Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cooling and uplift patterns in the Lepontine Alps South Central Switzerland and an age of vertical movement on the Insubric fault line

  • Published:
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

96 new fission track (FT) apatite and zircon, K/Ar and Rb/Sr biotite and muscovite ages are presented for 19 samples (mainly acid gneisses) from a 40 km traverse through the Lepontine Alps in the Maggia Valley, South Central Switzerland. Plotting measured mineral ages against assumed system closure temperatures yields cooling rates for each sample. The entire profile shows a fairly uniform Late Neogene-Recent mean uplift rate of ∼0.5 mm/a, confirmed by a gradient of FT apatite age with elevation. Cooling from higher temperatures occurred earlier in the south, where uplift rates of ∼2.2 mm/a in the Steep Belt (root zone) indicate >9 km Early Miocene uplift of the northern Pennine block. This uplift started before 23 Ma and is interpreted as resulting from a major phase of backthrusting along the Insubric Line, and as dating the formation of the mylonite belt. Estimated cooling rates constrain the timing of Lepontine Mid-Tertiary metamorphism: 3 schematic models are proposed which also consider published Rb/Sr, K/Ar mica and hornblende and U/Pb monazite ages. Slow cooling, differential initial heating and subsequent cooling of different parts of the Central Alps and post-38 Ma cooling with syntectonic metamorphism at ∼27 Ma are postulated as alternative interpretations of isotopic data and geologic evidence. From extrapolation between K/Ar and Rb/Sr mica ages and apatite FT ages, 240±50° C is proposed as the closure temperature for the retention of fission tracks in zircon.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ayrton SN, Ramsay JG (1974) Tectonic and metamorphic events in the Alps. Schweiz Mineral Petrogr Mitt 54:609–639

    Google Scholar 

  • Bearth P (1958) Über einen Wechsel der Mineralfazies in der Wurzelzone des Penninikums. Schweiz Mineral Petrogr Mitt 38:363–373

    Google Scholar 

  • Berger GW, York D (1981) Geothermometry from 40Ar/39Ar dating experiments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 45:795–811

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernoulli D, Lemoine M (1980) Birth and early evolution of the Tethys: the overall situation. In: Geology of the Alpine Chains born of Tethys. 26th Int Geol Cong Paris

  • Bigioggero B, Boriani A, Colombo A, Tunesi A (1981) Eta'e caratteri petrochimica degli ortogneiss della zona Moncucco-Orselina nell'area Ossolana. Rendiconti 38:207–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark SP, Jäger E (1969) Denudation rate in the Alps from geochronologic and heat flow data. Am J Sci 267:1143–1160

    Google Scholar 

  • Dallmeyer RD (1978) 40Ar/39Ar incremental release ages of hornblende and biotite across the Georgia Inner Piedmont: their bearing on Late Palaeozoic-Early Mesozoic tectono-thermal history. Am J Sci 278:124–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Dal Piaz GV, Hunziker JC, Martinotti G (1972) La Zona Sesia-Lanzo e l'evoluzione tettonico-metamorfica delle Alpi nordoccidentali interni. Mem Geol Soc Ital 11:433–460

    Google Scholar 

  • Dempster TJ (1985) Uplift patterns and orogenic evolution in the Scottish Dalradian. J Geol Soc London 142:111–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Deutsch A, Steiger RH (1985) Hornblende K/Ar ages and the climax of Tertiary metamorphism in the Lepontine Alps (South Central Switzerland): an old problem reassessed. Earth Planet Sci Letts 72:175–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey JF, Bird JM (1970) Mountain belts and the new global tectonics. J Geophys Res 75:2625–2647

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleischer RL, Hart HR (1972) Fission track dating: techniques and problems. In: Bishop WW, Miller JA (eds) Calibration of hominoid evolution. Scott Acad Press, Edinburgh, pp 135–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleischer RL, Price PB, Walker RM (1965) Effects of temperature, pressure and ionization on the formation and stability of fission tracks in minerals and glasses. J Geophys Res 70:1497–1502

    Google Scholar 

  • Flisch M (1982) Potassium argon analysis. In: Odin GS (ed) Numerical dating in stratigraphy. John Wiley, Chichester, pp 151–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey M, Bucher K, Frank E, Mullis J (1980) Alpine metamorphism along the geotraverse Basel-Chiasso — a review. Eclogae Geol Helv 73:527–546

    Google Scholar 

  • Galbraith RF (1981) On statistical models for fission track counts. Math Geol 13:471–488

    Google Scholar 

  • Gansser A (1968) The Insubric Line — a major geotectonic problem. Schweiz Mineral Petrogr Mitt 48:123–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Gleadow AJW (1981) Fission track dating methods: what are the real alternatives? Nucl Tracks 5:3–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Gleadow AJW, Brooks CK (1979) Fission track dating, thermal histories and tectonics of igneous intrusions in East Greenland. Contrib Mineral Petrol 71:45–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Gleadow AJW, Duddy IR (1981) A long-term track annealing experiment for apatite. Nucl Tracks 5:169–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Gleadow AJW, Lovering JF (1977) Geometry factor for external detectors in fission track dating. Nucl Track Detection 1:99–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Gleadow AJW, Duddy IR, Lovering JF (1983) Fission track analysis: a new tool for the evaluation of thermal histories and hydrocarbon potential. Austral Petrol Explor Assoc J 23:93–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Gleadow AJW, Hurford AJ, Quaife DR (1976) Fission track dating of zircon — improved etching techniques. Earth Planet Sci Letts 33:273–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Green PF (1981) A new look at statistics in fission track dating. Nucl Tracks 5:77–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulson BL (1973) Age relations in the Bergell region of the South-East Swiss Alps: with some geochemical comparisons. Eclogae Geol Helv 66:293–313

    Google Scholar 

  • Haack U (1977) The closing temperature for fission track retention in minerals. Am J Sci 277:459–464

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson GN, Gast PW (1967) Kinetic studies in contact metamorphic zones. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 31:1119–1153

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison TM, McDougall I (1980) Investigations of an intrusive contact, northwest Nelson, New Zealand I: Thermal, chronological and isotopic constraints. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 44:1985–2003

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison TM, Armstrong RL, Naeser CW, Harakal JE (1979) Geochronology and thermal history of the Coast Plutonic complex, near Prince Rupert BC Can J Earth Sci 16:400–410

    Google Scholar 

  • Heitzmann P (1975) Zur Metamorphose und Tektonik im südöstlichen Teil der Lepontinischen Alpen. Schweiz Mineral Petrogr Mitt 55:467–522

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunziker JC (1969) Rb/Sr Altersbestimmungen aus den Walliser Alpen Hellglimmer- und Gesamtgesteinsalterwerte. Eclogae Geol Helv 62:527–542

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunziker JC (1970) Polymetamorphism in the Monte Rosa, Western Alps. Eclogae Geol Helv 63:151–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunziker JC (1974) Rb/Sr and K/Ar age determination and the Alpine tectonic history of the Western Alps. Mem Ist Geol Mineral Univ Padova, 31

  • Hurford AJ, Green PF (1982) A users' guide to fission track dating calibration. Earth Planet Sci Letts 59:343–354

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurford AJ, Green PF (1983) The zeta age calibration of fission track dating. Isot Geosci 1:285–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Jäger E (1970) Rb/Sr systems in different degrees of metamorphism. Eclogae Geol Helv 63:163–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Jäger E (1973) Die alpine Orogenese im Lichte der radiometrischen Altersbestimmung. Eclogae Geol Helv 66:11–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Jäger E (1979) Introduction to geochronology. In: Jäger E, Hunziker JC (eds) Lectures in isotope geology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Jäger E, Niggli E, Wenk E (1967) Rb/Sr Altersbestimmungen an Glimmern der Zentralalpen. Beitr Geol Karte Schweiz NF 134, pp 67

    Google Scholar 

  • Jäger E, Hunziker JC, Graeser S, Grünenfelder M (1969) Unpublished Field Guide for Coll. on Geochron. Phanerozoic Orogenic Belts, Switzerland

  • Jeanrichard F (1975) Summary of geodetic studies of recent crustal movements in Switzerland. Tectonophysics 29:289–292

    Google Scholar 

  • Köppel V, Grünenfelder M (1975) Concordant U/Pb ages of monazite and xenotime from the Central Alps and the timing of high temperature Alpine metamorphism: a preliminary report. Schweiz Mineral Petrogr Mitt 55:129–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Köppel V, Grünenfelder M (1978) The significance of monazite U/Pb ages: examples from the Lepontine area of the Swiss Alps. In: Zartman RE (ed) Short papers of the 4th Int Conf Geochron Cosmochron Isotope Geol US Geol Surv Open File Report 78-701, pp 226–227

  • Krishnaswami S, Lal D, Prabhu N, MacDougall D (1974) Characteristics of fission tracks in zircon: applications to geochronology and cosmology. Earth Planet Sci Letts 22:51–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Lal D, Murali AV, Rajan RS, Tamhane AS, Lorin JC, Pellas P (1968) Techniques for proper revelation and viewing of etch tracks in meteoritic and terrestrial materials. Earth Planet Sci Letts 5:111–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Milnes AG (1974) Structure of the Pennine zone (Central Alps): a new working hypothesis. Bull Geol Soc Am 85:1727–1732

    Google Scholar 

  • Milnes AG (1978) Structural zones and continental collision, Central Alps. Tectonophysics 47:369–392

    Google Scholar 

  • Milnes AG, Pfiffner OA (1977) Structural development of the Infrahelvetic complex, Eastern Switzerland. Eclogae Geol Helv 70:83–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Naeser CW (1979) Fission track dating and geologic annealing of fission tracks. In: Jäger E, Hunziker JC (eds) Lectures in Isotope Geology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 154–169

    Google Scholar 

  • Naeser CW, Faul H (1969) Fission track annealing in apatite and sphene. J Geophys Res 74:705–710

    Google Scholar 

  • Naeser CW, Izett GA, Obradovich JD (1980) Fission track and K/Ar ages of natural glasses. Bull US Geol Surv 1489, pp 31

    Google Scholar 

  • Neugebauer HJ, Brotz R, Rybach L (1980) Recent crustal uplift and the present stress field of the Alps along the Swiss Geotraverse Basel-Chiasso. Eclogae. Geol Helv 73:489–500

    Google Scholar 

  • Niggli E (1970) Alpine Metamorphose und alpine Gebirgsbildung. Fortschr Mineral 47:16–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Purdy JW, Jäger E (1976) K/Ar ages on rock-forming minerals from the Central Alps. Mem Ist Geol Mineral Univ Padova, 30

  • Rybach L, Müller S, Milnes AG, Ansorge J, Bernoulli D, Frey M (1980) The Swiss geotraverse Basel-Chiasso — a review. Eclogae Geol Helv 73:437–462

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaer JP, Reimer GM, Wagner GA (1975) Actual and ancient uplift rate in the Gotthard region, Swiss Alps: a comparison between precise levelling and fission track apatite age. Tectonophysics 29:293–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmid SM, Zingg A, Handy M (1986) The kinematics of movements along the Insubric Line and the emplacement of the Ivrea zone (in press)

  • Schumacher E (1975) Herstellung von >99.9997% 38Ar für die 40K/40Ar Geochronologie. Chimia 29:441–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegenthaler R (1984) Alter und Geochemie von Glimmern und Feldspäten. Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Berne

  • Steiger R (1964) Dating of orogenic phases in the Central Alps by K/Ar ages of hornblende. J Geophys Res 69:5407–5421

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiger RH, Jäger E (1977) Subcommission on geochronology: convention on the use of decay constants in geo- and cosmochronology. Earth Planet Sci Lett 36:359–362

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinitz G, Jäger E (1981) Rb/Sr and K/Ar studies on rocks from the Suretta nappe, Eastern Switzerland. Schweiz Mineral Petrogr Mitt 61:121–131

    Google Scholar 

  • Trümpy R (1975) On crustal subduction in the Alps. In: Mahel M (ed) Tectonic problems of the Alpine system. Slovak Acad Sci, Bratislava, pp 121–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Trümpy R (1980) Geology of Switzerland — a guide book. Part A: An outline of the geology of Switzerland. Wepf, Basel, pp 104

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner DL, Forbes RB (1976) K/Ar studies in two deep basement drillholes: a new estimate of argon blocking temperature for biotite. Trans Am Geophys Union 57:353

    Google Scholar 

  • Verschure RH, Andriessen PAM, Boelrijk NAIM, Hebeda EH, Maijer C, Priem HNA, Verdurmen EATh (1980) On the thermal stability of Rb/Sr and K/Ar biotite systems: evidence from coexisting Sveconorwegian (ca 870 Ma) and Caledonian (ca 400 Ma) biotites in SW Norway. Contrib Mineral Petrol 74:245–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogler WS, Voll G (1981) Deformation and metamorphism at the south margin of the Alps, East of Bellinzona, Switzerland. Geol Rund 70:1232–1262

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner GA (1968) Fission track dating of apatites. Earth Planet Sci Lett 4:411–415

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner GA (1969) Spuren der spontanen Kernspaltung des 238Urans als Mittel zur Datierung von Apatiten und ein Beitrag zur Geochronologie des Odenwaldes. N Jahrb Mineral Abh 110:252–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner GA, Reimer GM (1972) Fission track tectonics: the tectonic interpretation of fission track apatite ages. Earth Planet Sci Lett 14:263–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner GA, Reimer GM, Jäger E (1977) Cooling ages derived by apatite fission track, mica Rb/Sr and K/Ar dating: the uplift and cooling history of the Central Alps. Mem Ist Geol Mineral Univ Padova, 30

  • Wenk E, Keller F (1969) Isograde in Amphibolitserien der Zentralalpen. Schweiz Mineral Petrogr Mitt 49:157–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner D (1980) Probleme der Geothermik im Bereich der Schweizer Zentralalpen. Eclogae Geol Helv 73:513–525

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeitler P, Tahirkheli RAK, Naeser CW, Johnson NM (1982) Unroofing history of a suture zone in the Himalaya of Pakistan by means of fission track annealing ages. Earth Planet Sci Lett 57:227–240

    Google Scholar 

  • Zingg A (1983) The Ivrea and Strona-Ceneri Zones (Southern Alps, Ticino and N. Italy) — a review. Schweiz Mineral Petrogr Mitt 63:361–392

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Isotope Geology, University of Berne, Erlachstraße 9a, CH-3012, Berne, Switzerland

    Anthony J. Hurford

Authors
  1. Anthony J. Hurford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hurford, A.J. Cooling and uplift patterns in the Lepontine Alps South Central Switzerland and an age of vertical movement on the Insubric fault line. Contrib Mineral and Petrol 92, 413–427 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00374424

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00374424

Keywords

Search

Navigation