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Analysis of offshore seismic lines suggests that a strong relationship exists between tectonic structures and fluid migration in accretionary prisms. However, only few field analogues of plumbing systems and their tectonic frameworks have been investigated in detail until now. The uplifted accretionary prism of the Hikurangi Margin (North Island, New Zealand) exposes early to late Miocene mudrocks in coastal cliffs of Cape Turnagain and in the Akitio syncline, south-east of the Pongaroa city. These outcrops display tubular carbonate concretions corresponding to complex subsurface plumbing networks of paleo-seeps within Miocene trench slope basins. We present here, new results on the spatial distribution of these tubular carbonate concretions, with particular attention to their relation to tectonic structures. In the Pongaroa area, tubular carbonate concretions in lower Miocene mudrocks occur along a N-S trend, while in middle Miocene strata they occur along a NNE-SSW direction. The N-S trend parallels a major fault zone (i.e. the Breakdown fault zone), which separates two wide synclines, the Waihoki and the Akitio synclines. During the Early-Middle Miocene, the Breakdown fault zone controlled the evolution of the Akitio trench slope basin constituting its western edge. The NNE-SSW strike parallels the axis of the Akitio syncline and is also parallel to the present-day subduction front. Our results therefore show that tubular concretions are parallel to post-Middle Miocene second order folding and thrusting in the northeastern limb of the Akitio syncline. In the Cape Turnagain area, tubular concretions occur in the western limb of the Cape Turnagain syncline, in the footwall of the major seaward-verging Cape Turnagain fault. This suggests that fluid migrations may occur not only in the crests of anticlines, as observed offshore for present-day plumbing system of cold seeps, but also in the footwalls of thrust faults. All these observations show that the spatial distribution of tubular concretions is controlled by regional tectonic structures with paleo-fluid migrations related to major deformation episodes of the accretionary prism. Thus, we distinguish three episodes events that likely triggered fluid migration leading to the formation of the tubular concretions: (1) In the Early Miocene, shortly after the onset of development of the Akitio trench slope basin, on its inner (western) edge; (2) During the late Middle Miocene, during an extensional deformation episode on the western limb of the Akitio trench slope basin; (3) At the end of the Late Miocene, during a second major shortening period at the footwall of major thrust fault, such as in the Cape Turnagain area.

High-grade metamorphic soles in NE Bosnia and Herzegovina make part of the Krivaja-Konjuh ophiolite complex (KKOC), which is one of the most important constituents of the Jurassic ophiolite mélange of the Central Dinarides. Several rock types were distinguished within the investigated metamorphic suite - sapphirine and corundum amphibolites, garnet-clinopyroxene±orthopyroxene amphibolites, clinopyroxene±garnet amphibolites, amphibolites per se and clinopyroxene+plagoclase±garnet gneisses. Peak temperature and pressure conditions calculated from different mineral pairs were estimated to range between 850 and 1100°C at 1.1 to 1.3 GPa. A prograde multi-stage metamorphic history of analyzed rocks was followed by the post-peak relaxation witnessed in decomposing porphyroblasts of garnet and ubiquitous formation of amphibole and orthopyroxene rims around clinopyroxene. The whole-rock chemical composition of magmatic protoliths largely defines it as cumulates from supra-subduction zones and scarcely as MORB-like tholeiitic mafic extrusives. Their origin is linked to near-ridge crust generation of a back-arc basin. Following the Middle Jurassic contraction of Neotethyan a portion of these rocks was likely entrained in an incipient subduction/thrusting system characteristic for the formation of metamorphic soles. According to geological evidences, and most notably, the age of radiolarians taken from KKOC basalts, the formation of metamorphic sole rocks must have followed a rapid transition in the Dinaridic Neotethys geotectonic setting before its final obduction onto the Adria margins in the next 15 Ma before the end of Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excavations of Hellenistic necropolises in ancient Issa located on the island of Vis in coastal Croatia revealed significant amounts of pottery, mostly tableware, dated from the second half of the 4th to the 1st c. BCE. Recovered pottery contained different stylistic forms thought to have been produced locally or imported. The goal of this study was to report on technological and compositional aspects of pottery economics embedded in the frame of social development of Issaean society. For this purpose, a set of 42 samples was analysed by X-ray diffractometry, polarization and electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and automated electron microscopy. The results of archeometric inquiry combined with stylistic traits showed most of the vessels were produced locally whereby the procurement of raw material was dependent on the local occurrences of Terra Rossa. This required a high level of manufacture organisation, defining Issa as a presumably wellestablished Hellenistic city already in the second half of the 4th c. BCE. At the time the city maintained a strong exchange with the Italian South as suggested by excavated red figure and Gnathia pottery characterized by the superior production technologically compared to local imitations. A rare example of recovered amphoriskoi and their distinct material characteristics provided a strong indication of the presence of Levantine pottery in Issaean graves which, until now, has not been attested in the Eastern Adriatic. Such a finding speaks of the involvement of Issa in the Late Hellenistic networks of economic and cultural seaborne connectivity between the Adriatic and the Eastern Mediterranean and introduces Issa as a far-flung market of, at the time popular Levantine luxury products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Penninic-Austroalpine boundary zone of Eastern Switzerland a clear distinction can be made between upper and lower stacks of nappes with contrasting tectonic evolution that are separated by the Turba mylonite zone (TMZ). The Austroalpine nappes, Platta ophiolites, and Malenco-Forno-Lizun ophiolites belong to the upper stack. These nappes were formed by predominantly west directed, late Cretaceous shortening and imbrication. The lower stack, comprising the Suretta nappe, Schams nappes, Avers schists, and Oberhalbstein flysch units, includes Tertiary sediments and was deformed and metamorphosed in early Tertiary time. Kinematic indicators in the mylonites of the TMZ, representing the boundary between the two stacks, show a top-to-the-east directed movement, which is clearly distinct from the regionally prevalent top-to-the-north direction of thrusting in the Tertiary. The main foliation in the shear zone is discordant with respect to the structures of the hanging wall, and concordant to the footwall. Vitrinite reflectance in shaly sediments above and below the TMZ in the northern part indicates that the TMZ coincides with a drop in peak metamorphic temperature from about 350°C in the top of the footwall to about 280°C at the base of the hanging wall. Therefore the TMZ is interpreted as an east dipping, low-angle normal fault. The age of its activity is bracketed between about 45 and 30 Ma, based on overprinting relations with radiometrically dated features (45-30 Ma: main foliation in the footwall, older than TMZ activity; 30 Ma: Bergell granodiorite intrusion, younger than TMZ activity). Extension along the TMZ was followed by further north-south shortening, as indicated by postmylonitic folding of the TMZ. Normal faulting along the TMZ accommodated relative uplift of the Lepontine structural dome, a large metamorphic complex in the Central Alps. Unroofing of this dome started before 30 Ma and continued in the Miocene with activity of further normal faults situated at deeper structural levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Hikurangi subduction wedge (New Zealand), a strong relationship exists between tectonic structures and fluid migrations. In the study area, outcropping tubular carbonate concretions, corresponding to the shallow subsurface plumbing systems of paleo-cold seeps, are hosted by Miocene syn-subduction mudstones. New observations demonstrate the presence of migrated solid bitumen within the tubular concretions and in the fault gouge of a major fault zone. A multi-proxy approach was performed to determine the organic matter thermal maturity in the study area (organic matter petrography and solid bitumen reflectance (BR) R r % (R r : random reflectance)). We also used Rock-Eval pyrolysis, vitrinite reflectance (VR) R r %, and clay mineral reaction progress (illite Kübler-Index and clay mineral paragenesis) to determine the diagenesis grade of the rocks. Low T max values and clay minerals indicate a thermally immature sedimentary cover. The main source rock of the region, the Waipawa Formation is locally thermally mature (VR = 0.86 R r %) suggesting that tectonic thrust-sheet stacking isresponsible for a structural thickening causing local organic maturation. The seaward propagation of out-of-sequence thrusts at base of intra-slope basins could be responsible for the inititation of biogenic fluid flows sourced in the shallow sedimentary cover that is subjected to deformation above the blind thrusts, leading to the earlier generation of the first carbonate tubular concretions. With the continuation of blind thrusting, deep thermogenic fluids then migrated laterally through fault planes (primary migration) and finally vertically through the intrabasinal pre-existing tubular concretions (secondary migration). In this paper, solid bitumen is used for the identification of a fossil thermogenic fluid migration from the source rock, along faults and through tubular carbonate conduits within a subduction thrust-wedge. The study evidences a multi-genetic tubular concretion formation, related with the timing and style of the deformation, being therefore a potential reliable indicator for the evolution of tectonic activity. • Integrated analysis of a plumbing system of paleo-cold seeps on an active margin. • Samples from SR, faults and tubular concretions to determine thermal maturity, bitumen migration, clay mineral reactions. • Circulation of thermogenic fluids in cold seep systems, which correspond initially to migration of shallow biogenic gas. • Role of the shallow plumbing system of biogenic cold seeps as vertical paths for subsequent thermogenic fluid circulations. • Structural thickening due to thrust sheet stacking favor maturation, thrust faults then acting as lateral migration pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]