38 Ar peak was not acquired
with a MicroCT. The MicroCT screening allows to select micro- due to a software malfunction; however the Ca/K ratio alone allows
cores with the lowest clast/matrix ratio, improving the accuracy the identification of the matrix signature from that of alteration
and precision of 40 Ar/39 Ar data. The use of microCT analyses to help phases and inherited clasts.
Fig. 10. Example of image analysis applied to MicroCT image stacks. Each circle represents a basal section of a micro-cores drilled in clast-laden areas of pseudotachylyte
veins. The dimensions of each micro-core is 1.5 mm in diameter and 4–5 mm in height. Slices 105–120 correspond to an height of 0.2–0.25 mm from the base of the cores.
Applying the appropriate threshold value window results in the definition of red-coloured areas corresponding to quartz and lithic clasts within the more or less homogeneous
pseudotachylyte matrix. After manual cropping on each core to separate the “false” rim, the coloured/non-coloured area ratio was integrated for the whole image stack (i.e.
micro-cores volume) to obtain the clast/matrix ratio. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of the
article.)
5.3. 40 Ar/39 Ar data low amounts of Ar related to inherited components result in much
more gas deriving from the breakdown of pseudotachylyte matrix,
The comparison between the Ca/K release patterns, calcu- indirectly increasing the potential precision of analyses. The very
lated from the 37 Ar/39 Ar ratios, and the apparent age spectrums low amounts of inherited Ar in the obtained age spectra indirectly
(Figs. 11–13) suggests that for all samples the Ar isotopic data can confirm the efficacy of a 3D evaluation of the clast abundance with
be interpreted as gas release from different mineral reservoirs and respect to 2D techniques, such as point counting or image anal-
from their mixtures (Müller et al., 2002; Vance et al., 2003; Villa et yses techniques, performed on polished thin sections by optical
al., 2000). microscope or SEM.
All the gas release pattern display similar features. Low temper- The obtained data show how the stepwise heating experiments
ature steps (1–3) have isotopic Ca/K values that differ from Ca/K relate to multiphase samples. Following this consideration, the
values of EMPA analyses (Figs. 11–13). These devious Ca/K values selection of the steps showing the matrix-related Ar release, is
can be correlated to the presence of secondary or alteration mineral fundamental for a correct formation/cooling age determination of
phases, such as chlorite, calcite and clay minerals, also observed in pseudotachylyte samples (Müller et al., 2002; Meier, 2003). Table 1
thin section. Therefore their ages are geologically meaningless. reports a summary of the ages obtained for the 9 analysed sample.
The flat part of the age spectrum, occurring for all the exper- The matrix-related steps used for age calculation in each experi-
iments at intermediate temperatures, generally corresponds to ment are highlighted in Fig. 11.
homogeneous Ca/K values (within the analytical errors) within or
very close to the chemical composition of the pseudotachylyte 6. Significance of the Cretaceous to Eocene pseudotachylyte
matrix determined by EMPA analyses. Samples PO11 9, SM7A 6 ages for the Alpine evolution of the central Southern Alps
and SM2C 4 (Figs. 12a, e, f and 13) represent an exception, dis-
playing different and inhomogeneous Ca/K ratios for matrix-related The occurrence of pseudotachylytes within the fault rocks devel-
steps. This feature is probably due not only to analytical errors, as oped along the Orobic and Porcile thrusts allows the isotope dating
a chemical heterogeneity of the matrix should also be considered. of thrusting events in the deepest structural portions of the central
High temperature steps (above 800–900 ◦ C, depending on sam- Southern Alps.
ple) give the oldest ages, with Ca/K values generally higher than
matrix-related steps and EMPA values, with a few exceptions
Table 1
(PO8A 6 and SM2C 4, Figs. 11 and 12f). The older apparent ages
Summary of pseudotachylyte ages.
associated to high temperature steps can be related to the degassing
of inherited clasts, mainly consisting of plagioclase and quartz. The Sample Age (Ma) Error (2, 95% c.l.)
amount of gas released at high temperature is, for all samples, PO12A 2 73.2 2.4
less than 10% and usually less than 5% of the total released 39 Ar. PO8A 6 66.9 1.9
The contamination by inherited clasts in our samples is thus much PO8B 5 68.5 1.9
PO4 9 48.7 1
lower than that found in other studies (Müller et al., 2002). This
PO11 9 43.4 2.1
is a positive effect related to the new technique used in this study SM2C 4 79.9 1.8
for the selection of micro-cores with the lowest clast/matrix ratios SM3 7 52.9 4.3
through microCT screening. Reducing the amount of inherited Ar SM7A 6 56.4 1.1
increases the reliability and the precision of the matrix ages. These SM7A0 5 45.4 1.2
Fig. 11. 40 Ar/39 Ar stepwise heating experiments results of three representative pseudotachylyte samples. The correlation between age and Ca/K ratios identifies several steps
as matrix degassing, mainly on the base of the similarity between the Ca/K ratio determined by 37 Ar/39 Ar and the EMP measured Ca/K values. Low 39 Ar amounts released
at high temperature steps indicate that the importance of clasts is subordinate. This is a positive result of our microCT screening. Analytical data and additional Ca/K versus
apparent age diagrams are reported in Fig. 13 and Appendix C.
Absolute and relative age constraints were available in the event has been generally considered to pre-date the Adamello
eastern sector of the central Southern Alps, where overprinting intrusion (Siletto, 1990; Carminati and Siletto, 2005; Albini et al.,
relationships between deformation structures and the Tertiary 1994; Milano et al., 1988; Cadel et al., 1996). Overprinting rela-
Adamello intrusives (Del Moro et al., 1983; Brack, 1984; John and tionships, that could be used to define age constraints for the D3
Blundy, 1993; Mayer et al., 2003) allow to recognise a post- or pre- phase, are limited to the occurrence of intermediate to mafic dykes
Adamello age for thrusting and folding in the Permian to Mesozoic cross-cutting D3 folds developed within the basement of the cen-
cover successions and in the overriding basement units. tral Southern Alps (Cadel et al., 1996). Unfortunately, their age is
In the central and western sector of the Orobic Alps reliable presently unknown.
structural–chronological markers suitable for the definition of the Field structural analyses performed in this work suggest that the
time of deformation are mostly absent. Two Alpine deformation D3 folding pre-dates the mylonites related to the Orobic and Por-
events, referred as D3 and D4 in the literature (D5 and D6 in cile thrusts, as mylonitic foliations cross-cut D3 folds. In addition,
Blom and Passchier (1997)), have been recognised in the hang- a progressive re-orientation of the D3 structures is observed mov-
ing wall and footwall of the Orobic and Porcile thrusts. The D3 ing toward the fault zones. The D3 event was previously considered
Fig. 12. Age spectra of remaining six samples.

Fig. 13. Ca/K and age correlation diagrams. The correlation between isotopic Ca/K measured during experiments, age of each temperature step and the matrix chemical
composition determined by EMPA is well defined in these diagrams. The incremental steps used for the calculation of the weighted mean plateau age were selected among
intermediate temperature steps matching the EMP chemical data on matrix composition.
(Carminati and Siletto, 2005; Carminati, 2008) pre- to syn-thrust, John and Blundy, 1993). The sedimentary record of the South Alpine
marking the transition from the ductile to the brittle deformational foredeep also suggests a time of tectonic quiescence between the
field during the Alpine compression. According to our field obser- Paleocene and the Eocene (Di Giulio et al., 2001). According to these
vations, the ductile syn-thrust deformation is strongly partitioned data, the reactivation of the Orobic and Porcile thrusts can be cor-
between the fault zone (greenschist facies mylonites) and the sed- related to the ongoing Alpine collision which was active during the
imentary cover exposed along the footwall thrust, where a slaty same time interval northward (Schmid et al., 2004) and may be
cleavage affects the Permian to Lower Triassic units. The green- tentatively correlated to the emplacement of the Orobic Anticlines
schist facies mylonitic foliation and the following brittle structures (Schönborn, 1992).
developed within the basement can be geometrically associated Available structural and stratigraphic evidence indicates a
to folding and related cleavage formation in the Permian-Triassic strong resume of tectonic activity since the Oligocene, in the later
cover, whereas the D3 folding of the San Marco basement may be stages or shortly after the intrusion of the Adamello batholith,
slightly younger than in the cover. as also suggested by deformation along the Tonale and Giudi-
Mylonites along the Orobic and Porcile thrusts are overprinted carie lines (John and Blundy, 1993; Stipp et al., 2004; Martin et
by cataclastic deformation that almost completely obliterated the al., 1991). In fact, kinematic analyses along the Tonale line sug-
pre-existing ductile fabric, which is now only partly preserved gest an ongoing strike-slip motion during the exhumation of the
within the hanging walls of the fault zones. Pseudotachylyte veins northern magmatic units (Avio and Presanella intrusions, respec-
originated within cataclastic and ultracataclastic shear bands, and tively dated to 34.6 ± 1.0 and 32.0 ± 2.3 Ma, (Stipp et al., 2004)).
are interpreted to be syn- to post-cataclasis, thus providing a mini- After the Adamello intrusion, compression lasted at least up to the
mum age for the ductile–brittle transition along thrusts. The oldest Late Miocene, propagating southward and causing the imbrication
pseudotachylyte matrix ages for both the Orobic (79.9 ± 1.8 Ma) of the fold-and-thrust “Milano Belt” (Schönborn, 1992; Pieri and
and Porcile (73.2 ± 2.4–68.5 ± 1.9 Ma) faults indicate a Late Cre- Groppi, 1981; Fantoni et al., 2004).
taceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) thrust activity. A similar age
(70.8 ± 0.5 Ma) was also proposed by Meier (2003) for a pseudo-
tachylyte injection vein in the hanging wall of the Porcile thrust. 7. Implications for the EoAlpine orogeny in the Alps
The recorded Late Cretaceous paleoseismic fault activity along
the Orobic and Porcile thrusts indicates the occurrence of a growing The occurrence of Cretaceous deformation and metamorphism
orogenic wedge, as also supported by the deposition of the Upper is well documented in the Austroalpine of the Eastern Alps, on
Cretaceous turbiditic successions along the southern margin of the the basis of stratigraphic, structural, and geochronological data
belt. In fact, according to several authors (Doglioni and Bosellini, (von Eynatten and Gaupp, 1999; Faupl and Wagreich, 2000; Thöni
1987; Bernoulli and Winkler, 1990; Bersezio et al., 1993; Bersezio and Jagoutz, 1993; Thöni, 2006). The occurrence of high pressure
and Fornaciari, 1988; Castellarin et al., 2006), this thick siliciclastic rocks in the Austroalpine basement units of the Eastern Alps (the
turbiditic clastic wedge accumulated in an E–W trending foredeep EoAlpine High Pressure Belt, EHB, of Hoinkes et al. (1999)) display-
basin developed immediately to the south of the developing thrust ing age of metamorphism around 90 Ma (Thöni et al., 2008) has
stacks. been related to the closure of the Meliata basin (Schmid et al., 2004).
Late Paleocene to Middle Eocene ages (56.4 ± 1.1–43.4 ± 2.1 Ma) The Meliata basin is generally interpreted as an intra-Austroalpine
point to a re-activation of the Orobic and Porcile thrusts also after embayment of the Neotethys ocean, that divided a northern Aus-
the Late Cretaceous. The Adamello intrusion was emplaced in a time troalpine area from a southern one also including the Southalpine
interval (43–31 Ma, Mayer et al., 2003 and references therein), dur- domain. According to the suggested paleogeographic reconstruc-
ing which no evidence of compression were found (Brack, 1984; tions, the basin was located in the present-day Carpathians (Schmid
et al., 2008) and possibly also in the Eastern Alps regions, although beginning of brittle deformation in the deepest portion of the cen-
no direct evidence is fully available (Faupl and Wagreich, 2000). The tral Southern Alps. Two separated age clusters for pseudotachylytes
closure of this ocean in mid- to Late-Cretaceous times led to the generation have been obtained along the Porcile and Orobic thrust:
attempted subduction of the Austroalpine microcontinent below (a) Late Cretaceous (ca. 80–68 Ma), and (b) Late Palaeocene to Mid-
the Adria margin, resulting in the related high pressure-dominated dle Eocene (ca. 55–43 Ma). This suggests that the Alpine evolution
metamorphism of the EHB. Ocean closure and continent–continent of the Orobic Alps, prior to the Adamello intrusion, was charac-
collision led to the formation of a doubly-vergent orogenic wedge, terised by a long-lasting compressive deformation, concentrated
subsequently overprinted by the Tertiary meso-Alpine events. in two main pulses, each of them lasting about 10 Ma. The Late
The extent of this Late Cretaceous orogenic event was since now Cretaceous pseudotachylyte ages also provide a minimum age for
considered to be confined to the Austroalpine domain of the East- the ductile/brittle transition in the basement forming the northern
ern Alps (Schmid et al., 2004). Our data provide a direct evidence sector of the belt. This implies that ductile deformation, at least in
that thrusting and nappe stacking were active during Late Creta- the presently exposed crustal levels, took place only in the earliest
ceous times not only in the Eastern Alps, but also in the central phases of the development of the orogenic wedge. We suggest that
Southern Alps significantly extending southward and eastward the the occurrence of a major Late Cretaceous compressive deformation
sector of the Alpine belt affected by the Cretaceous orogenic event. in the central Southern Alps is directly correlated to the deposition
The occurrence of pressure-dominated metamorphism in the Aus- of the coeval Lombardian Flysch in an E–W trending foredeep basin
troalpine units of easternmost sector of the Central Alps (Handy et developed along the margin of the south-verging belt.
al., 1996; Gazzola et al., 2000) and Cretaceous N- to NW-directed The Middle Eocene re-activation of the Orobic and Porcile
nappe stacking (Müller et al., 2002; Meier, 2003) further support thrusts pre-dates the Adamello intrusion and the main activity
the existence of a growing orogenic wedge in the central sector of of the Tonale segment of the Periadriatic Lineament (Stipp et al.,
the Alpine belt during Late Cretaceous times. 2004). This event is interpreted as a minor effect of the ongo-
ing Alpine collision, as no important syn-tectonic sedimentation
8. Conclusions is recorded in the South Alpine foredeep.
Coeval metamorphism and deformation of the Austroalpine
The reconstruction of the structural evolution of the Orobic units in the Central and Eastern Alps point to a common evolution of
and Porcile fault zones is fundamental for the understanding the two domains during Late Cretaceous. In this scenario, the South-
of the Alpine deformation history of the central Southern Alps. ern Alps can represent the low- to non-metamorphic retro-belt of
Detailed structural analyses have shown that the D3 Alpine fold- a doubly-verging Cretaceous Alpine chain, in which the high pres-
ing slightly predates the formation of mylonites along the Orobic sure units of the EoAlpine High Pressure Belt recorded the coeval
and Porcile thrusts. The development of these mylonitic layers is activation of a S- to SE directed subduction zone.
consistent with folding and cleavage formation in the Permian
and Triassic cover in the footwall. The transition from ductile Acknowledgements
(mylonites + folding in the cover) to brittle deformation (fault-
ing and pseudotachylytes formation) along the Orobic and Porcile We are grateful to R. Stephenson for the editorial handling of
thrusts resulted in a strong cataclastic overprint on existing fab- the paper and to an anonymous reviewer. An earlier version of the
rics, associated to friction-induced melting of fault rocks and the manuscript greatly benefited by suggestions of C.J. Warren and L.N.
formation of pseudotachylytes. Warr. N. Fusi is warmly thanked for assistance during MicroCT anal-
40 Ar/39 Ar dating of fault-related pseudotachylytes along the yses. Field work and analyses were funded by MURST (60%) to A.
Orobic and Porcile thrust provides isotope age constraints for the Zanchi.
Appendix A. Samples and outcrops description of analysed

pseudotachylytes.
Sample PO4 Description: pseudotachylyte injection vein within the Porcile

thrust fault zone
Coordinates: 1557969; 5102055. NE of Bocchetta dei Lupi
Host rock setting and petrography: mica schist (“Edolo Schists” Auct.) with rare garnet porphyroblasts almost completely substituted by chlorite. The rock displays a
cataclastic fabric with relics of a greenschist facies mylonitic foliation (wm + chl) preserved within centimetre-scale lenses
Pseudotachylyte mineralogy and microfabric: 15–20 mm thick vein with an outer black rim (2–3 mm, present on both sides). The outer rims are visible clast laden whereas
the central part of the vein is almost clast-free. The cryptocrystalline matrix is made of qtz + plg + bt. Bt occur also as larger laths (up to 15 ␮m), not homogeneously
distributed. Inherited clasts are mainly made by rounded quartz with minor plagioclase
Sample PO8A Description: pseudotachylyte fault vein along the Porcile Thrust
Coordinates: 1557336; 5101687. 300 m WNW of Bocchetta dei Lupi
Host rock setting and petrography: bt-kfs gneiss with a mylonitic fabric. 10–20 mm sized kfs porphyroclast are present. The mylonitic foliation is individuated by the SPO
of wm and chl. Bt is preserved as rare mm-sized porphyroclasts within the mylonitic foliation. Discrete, 10–40 mm thick cataclastic bands cross-cut the mylonites
Pseudotachylyte mineralogy and microfabric: 10–12 mm thick fault vein cross cutting cataclastic fabric in brittle shear bands. Related injection veins continue within into
mylonitic kfs-gneisses. The vein has a brass-like colour and it is more or less homogeneous. Inherited clasts are made by qtz, kfs and lithic fragments, some of them
preserving the mylonitic fabric. Mineral phases crystallised from the melt are represented by bt (small laths of up to 5 ␮m) and ilm. The pst vein is interested by an
alteration halo (1 or 3 mm thick) at the contact with ep + chl + ab veins cross cutting all the existing fabrics
Sample PO8B Description: pseudotachylyte injection vein within cataclastic
gneisses in the hangingwall of the Porcile thrust
Coordinates: 1557339; 5101684. 300m WNW of Bocchetta dei Lupi
Host rock setting and petrography: biotite - kfs gneisses interested by pervasive brittle deformation. The original fabric of the host rock has been completely obliterated by
subsequent cataclasis associated to thrusting. The rock is now a green to grey coloured indurated cataclasite with narrow (10–50 mm) black ultracataclasite bands
Pseudotachylyte mineralogy and microfabric: pst fault and injection veins post-date the green cataclasites and are in turn cross-cut by the black ultracataclasites. Fault
veins are homogeneous whereas injection veins show black outer rims (chilled margins) and a dark grey centre, free of visible clasts at the hand sample scale. The pst
matrix is composed of anhedral plg and qtz, with minor kfs and bt. Thin (<2 ␮m) kfs rim are present around qtz clasts. Exceptionally large bt crystallites are present in
lenses between adjacent flow bands. In several cases bt reach a size of 80–100 ␮m
Appendix A (Continued )
Sample PO11 Description: pseudotachylyte fault vein within cataclastic gneiss of
the Porcile fault zone
Coordinates: 1556933; 5101603. N of Laghi di Porcile, upper Tartano Valley.
Host rock setting and petrography: bt–wm gneisses (“Gneiss di Morbegno” Auct.) forming a tectonic slice entrapped in the brittle core of the Porcile fault zone. Gneisses
have a cataclastic fabric, preserving only rare, centimetre-scale relics of greenschist facies mylonitic foliation
Pseudotachylyte mineralogy and microfabric: sampled pst occurs along a melt generation surface concordant to the poorly developed cataclasite foliation. Pst is dark grey
with very thin (<2 mm) outer black rims at the vein margins. Flow textures as convolute (“eye-shaped”) folds and flow banding are present. The inherited wall rock clasts
comprise qtz and minor plg with rare lithic fragments. Resorption features are common in qtz clasts. A typical feature is the concentration of pristine bt laths (2–3 ␮m in
size) around clasts
Sample Sample PO12A Description: pst injection vein within mylonitic/cataclastic kfs
gneisses (in situ loose bloc
Coordinates: 1560222; 5102867. 400 m SSE of Cima Vitalengo, upper Val Madre
Host rock setting and petrography: bt-kfs gneisses (“Gneiss del Pizzo Meriggio” Auct.) forming a fault-bounded thin tectonic slice in the hangingwall of the Porcile thrust.
Kfs gneisses are in contact with micaschist to the N and two mica gneisses to the S. A lense of strongly deformed sedimentary cover (Servino and Verrucano Lombardo) is
sandwiched within the fault zone, at the base of the kfs gneisses
Pseudotachylyte mineralogy and microfabric: pst fault veins occurred parallel to the cataclastic foliation and display only minor angle with respect to the mylonites in the
host gneiss. Sampled injection vein cross cut both the cataclastic and mylonitic foliation. Vein thickness is about 50–60 mm and abruptly wedges out against microfaults
at high angle with the cataclastic foliation. Pst displays a concentric zoning with outer black margins (3–4 mm thick) and a light to dark grey inner part. The
cryptocrystalline matrix is made of qtz + plg + bt. Bt is also present as up to 30 ␮m lath, usually arranged in radiated aggregates
Sample Sample SM2C Description: pst fault/injection vein within cataclastic two mica
gneiss in the hangingwall of the Orobci thrust
Coordinates: 1547062; 5098865. Along the path Ca San Marco – Passo del Verrobbio, 600 m NE of it
Host rock setting and petrography: two mica gneiss with a pervasive cataclastic fabric. Relics of wm + chl mylonitic foliation and pre-mylonite rootless D3 folds are
preserved only within centimetre-scale domains. A network of pst veins interests the outcrop. Pst are themselves interested by late brittle faulting resulting in the
formation of pst + gneiss breccia
Pseudotachylyte mineralogy and microfabric: despite from the intensive cataclastic deformation that post-date the pst formation, centimetre-sized pst fragments appear to
be well preserved, with no sign of alteration both at the meso- and micro-scale. Pst is dark grey to black in colour with no evident zoning. On the optical microscope an
increase of clast-abundance towards the vein margins is visible. In several samples distinct generations of pseudotachylyte were observed suggesting repeated
friction-induced melting event occurring within the same fault zone. Pst matrix is made of cryptocrystalline qtz + plg ± kfs. Bt crystallites are homogeneously dispersed
throughout the vein, with rare radiated microlites occurring within the central sector. Inherited qtz and lithic clast, more abundant close to vein margins, are present,
with a size ranging between 100 ␮m and 1 mm
Sample SM3 Description: pst fault vein within cataclastic two mica gneiss
Coordinates: 1547002; 5098830. 10 m above the path from Ca San Marco to Passo del Verrobbio, 550 m NE of it
Host rock setting and petrography: green-grey coloured cataclastic gneiss with almost no preserved relics of pre-faulting fabric. The rock consists of an indurated
cataclasite with poorly developed anastomosed foliation defined by the SPO of sericitic wm and chl
Pseudotachylyte mineralogy and microfabric: the sampled pst fault vein (10–15 mm in thickness) is almost concordant with the cataclastic foliation. No evident zoning is
present. The vein has a dark grey colour, grading into brass-like close to microfaults dissecting the vein. The brass-like coloured patches probably represent alteration
haloes and were accurately avoided during sampling for Ar/Ar dating. The pst matrix is made by cryptocrystalline qtz + plg. Bt and titanite were observed within the
central part of the vein. Inherited clasts are consist of qtz, lithic fragments and very rare plagioclase
Sample SM7A Description: pst injection vein within cataclastic mica schists few
metres above the contact with the sedimentary cover
Coordinates: 1549119; 5098790. Along the road to Passo San Marco, first hairpin turn above Rif. San Marco 2000
Host rock setting and petrography: cataclastic mica schist and phyllonites very close to the main thrust surface. The outcrop structural setting is very complex as later E-W
vertical strike-slip faults and cataclastic bands overprint the thrust-related structures. Strike-slip faults cross cut the pst veins and are so not responsible for their
formation. Within less deformed mica schist ab pre-mylonitic ab porphyroblasts are still observable
Pseudotachylyte mineralogy and microfabric: pst vein shows a brass-like to dark grey colour with a zoning parallel to vein margins visible also on the hand sample. The
evident zoning is made by interleaved bt-rich and bt-poor bands within the pst matrix. Flow textures as convolute folds and SPO of bt laths are widespread. Inherited
clasts are mainly made of lithic fragments (up to 1 mm) displaying partial melting of wm and chl. Smaller qtz clasts are less abundant and generally concentrated along
vein margins
Sample SM7A0 Description: pst injection vein within cataclastic mica schists few
metres above the contact with the sedimentary cover
Coordinates: 1549134; 5098799. Along the road to Passo San Marco, first hairpin turn above Rif. San Marco 2000
Host rock setting and petrography: cataclastic mica schist and phyllonites very close to the main thrust surface. The sample comes from the same outcrop of SM7A
Pseudotachylyte mineralogy and microfabric: pst vein (10–15 mm thick) has a dark grey colour and displays no evident zoning except in short segments where a <1 mm
thick black wall is present on both sides. Flow textures are not evident as in the previous sample and are generally limited to a weak SPO of bt crystallites close to vein
margins. Bt, rare kfs and some very tiny (<3 ␮m) sulfides blebs are recognised as mineral phases directly crystallised from the melt. Only qtz clasts are present, increasing
in size from the margins to the vein center and contemporaneously diminishing in abundance
Abbreviations: ab, albite; bt, biotite; chl, chlorite; ep, epidote; ilm, ilmenite; kfs, K-feldspar; plg, plagioclase; pst, pseudotachylyte; qtz, quartz; rt, rutile; SPO, Shape Preferred
Orientation; ttn, titanite; wm, white mica.
Appendix B. EMPA analyses of pseudotachylyte matrix. Number of analyses (nr.) and standard deviation (sd) are reported.
Element abundance is in atomic weight %.
Sample Element K sd Ca sd Cl sd Na Ti Mn Mg Cr Fe Al Si O Total Ca/K sd Cl/K

det. lim.
nr.
0.02 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.01 0.01 0.04 0.02 0.02
PO4 12 3.680 1.012 0.345 0.076 0.012 0.008 0.472 0.256 0.022 1.730 0.058 3.880 13.490 27.723 47.781 95.41 0.094 0.023 0.003
PO8A 15 4.720 1.156 0.410 0.056 0.010 0.005 0.050 0.230 0.000 2.170 0.020 2.480 12.451 31.340 45.490 94.23 0.087 0.014 0.002
PO8B 12 5.410 0.078 0.270 0.0S2 0.020 0.008 0.110 0.210 0.000 2.090 0.010 2.330 14.263 28.512 48.715 96.24 0.050 0.009 0.004
PO11 7 5.070 1.030 0.180 0.042 0.030 0.012 0.050 0.950 0.080 6.130 0.020 9.350 11.345 24.673 46.430 99.03 0.036 0.018 0.006
PO12A 16 1.590 1.218 0.098 0.050 0.003 0.009 0.092 0.130 0.000 0.639 0.030 1.078 14.561 31.812 45.456 93.8 0.062 0.012 0.002
SM2C 11 5.070 0.973 0.130 0.092 0.010 0.005 0.030 0.250 0.030 2.220 0.010 2.200 12.783 29.736 47.873 95.13 0.026 0.009 0.002
SM3 8 5.390 1.532 0.457 0.043 0.011 0.004 0.102 0.655 0.076 3.730 0.046 8.020 11.860 27.274 46.153 97.92 0.085 0.021 0.002
SM7A 15 5.760 1.039 0.248 0.027 0.015 0.005 0.089 0.471 0.064 2.460 0.000 6.660 14.024 28.003 47.110 98.88 0.043 0.013 0.003
SM7A0 21 5.290 1.045 0.373 0.098 0.024 0.005 0.115 0.605 0.057 2.990 0.050 7.170 11.042 29.302 47.348 98.68 0.070 0.017 0.005
Appendix C. 40 Ar/39 Ar analytical data from stepwise-heating experiments.
Incr. nr. T (◦ C) 39 Ar (%) 40 Ar (ml) 1 40Ar (ml) 39 Ar (ml) 1 39Ar (ml) 37 Ar 1 37Ar 36 Ar 1 36Ar Ca/K 1 Ca/K Age (Ma) 1 Age (Ma)
PO4 9
1 551 0.49751 3.92469E−09 2.55E−12 1.86516E−11 2.06E−13 1.63716E−13 1.34E−14 1.17046E−11 2.82E−13 0.017555 0.001434 21.28388 3.788654
2 646 8.973795 2.17432E−08 1.9E−10 3.36426E−10 2.91E−12 1.16194E−11 3.97E−13 3.65952E−11 4.01E−13 0.069077 0.002363 27.62905 0.449922
3 727 3.732698 8.336E−09 1.79E−10 1.39938E−10 2.78E−12 6.38494E−12 1.11E−12 1.16187E−13 5.03E−13 0.091256 0.015839 50.13798 1.69059
4 767 7.180234 2.08796E−08 9.79E−11 2.69186E−10 2.04E−12 1.21281E−11 3.64E−13 2.99399E−11 2.69E−13 0.090112 0.002706 37.90711 0.416149
5 803 11.1427 3.94006E−08 3.23E−11 4.17738E−10 4.18E−13 2.08111E−11 6.17E−14 5.36935E−11 2.96E−13 0.09964 0.000295 47.64746 0.185022
6 843 26.0937 7.12127E−08 1E−10 9.78249E−10 1.5E−12 5.07111E−11 2.11E−13 4.79629E−11 2.96E−13 0.103681 0.000432 49.29169 0.125822
7 897 19.92893 5.53929E−08 2.33E−11 7.47133E−10 8.25E−13 3.93233E−11 1.18E−13 4.08501E−11 1.18E−13 0.105268 0.000316 49.02156 0.11724
8 990 19.68806 5.9183E−08 4.03E−11 7.38103E−10 8.76E−13 3.81437E−11 1.9E−13 5.76706E−11 3.16E−13 0.10336 0.000515 48.27924 0.123983
9 1085 2.465812 1.4997E−08 1.38E−1 9.2443E−11 1.38E−13 8.25187E−13 2.35E−14 3.23864E−11 2.8E−13 0.017853 0.000509 49.61834 0.752226
10 1386 0.296557 8.17323E−09 5.13E−12 1.11179E−11 1.21E−13 1.14601E−12 3.29E−14 2.36079E−11 2.47E−13 0.206171 0.005916 89.99845 5.427526
Total 3.03243E−07 3.74899E−09 1.81257E−10 3.34527E−10

Conc (ml/g) 5.25551E−06 3.24869E−08 1.57068E−09 2.89885E−09
S. Zanchetta et al. / Journal of Geodynamics 51 (2011) 245–263

K (g/g) 0.009780264
Incr. 5–8 Weighted mean plateau age Age (Ma) 95% c.l. Sample mass (g) 0.1154 Exp. nr.BEP14-E J0.000475
48.7 1
PO8A 6
1 536 0.578803 1.01723E−08 5.82E−11 2.77407E−11 1.48E−13 4.74708E−12 7.31E−11 2.54335E−11 2.66E−13 0.342286 5.273852 80.27626 2.412156
2 634 6.852165 2.75769E−08 2.18E−10 3.28408E−10 4.16E−12 6.08525E−11 7.87E−13 5.92637E−11 4.79E−13 0.370637 0.004796 26.08748 0.531121
3 718 13.67774 7.32241E−08 5.6E−10 6.55541E−10 4.63E−12 3.52652E−11 3.37E−13 1.23973E−10 6.38E−13 0.107595 0.001027 47.2132 0.541182
4 758 17.20343 1.09788E−07 8.34E−11 8.24519E−10 1.48E−12 3.71291E−11 1.39E−13 1.54985E−10 6.46E−13 0.090065 0.000338 65.31386 0.228709
5 801 19.94533 1.00952E−07 5.3E−11 9.55932E−10 1.13E−12 3.74175E−11 1.12E−13 8.27308E−11 3.68E−13 0.078287 0.000235 67.31455 0.12723
6 835 15.85388 7.31219E−08 5.07E−11 7.59839E−10 7.21E−13 3.38204E−11 9.58E−14 4.25156E−11 2.99E−13 0.089023 0.000252 67.04087 0.123185
7 889 13.20539 6.59924E−08 2.7E−11 6.32903E−10 6.62E−13 3.55116E−11 1.17E−13 4.15743E−11 2.72E−13 0.112223 0.000369 71.2972 0.130847
8 984 6.478427 3.90642E−08 2.33E−11 3.10496E−10 3.59E−13 1.63656E−11 5.5E−14 3.6222E−11 3.04E−13 0.10542 0.000354 76.62799 0.257113
9 1077 5.460563 3.60283E−08 4.94E−11 2.61712E−10 4.58E−13 5.57298E−12 2.08E−14 4.14784E−11 2.7E−13 0.042589 0.000159 76.20617 0.300422
10 1197 0.63998 1.2962E−08 5.35E−12 3.06727E−11 1.56E−13 1.66715E−12 2.02E−14 3.00616E−11 2.77E−13 0.10871 0.001316 110.5062 2.215556
11 1382 0.104299 6.35801E−09 6.14E−12 4.99881E−12 6.14E−14 1.90866E−12 2.48E−14 1.63818E−11 2.43E−13 0.76384 0.009927 243.0492 11.14612
Total 5.55239E−07 4.79276E−09 2.70258E−10 6.5462E−10

Conc (ml/g) 6.32103E−06 5.45624E−08 3.0767E−09 7.45241E−09
K (g/g) 0.016426155
Incr. 4–6 Weighted mean plateau age Age (Ma) 95% c.l. Sample mass (g)0.08784 Exp. nr. BEP-14F J0.000475
66.9 1.9
PO8B 5
1 404 0.754679 3.45792E−08 5.4E−11 2.37239E−11 5.4E−112.3 1.25749E−12 2.55E−14 8.928E−11 4.38E−13 0.106014 0.002148 274.1689 4.427288
2 538 2.021747 2.40345E−08 6.53E−11 6.35551E−11 6.52E−13 1.44736E−12 1.64E−14 6.55418E−11 3.28E−13 0.045547 0.000515 61.85523 1.417745
3 638 1.749362 2.69549E−08 3.91E−12 5.49925E−11 5.1E−14 2.75238E−12 8.4E−15 7.09824E−11 3.38E−13 0.100104 0.000305 90.85845 1.483413
4 808 53.79806 1.73698E−07 4.92E−10 1.69118E−09 4.64E−12 2.76347E−11 1.05E−13 1.3657E−10 7.51E−13 0.032681 0.000125 66.33265 0.27862
5 840 32.46526 1.28502E−07 7.1E−10 1.02057E−09 4.24E−12 2.44008E−11 1.51E−13 1.17928E−10 7.63E−13 0.047819 0.000296 76.9749 0.551654
6 862 4.523604 3.92835E−08 7.78E−12 1.42203E−10 1.66E−13 5.50538E−12 2.67E−14 7.06275E−11 3.35E−13 0.077432 0.000376 107.6864 0.575671
7 922 2.783907 4.32097E−08 6.64E−12 8.75143E−11 8.18E−14 6.55017E−12 1.87E−14 8.92729E−11 3.87E−13 0.149701 0.000426 157.7091 1.036577
8 1001 0.87457 2.91074E−08 1.11E−11 2.74928E−11 4.83E−14 3.46727E−12 2.08E−14 6.53954E−11 3.24E−13 0.252253 0.001511 281.7705 2.598476
9 1080 0.877642 3.03601E−08 9.82E−12 2.75893E−11 3.38E−14 5.52845E−12 1.7E−14 6.72691E−11 3.29E−13 0.400821 0.001235 299.3644 2.580613
10 1192 0.097667 2.60251E−08 8.26E−12 3.07022E−12 3.07E−14 1.31264E−12 1.39E−14 6.44996E−11 3.28E−13 0.855322 0.009074 1319.477 16.03306
11 1400 0.053497 1.45774E−08 2.44E−12 1.68172E−12 7.54E−15 1.60205E−12 9.19E−15 3.785E−11 2.62E−13 1.90647 0.01094 1213.051 20.51958
Total 5.70332E−07 3.14358E−09 8.14587E−11 8.75216E−10

Conc. (ml/g) 6.58429E−06 3.62916E−08 9.40414E−10 1.01041E−08
K (g/g) 0.010925675
Incr. 4–5 Weighted mean plateau age Age (Ma) 95% c.l. Sample mass (g)0.08662 Exp. nr.BEP14-G J0.000475
68.5 1.9
259
260
Appendix C (Continued )
Incr. nr. T (◦ C) 39 Ar (%) 40 Ar (ml) 1 40Ar (ml) 39 Ar (ml) 1 39Ar (ml) 37 Ar 1 37Ar 36 Ar 1 36Ar Ca/K 1 Ca/K Age (Ma) 1 Age (Ma)
PO11 9
1 554 2.381818 8.83202E−09 5.19E−11 7.42626E−11 1.01E−12 2.39965E−12 7.52E−14 2.36469E−11 4.55E−13 0.064627 0.002025 21.16061 11.564884
2 644 13.68973 2.2538E−08 1.18E−10 4.26832E−10 2.71E−1.2 9.06411E−12 1.78E−13 2.98534E−11 3E−13 0.042472 0.000833 27.33144 0.283929
3 724 18.33131 3.59662E−08 3.48E−11 5.71551E−10 7.04E−13 9.38733E−12 3.77E−14 3.91577E−11 1.66E−13 0.032849 0.000132 36.21164 0.09139
4 766 10.0009 2.52788E−08 5.38E−11 3.11818E−10 4.1E−13 3.99335E−12 3.34E−14 3.6241E−11 1.33E−13 0.025614 0.000214 39.60336 0.144252
5 807 13.56305 3.00414E−08 1.13E−11 4.22882E−10 4.09E−13 5.88412E−12 2.55E−14 3.17415E−11 1.47E−13 0.027829 0.000121 41.39223 0.095933
6 843 15.74167 3.60379E−08 1.11E−11 4.90809E−10 4.68E−13 7.60409E−12 3.44E−14 3.77774E−11 1.35E−13 0.030986 0.00014 42.91724 0.080049
7 896 14.16525 3.2901E−08 2.77E−12 4.41658E−10 5.05E−13 7.48233E−12 3.28E−14 3.22677E−11 1.19E−13 0.033883 0.000149 44.77749 0.083677
8 991 7.965514 2.39962E−08 5.69E−12 2.48357E−10 2.32E−13 4.26842E−12 1.61E−14 3.58135E−11 1.44E−13 0.034374 0.00013 45.69955 0.149771
9 1087 3.883412 2.79368E−08 6.76E−12 1.21081E−10 1.68E−13 2.33246E−12 4.34E−14 7.53288E−11 2.95E−13 0.038528 0.000716 39.73997 0.606579
10 1401 0.277341 9.93031E−09 4.08E−12 8.64722E−12 9.33E−14 1.66981E−13 1.95E−15 2.57101E−11 1.57E−13 0.038621 0.000452 217.5414 4.630269
Total 2.53459E−07 3.1179E−09 5.25828E−11 3.67538E−10

Conc (ml/g) 2.19065E−06 2.69481E−08 4.54476E−10 3.17665E−09
K (g/g) 0.008112801

Incr. 5–8 Weighted mean plateau age Age (Ma) Sample mass (g) 0.1157 Exp. nr.BEP14-H J0.000475
43.4
PO12A 2
1 532 1.752146 9.5165E−09 2.47E−1 6.26302E−11 2.1E−13 2.83165E−12 1.26E−14 2.24575E−11 9.01E−14 0.090427 0.000401 38.9897 0.392342
2 628 7.613297 2.6308E−08 2.85E−10 2.72136E−10 4.93E−12 1.741E−11 3.84E−13 4.73497E−11 7.41E−13 0.127956 0.002822 30.12795 1.047821
3 718 16.41474 5.96702E−08 3.35E−10 5.86742E−10 3.08E−12 2.48066E−11 1.6E−13 5.6042E−11 5.16E−13 0.084559 0.000544 61.89239 0.51427
4 758 16.77931 7.03303E−08 1.34E−10 5.99774E−10 1.16E−12 1.95769E−11 8E−14 6.27161E−11 2.24E−13 0.065282 0.000267 72.53271 0.213241
5 797 17.2397 6.73992E−08 2.09E−11 6.1623E−10 5.54E−13 5.54E−131 5.57E−14 4.88115E−11 2.16E−13 0.064393 0.000181 72.20728 0.108583
6 835 15.02526 5.55794E−08 2.27E−11 5.37075E−10 5.1E−13 1.99499E−11 5.76E−14 3.17107E−11 1.19E−13 0.074293 0.000215 72.26647 0.090953
7 893 11.20914 4.21757E−08 9.46E−12 4.00669E−10 3.55E−13 2.07089E−11 5.8E−14 2.30901E−11 1.07E−13 0.103375 0.00029 74.07514 0.092756
8 983 10.97689 4.58178E−08 2.55E−11 3.92367E−10 2.55E−113 2.41396E−11 7.6E−14 3.33928E−11 1.3E−13 0.123051 0.000387 76.8623 0.115925
9 1080 2.531644 1.88191E−08 1.17E−11 9.04932E−11 4.38E−13 7.41213E−12 4.19E−14 2.82225E−11 1.21E−13 0.163825 0.000926 96.61236 0.559418
10 1193 0.295862 7.69963E−09 3.57E−12 1.05755E−11 2.88E−14 1.01801E−12 9.57E−15 1.61693E−11 7.9E−14 0.192534 0.001809 222.4621 1.768778
11 1382 0.162008 4.4154E−09 1.35E−12 5.79096E−12 1.51E−13 3.08962E−13 8.1E−15 9.26805E−12 3.85E−14 0.106709 0.002797 232.4824 5.872025
Total 58003E−103.7 3.57448E−09 1.58003E−10 3.7923E−10

Conc (ml/g) 5.00898E−06 4.39126E−08 1.94106E−09 4.65885E−09
K (g/g) 0.013219997
Incr. 4–6 Weighted mean plateau age Age (Ma) 95% c.l. Sample mass (g) 0.0814 Exp. nr. BEP14-I J0.000475
73.2 2.4
SM2C 4
1 539 3.547134 1.31262E−08 1.46E−10 2.02266E−10 3.21E−12 5.34294E−13 5.38E−14 1.10842E−11 3.68E−13 0.005283 0.000532 41.25974 0.910384
2 633 10.52236 6.17796E−08 3.48E−10 6.00011E−10 4.17E−12 9.5317E−13 3.03E−14 5.6344E−11 2.07E−13 0.003177 0.0001 63.33014 0.563261
3 719 10.10512 6.09376E−08 2.69E−11 5.76219E−10 7.06E−13 9.96706E−12 4.54E−14 3.08375E−11 1.88E−13 0.034595 0.000158 75.47391 0.124697
4 760 10.8516 7.05036E−08 8.32E−11 6.18785E−10 8E−13 8.1664E−12 2.64E−14 4.37331E−11 1.64E−13 0.026395 8.54E−05 78.03086 0.14834
5 801 13.39569 9.52636E−08 1.81E−11 7.63855E−10 6.92E−13 8.01447E−12 4.33E−14 8.41083E−11 3.09E−13 0.020984 0.000113 77.31029 0.120462
6 836 16.43571 1.07968E−07 3.5E−11 9.37205E−10 9.78E−13 2.14429E−11 6.26E−14 6.91161E−11 2.51E−13 0.04576 0.000134 78.32417 0.105909
7 888 12.56544 7.82246E−08 3.27E−11 7.16513E−10 6.93E−13 2.73621E−11 7.84E−14 3.50689E−11 1.94E−13 0.076378 0.000219 79.39313 0.104822
8 987 19.92801 1.15198E−07 9.02E−12 1.13634E−09 1E−12 3.56146E−12 2.2E−14 4.0558E−11 1.48E−13 0.006268 3.87E−05 76.20307 0.073113
9 1047 1.863194 2.02332E−08 1.6E−11 1.06244E−10 2.28E−13 4.23415E−12 4.08E−14 2.9979E−11 1.26E−13 0.079708 0.000768 89.49157 0.348031
10 1196 0.550935 2.90204E−08 4.79E−12 3.14157E−11 2.98E−14 1.00362E−10 3.02E−13 3.62858E−11 1.49E−13 6.403019 0.019283 441.6434 1.014224
11 1385 0.234816 4.56955E−08 1.76E−10 1.33898E−11 1.37E−13 1.67965E−11 1.77E−13 2.81834E−11 1.77E−13 2.510965 0.026521 1523.502 11.29586
Total 6.97951E−07 5.70225E−09 2.01395E−10 4.65298E−10

Conc (ml/g) 7.18944E−06 5.87376E−08 2.07452E−09 4.79294E−09
K (g/g) 0.017683119
Incr. 3–7 Weighted mean plateau age Age (Ma) 95% c.l. Sample mass (g)0.09708 Exp. nr.BEP14-A J0.000475
79.9 1.8
SM3 7
1 545 3.798566 7.81305E−09 6.84E−11 1.05379E−10 1.85E−12 6.66441E−13 4.58E−14 1.22708E−11 3.19E−13 0.012649 0.998885 33.732 0.998885
2 640 9.828927 2.90295E−08 2.49E−10 2.72671E−10 4.21E−12 8.05332E−13 1.41E−13 6.10077E−11 4.75E−13 0.005907 0.001034 34.24868 0.739079
3 725 9.294692 2.6647E−08 2E−11 2.57851E−10 3.29E−13 1.74666E−11 7.09E−14 4.58951E−11 1.62E−13 0.135485 0.00055 42.9767 0.167916
4 767 5.606095 2.65135E−08 4.52E−12 1.55523E−10 1.76E−13 1.0452E−11 3.98E−14 5.78988E−11 2.07E−13 0.134418 0.000512 51.09503 0.33271
5 803 16.42145 4.83909E−08 9.77E−12 4.55559E−10 4.47E−13 3.21496E−11 1.02E−13 6.90373E−11 3.38E−13 0.14115 0.000448 51.90498 0.189446
6 841 20.15636 6.96019E−138 5.66E−11 5.59172E−10 6.11E−13 8.20249E−12 7.91E−14 1.13387E−10 4E−13 0.029338 0.000283 54.48782 0.19033
7 893 4.400321 1.43033E−08 1.05E−11 1.22072E−10 2.37E−13 1.0234E−11 3.67E−14 1.70763E−11 1.27E−13 0.167681 0.000602 63.85071 0.285349
8 985 21.27936 7.13408E−08 8.44E−11 5.90325E−10 6.69E−13 4.97483E−11 1.66E−13 9.99508E−11 4.03E−13 0.168555 0.000563 59.69624 0.192776
9 1075 5.454064 2.21489E−08 2.08E−11 1.51305E−10 1.57E−13 1.79831E−12 8.22E−14 3.4899E−11 8.22E−143 0.023771 0.001086 65.82222 0.230318
10 1190 1.974434 1.34504E−08 4.2E−12 5.47741E−11 4.81E−14 2.6987E−12 1.51E−14 2.5369E−11 1.09E−13 0.098543 0.000553 90.82801 0.486584
11 1380 1.785735 1.34159E−08 1.03E−1 4.95393E−11 1.03E−13 4.75831E−12 1.66E−14 2.02913E−11 9.24E−14 0.192115 0.000672 124.002 0.535459
Total 3.42655E−07 2.77417E−09 1.3898E−10 5.57083E−10

Conc (ml/g) 4.69648E−06 3.80232E−08 1.90488E−09 7.63546E−09
K (g/g) 0.011446971

Incr. 4–6 Weighted mean plateau age Age (Ma) 95% c.l. Sample mass (g)0.07296 Exp. nr.BEP14-B J0.000475
52.9 4.3
SM7A0 5
1 628 3.240841 5.82115E−09 2.33E−11 8.89764E−11 5.05E−13 2.72645E−12 1.95E−14 5.52259E−12 5.66E−14 0.061286 0.000439 39.90486 0.315989
2 715 8.158648 1.46226E−08 8.67E−11 2.23994E−10 1.95E−12 8.49703E−12 8.81E−14 1.08466E−11 1.63E−13 0.07587 0.07587 43.16306 0.484466
3 758 10.30891 11.89323E−08 2.23E−11 2.83029E−10 3.3E−13 1.13667E−11 3.41E−14 1.20309E−11 4.76E−14 0.080324 0.000241 45.9711 0.085899
4 801 19.36319 3.52983E−08 1.95E−1 5.31611E−10 4.79E−13 2.28786E−11 6.69E−14 2.43975E−11 2.21E−13 0.086075 0.000252 44.72323 0.112952
5 832 23.36643 4.03168E−08 9E−12 6.41519E−10 5.67E−13 3.1208E−11 9.28E−14 1.75884E−11 7.23E−14 0.097297 0.000289 46.31721 0.050089
6 885 15.92863 2.85816E−08 2.1E−1 4.37317E−10 5.49E−13 2.98971E−11 9.18E−14 1.85858E−11 8.63E−14 0.136736 0.00042 44.69287 0.080593
7 983 12.82097 2.14248E−08 1.92E−1 3.51996E−10 4.17E−13 3.14115E−11 9.62E−14 1.28955E−11 1.23E−13 0.178487 0.000547 42.38822 0.106319
8 1078 5.578161 1.20829E−08 2.03E−11 1.53147E−10 1.46E−13 7.06659E−12 3.09E−14 1.29978E−11 1.09E−13 0.092288 0.000403 45.5435 0.195598
9 1196 0.626387 3.84236E−09 5.43E−12 1.71973E−11 3.71E−14 5.44488E−12 1.92E−14 9.80602E−12 9.29E−14 0.63336 0.002239 46.49944 1.338391
10 1388 0.607825 4.22541E−09 7.19E−12 1.66877E−11 1.67E−13 2.6006E−12 2.79E−14 1.06712E−11 4.36E−14 0.311711 0.003339 54.24494 0.84061
Total 1.85148E−07 2.74547E−09 1.53097E−10 1.35342E−10
Conc (ml/g) 1.89178E−06 2.80523E−08 1.56429E−09 1.38288E−09
K (g/g) 0.008445205
Incr. 4–6 Weighted mean plateau age Age (Ma) 95% c.l. Sample mass (g)0.09787 Exp. nr.BEP14-C J0.000475
45.7 2.4
SM7A 6
1 550 5.247333 8.99363E−09 7.99E−12 1.22897E−10 1.82E−13 1.10981E−13 3.02E−14 1.00959E−11 2.74E−13 0.001806 0.000492 41.42955 0.556303
2 645 11.45431 2.15183E−08 1.34E−10 2.68269E−10 2.47E−13 7.21505E−12 7.69E−14 2.53541E−11 2.43E−13 0.053791 0.000573 44.25932 0.355126
3 728 8.285248 2.11243E−08 1.12E−11 1.94047E−10 2.38E−13 2.20765E−12 2.51E−14 2.89962E−11 2.67E−13 0.022754 0.000259 54.61482 0.345784
4 769 6.749612 1.6918E−08 1.29E−11 1.58081E−10 1.67E−13 4.43999E−13 3.11E−14 2.1773E−11 2.47E−13 0.005617 0.000394 55.95627 0.390785
5 807 11.50015 2.83276E−08 2.72E−11 2.69342E−10 342E−13 4.90078E−12 5.31E−14 3.51276E−11 2.97E−13 0.036391 0.000395 56.21815 0.283021
6 842 13.54804 2.97883E−08 1.13E−11 3.17306E−10 4.13E−13 6.05958E−12 5.4E−14 3.05378E−11 2.83E−13 0.038194 0.000341 55.22561 0.231025
7 894 14.28405 3.0101E−08 2.02E−11 3.34543E−10 4.37E−13 8.61249E−12 7.03E−14 2.6357E−11 2.69E−13 0.051489 0.00042 56.26954 0.213696
8 990 24.81405 4.83942E−08 3.84E−11 5.81164E−10 8.86E−13 2.48995E−11 8.42E−14 2.98828E−11 2.86E−13 0.085691 0.00029 57.41856 0.154837
9 1088 3.713494 1.54194E−08 1.06E−11 8.69729E−11 1.64E−13 1.77783E−11 6.96E−14 2.43995E−11 2.59E−13 0.408879 0.0016 79.14812 0.737576
10 1391 0.403703 1.78579E−08 2.14E−11 9.45504E−12 3.11E−14 1.54841E−11 8.72E−14 2.41315E−11 2.73E−13 3.278908 0.018457 778.4436 5.243935
Total 2.38443E−07 2.34208E−09 8.77124E−11 2.56655E−10

Conc (ml/g) 3.0468E−06 2.99269E−08 1.12078E−09 3.27952E−09
K (g/g) 0.009009562
Incr. 3–8 Weighted mean plateau age Age (Ma) 95% c.l. Sample mass (g)0.07826 Exp. nr.BEP14-D J0.000475
56.4 1.1
261
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Journal of Geodynamics 51 (2011) 245–263

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Cretaceous-Eocene compression in the central Southern Alps (N Italy) inferred

selection of samples before dating has given very good results, as

Fig. 12. Age spectra of remaining six samples.

Appendix A. Samples and outcrops description of analysed

Sample PO4 Description: pseudotachylyte injection vein within the Porcile

Sample Element K sd Ca sd Cl sd Na Ti Mn Mg Cr Fe Al Si O Total Ca/K sd Cl/K

Total 3.03243E−07 3.74899E−09 1.81257E−10 3.34527E−10

S. Zanchetta et al. / Journal of Geodynamics 51 (2011) 245–263

Total 5.55239E−07 4.79276E−09 2.70258E−10 6.5462E−10

Total 5.70332E−07 3.14358E−09 8.14587E−11 8.75216E−10

Total 2.53459E−07 3.1179E−09 5.25828E−11 3.67538E−10

S. Zanchetta et al. / Journal of Geodynamics 51 (2011) 245–263

Total 58003E−103.7 3.57448E−09 1.58003E−10 3.7923E−10

Total 6.97951E−07 5.70225E−09 2.01395E−10 4.65298E−10

Total 3.42655E−07 2.77417E−09 1.3898E−10 5.57083E−10

S. Zanchetta et al. / Journal of Geodynamics 51 (2011) 245–263

Total 2.38443E−07 2.34208E−09 8.77124E−11 2.56655E−10

References John, B.E., Blundy, J.D., 1993. Emplacement-related deformation of grani-

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