Tectonics of the Monte Rosa and surrounding nappes (Switzerland and Italy): Tertiary phases of subduction, thrusting and folding in the Pennine Alps

Abstract

The Monte Rosa basement fold nappe, surrounded by other continental units of the Brianconnais s.l. domain and ophiolites of the Piemont Ocean, represents a major structure of the Pennine Alps situated at the border of the Canton Valais (Switzerland) and Italy. The Central Alps were formed during the collision and SE-directed underthrusting of the European below the Adriatic plate by successive underthrusting, detachment and accretion of the Austroalpine Sesia continental crust, the Piemont oceanic crust and the continental Brianconnais–Europe plate border. The 90–60 Ma Sesia high-pressure metamorphism, followed by the 50–38 Ma Zermatt-Saas Fee and Monte Rosa high-pressure metamorphism, and since 40 Ma by the Barrovian regional metamorphism, reveal a long-lasting Alpine evolution during convergence of both plates. The superposition of the ultra-high pressure Zermatt-Saas Fee ophiolites by the continental Cimes Blanche unit of the Brianconnais domain and the medium pressure ophiolitic Tsate nappe is explained by delamination and tectonic flake detachment of the Cimes Blanches from the Brianconnais crust and its south directed thrust over the Zermatt-Saas Fee and Tsate ophiolites. The main ductile deformational structures, related to the NW-directed nappe emplacement, were generated after 40 Ma under greenschist to amphibolite facies Barrovian orogenic metamorphism. Early extrusional structures have been transposed by the younger thrust structures. The NW-directed thrust of the Alps was accompanied since about 35 Ma by ductile dextral shear and backfolding in the zone of dextral transpression between the converging European and Adriatic plates.