LOWER CRUSTAL REJUVENATION AND GROWTH DURING POST-THICKENINGCOLLAPSE: INSIGHTS FROM A CRUSTAL CROSS SECTION THROUGH A VARISCAN METAMORPHICCORE COMPLEX

S. COSTA* & P.F REY**

*Max-Planck-Institut fur Chemie, Abteilung Geochemie, Postfach 3060,55020 Mainz, Germany

**GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg C2, 14473 Potsdam, Germany

In: GEOLOGY (1996), Vol.23, pp. 905-908.

ABSTRACT

The Variscan lower crust of Europe acquired its main features (seismiclayering, intrusion of mantle-derived magmas, granulite-grade metamorphism)at the same time the upper-crust underwent post-thickening extension throughgravitational collapse. We suggest that post-thickening collapse is a geodynamicprocess which contributes to the growth and differentiation of continentallithosphere in collapsed mountain belts.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work has been partly supported by an Alexander von Humboldt ResearchFellowship to S. Costa and ATP-ECORS grant 891705 to P. Rey. We thank S.L. Goldstein, K. Mezger, W. Todt and N. White for their comments, and,P. Bird and P. Coney for their reviews.

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