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4-D ADAMELLO: an integrated approach to understand crustal growth processes from a geodynamical, petrological and isotope geochemical perspective

English title 4-D ADAMELLO: an integrated approach to understand crustal growth processes from a geodynamical, petrological and isotope geochemical perspective
Applicant Müntener Othmar
Number 123074
Funding scheme ProDoc
Research institution Institut de Minéralogie et Géochimie Université de Lausanne
Institution of higher education University of Lausanne - LA
Main discipline Geochemistry
Start/End 01.04.2009 - 31.05.2013
Approved amount 426'027.00
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All Disciplines (4)

Discipline
Geochemistry
Geophysics
Geochronology
Other disciplines of Earth Sciences

Keywords (10)

igneous petrology; crustal growth; computational geodynamics; metamorphic petrology; geochemistry; batholith formation; magma dynamics; isotope geochemistry; high precision dating; Adamello

Lay Summary (English)

Lead
Lay summary
This ProDoc project is for a multi-year, interdisciplinary study of the Tertiary Adamello batholith in the southern Alps. Detailed studies on exposed batholiths can provide a crucial link between geophysical observations, geochemical studies in active arcs and processes in magma chambers of active volcanoes. We will address key questions such as: what is the rate and mechanism of batholith growth at convergent plate boundaries ? What are the processes that allow magmas to segregate from its source and migrate upwards ? What are the required rheological boundary conditions for successful models of batholith emplacement in the upper crust ? How is the regional deformation regime controlled by the emplacement of mafic to silicic magmas and how do internal and external stress fields interact in space and time ?Our research goals are to (1) conduct detailed investigations on mafic to intermediate plutonic rocks to determine the 3-dimensional arrangement of fractionation levels in the crust; (2) to accurately determine the emplacement of single magma batches, identify and date accessory phases and thereby better constrain how much of the magmas are crystallizing during decompression and how much might crystallize in-situ; (3) conduct major, trace and isotopic analysis, to delineate how many different liquid lines of descent are represented in the Adamello batholith, which are the volumetrically most important ones, and which can be related to, or are similar to syn- to post-plutonic dike generations; (4) make systematic determinations of T-P-X in contact metamorphic silicic rocks to ultimately quantify the contact aureole in 3-D and use these data as input data for high resolution thermomechanical modelling of the Adamello plutonic rocks; (5) to use the 3-dimensional dataset as initial and boundary conditions for creating detailed high-resolution 3D numerical models, and to provide constraints on the density and viscosity structure of the middle and lower crust during and after cessation of arc magmatism; and (6) to provide boundary conditions to understand subvolcanic magma chambersOur teaching goals are (1) to establish a new program for the formation of PhD students by combining present expertise in solid Earth Science in Switzerland into a single doctoral school aiming at formally integrate inter-disciplinary approaches to Earth sciences at the highest level of education and research. Thereby a significantly larger return on the investment is expected than from the sum of individual projects.
Direct link to Lay Summary Last update: 21.02.2013

Responsible applicant and co-applicants

Employees

Name Institute
Hürlimann Niklaus

Publications

Publication
Crustal growth at active continental margins: Numerical modeling
Vogt K. Gerya T.V Castro A. (2012), Crustal growth at active continental margins: Numerical modeling, in Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 192(2), 1-20.
Formation of garnet clusters during polyphase metamorphism
Floess Davis, Baumgartner Lukas, Formation of garnet clusters during polyphase metamorphism, in Terra Nova, 25, 144-150.
Fractional crystallization of primitive, hydrous arc magmas: an experimental study at 0.7 GPa,
Nandedkar Rohit, Fractional crystallization of primitive, hydrous arc magmas: an experimental study at 0.7 GPa,, in Contrib Min Pet .

Scientific events



Self-organised

Title Date Place
The 4-D Adamello conference, Bagolino 2012 04.09.2012 Bagolino, Italy
European Union of Geosciences, Vienna 2012 23.04.2012 Vienna (Austria), Austria
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011 05.12.2011 San Francisco, USA, United States of America
Swiss Geoscience Meeting 2011 26.11.2011 Zürich, Switzerland

Communication with the public

Communication Title Media Place Year
Media relations: print media, online media La relève académique, un enjeu prioritaire l'uniscope, n 568, p 18-19 Western Switzerland 2011

Awards

Title Year
Keller T., Winner of the best Geophysical Journal International student paper award 2013 2013
Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Young Scientists 2011, awarded to Prof. Boris Kaus, which also mentions magma migration modelling in the award description (http://www.egu.eu/awards-medals/award/arne-richter/2011/boris-jp-kaus.html) 2011

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