Slab length and slab tearing control asymmetric exhumation of the Calabrian Arc

Description

Slab dynamics play a fundamental role in shaping landscapes through subduction, tearing, and rollback. The Calabrian Arc, situated along the convergent margin of the Eurasian and African plates, offers a natural laboratory to investigate the interplay between slab rollback, geometry, and tearing. Building upon prior studies that primarily focused on large-scale geophysical or tectonic data, our study incorporates insights from locally derived low-temperature thermochronology to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the long-term evolution of the Calabrian Arc. Our integrated analysis reveals a cessation of rapid exhumation earlier in the north (~14 Ma) relative to the south (~9 Ma). Differences in the timing of exhumation slowdown are interpreted to reflect the geodynamic effects of the diachronous arrival of the Ionian slab at the 660 km mantle transition zone, the extended northern slab reaching the transition zone earlier than the shorter slab segment in the south. A slab tear in the Catanzaro trough delimits the boundary between the longer and the shorter slab segments and provides further evidence supporting this model. This study provides an explanation for the asymmetrical exhumation of the Calabrian Arc, emphasizing the role of heterogeneous slab length and tearing dynamics in the shaping of tectonic patterns within subduction zones.

Period	23 Sept 2024 → 27 Sept 2024
Event title	Pangeo-Deuqua2024
Event type	Conference
Location	Salzburg, AustriaShow on map