The shape of the Aegean MCC's, Insights from 3D numerical modelling
Résumé
The Aegean sea is a back arc basin in which the continental lithosphere has been stretched through the tertiary leaving several diachronous belts of Metamorphic Core Complexes (MCCs). The Aegean MCCs present two classes of shapes. Some are elongated in the direction of the lineation (A-type e.g. Naxos, Paros..) while the others are elongated in a direction normal to the lineation (B-type e.g. Tinos, Evvia ...). While it is well established from 1 and 2D modeling that MCC's forms when the lower crust is weak, the reason for the diversity of shape remains an open question. The A-type domes are not only elongated in shape; their P-T-t paths indicate a clear phase of warming during the exhumation and they also present migmatites (which are not observed in the other islands). Several hypothesis may be drawn. The elongated domes could result from 1) the competition of boudinage versus normal constriction folding, 2) lateral variation of the thickness or the temperature of the crust resulting in local buoyant instability (R-T instability) or 3) lateral gradient of deformation. This contribution presents the preliminary results obtained with thermo-mechanical models in which we test the influence of a local plutonic intrusions, along strike variation of extensional rate, and lateral boundary condition (normal shortening or extension) on the shape of the domes. As this problem is inherently three dimensional, the models were computed on our computer cluster using Gale/Underworld an ALE method with visco-plastic temperature dependent rheologies.