Exhumation of the Meliata high-pressure rocks (Western Carpathians): Petrological and structural records in blueschists

• Main Author: Faryad Shah Wali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Technical University of Kosice 1999-06-01
• Series: Acta Montanistica Slovaca
• Subjects: Blueschists; microstructures; exhumation path; Meliata unit; Western Carpathians
• Online Access: http://actamont.tuke.sk/pdf/1999/n2/7faryad.pdf

The Meliata unit, situated in the SE part of the Western Carpathians, represents an accretionary complex assembled during the closure of the Triassic-Jurassic Meliata oceanic basin. Blueschists, ophiolites and very low-grade metamorphosed sedimentary rocks are imbricated in a tectonic zone between the Gemericum and the Silica nappe. Petrological and microstructural analyses indicate a single progressive deformation coincident with prograde metamorphism at blueschist facies conditions. The foliation is defined by preferred orientation of mica, blue amphibole and rarely also by Na-pyroxene. The exhumation path is documented by ductite deformation, formed at blueschist-greenschist facies boundary and at greenschist facies conditions. The E-W directed thrust faults which are parallel to the foliation seem to be responsible for exhumation of the blueschists. Later stages of deformation in phyllites are documented by shear bands that crosscut the blueschist facies foliation. Low-temperature Cretaceous nappe tectonics resulted in brittle deformation and used mostly the older tectonic systems that formed at blueschist-greenschist facies conditions