The Little Cottonwood stock in central Utah, USA, is a composite granitic pluton that hosts the White Pine porphyry Mo-W deposit towards its northeast margin. The deposit is centered on the smaller White Pine intrusion, and associated igneous units include the Red Pine porphyry, phreatomagmatic pebble dikes, and rhyolite dikes. Twelve new U-Pb zircon LA-ICP-MS ages, for samples from this deposit and in pebble dikes from the nearby East Traverse Mountains, give peak ages of about 30 Ma and 27 Ma for the Little Cottonwood stock and White Pine intrusion, respectively, which correlate well with ages from previous studies. Ages of about 26 Ma were obtained for the previously undated Red Pine porphyry.The ages of the Little Cottonwood stock, White Pine intrusion, and Red Pine porphyry, as well as disparities in whole rock elemental differentiation trends, suggest that these units are magmatically distinct, and are not simply derivatives of one another with varying degrees of differentiation. Quench textures and resorbed quartz in the Red Pine porphyry are evidence that the magma system vented, which probably produced volcanic eruptions and emplacement of pebble dikes nearly synchronously with quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration and Mo-W mineralization. The mineralogy and geochemistry of these units imply that the magmas formed in a subduction-related magmatic arc setting rather than in an extensional basin related to orogenic collapse.Pebble dikes in the East Traverse Mountains 17 km away contain igneous clasts that resemble the units in the White Pine deposit in texture, mineralogy, and in U-Pb zircon ages. This supports other recent studies that suggest that the East Traverse Mountains rested atop the White Pine deposit prior to being displaced in a mega-landslide, and the pebble dikes in both locations are the top and bottom of the same mineralized phreatomagmatic system.The construction of the pluton began with intrusion of the Little Cottonwood stock, then the White Pine and Red Pine magmas. Fluid exsolution from the Red Pine magma accompanied venting, inception of the mineralizing hydrothermal system, and quenching to a porphyritic stock. Pebble dikes intruded into the overlying East Traverse Mountain block, which catastrophically failed millions of years later and was emplaced in its current location.

The Tibetan plateau is a vast, elevated region located in central Asia, which is underlain by the thickest crust known on Earth (up to 90 km). An outstanding question of importance to many fields within geology is how and why did the Tibetan plateau form? Models attribute the growth of the plateau to a consequence of the ongoing India-Asia continental collision, but differ in the details of how the crustal thickening was accommodated: was it by underplating of Indian lower crust or by homogeneous shortening? High-grade metamorphic rocks sampled from the region potentially hold the key to answering this question, as they contain a record of past tectonic events that can discriminate between the various proposed models. This record can be decoded by integrating field, thermobarometric and geochronological techniques, to elucidate a detailed thermotectonic understanding of a region. This methodology was applied to three case studies, each of which targeted rare tectonic windows into the mid-crust of the plateau. These regions comprise Danba in eastern Tibet, Basong Tso in south-eastern Tibet and the Western Nyainqentanglha in southern Tibet. Each case study documents previously unreported metamorphic events that have allowed original interpretations to be made regarding tectonic evolution: in Danba, all metamorphism is shown to be early Jurassic; in Basong Tso, two metamorphic belts are documented that reveal a late Triassic--early Jurassic orogenic event; and in the Western Nyainqengtanglha, Cretaceous--Neogene magmatism is shown to overprint late Triassic metamorphism. Integration of the results has enabled commentary on the large scale evolution of the Tibetan plateau from the Permian until the present day, and even hinted at its future. The results indicate that the closure of the Paleotethys played an important role in the construction of the Tibetan plateau, and suggest that homogeneous crustal thickening is not a viable model for the documented exposure levels.

The Tjeliken Mountain in northern Jämtland, central Scandinavian Caledonides is by most authors considered to belong to the Lower Seve Nappe Complex (SNC). However, recently P-T conditions similar to the Middle Seve have been constrained for the eclogite at the top of the mountain, revitalizing the tectonic debate about Tjeliken. Also the timing of high-pressure metamorphism is debated. Two earlier studies of the eclogite yield ages between 464 Ma and 446 Ma. This study focuses on the garnet-phengite gneiss hosting the eclogite. By construction of P-T conditions and dating the two discrepancies above are investigated. U/Pb zircon dating by secondary ion mass spectrometry technique (SIMS) targeted on metamorphic rims yield a concordia age of 460.2 ± 2.7 Ma corresponding well to earlier c. 463.7 ± 8.9 Ma Sm/Nd dating of the eclogite. The inferred peak mineral assemblage of the gneiss is garnet + phengite + quartz + K-feldspar + titanite ± H2O. Thermodynamic modelling reveal that garnet cores equilibrated within 1.9 - 2.6 GPa and 600 - 700 oC. Fe2+-Mg garnet-phengite thermometry involving garnet rims yields temperatures of c. 650 - 715 oC revealing relatively similar temperatures during growth of garnet core and rim, respectively. Garnet chemistry is characterised by oscillatory zoning with an antithetic pattern of Ca and Fe. The former decreases from core to rim, whereas the latter increases. The opposite trend is observed in epidote-group minerals suggesting exchange between the two minerals during garnet growth. Skeletal textures and atoll textures together with observed chemical pattern may indicate multiple garnet growth episodes. The results of the study points toward similar P-T history of the Tjeliken eclogite and gneiss in favour of the interpretation of considering the whole Tjeliken to belong to the Lower Seve. The obtained U/Pb age support other age constraints in the area suggesting high-pressure metamorphism at c. 460 Ma related to a subduction event affecting the central Scandinavian Caledonides at c. 460 - 450 Ma. / Den skandinaviska fjällkedjan, vetenskapligt benämnd de skandinaviska Kaledoniderna, har bildats på samma sätt som Himalaya och har därför liknande uppbyggnad. Från början tros fjällen ha varit av samma storlek som Himalayas berg. Deras ålder på cirka 400 miljoner år gör dock att miljontals års påverkan från vatten och vind har eroderat ner dem till dagens betydligt lägre fjäll. Den bergsyta vi ser idag utgör därför vad som från början var fjällkedjans kärna. Därför utgör de skandinaviska Kaledoniderna en unik möjlighet att studera en bergskedjas inre, vilket kan ge viktig information om bergkedjebildande processer.Forskning har visat att fjällkedjan bildades då Japetushavet mellan kontinenterna Baltika och Laurentia stängdes. Detta resulterade till slut i en kollision mellan de två kontinenterna där stora flak (skollor) av mellanliggande havsbotten och kontinentalskorpa transporterades hundratals kilometer upp på Baltika. Skollorna utgör idag våra fjäll. Känt är också att innan kontinentalkollisionen så kolliderade Baltika med öar i havet, varvid dess kontinentalkant pressades djupt ner under jordskorpan, ända ner i manteln. Bevis för detta återfinns idag i Sevesskollan ibland annat de jämtländska fjällen i form av högtrycksbergarter. Dessa har bildats under de höga tryck och temperaturer som råder på stora djup i jordens inre. Genom att studera högtrycksbergarter kan man förstå fjällkedjans bildande. Fjället Tjeliken i norra Jämtland är en av de idag kända fyndplatserna av högtrycksbergarter. Dess topp består av bergarten eklogit och dess lägre delar av gnejs, samt kvarts. Tidigare studier av eklogiten visar att den har bildats vid tryck och temperatur på cirka 2.6 GPa och 700 °C, vilket motsvarar att den varit nedpressad cirka 80 km under jordytan. Den exakta tidpunkten då detta skedde har inte kunnat fastställas då olika dateringsmetoder gett olika resultat mellan cirka 464 till 446 miljoner år sedan. I denna studie studeras tryck- och temperaturförhållanden för gnejsen som jämförelse till eklogiten, för att kunna fastställa om de båda bergarterna har genomgått samma bildningsprocesser. En ny datering genomförs också för att bättre kunna fastställa tidpunkten för högtrycksfasen.Datering baserat på radioaktivt sönderfall av uran till bly i mineralet zirkon visar att högtrycksfasen inträffade för cirka 460 miljoner år sedan. Modellering baserat på termodynamiska principer visar att kärnorna i mineralet granat bildades inom tryck- och temperaturområdet 1.9–2.6 GPa och c. 680-700 °C. En komplex kemisk zonering av granaterna indikerar att de möjligen bildades under flera tillväxtfaser, vilka inom ramen för denna studie inte kunnat modelleras, då mer avancerade metoder krävs. Denna studie visar dock att eklogiten och gnejsen sannolikt delar en gemensam tryck- och temperaturhistoria, vilken är relaterad till den djupa nedpressningen av Baltikas kontinentalkant under sen ordovicium. Dateringen stödjer även övriga åldersdateringar i området av högtrycksfasen.

Les travaux présentés dans ce mémoire ont pour but de mieux définir et quantifier lesprocessus d'érosion actuels en domaine glaciaire et proglaciaire. Le Glacier des Bossons,situé dans le massif du Mont-Blanc (Haute-Savoie, France), est un bon exemple de systèmenaturel non anthropisé permettant d'étudier cette thématique. Il repose sur deux lithologiesprincipales (le granite du Mont-Blanc et le socle métamorphique) et cette singularitépermettra de déterminer l'origine des sédiments glaciaires. Afin de comprendre lesmécanismes d'érosion mécanique et de transport particulaires en domaine glaciaire, lessédiments ont été prélevés à la surface du glacier, sous le glacier et dans les torrents sousglaciaires.L'étude des distributions granulométriques et des provenances des sédiments a étéeffectuée par une analyse lithologique à macro-échelle (à l'oeil nu) et géochimique à microéchelle(datation U-Pb sur zircons). Elles ont permis de préciser les caractéristiques del'érosion et du transport glaciaire. (1) la charge supra-glaciaire issue de l'érosion des versantsrocheux est essentiellement composée de sédiments grossiers et ne se mélange pas ou peu à lacharge sous-glaciaire, excepté au niveau de la langue terminale ; (2) les vitesses d'érosionsous-glaciaire ne sont pas homogènes, l'érosion sous la glace tempérée (0,4-0,8mm.an-1) estau moins seize fois supérieure à celle sous la glace froide (0,025-0,05mm.an-1) ; (3) lessédiments sous-glaciaires contiennent une fraction silteuse et sableuse résultant des processusd'abrasion et de crushing qui est évacuée par les torrents sous-glaciaires. L'acquisition hauterésolutiontemporelle de données hydro-sédimentaires durant la saison de fonte entre le 5 Maiet le 17 Septembre 2010 a permis de définir le comportement saisonnier des fluxhydrologiques et sédimentaires. La majeure partie des flux détritiques est concentrée sur lasaison de fonte, et une quantification de la quantité de sédiments exportés par le torrent desBossons complétée par une mesure régulière de l'évolution de la topographie du systèmefluvio-glaciaire permet d'effectuer un bilan global de l'érosion des domaines glaciaires etproglaciaires. Au cours de l'année 2010, près de 3000 tonnes de sédiments ont été érodés dont430 tonnes se sont déposeés sur le plan des eaux. Grâce à une analyse de l'évolution desconcentrations de matières en suspension en entrée et en sortie de la plaine alluviale fluvioglaciairedu torrent des Bossons, les composantes glaciaires et non-glaciaires de l'érosion ontpu être découplées. L'érosion des moraines dénudées encadrant le plan des eaux au cours desévénements orageux est responsable au minimum de 59% du flux de sédiments transporté parle torrent des Bossons, l'érosion glaciaire (41% du flux) est donc relativement moins efficace.L'évolution à long terme des systèmes glaciaires en période de réchauffement climatiquemontrerait donc une érosion soutenue des environnements proglaciaires (versants et moraines)récemment libéré des glaces et de ce fait une intensification des flux détritiques. Le glacierdes Bossons protège le sommet du Mont-Blanc, l'érosion différentielle entre les zones sous laglace et non-glaciaires pourrait mener à un accroissement de la différence d'altitude entre lesvallées et les sommets.

Magmas graníticos peraluminosos são gerados por meio da anatexia de rochas crustais em cinturões orogênicos continentais. Os granitos do Cinturão Ribeira Central são relacionados a processos orogênicos de convergência de blocos litosféricos, durante o Neoproterozoico. O Batólito Serra das Araras é um corpo granítico, tabular e peraluminoso localizado no Domínio Paraíba do Sul, região sudoeste no estado do Rio de Janeiro - Brasil. O corpo é alongado na direção NE-SW e sua deformação foi gerada pela atividade de zonas de cisalhamento dúcteis de movimentação preferencial destral, que também controlaram o alojamento do magma granítico. O presente trabalho visa a caracterizar o Batólito Serra das Araras com base em dados de petrografia, de geoquímica de rocha total, de química mineral (EPMA) e de geocronologia U-Pb e LuHf (LA-ICP-MS) em grãos de zircão. Três amostras representativas foram analizadas para obtenção das idades U-Pb de cristalização e de metamorfismo. Essas amostras são compostas de granitos com matriz protomilonítica com muscovita, biotita e granada, um dique sienogranítico com 15-30 cm de espessura e um enclade de quartzo diorito. O plagioclásio possui composição entre oligoclásio (An16) e andesina (An38) e possui núcleos mais enriquecidos em anortita. Todas as amostras apresentam fases ricas em almandina com bordas levemente enriquecidas em manganês, produto do metamorfismo de médio a baixo grau. Os dados isotópicos U-Pb em grãos de zircão revelaram que o magmatismo granítico cristalizou-se ca. 595 Ma e foi gerado no mesmo evento tectono-termal Ediacarano que gerou granitos tipo-I e tipo-S de caráter pós-colisional no Domínio Embu/Paraíba do Sul. Os dados isotópicos de Lu-Hf indicam a reciclagem de crosta juvenil do Riaciano-Orosiriano e de crosta continental do Orosiriano como fontes do protólito metassedimentar do Batólito Serra das Araras. A composição contrastante do enclave de quartzo diorito (amostra SA-06), de caráter metaluminoso e com valores menos degativos de \'\'épsilon\'Hf IND.t\' (entre -5,7 and -8,1), sugere o envolvimento marginal de fontes orto-derivadas da crosta inferior. As idades de cristalização e a composição do batólito indicam que seu magmatismo é correlacionável com granitos peraluminosos do Domínio Embu e do Orógeno Araçuaí. / Peraluminous granitic magmas are produced by anatexis of crustal rocks in continental orogenic belts. Orogenic granites of Central Ribeira Belt are correlated with the collision of lithospheric blocks during Neoproterozoic. The Serra das Araras Batholith is a tabular granitic body of peraluminous composition located at Paraíba do Sul Domain, southwestwards of Rio de Janeiro state - Brazil. The body is elongated at NE-SW direction and its deformation was produced by ductile shear zones with dextral movement component, which has also controlled magma emplacement. The aim of this study is to characterize the Serra das Araras Batholith and to provide petrography, whole-rock geochemistry (major and trace elements), mineral chemistry (EPMA) and combined LA-ICP-MS U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses in zircon grains. Three representative samples were analyzed for isotopic determination in order to obtain crystallization and metamorphic U-Pb ages. These samples are composed of monzogranite with protomylonitic texture; a 15-30 cm thick syenogranite dyke and a biotite-hornblende quartz diorite enclave. Plagioclase is Andesine and Oligoclase (An16-38). Anorthite contents display a progressive zoning with rims having lower contents than cores. All samples exhibit almandine-rich phases, with slightly Mg-rich cores and Mn-rich rims, produced by metamorphism of medium to low grade. Zircon U-Pb isotopic data reveal that the batholith was emplaced ca. 595 Ma and was generated at the same middle-Ediacaran tectono-thermal event that generated voluminous I-type and S-type granitoids of post-collisional character at Embu/Paraíba do Sul Domain. Lu-Hf isotopic data suggest that late-Rhyacian to Orosian juvenile and continental crust have been sources of metasedimentary protoliths of Serra das Araras Batholith. The contrasting composition of the quartzdiorite enclave (sample SA-06), of metaluminous character and less negative \'\'épsilon\'Hf IND.t\' values (between - 5.7 and -8.1), suggests a marginal involvement of ortho-derived igneous rocks of the lower crust. The crystallization ages of the granites are coeval with peraluminous granites of Embu Domain and of Araçuaí Belt.

Magmas graníticos peraluminosos são gerados por meio da anatexia de rochas crustais em cinturões orogênicos continentais. Os granitos do Cinturão Ribeira Central são relacionados a processos orogênicos de convergência de blocos litosféricos, durante o Neoproterozoico. O Batólito Serra das Araras é um corpo granítico, tabular e peraluminoso localizado no Domínio Paraíba do Sul, região sudoeste no estado do Rio de Janeiro - Brasil. O corpo é alongado na direção NE-SW e sua deformação foi gerada pela atividade de zonas de cisalhamento dúcteis de movimentação preferencial destral, que também controlaram o alojamento do magma granítico. O presente trabalho visa a caracterizar o Batólito Serra das Araras com base em dados de petrografia, de geoquímica de rocha total, de química mineral (EPMA) e de geocronologia U-Pb e LuHf (LA-ICP-MS) em grãos de zircão. Três amostras representativas foram analizadas para obtenção das idades U-Pb de cristalização e de metamorfismo. Essas amostras são compostas de granitos com matriz protomilonítica com muscovita, biotita e granada, um dique sienogranítico com 15-30 cm de espessura e um enclade de quartzo diorito. O plagioclásio possui composição entre oligoclásio (An16) e andesina (An38) e possui núcleos mais enriquecidos em anortita. Todas as amostras apresentam fases ricas em almandina com bordas levemente enriquecidas em manganês, produto do metamorfismo de médio a baixo grau. Os dados isotópicos U-Pb em grãos de zircão revelaram que o magmatismo granítico cristalizou-se ca. 595 Ma e foi gerado no mesmo evento tectono-termal Ediacarano que gerou granitos tipo-I e tipo-S de caráter pós-colisional no Domínio Embu/Paraíba do Sul. Os dados isotópicos de Lu-Hf indicam a reciclagem de crosta juvenil do Riaciano-Orosiriano e de crosta continental do Orosiriano como fontes do protólito metassedimentar do Batólito Serra das Araras. A composição contrastante do enclave de quartzo diorito (amostra SA-06), de caráter metaluminoso e com valores menos degativos de \'\'épsilon\'Hf IND.t\' (entre -5,7 and -8,1), sugere o envolvimento marginal de fontes orto-derivadas da crosta inferior. As idades de cristalização e a composição do batólito indicam que seu magmatismo é correlacionável com granitos peraluminosos do Domínio Embu e do Orógeno Araçuaí. / Peraluminous granitic magmas are produced by anatexis of crustal rocks in continental orogenic belts. Orogenic granites of Central Ribeira Belt are correlated with the collision of lithospheric blocks during Neoproterozoic. The Serra das Araras Batholith is a tabular granitic body of peraluminous composition located at Paraíba do Sul Domain, southwestwards of Rio de Janeiro state - Brazil. The body is elongated at NE-SW direction and its deformation was produced by ductile shear zones with dextral movement component, which has also controlled magma emplacement. The aim of this study is to characterize the Serra das Araras Batholith and to provide petrography, whole-rock geochemistry (major and trace elements), mineral chemistry (EPMA) and combined LA-ICP-MS U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses in zircon grains. Three representative samples were analyzed for isotopic determination in order to obtain crystallization and metamorphic U-Pb ages. These samples are composed of monzogranite with protomylonitic texture; a 15-30 cm thick syenogranite dyke and a biotite-hornblende quartz diorite enclave. Plagioclase is Andesine and Oligoclase (An16-38). Anorthite contents display a progressive zoning with rims having lower contents than cores. All samples exhibit almandine-rich phases, with slightly Mg-rich cores and Mn-rich rims, produced by metamorphism of medium to low grade. Zircon U-Pb isotopic data reveal that the batholith was emplaced ca. 595 Ma and was generated at the same middle-Ediacaran tectono-thermal event that generated voluminous I-type and S-type granitoids of post-collisional character at Embu/Paraíba do Sul Domain. Lu-Hf isotopic data suggest that late-Rhyacian to Orosian juvenile and continental crust have been sources of metasedimentary protoliths of Serra das Araras Batholith. The contrasting composition of the quartzdiorite enclave (sample SA-06), of metaluminous character and less negative \'\'épsilon\'Hf IND.t\' values (between - 5.7 and -8.1), suggests a marginal involvement of ortho-derived igneous rocks of the lower crust. The crystallization ages of the granites are coeval with peraluminous granites of Embu Domain and of Araçuaí Belt.

Arc–continent collision is a significant plate boundary process that results in crustal growth. Since the early stages of evolution are often obscured in mature orogens, more complete understanding of the processes involved in arc–continent collision require study of young, active collision settings. The Banda Arc presents an exceptional opportunity to study a young arc–continent collision zone. This thesis presents aspects of the geology and geochronology of Ataúro and the Aileu Complex of Timor-Leste, and the tectonics of the Banda Arc. / U–Pb dating of detrital zircons from the Aileu Complex by LA-ICPMS show major age modes at 270–440 Ma, 860–1240 Ma and 1460–1870 Ma. The youngest zircon populations indicate a maximum depositional age of 270 Ma. The detrital zircon age populations and evidence for juvenile sediments within the sequence favours a synorogenic setting of deposition of sediments sourced from an East Malaya – Indochina terrane. / Previous uncertainty in aspects of the cooling history for the Aileu Complex is resolved with 39Ar/40Ar geochronology of hornblende. Cooling ages of 6–10 Ma are established, with the highest metamorphic grade parts of the Complex yielding the older ages. Cooling ages of 10 Ma imply that metamorphism of the Aileu Complex must have commenced by at least ~12 Ma. Metamorphism at this time is attributed to an arc setting rather than the direct result of collision of the Australian continent with the Banda Arc, an interpretation consistent with the new provenance data. / Geological mapping of Ataúro, an island in the volcanic Banda Arc north of Timor, reveals a volcanic history of bi-modal subaqueous volcanism. 39Ar/40Ar geochronology of hornblende from dacitic lavas confirms that volcanism ceased by ~3 Ma. Following the cessation of volcanism, coral reef marine terraces have been uplifted to elevations of 700 m above sea level. Continuity of the terraces at constant elevations around the island reflects regional-scale uplift most likely linked to sublithospheric processes such as slab detachment. / North of Timor, the near complete absence of intermediate depth seismicity beneath the inactive segment of the arc is attributed to a slab window that has opened in the collision zone and extends to 350 km below the surface. Differences in seismic moment release around this slab window indicate asymmetric rupture, propagating to the east at a much faster rate than to the west. If the lower boundary of this seismic gap signifies the original slab rupture then the slab window represents ~4 m.y. of subsequent subduction and implies that collision preceded the end of volcanism by at least 1 m.y. / Variations in seismic moment release and stress state across the transition from subduction of oceanic crust to arc–continent collision in the Banda Arc are investigated using earthquake catalogues. It is shown that the slab under the western Savu Sea is unusual in that intermediate depth (70–300 km) events indicate that the slab is largely in down-dip compression at this depth range, beneath a region of the arc that has the closest spacing of volcanoes in the Sunda–Banda arc system. This unusual state of stress is attributed to subduction of a northern extension of the Scott Plateau. Present day deformation in the Savu Sea region may be analogous with the earliest stages of collision north of Timor.

Au Népal central, dans la région de Katmandou, une étude géologique multidisciplinaire a été menée afin de caractériser et de distinguer les nappes cristallines de Katmandou et du Gosainkund, de celles du Moyen Pays (MP). Deux déformations principales ont été reconnues: l'une syn-métamorphique, enregistrée par des microstructures (linéation d'étirement, structures C-S, etc.), l'autre post-métamorphique, enregistrée par un axe anticlinal, orienté globalement W-E et par des plis orientés NNE-SSW. Les conditions P-T syn-métamorphiques diffèrent entre la nappe de Katmandou (900-720 MPa, 700-480°C) et celle du Gosainkund (890-580 MPa, 750-590°C). Entre le MP (750 MPa, 560°C) et la nappe du Gosainkund, les résultats P-T montrent une préservation du métamorphisme inverse. Les nombreuses similitudes pétrographiques et géochimiques existant entre les gneiss oeillés et les granites cambro-ordoviciens de deux nappes montrent que ces formations sont équivalentes. Tel ne saurait être le cas des gneiss oeillés du MP du fait de leur âge protérozoïque. L'âge du refroidissement, déterminée par la méthode 40 Ar/39 Ar sur muscovite, montre un rajeunissement du Sud vers le Nord (de 22 à 13 Ma dans la nappe de Katmandou, de 16 à 5 Ma dans celle du Gosainkund et de 12 à 6 Ma dans le MP). Les points principaux sont: (1) Distinction nette entre deux nappes, marquée par une différence de lithostratigraphie et de métamorphisme, (2) Blocage du mouvement ductile du MCT au Nord de Katmandou depuis environ 25 Ma, (3) Mise en place finale et histoire tardi ou postmétamorphique commune pour les deux nappes, mais le refroidissement plus précoce de la nappe de Katmandou, (4) La surrection actuelle de la région de Katmandou, soulignée encore aujourd'hui par une microséismocité intense, conceme indifféremment les deux nappes, qui forment maintenant un seul domaine tectonique, (6) La surrection conjointe des deux nappes par déplacement sur une rampe de la surface de décollement.

Les éclogites témoignent, pour la plupart d'entre elles, de l'existence de lambeaux de paléocroûtes océaniques affectées par des conditions tectonométamorphiques très intenses. Ces roches représentent généralement les premiers épisodes de la formation des chaînes de montagne, avant les phénomènes de collision continentale. L'étude géochronologique et géochimique des éclogites est fondamentale car elle apporte d'une part de nombreuses contraintes à la géologie des massifs cristallins étudiés, et permet d'autre part de caractériser le comportement des systèmes isotopiques \ lors d'un métamorphisme de haute grade. - L'ensemble des résultats géochimiques et isotopiques montre que la maiorité des * protolithes des éclogites étudiées provenant du Massif Armoricain (Champtoceaux-Léon) et des massifs externes alpins (Aiguilles Rouges-Belledonne- Argentera) sont comparables aux basaltes de rides' médio-océaniques actuels. - L'étude géochronologique U-Pb sur zircons a révélé une large gamme d'âges de magr:natisme initial de ces métabasites. Les résultats sont divisés - en d eux groupes : les âges précambriens et les âges paléozoiques. Un modèle de faible contamination, ion géochronoches qui propose qu'une très faible contribution crustale introduise une informat logique erronnée sans perturber les caractères géochimiques des roches étudiées, permet d'interpréter la diversité des âges précambriens obtenus. Dans les deux domaines étudiés, le magmatisme océanique d'âge paléozoique a été daté en deux époques distinctes :460-500 Ma et 350-380 Ma. - Le métamorphisme éclogitique est lui -même constitué de plusieurs époques : (1) précoce : 480 Ma, (2) majeur 400-440 Ma et (3) tardif à 350-370 Ma. Ceci permet de proposer la fermeture de plusieurs domaines océaniques et une évolution non-synchrone de l'ensemble de la chaîne Hercynienne. - Dans la chaîne Alpine, les âges obtenus par U-Pb * sur zircons 286 Ma (magmatisme) pour le métagranite éclogitique du Mont Mucrone et 117 Ma (métamorphi ~ me) sur une métaquartzite éclogitique du massif de Dora-Maïra permettent de corréler les âges obtenus avec les conditions P-T du métamorphisme le système U-Pb du granite n'a pas été modifié par le métamorphisme PH-BT, au contraire l'événement HP-HT a été enregistré par les zircons d'un sédiment.

Debate persists on the timing, magnitude and style of crustal shortening, uplift and basin evolution in the Andes. Many studies suggest that the central Andes, including the Altiplano plateau, were gradually uplifted as a result of protracted Cenozoic retroarc shortening. However, recent isotopic studies conclude that the Andes instead rose in pulses, with the most significant event occurring at 10-6 Ma. Many researchers attribute these rapid pulses of uplift to lower lithosphere delamination events. A better understanding of the history of Cenozoic crustal shortening is essential for determination of the mechanism(s) of Andean uplift. The well-exposed Cenozoic San Jerónimo Group was studied in the Ayaviri basin of the northern Altiplano in southern Peru. The 3-5 km-thick succession is situated at 3900-4800 m elevation, between the Western Cordillera magmatic arc and the Eastern Cordillera fold-thrust-belt. New detrital zircon U-Pb geochronological results from four sandstones and one reworked tuff in the San Jerónimo succession show large age populations indicative of syndepositional volcanism between approximately 38 and 27 Ma. A 1600-m-thick magnetostratigraphic section further constrains the depositional timing and accumulation rate of the upper portion of the succession. Sedimentological observations show a rapid transition from cross-stratified braided-fluvial sandstones to proximal channel-fill and alluvial-fan conglomerates at ~30 Ma. Paleocurrent measurements show important temporal and spatial variations in sediment dispersal patterns while conglomerate clast counts show an upsection transition from almost exclusively volcanic input to increasing contributions of clastic, quartzite, and limestone detritus. The corresponding shifts in depositional environment and sediment provenance are attributed to the activation of new thrust structures in close proximity to the basin, namely the Pucapuca-Sorapata fault system, indicating the presence of an eastward advancing fold-thrust belt dating to at least 38 Ma and reaching the Ayaviri basin within the northern Altiplano plateau at ~30 Ma. / text