Pressure-Temperature-time Constraints on the Deep Subduction of the Seve Nappe Complex in Jämtland and southern Västerbotten, Scandinavian Caledonides

Sammanfattning: The Scandinavian Caledonides are defined by long transported thrust sheets emplaced in a nappe stratigraphic succession onto the Paleozoic Baltica platform, as a result of the collision between the paleo-continents Baltica and Laurentia. This Palaeozoic collisional orogen is nowadays exposed at mid-crustal levels, thus provides an excellent ground for in situ studies of mountain building processes. The complex nappe stack is subdivided into the Lower, Middle, Upper and Uppermost allochthons. The tectonostratigraphic highest unit in the Middle Allochthon is the Seve Nappe Complex (SNC), itself segmented into Lower, Middle and Upper Seve nappes, which all experienced different metamorphic evolution. The SNC is known for high pressure (HP) and ultrahigh pressure (UHP) subduction related rocks and the target for the Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides (COSC-1) scientific drilling programme. The drilling resulted in a continuous c. 2.4 km long drill core through the Lower Seve Nappe, drilled in the eastern slope of Åreskutan Mt in west-central Jämtland. Above the COSC-1 profile lies the high grade Middle Seve Nappe (i.e. Åreskutan Nappe), which experienced UHP verified by the presence of microdiamonds in kyanite bearing gneisses. Recently, microdiamonds have also been discovered in gneisses (described here) further north close to Saxnäs in southern Västerbotten.     The metamorphic history of the Lower Seve Nappe is reconstructed based on material from the COSC-1 drill core, which also enables evaluation of the tectonometamorphic relationship to the overlying high grade Middle Seve Nappe. The Lower Seve Nappe comprise calc-silicates, calcareous gneisses and mylonitic micaschists and two tectonometamorphic events are recognized, prograde metamorphism (M1-D1) and retrograde thrust related metamorphism (M2-D2). Pressure and temperature (PT) conditions of the Lower Seve Nappe is constrained by state-of-the-art Quartz-in-Garnet (QuiG) barometry based on the shift in Raman band position of quartz inclusions in garnet, and Titanium-in-Quartz (TitaniQ) thermometry (satellite masters project). Supplementary conventional barometry based on phengite composition is applied where the use of QuiG is limited. The PT conditions of the M1-D1 is constrained to ~ 8-13 kbar, 525-695 o C and the M2-D2 event ~7-10 kbar, 450-550 o C. Conclusively, the Lower Seve Nappe was metamorphosed in upper greenschist-amphibolite to lower eclogite facies conditions at depths around 40-60 km and later suffered from greenschist overprint during thrusting. Lu-Hf garnet geochronology confirm that the overlying high-grade Åreskutan Nappe experienced UHP conditions around 450 Ma at depths around 120 km. Likewise, Ar-Ar dating implies peak conditions of the Lower Seve around 460-450 Ma. Moreover, their respective lower shear zones were active at the same time, c. 424 Ma. Conclusively, they were juxtaposed in their current tectonostratigraphic positions in a subduction channel in the early Silurian as a result of exhumation. Additionally, the microdiamond bearing kyanite-garnet gneisses from Saxnäs indeed show similarities to the Åreskutan gneisses, which strongly implies that the UHPM in this unit of the Scandinavian Caledonides is of regional character.