Current project(s)

The western Alps 

• I am the PI of the Alps task of the RGF program hosted at the BRGM is focussed on the Western Alps and surounding area. 

• I am (or have been) invloved in three PhD supervision. 

  • One is about the Schistes Lustrés complex and the circulation of fluids at depth (C. Herviou). 

  • The second for which I am involved as co-PI is about the nature of the contact between the Briançonnais domain and Schistes Lustrés domains (K. Mendes)

  • The third for which I am involved as co-PI deals with the lithostratigraphic nature of the basement of the internal zone (M. Ayatti)  

Rare metal granite and pegmatite, Li, Sn, Nb, Ta... 

• I am part of the ANR TRANSFAIR project coordinated at the BRGM (PI J. Melleton). 

Pan African evolution of the Ouaddaï massif, Chad

Metamorphic petrology, geochroonology and geochemistry 

• We currently work on the geological history of the "poorliest known tract of continental crust on Earth (Liégeois et al., 2013)"

Geological evolution of Malawi

Metamorphic petrology, geochroonology and geochemistry 

• We currently work in the framework of a mapping project of the geological history of Malawi. 

Numerical modelling ( 2015-2018)

I was working on subduction modelling with the finite element code ELEFANT1 developed by dr. C. Thieulot. Soon more to come. 

• Project 1: Thermal regime and geometry in subduction

Oblique subduction is rather the rule than the reality on Earth. We computed models to evaluate the influence of the trench geometry on the mantle flow as well as on the geotherm. The effect is substantial with sometimes up to a 200°C difference along strike of the subduction zone. 

• Project 2: Initiation of subduction - where and how

Modelling continental break up (Just for fun)

Once I discovered that I can break a continent with my computer... That's a simple setup following the paper by Huismans and Beaumont 2010. Mat 1 is the crust, mat 2 the mantle lithosphere and mat 3 the asthenosphere  The black dotted lines are isotherm (from top to bottom: 550, 1200 and 1300°C). The domain size is 1200 by 600 km. I used the code ELEFANT to compute that. 

Metamorphic petrology

The PT condition of the Andaman metamorphic sole: We did find a couple of metamorphic sole location on the Middle Andaman Island. Measurement of mineral are done and we are currently working on the PT estimates! 

Blueschist facies overprint in the sole of W. Anatolia: Thin section and close up of a metamorphic sole sample from the Tavşanlı region (Western Turkey) showing a strong blueschist overprint. Garnet are destabilised in a mixture of lawsonite and chlorite. The green initial high-temperature amphibole (hornblende-type) are replace by glaucophane. These rocks are almost unique in the world! Only few overprinted amphibolite were described in the North Cascadia, in the Franciscan complex or in other Turkish localities. 

Melting the sole: Field vs. thermodynamic modelling

Field

Deformed diabase dyke at the base of the Bilecik ophiolite in the region of Konya, Turkey - Pete McPhee aka Baby Bear as scale - October 2015

Into the subduction zone - The Sistan ophiolitic 'mélange' of Sulabest, region of Birjand, Iran - November 2015 

1:Thieulot, C.: ELEFANT: a user-friendly multipurpose geodynamics code, Solid Earth Discuss., 6, 1949-2096, doi:10.5194/sed-6-1949-2014, 2014. Available here