Laboratory experiments of slab break-off and slab dip reversal: insight into the Alpine Oligocene reorganization

Vincent Regard (1, 2) , Claudio Faccenna (3) , Olivier Bellier (2) , Joseph Martinod (1)

1 LMTG - Laboratoire des Mécanismes et Transfert en Géologie
2 CEREGE - Centre européen de recherche et d'enseignement des géosciences de l'environnement
3 Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche [Roma TRE]

We present laboratory experiments to study the consequence of the rupture of a subducting slab on the deep geometry of the subduction zone. In our experiments, slab break-off occurs after the entrance of buoyant material at trench causing a slowing down of the subduction, and producing an increase of the shortening rate and a transient episode of subduction dip reversal. We discuss the potential application of these processes to the recent collisional evolution of the Alps proposing that the rupture of the slab produced a re-organisation of the belt with a transition from one sided to a doubly vergent orogen.

Domains: Earth Sciences

Vincent Regard, Claudio Faccenna, Olivier Bellier, Joseph Martinod. Laboratory experiments of slab break-off and slab dip reversal: insight into the Alpine Oligocene reorganization. Terra Nova, 2008, 20, pp.267-273. ⟨10.1111/j.1365-3121.2008.00815.x⟩. ⟨hal-00325527⟩