Michel Faure

University of Orléans | UO · Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans ISTO

The crustal evolution of the North Tianshan during the late Paleozoic remains controversial due to the lack of structural and metamorphic constraints. We present new structural, petrological and geochronological data of the Xiaopu metamorphic complex (XMC) to address this issue. The XMC shows a well-preserved Buchan-type metamorphic sequence made o...

The Longmen Shan (LMS) fold-and-thrust belt in the eastern Tibetan plateau marks the boundary between the Songpan-Ganze terrane and the Sichuan basin. Deformation mechanisms and the mountain building process in the LMS remain unclear. Here we conducted field mapping, structural analysis, ⁴⁰ Ar/ ³⁹ Ar geochronology of biotite, and re-interpretation...

Variscan granitoids and associated mafic rocks exposed in the External Crystalline Massifs (ECM) of the Western Alps document the Variscan stages from the early Carboniferous collision to the early Permian post-collisional setting. Our study focuses on the Central part of the ECM, synthesizing newly acquired and existing geochronological, whole-roc...

Cet ouvrage traite de l’enregistrement géologique et de l’évolution des idées concernant la chaîne varisque en France.La chaîne varisque en France 1 s’appuie sur une introduction générale concernant l’empreinte de la période varisque sur la géologie de la France, ainsi que sur les particularités de l’étude des chaînes anciennes.Un historique des co...

In this study, we investigated the Zicavo Metamorphic Complex (southern Corsica), which is part of the innermost Axial Zone of the Corsica-Sardinia Variscan belt. To better evaluate its geological and structural outline, a 1:5000 geological map, coupled with new structural/microstructural and petrographic data, is presented. The complex is formed b...

The cause of magmatic tempo in an active plate margin remains controversial, partly due to lack of structural analysis. During 130–105 Ma, the magmatism in the South China Block (SCB) was significantly reduced (lull) and restricted around the Changle‐Nan'ao Belt (CNB) while the magmatism was highly active (flare‐up) in North China. For unveiling th...

The tectono-magmatic evolution of the North China Craton (NCC) plays a crucial role in understanding the Jurassic–Early Cretaceous (Yanshanian) intracontinental orogeny in East Asia. A holistic understanding of multi-phased deformation and magmatism in the NCC is greatly complicated by the sporadically distributed Mesozoic strata with significantly...

The timing and mechanism of the combination between the South China Block (SCB) and the Indochina Block (IB) are controversial. Three ophiolitic mélange zones (Ailaoshan, Song Ma, and Song Chay) have been proposed as suture zones within this collisional orogen. However, the relationships among the three corresponding tectonic belts are unclear. In...

Based on new structural, petrological and U-Th-Pb data, a reappraisal of the Variscan tectono-metamorphic history of the SW Belledonne-Pelvoux (Eastern Cristalline Massifs, French Alps) mid-lower crust is proposed. These results are keys to better understand the flow pattern of the variscan partially molten crust and the geodynamic evolution of the...

The Oisans–Pelvoux massif belongs to the Paleozoic basement of the External western Alps and records high temperature (HT) metamorphism associated with intense migmatization during the syn to post-collisional stages of the Variscan orogeny. Metamorphic assemblages related to the early collision stages have been obliterated making it difficult to co...

The existence of pieces of the Variscan belt in the Alpine basement has been acknowledged for a long time but the correlation of these massifs to the litho-tectonic domains established in Western Europa outside the Alpine chain is still disputed. Due to their ubiquitous character, the abundant late Variscan migmatites and granites are useless to re...

The Longmenshan Thrust Belt in Eastern Tibet resulted from a Mesozoic orogeny and Cenozoic reworking. It is generally believed that the Cenozoic tectonics along the Longmenshan Thrust Belt are mostly inherited from the Mesozoic. Reconstructing the Mesozoic tectonics of the Longmenshan Thrust Belt is therefore important for understanding its evoluti...

We present a study on the Dongguashan quartz diorite stock which is the largest Early Cretaceous intrusion associated with skarn-porphyry polymetallic ore deposit in the Tongling Ore Cluster, Middle-Lower Yangtze Metallogenic Belt in East China. The Dongguashan quartz diorite show massive texture without obvious foliation, and intrusive contact was...

Orogens develop in convergent settings involving two or more continental and/or oceanic plates. They are traditionally defined as zones of crustal deformation associated with mountain building resulting from either accretion of a terrane and/or an arc, continent-continent collision or rift-inversion. However, this definition does not consider the g...

A leucogranite sill in the footwall of the extensional Pilat shear zone (PSZ) Eastern French Massif Central was emplaced and sheared in a short time interval, between 301.8±3.1 and 303.0±1.6 Ma (zircon U–Pb and mica ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages, respectively). Extension ended at 298.5±1.5 Ma (⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar on mica) as shown by a non deformed dike cross cutting the s...

During the Late Paleozoic to Cenozoic, with the closure of the Tethys oceans, the East and/or Southeast Asia was amalgamated by individual blocks. In order to understand the Paleogeography of the Eastern Paleo-Tethys, a systematic UPb dating on 11 samples have conducted to constrain the age and provenance of the elements forming the Ailaoshan-Song...

The location of the suture zone between the South China Block (SCB) and the Indochina Block (IB) is disputed. Recently, along the Song Chay (Chay river) belt, a mélange zone was proposed as a potential suture zone of the SCB and IB. However, the provenance and age of the Song Chay mélange is poorly known. In order to better constrain the age and pr...

Orogens develop in convergent settings involving two or more continental and/or oceanic plates. They are traditionally defined as zones of crustal deformation associated with mountain building resulting from either accretion of a terrane and/or an arc, continent-continent collision or rift-inversion. However, this definition does not consider the g...

Study of constraints of stock emplacement and geometry on associated skarn orebodies is significant for the understanding of the epithermal deposit system. We have chosen the typical Tongguanshan skarn ore deposit (eastern China) as our target area. The Tongguanshan stock was emplaced at the NE–SW-striking Tongguanshan anticline and is characterize...

Penetrative petro-fabrics in plutons, particularly late-stage solid-state fabrics, are usually considered to record regional tectonism. However, these fabrics are fundamentally ambiguous to correlate with magma-chamber processes or regional tectonics. Understanding the processes of fabric formation requires a proper understanding of pluton formatio...

Molasse basin is one of the best-preserved pieces of evidence of the Alpine orogeny. Molasse and flysch sequences deposited during the convergence between the Adriatic and the European continents recorded various geological processes. However, detailed provenance analysis of the foreland basin in the Western Alps is still in need of precise data fo...

The age and P‐T conditions of Variscan high pressure (HP) metamorphism in the Paleozoic basement of the western Alps remain poorly constrained, but is nevertheless crucial to build a consistent tectonic scenario for the southeastern domain of the Variscan Belt. We report here the results of a structural, petrological, thermobarometric and geochrono...

In the Brioude-Massiac district (French Massif Central), a network of W-As-Bi-Au quartz veins constitutes the Bonnac deposit, where tungsten is the major economic element, together with high-grade gold (up to 15 g/t Au). The evolution of this mineralization has been divided into 3 stages: i) an early deep-seated wolframite-lollingite stage formed b...

The Neoproterozoic S-type granitic plutons, distributed along the suture zone of the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks, play an important role in the tectonic evolution of the Jiangnan Orogeny. However, few studies had focused on the scientific issues on the physical construction process of these plutons, therefore, we carried out multidisciplinary appr...

The South China Block is situated in the Eastern Asian margin. Since the Neoproterozoic, its tectonic evolution was constrained by successive consumption-closure processes of the Paleo-South China, Proto-Tethys, Paleo-Tethys, and Paleo-Pacific oceans. Studies suggest that this block was initially formed by the Neoproterozoic assembly of the Yangtze...

The Montagne Noire located in the southern part of the French Massif Central represents the northern part of the South-Variscan Foreland. It is subdivided into three parts. The granite-migmatite Axial Zone dome is surrounded by non- or weakly metamorphosed Paleozoic sedimentary series. Both northern and southern flanks of the Montagne Noire dome ar...

A large plateau can be produced by crustal thickening in convergent zones such as continental collision belts and Andean-type subduction zones, but the life cycles of such plateaux are not well-understood. In particular, it is not clear how long they persist after construction, before other tectonic processes or erosion reduce crustal thickness and...

The La Bellière gold district, in the Ligerian domain of the Armorican Massif is the third one of France in term of production. It shows gold-bearing quartz veins neighboring with a complex network of Sb veins, hosted in the Neoproterozoic metasedimentary basement of the Mauges Nappe. New structural data, mineralogical, textural and geochemical ass...

The Lushun-Dalian area of the South Liaodong Peninsula, in NE China, located in the SE margin of the North China Craton (NCC) exposes a suite of Middle-Late Proterozoic low-grade metamorphic sedimentary rocks which can be divided into a lower competent layer, a middle incompetent layer, and an upper competent layer on the basis of lithology and def...

The Neoproterozoic to Early Triassic tectono-stratigraphic evolution of Indochina and adjacent areas can be divided into six mega-episodes: (1) The Neoproterozoic-Early Cambrian mega-episode was characterized by shallow marine environment in the Sino-Vietnam composite terrane. Meanwhile, the different blocks of the Indochina composite terranes were...

The Shibei pluton is a Late Jurassic granitic body in the South China Block (Fujian province), featured by macroscopically isotropic granite and undeformed margins, which are also characteristics for most of the Late Jurassic plutons in southeastern China. Our field observations, fabric investigations and gravity modelling allow us to decipher the...

Constraining crystallization pressure and thus intrusion depth of granites in various geodynamic settings remains challenging, yet important to further our understanding of magma system and crustal evolution. We propose that titanite, which is a common accessory in metaluminous and weakly peraluminous granites, can be used as a barometer if it crys...

In the Cretaceous, the subduction of the Izanagi/Paleo‐Pacific plates beneath the South China Block (SCB) created a wide back‐arc domain characterized by numerous extensional basins coeval with voluminous magmatism. The SCB witnessed the whole evolution by records of widespread extensional structures to accommodate the lithospheric stretching. In t...

Phase equilibrium experiments are essential for robustly and accurately constraining the intensive parameters of magma systems and their fractionation history, which is particularly true for A‐type granites crystallized from H2O‐rich melts and at reducing conditions. Here, we constrain the crystallization conditions of the ferroan (A‐type), Sn‐mine...

The Armorican Massif experienced a poly-orogenic evolution, represented by the Neoproterozoic Cadomian and the Devonian-Carboniferous Variscan tectonothermal events. In the southernmost part of the Armorican Domain (or Armorica microcontinent), the St-Georges-sur-Loire Unit consists of a block-in-matrix subunit, and a turbiditic subunit in the Sout...

The South China Block was built up by the assembly of the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks along the Neoproterozoic Jiangnan Orogenic Belt. The timing of the Jiangnan Orogeny remains controversial. The widespread orogeny–related Neoproterozoic angular unconformity that separates the underlying folded Sibao (ca.1000–820 Ma)and overlying Danzhou (ca.800–...

Modes of magma emplacement may provide key information on geodynamic-tectonic settings of magmatism, when the threshold of magma volume and duration of emplacement process is crossed, brittle/ductile crustal deformation behavior, and volumes and rates of magma transfer in the crust. The majority of upper-crustal granitic intrusions are incrementall...

At the front of metamorphic Cenozoic Alpine nappe of Schistes Lustrés, Western Alpine Corsica (France) exposes non- to very low grade metamorphic nappes, such as the Piedmont nappes, Upper nappes, and the Balagne nappe. The provenance of the Balagne nappe remains still opened: an origin close to the Corsican continental margin; or an origin far Eas...

In Central Vietnam, the Kontum massif is subdivided from North to South into: (i) Kham Duc, (ii) Ngoc Linh, (iii) Kan Nack complexes. The Kham Duc complex consists of metapelite, metapsammite, paragneiss, metagabbro, amphibolite, serpentinized ultramafic, and orthogneiss blocks. The southern part of this complex experienced an Early Paleozoic crust...

We conducted a paleomagnetic study on the Early Permian volcanic and sedimentary rocks, and the Neoproterozoic mafic dikes in the Yili Block, NW China. Magnetite and hematite were proven to be the principal magnetic remanence carriers. Demagnetizations revealed stable characteristic remanence magnetizations with a sole reversed magnetic polarity. T...

Partial melting of continental crust is a strong weakening process controlling its rheological behavior and ductile flow of orogens. The Variscan belt has been intensely studied as a key target to decipher the role of the partial melting on crustal flow phenomenon. In comparison, the Belledonne-Pelvoux massifs (French Western Alps) is as yet little...

A structural and petrochronological study was carried out in the southern part of the Belledonne crystalline massif. A first tectonometamorphic event, Dx, corresponds to the eastward thrusting of the Chamrousse ophiolitic complex characterized by a low-temperature–moderate-pressure metamorphism reaching 0.535 ± 0.045 GPa and 427.5 ± 17.5 °C. A subs...

The Late Mesozoic magmatic province is a prominent feature of the South China block (SCB). However, the tectonic regimes associated with the magmatism are still elusive. A combined anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and gravity study has been carried out to determine the fabric patterns and shape at depth of the Dayunshan–Mufushan composit...

The South China block (SCB) experienced a polyphase reworking by the Phanerozoic tectono-thermal events. To better understand its Late Mesozoic tectonics, an integrated multidisciplinary investigation has been conducted on the Dayunshan–Mufushan composite batholith in the north-central SCB. This batholith consists of two major intrusions that recor...

This work first presents field structural analysis, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) measurements, and kinematic and microstructural studies on the Neoproterozoic Pengguan complex located in the middle segment of the Longmenshan thrust belt (LMTB), NE Tibet. These investigations indicate that the Pengguan complex is a heterogeneous unit...

The Late Mesozoic tectonics strongly reworked the tectonic framework of East Asia. In the South China Block (SCB), the major Late Mesozoic phenomena are featured by numerous magmatic activities, (half-) graben basins opening, and abundant ore deposits formation. The intrinsic relationships of these phenomena with the tectonic regime are still hotly...

The Dabieshan massif is famous as a portion of the world’s largest HP–UHP metamorphic belt in east-central China that was built by the Triassic North–South China collision. The central domain of the Dabieshan massif is occupied by a huge migmatite-cored dome [i.e., the central Dabieshan dome (CDD)]. Origin of this domal structure remains controvers...

In the Variscan French Massif Central and Armorican Massif, the tectonic significance of a widespread NW–SE-trending stretching lineation, coeval with medium pressure–medium temperature metamorphism, is an open question. Based on a structural analysis in the southern part of the Massif Central, we show that this top-to-the-NW shearing is a deformat...

The Variscan basement of the Alpine Belledonne and Pelvoux External crystalline mas-sifs is a key target to study the feedback relations between partial melting and deformation , characterizing the late orogenic crustal flow. In this contribution we present new structural, petrological and geochronological data in order to (1) redefine the litho-te...

Detrital zircons from Cretaceous micaschist, Late Eocene-Earliest Oligocene sandstone and Early Oligocene siltstone of the Western Alps fall into three main separable age clusters at 610-540 Ma, 490-430 Ma, and 340-280 Ma that correspond to the Cadomian (Neoproterozoic), Ordovician and Variscan (Carboniferous) events widespread in Western and Centr...

Debate on whether the Early Paleozoic tectono–magmatic event in South China is related to a subduction–collision or an intracontinental orogen has been lasted for decades within the geoscience community. This study deals with LA–ICP–MS zircon U–Pb ages, whole–rock chemistry, rare earth elements, trace elements and Hf isotopes from granitoid samples...