Geological Society of America

Memoir 164
1986

The blueschist fades schistes lustrés of Alpine Corsica:

A review
Wes Gibbons
Colin Waters
Department of Geology
University College, Cardiff
P.O. Box 78
Cardiff CF11XL, Wales, U.K.

John Warburton
BP Petroleum Development of Spain, S.A.
EdificioAGF
C/Albacete, 5 - 5a, Sur Izquierda
28027 Madrid Spain

ABSTRACT

Blueschists in Corsica represent a continuation of the internal Alpine Penninic Zone

schistes lustrés nappe, metamorphosed during the Eoalpine (late Cretaceous) collision
of a Tethyan subduction complex with the European continental plate. Although ex-
tremely complex, the Corsican schistes lustrés preserve some semblance of a coherent
stratigraphy and have been divided into several units, the most important of which are
the Castagniccia, Inzecca, and Santo Pietro Groups. The metasedimentary and ophiolitic
rocks associated with the Inzecca and Castagniccia Groups have been correlated with
similar Liguro-Piemontais units in the Western Alps and interpreted as representing
Tethyan oceanic basement and cover. The nature of the basement to the Santo Pietro
Group is, however, more controversial and could be oceanic, continental or both.
The Corsican blueschists have suffered syn-metamorphic polyphase folding and
thrusting, generally externally (WNW) directed, although SSW-directed nappe dis-
placement has been described in western Cap Corse. The onset of high-pressure meta-
morphism is at least mid-Cretaceous in age, but a spread of younger radiometric dates
has led authors to suggest that blueschist metamorphism has continued through the late
Cretaceous and even into the Eocene, when the Adria microplate collided with Corsica.
The highest metamorphic grades are recorded by undated eclogite relics which are
overprinted by a pervasive blueschist metamorphism. The highest blueschist pressures
are recorded along the eastern margin of Alpine Corsica. A later phase of (late Eocene?)
SE-verging folding and backthrusting occurred under greenschist facies conditions. Late
(post-Miocene) upright folding about N-S axes has greatly influenced the present out-
crop pattern.
Most recent work on these blueschists has concentrated on Cap Corse in NE
Corsica where several nappes have been identified. Two of these, the Ersa-Centuri and
Farinole Nappes, have been correlated with Austro-Alpine basement, with the Ersa-
Centuri nappe being emplaced from the west. Various tectonic models have attempted to
refine the 'Eoalpine obduction' model, but there remains considerable disagreement over
the timing of individual tectonometamorphic events. There is as yet no record of blue-

301
302 Gibbons and Others

schist metamorphism having occurred prior to the involvement of the European conti-
nental basement, the upper part of which has also suffered blueschist metamorphism. An
analogy with these Eoalpine events is provided by the present-day collision of Australia
with the Banda Arc.

within this blueschist unit has resulted in a spectacular diversity of

phase assemblages. This paper provides a review of previous
work relating to the stratigraphy, structure and metamorphism of
the Corsican blueschists and compares the various tectonic mod-
els which have been advanced to explain the late Cretaceous to
Eocene evolution of this part of the Alpine orogen.
"L'évolution des idées sur les Schistes lustrés est longue et
confuse" (Durand-Delga, 1978, p. 19). The correlation between
the Corsican schists and the Alpine schistes lustrés was made by
Haug as early as 1896. Prior to 1950, over 260 publications made
at least a passing reference to Corsican geology (Gauthier 1976).
However, the first detailed modern penological account of the
blueschists was provided by Brouwer and Egeler in 1951. Impor-
tant work on the tectonic contact between the schistes lustrés and
the underlying metamorphosed Hercynian basement in NE Cor-
sica was presented about this time by Stam (1952) and Delcey &
Meunier (1966). Early uncertainty and disagreement regarding
the age of the Corsican schistes lustrés reached a peak in 1963
with the publication of a paper by Lapadu-Hargues & Maison-
neuve proposing a pre-Hercynian age for the schists, unlike all
other workers who envisaged a Mesozoic (and possibly Tertiary)
age. However, despite some continuing uncertainty and a paucity
of evidence, the age range of the schistes lustrés in Corsica and
the Western Alps is now generally accepted to be Carnian (Mid-
Triassic) to Cenomanian.
The publication of detailed maps (1:80,000) of Corsica
Figure 1. Geological sketch map of Corsica. 1. Mostly Hercynian granite greatly increased knowledge of the schist complex (e.g. Routhier
basement; 2. sheared and metamorphosed granitic basement; 3. Eoalpine 1964). The 1970s saw numerous papers by Amaudric du Chaf-
schistes lustrés nappe of Alpine Corsica (HP/LT metasedimentary rocks
and meta-ophiolites) 4. autochthonous Tertiary sedimentary cover on 1.
faut (see reference list), including an important attempt to collate
Thrust teeth pointing into colourless areas define nappes of Triassic- all known metamorphic data (Amaudric du Chaffaut and others
Eocene rocks unaffected by Eoalpine metamorphism. 5. Miocene sedi- 1976). Other detailed work produced about this time includes
ments. T = Tox. Star = Jadeite locality at Sant' Andrea de Cotone Peterlongo (1968), Saliot & Carron (1971), Ohnenstetter and
(Autran 1964; Caron and others 1981). others (1976), Sauvage-Rosenberg (1977), and Caron (1977),
and culminated in the publication of a comprehensive Masson
INTRODUCTION guide (Durand-Delga 1978). The thesis work of Caron (1977)
produced the most detailed attempt at a stratigraphie subdivision
The island of Corsica, lying in the Western Mediterranean of the Corsican schistes lustrés (Caron and Delcey, 1979; see also
160 km SE of Nice, is geologically divisible into a western area Péquignot and others 1984). With the development of plate tec-
dominated by Hercynian granites and an eastern area character- tonic theory, Corsica has become recognised as a classic area
ized by metamorphic rocks produced during Alpine plate colli- recording the obduction of an ophiolitic and metasedimentary
sion (Figure 1). The latter area, known as Alpine Corsica, nappe (Alpine Corsica) over the leading edge of "European"
represents a continuation of the schistes lustrés of the internal continental crust (Hercynian Corsica) during late Cretaceous
Western Alps (Figure 2). Like much of the schistes lustrés on the (Eoalpine) plate collision (Mattauer & Proust 1976; Mattauer
European mainland, the Corsican schists include metasediments and others 1977, 1981; Zacher 1979; Faure & Malavieille 1980,
and metaophiolites which preserve high P-low T blueschist min- 1981; Cohen and others 1981; Warburton 1983; Malavieille
eral assemblages. The Corsican blueschist outcrop extends over 1983; Harris 1985). Gibbons and Horâk (1984), emphasising the
some 1,800 sq km., forming rough, often inhospitable terrain apparent similarity of most Eoalpine radiometric dates in both
which reaches a maximum height of 1766 m at San Petrone. The metamorphosed European basement and the overlying schistes
varied nature of both the metamorphic grade and the protoliths lustrés, argue that the blueschist metamorphism occurred during
 The blueschist facies schistes lustrés of Alpine Corsica 303

Figure 2. Geological sketch map of the Alpine system (after Frey and others 1974; Moullade 1978,
Gibbons & Horàk 1984). 1. Permo-Mesozoic-Tertiary cover to External Western Alps (Helvetics); 2.
Pre-Alpine crystalline basement (includes Permo-Carboniferous cover in Corsica and S. Provence); 3.
Penninic domain: Permo-Mesozoic to Tertiary cover, including the Mesozoic high-P metasedimentary
rocks and ophiolites of the schistes lustres:, 4. Penninic domain: Pre-Triassic basement beneath Penninic
schists (affected by high-P metamorphism); 5. Austroalpine domain and Southern Alps; tm = Tenda
Massif, dm = Dora Maira, gp = Gran Paradiso, mr = Monte Rosa, t = Tauern window, vg = Voltri
Group. The approximate position of Corsica prior to Oligocene rotations is also shown. Arrows mark
transport direction of the main schistes lustrés nappe over the granitic crystalline basement during
Eoalpine plate collision.

and in response to the actual collision rather than during earlier 1978; Warburton 1983; Péquignot and others 1984). However,
intraoceanic subduction. the lack of geochronological evidence, and the extreme complex-
ity resulting from polyphase folding, thrusting, and metamor-
STRATIGRAPHIC SETTING phism, have combined to ensure that so far all attempts at
stratigraphie classification remain tentative. The schistes lustrés
The Alpine schistes lustrés preserve some semblence of a have been separated broadly into upper and lower ophiolite-
stratigraphie succession and may be viewed as an essentially co- bearing units. Most of the lower unit (the schistes lustrés inférieur
herent blueschist terrane. Several stratigraphie interpretations of Durand-Delga 1977, 1978) corresponds to the série de la
have been proposed for the schistes lustrés of Alpine Corsica Castagniccia (Castagniccia Group) of Caron (1977). It crops out
(Mattauer & Proust 1976; Caron 1977; Durand-Delga 1977, mainly along the eastern margin of Alpine Corsica in the cores of
304 Gibbons and Others

broad antiforms. The overlying unit (schistes lustrés supérieure of

Durand-Delga 1977,1978) include the série de l'Inzecca (Inzecca
Group) of Caron (1977) and is widely exposed in SW Alpine
Corsica along the contact with the Hercynian basement. Both
units consist of metasediments (pelites, calc-schists, marbles, met-
aquartzites) and are associated with abundant meta-ophiolites
(serpentinites, metagabbro, metabasites, radiolarian cherts). The
ophiolitic rocks represent dismembered and variably metamor-
phosed Tethyan oceanic crust, (Beccaluva and others 1977, Ven-
turelli and others 1981), dated as Oxfordian (Ohnenstetter and
others 1975) and occurring as isolated masses and imbricate slices
within a metasedimentary matrix.
Another important stratigraphie unit within the Corsican
schistes lustrés is the Santa Pietro Group (série de Santo-Pietro-
de-Tenda of Delcey 1974). This unit is dominated by calc-schists,
marbles and metaquartzites capped by metabasite. In the type
locality around Santo Pietro di Tenda (Figure 3), these rocks rest
with tectonic contact upon mylonitised Hercynian granitic base-
ment. The nature of the original basement to this group is contro-
versial. Whereas some workers have interpreted the Santo Pietro
sequence as resting on a Tethyan oceanic basement, others be-
lieve a European continental basement to be more likely. The
'oceanic basement' interpretation rests, firstly, upon an apparently
conformable contact of Santo Pietro Group on pillow lavas at
Tox (Figure 1) in southern Alpine Corsica, and secondly, on the
local presence of manganiferous quartzites in the Santo Pietro
Group (Caron and Delcey 1979). Manganiferous metasediments
have been described elsewhere, for example in the schistes lustrés
of the Zermatt-Saas Zone of the Swiss Alps (Bearth and
Schwander 1981), where they are considered to indicate deep
oceanic conditions. The 'continental basement' interpretation,
preferred by Mattauer and others (1981) and Warburton (1983)
emphasises the existence at Monte Asto (in NW Alpine Corsica)
of an apparently basal conglomerate (with granitic basement
clasts) grading up through carbonate conglomerates into typical
Santo Pietro Group metasediments (Varenkamp 1957).
Figure 3. Geological sketch map of northern Alpine Corsica: 1. Miocene
Péquignot and others (1984) have identified a new schistes - Quaternary sediments; 2. allochthonous unmetamorphosed Mesozoic
lustrés unit - la série du Monte Piano Maggiore (the Maggiore sedimentary and basic volcanic rocks. 3. Inzecca Group; 4. Ophiolites; 5.
Group) - which they interpret as transitional between the Inzecca Castagniccia Group; 6. Santo Pietro Group; 7. sheared granitic base-
ment, including allochthonous slices. Large arrows mark transport direc-
and Santo Pietro Groups. These authors envisage the Santo Pietro tion of nappe units; the Ersa-Centuri, Barrettali and Farinole nappes are
Group as having been deposited at the edge of the European enclosed within boxes; teeth on thrusts indicate overriding unit. SS =
continental margin with the Maggiore and Inzecca Groups being Santa Severa; SP = Serra di Pigno.
formed progressively oceanward in deeper waters. Later piggy-
back thrusting towards the continental margin emplaced the
deepest water Inzecca Group over the Maggiore Group which vielle 1981; Caron and others 1981; Malavieille 1983; War-
was thrust in turn over the Santo Pietro Group. burton 1983, Harris 1985). The SI fabric is often mylonitic in
character, particularly where the protolith is coarse grained, as in
STRUCTURE the granitic basement and the ophiolitic gabbros. A generally
shallow plunging LI lineation is assumed to be parallel to the
An intense, often sub-horizontal, layer-parallel LS foliation nappe transport direction (Mattauer and Proust 1975, and all
(SI), with mineral grain shape lineations (LI) occurring parallel later authors) and is usually described as trending N070-080°E.
to the axes of tight to isoclinal folds, are characteristic of the Quartz c-axis plots and micro-rotational criteria have been used
schistes lustrés and the immediately underlying Hercynian base- to interpret the SI foliation as having developed in response to a
ment (Faure and Malavieille 1980; Mattauer, Faure and Mala- westerly directed simple shear (Mattauer and others 1981). Im-
 The blueschist facies schistes lustrés of Alpine Corsica 305
TABLE 1. THE RELATIONSHIP OF STRUCTURES TO TECTONOMETAMORPHIC EPISODES IN CORSICA;
A COMPARISON BETWEEN WARBURTON (1983), HARRIS (1984), MALAVIEILLE (1983),
AND MATTAUER AND OTHERS (1981).

Warburton Harr is Malavieille Mattauer and

others

D1 D1 D1 D1
Early: Foliation (SI) Early: Foliation (SI) Foliation (SI) Early: Folds (Fi a )
Mineral axial planar axial planar to axial planar
Lineation (LI) to folds sheath folds (Fl) foliation (SI)
Late: Thrusts Lineation (LI) Lineation (LI)
Late: SSW directed Includes
Barretalli W. directed
nappe thrust emplacement of
HP/LT over main main schistes
Eoalpine schistes lustres nappe
Metamorphism lustres and E. directed
(Mid- nappe Ersa-Centur i
Cretaceous nappe
to
?Eocene) D2 D2
Early: Sheath folds Eastward back- Late: Sheath folds
(F2) with thrusting to Ersa- (Fib) with axes
axially Centuri nappe with parallel to
planar associated (F2) lineation (L^).
fabric (S2) folds verging Folds (F l c ) with
and mineral toward E. axes sub-
lineation (L2) (mid-late Eocene) perpendicular
Late: Thrusts to Li

Greenschist D3 D3 D2 D2
Facies SE-directed back- Rare upright folds Folds (F 2 ) , SE- SE-verging folds
Metamorphism thrusting (F3), SE-verging verging with (F 2 ) with axial
(Late predating and axial planar axial planar planar cleavage
Eocene) locally synchronous cleavage (S3) cleavage (S 2 )
with SE-verging
F3 folds

Emplacement of Nebbio & Macinaggio Gravity gliding

high level gravity nappes tectonics.
nappes (Nebbio & Late Eocene
Macinaggio)

D4
N-S Open, upright
Folds (F 4 ) ; (Late
Miocene-
Quaternary)

portant exceptions to this general rule have been recorded from interpreted as a SSW directed nappe within the Cap Corse ophio-
three areas in Cap Corse (Figure 3). Two of these areas represent lite stack (Figure 3).
klippen of continental basement thrust over the schistes lustrés: Various authors have attempted to elucidate the minor struc-
the Ersa - Centuri Nappe and the Farinole Nappe (Figure 3). tures produced during the early (Eoalpine) deformation, which
Caby and others (submitted) (1984) have suggested these klippen was synchronous with high P/low T metamorphism (Table 1).
are remnants of Austro-Alpine basement, basing this deduction Sheath folds are common and have been classed as Fl structures
upon marked lithological dissimilarities between these rocks and by Malavieille (1983), Faure and Malavieille (1980), and Harris
the 'European' basement of Western Corsica and the Alps. An (1984). Mattauer and others (1981) and Warburton (1983)
alternative interpretation is made by Faure and Malavieille prefer to classify their sheath folds as second generation structures
(1981) who mapped the Farinole Nappe as a northerly extension (Fib and F2, respectively), coaxially refolding Fl isoclines. Mat-
of a slice of Hercynian (European) basement present in the tauer and others (1981) further subdivide their early deformation
schistes lustrés to the south (around Serra di Pigno) (Figure 3). event to include westerly verging (Flc) folds with fold axes nor-
The Farinole Nappe displays a NE-SW trending LI lineation mal to LI. It is likely that the many complex early fold patterns
(Mattauer and others 1981) with a SW transport direction (Har- displayed by the schistes lustrés were produced during a pro-
ris 1984). By contrast, the Ersa-Centuri nappe displays an E-W longed history of progressive shearing (Cobbold & Quinquis
LI lineation and has been interpreted by Malavieille (1983) as 1980; Mattauer and others 1981; Warburton 1983). The latter
thrust eastward, rather than westward, over the schistes lustrés. author notes that his D2 shearing shows a more restricted distri-
The ophiolitic Barretalli Nappe ("zone B" of Harris 1984) is bution along discrete planes than those produced during Dl. He
306 Gibbons and Others

tagniccia near Sant' Andrea di Cotone (Caron and others 1981),

suggests, therefore, that D2 developed along localised thrust sur-
whereas the latter occurs in western Cap Corse (Dal Piaz &
faces during progressive uplift. Finally, Harris (1984) identifies
F2 folds in the schistes lustrés beneath the Ersa-Centuri Nappe Zirpoli 1979; Guiraud 1982; Harris 1984). In the Sant' Andrea di
and interprets them as both eastward verging and synchronous Cotone occurrence, the relict eclogite assemblage of Na-poor,
with blueschist metamorphism. Fe-rich omphacite (Jd 18-30) and almandine-rich, pyrope-poor
garnet is described in iron-rich metabasites. In Cap Corse, lenses
The structural history of the schistes lustrés has been greatly
complicated by an important later deformation event which oc- of Fe-Ti gabbro occur along a thrust zone running from Marine
curred after the high P/low T metamorphism. This event has d'Albo to Pino (Figure 3) and contain an assemblage of garnet,
been variously described as D2 (Cohen and others 1981; Mat- omphacite (Jd 8-30) and rutile (Harris 1984). Omphacite-garnet
tauer and others 1981) or D3 (Caron and others 1981; Warbur- assemblages are also recorded from the base of the Farinole
ton 1983, Harris 1984) (Table 1). All authors agree, however, Nappe by Caby and others (1984). The age of this metamor-
that the deformation produced SE-verging, gently plunging folds. phism is unknown, although the eclogites formed before the DI
An axial planar foliation is found associated with many of the high P/low T event recorded by the schistes lustrés.
folds, typically as a spaced pressure solution striping in marbles The eclogite minerals generally show extensive overprinting
and metaquartzites, or as a crenulation cleavage in pelites and by blueschist assemblages. Caron and others (1981) describe
metabasites. These structures developed during (and just prior to)
post-eclogite blueschist assemblages including jadeite (Jdço), aeg-
a late Alpine greenschist facies metamorphic overprint, often in-irine, spessartine-rich garnet (as rims on eclogitic garnets), law-
terpreted as late Eocene to early Oligocene (Maluski 1977; Car- sonite, sodic amphibole and deerite. The occurrence of nearly
pena and others 1979; Cohen and others 1981; Maluski and pure jadeite in equilibrium with quartz at Sant' Andrea di Cotone
Schaeffer 1982). is particularly notable (Autran 1964, Essene 1969). In Cap Corse,
Warburton (1983) has recognised a major system of late Harris (1984) has recorded a blueschist assemblage of glauco-
thrusts with a SE directed backthrust geometry. The majority of phane/crossite + epidote ± phengite ± calcite overprinting the
eclogite minerals.
these thrust surfaces strike parallel to the hinges of the SE verging
folds and are often, but not always, folded by them. Warburton The blueschist metamorphism was synchronous with the
attributes both the folds and thrusts to an Eocene D3 event. The first major phase of deformation, presumably induced as the
thrust system is interpreted as having effected considerable further
rocks were being transported upwards from the eclogite P-T field.
imbrication of the schistes lustrés. Furthermore, he regards this Folding within blueschists is often associated with axial planar
event as responsible for the emplacement of several mylonitized growth of new blueschist minerals such as sodic amphibole, law-
granitic basement nappes, including the Ersa-Centuri Nappe, over sonite or epidote, and phengite (Caron and others 1981, Warbur-
the schistes lustrés. This is a phenomenon previously interpreted ton 1983, Harris 1984). Mattauer and others (1981) describe pre-
as being a result of high P-low T Eoalpine thrusting alone (Cohen to syntectonic HP-LT Eoalpine parageneses, with some rocks
and others 1981; Mattauer and others 1981). By contrast, a late exhibiting undeformed and weakly oriented sodic amphiboles.
Eocene syn-greenschist metamorphism thrusting event is not rec- They conclude that polyphase crystallisation occurred continu-
ognised by Harris (1984) in the schistes lustrés of northern Cap ously throughout the HP-LT Eoalpine deformation.
Corse. Several authors note an overall increase in Eoalpine meta-
During the Oligocene, the Corsardinian continental micro- morphic pressure from west to east across Alpine Corsica
plate split off from the European craton and rotated some 30° (Amaudric du Chaffaut and others 1976; Mattauer and others
anticlockwise (Nairn and Westphal 1968; Alvarez 1972; Au- 1981). Metabasite blueschist assemblages including lawsonite,
zende and others 1973; Westphal and others 1973,1976; Chab- glaucophane and garnet are typical throughout eastern Alpine
rier and Mascle 1975; Arthaud and Matte 1976; Vandenberg and Corsica. This may be contrasted with crossite + epidote assem-
Zijderveld 1982). A final, late, mild compressional phase affect- blages common in NW Alpine Corsica. Gibbons and Horâk
(1984) demonstrate how the sheared granitic basement of the
ing Alpine Corsica produced a series of open, upright, large scale,
N-S trending folds. These structures, which affect rocks as young Tenda massif in NW Corsica (Figure 3) also experienced blue-
as Miocene (Burdigalian to Lower Langian) often have had a schist metamorphism. Crossite, epidote, phengite and albite are
pronounced effect upon the present day outcrop pattern in NE typical products of this syntectonic Eoalpine metamorphism. At
Corsica. The narrow, mountainous isthmus of Cap Corse, for deeper levels in the basement, over 1000 m from the contact with
example, reflects the N-S trend of a broad antiform flanked by the schistes lustrés, actinolitic amphibole is stable in place of
synclines within which Tertiary rocks are preserved. crossite. This change is interpreted by Gibbons and Horâk (1984)
as the result of increasing temperature downwards into the gra-
METAMORPHISM nitic basement during Eoalpine metamorphism. Unlike the latter
study, Amaudric du Chaffaut and others (1976) indicate that
The highest metamorphic grades within the Alpine schists lawsonite (instead of epidote) is present in the sheared granitic
are preserved as eclogite relics recorded from E and NE Corsica. basement, whereas Warburton (1983) describes lawsonite pseu-
The former locality occurs along the eastern margin of the Cas- domorphed by white mica and zoisite.
 The blueschist facies schistes lustrés of Alpine Corsica 307

schist assemblages is common in Alpine Corsica. At Sant' Andrea

di Cotone late (D3) folding was locally accompanied by the
growth in metabasites of albite, pumpellyite and epidote (Caron
and others 1981). In Cap Corse, albite and chlorite porphyro-
clasts overgrow earlier foliations formed during HP/LT meta-
morphism to produce typical Alpine 'prasinites'. According to
Warburton (1983) this static greenschist overprint is often con-
centrated near zones of SE-directed backthrusting interpreted as
being of Eocene age.
Figure (4) compares the pressures and temperatures esti-
mated for various assemblages in the Corsican schistes lustrés and
underlying Hercynian basement. Estimates for the early eclogitic
metamorphism (in Cap Corse) have been provided by Guiraud
(1982) and Harris (1984) using garnet-clinopyroxene, garnet-
phengite and plagioclase - sodic pyroxene exchange thermoba-
rometry (Ellis & Green 1979; Krogh & Raheim 1978; Currie &
Curtis 1976). Guiraud (1982) derives PT conditions of 625°C at
12 kb (1200 MPa) for the rocks preserved in a shear zone at the
base of the Farinole Klippe. Harris (1984) places his eclogite
nodules as having formed at 535°C at 12 kb (1200 MPa) min-
imum pressure.
PT estimates for the syntectonic blueschist metamorphism
vary considerably across Alpine Corsica. At Sant' Andrea di
200 400 600 Cotone, Caron and others (1981) used dolomite - calcite geo-
thermometry to estimate temperatures of 300°C - 350°C within a
Figure 4. Petrogenetic grid outlining PT conditions for Alpine Corsica poorly constrained pressure estimate of 8-13 kb (800 - 1300
estimated by various authors: 1. Harris (1984); la. eclogite relicts along MPa). The presence of jadeite + quartz, lawsonite, glaucophane,
thrust contact between Barrettali and main schistes lustrés nappes; lb. Mn-rich garnet and deerite at this locality indicates conditions
glaucophane-lawsonite facies metamorphism duringfirstmajor deforma- well into the high P/low T blueschist field. The earlier work of
tion phase; lc. greenschist facies overprint; Id. resetting of zircons at
Autran (1964) at this quarry estimated PT conditions of 250-
36-38 My; le. resetting of apatites at 30 My; 2. Blueschist metamor-
phism affecting the granitic basement beneath the schistes lustrés (Gib- 350°C at 10-11 kb (1000-1100 MPa).
bons and Horâk 1984); 3. Blueschist metamorphism Santa Severa (see In Cap Corse a PT estimate from glaucophane - lawsonite -
Fig. 3), Eastern Cap Corse (Amaudric du Chaffaut and others 1976); 4. garnet - omphacite metagabbros on the east coast was given by
Blueschist metamorphism in basement slice within schistes lustrés Sant' Amaudric du Chaffaut and others (1976) as 350-400°C at 5-6
Andrea di Cotone (Caron and others 1981. NB: the lower PT estimate is
preferred by these authors); 5. Blueschist metamorphism at Sant' Andrea kb (500-600 MPa). A more recent estimate for blueschist meta-
di Cotone (Autran 1964). stability curves for: deerite (Lattard and morphism on Cap Corse is provided by Harris (1984) as
Schreyer 1981); jadeite + quartz (Newton and Kennedy 1968); lawsonite 360-425°C at 6.7-8.6 kb (670-860 MPa). Further west, within
(Nitsch 1974); Upper T stability limit of glaucophane (Maresch 1977). the Hercynian basement of the Tenda massif, Gibbons and Horalk
(1984) suggest PT conditions of 3903°-490°C at 6-9 kb (600-
900 MPa). These estimates imply a tendency towards both in-
The age of Eoalpine blueschist metamorphism in Corsica is creasing temperature and decreasing pressure of blueschist
generally taken to be mid-Cretaceous (Albian - Cenomanian). metamorphism moving westwards across northern Corsica.
This age is based mainly upon the radiometric data of Cohen and
others (1981) who used 8 7 Rb/ 8 6 Sr whole-rock methods on the BLUESCHIST TECTONICS IN ALPINE CORSICA
Tenda basement to produce an age of 105 ± 8 Ma. Maluski
(1977) dates a glaucophane separate from the Tenda as 90 Ma The Corsican schistes lustrés have been modelled in terms of
(using 40 Ar/ 39 Ar). Maluski also produces a more controversial an intraoceanic subduction system terminated by the arrival of
age of 40 ± 2 Ma for blue amphiboles in the granitic basement European continental crust (e.g. Mattauer and Proust 1976, Mat-
near Popolasca in western Alpine Corsica. Other 4 0 Ar/ 3 9 Ar tauer and Tapponnier 1978). During the obduction of Tethyan
dates, on phengites, K-feldspars and biotites (Maluski 1977; Ma- oceanic crust, intense shearing under blueschist metamorphic
luski and Schaeffer 1982), and fission track dates on apatites and conditions occurred in the uppermost part of the Corsican (Eoal-
zircons (Carpena et al. 1979) have also produced young ages, pine) basement and lower part of the overriding oceanic crust.
ranging from mid-Eocene to earliest Oligocene. Mattauer and others (1981) interpret granitic basement slices
Overprinting of metabasite blueschist minerals by green- found within schistes lustrés as having been derived from the
308 Gibbons and Others

Alps (Dal Piaz and others 1972, Bocquet (Desmons) 1974, Hun-
ziker 1974, Delaloye and Desmons 1976, Maluski 1977). Alter-
natively, evolution of the Corsican schistes lustrés may be
modelled as having involved two distinctly separate events (e.g.
Zacher 1979). In this hypothesis, a late Cretaceous Eoalpine
blueschist metamorphism is followed by a long break in obduc-
tion collision. It has been suggested (e.g. Reutter and others 1980)
that this period marked a time of subduction polarity change,
with westward subduction occurring beneath Corsica. The mid-
Tertiary deformation and greenschist metamorphism has been
attributed to the Oligocene anticlockwise rotation of the Corse-
Sardinian block which caused E and SE directed thrusting of
Alpine Corsica towards the Adria plate (Zacher 1979).
The recent correlation of the Ersa-Centuri and Farinole
Nappes as allochthonous fragments of Austro-Alpine basement
(Caby and others, in press) has been explained in terms of a
backthrusting event (table 1). Both Warburton and Harris envis-
age this backthrusting to have taken place after the obduction of
the Adria microplate. One difference between the interpretations
of these two scientists is that Warburton places great emphasis on
D3 backthrusts affecting the schistes lustrés, whereas Harris de-
scribes only SE verging folds beneath the backthrusting
Figure 5. Model proposed by Malavieille (1983) showing the progressive Ersa-Centuri Nappe. Another point of difference is that in north-
closure of Western Tethys and obduction direction of the Tethyan ophio- ern Cap Corse Harris has identified blueschist minerals associated
lite. The salient features of the diagram include the formation during the
late Cretaceous of a 'continental promontory' controlled by the position
with the Ersa-Centuri backthrusting, while in southern Cap Corse
of the North Pyrenean Fault (NPF) (fig. 5b) and opposing emplacement Warburton identifies his backthrusting event as partly synchro-
directions of schistes lustrés (fig. 5c). Fig. 5d portrays the Oligocene nous with greenschist metamorphism.
anticlockwise rotation of Corsica away from the European mainland Malavieille (1983) proposes a very different model to ex-
producing the present day plate geometry. Stipple = European continen-
tal margin. Horizontal dashed lines = overriding schistes lustrés nappe.
plain the anomalous eastward thrust direction of the Ersa-Centuri
nappe. He suggests that, during the late Cretaceous, Corsica ex-
isted as a promontory separated from the European mainland by
subducting continent and transported externally (i.e. toward the the transcurrent North Pyrenean Fault. Interaction of sinistral
west) for distances of over 20 Km. An alternative for at least transcurrent movement with the Eoalpine obduction front re-
some of these basement slices is that they may have been em- sulted in the local superposition of E and SE directed nappes over
placed during Warburton's inferred SE directed backthrusting the previously westward thrust schistes lustrés in NE Corsica
event. (Figure 5). Unlike the hypothesis of Harris (1984), the eastward
The schistes lustrés nappe now occupies a position along the thrusting of the Ersa-Centuri Nappe is attributed to this deforma-
contact between the Corsardinian microplate (formerly part of tion phase (i.e. late Eoalpine) rather than a mid-Tertiary event.
the leading edge of the European plate) and the Adria microplate Another possible influence of transpressive deformation on the
(Warburton, this volume). The timing of collision between the emplacement of the schistes lustrés nappes is suggested to explain
Adria continental microplate and Corsica is generally considered the anomalous SSW transport direction of the Barretalli Nappe
to have been mid-Tertiary (e.g. Kligfield 1980; Reutter and others (Harris 1984). A greater component of sinistral strike-slip move-
1980). Warburton (this volume), developing the Reutter and ment along the Eoalpine obduction front could produce this ob-
others scenario, models the leading edge of the Adria plate as served change in transport direction.
oceanic crust (or an island arc). Obduction of this 'Adria' leading As yet there is no radiometric record of HP/LT metamor-
edge is held responsible for thrusting higher pressure rocks over phism having occurred in the Corsican schistes lustrés prior to the
lower pressure units. Thus, in this model, the Eoalpine blueschist involvement of the European basement with the Tethyan subduc-
metamorphism results from the obduction of a Tethyan subduc- tion system (Gibbons and Horák 1984). Whether or not HP/LT
tion system, followed firstly by the obduction of the Adria plate remnants of a former intraoceanic subduction system are pre-
over the schistes lustrés and secondly by SE directed "retrochar- served in the schistes lustrés, it is clear that blueschist metamor-
riage' backthrusting. The deformation is considered to be progres- phism was active during the collision of European continental
sive, occurring over a time span of some 75 Ma, from late crust with the former intraoceanic subduction system. An analogy
Cretaceous to late Eocene. Support for this model is provided by with this Eoalpine collision is provided by the present day colli-
the wide range of blueschist ages recorded from Corsica and the sion of Australian continental crust with the formerly intraoce-
 The blueschist facies schistes lustrés of Alpine Corsica 309

continental accretionary forearc volcanic

shelf prism basin arc

SSE N.Australia Timor Solor Banda Sea NNW

w schistes lustrés

' I II _ J l l — n i J t

,V/ ADRIA MICRÓPLA ÏÈ'i

J '"."li
km

km
100
100

Figure 6. Comparison between the postulated Eoalpine (mid-Cretaceous) collision of the European
plate (Corsica) and the Adria microplate, and the present day collision of Australia with the Banda Arc
(after Hamilton, 1979). Two notable differences are a: the subducted oceanic crust was younger in the
Eoalpine collision; and b: the Adria microplate included continental crust. 1. continental crust, 2.
oceanic crust. 3. accretionary prism; 4. sediments in forearc basin and on continental shelf.

anic Banda Arc (Hamilton 1979). The leading edge of the tauer and others over the last ten years. Only recently, however,
Australian continent, subducted beneath the formerly intraocea- have more detailed analyses of Corsican blueschist nappe geome-
nic accretionary prism to a depth of over 30 Kms, is presumably tries and kinematics been attempted, and there is still considerable
at blueschist faciès PT conditions. Continued collision may result disagreement over the timing of individual tectonometamorphic
in the obduction of the volcanic arc (and the back-arc ocean crust events. Despite the fact that the Corsican schistes lustrés provide
of the Banda Sea) over the presently obducting accretionary some of the best and most accessible exposures of Eoalpine blue-
prism (Figure 6). schists in the internal Alpine belt, mapping these extremely com-
In conclusion, it is clear that there is general acceptance of plex rocks is difficult, radiometric dates remain few, and it is
the Eoalpine obduction model postulated and refined by Mat- likely to be some time before a widely accepted detailed model
emerges for the evolution of this part of the Alpine orogen.
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