ARTICLES

PUBLISHED ONLINE: 10 APRIL 2011 | DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1124

Yo-yo subduction recorded by accessory minerals

in the Italian Western Alps
Daniela Rubatto1 *, Daniele Regis2 , Jörg Hermann1 , Katherine Boston1 , Martin Engi2 ,
Marco Beltrando3 and Sarlae R. B. McAlpine1

High-pressure metamorphic rocks form during subduction of Earth’s crust to mantle depths at convergent plate margins. Their
exposure at the surface of Earth today provides a record of the subduction zone process. In general, such metamorphic rocks
record only a single cycle of subduction and exhumation, yet tectonic models suggest that individual rock units should undergo
multiple subduction–exhumation cycles. Here we investigate the microstructure and chemical composition of metamorphic
minerals in high-pressure rocks exposed in the Sesia zone in the Italian Western Alps. We find that the minerals white mica,
garnet, allanite and zircon each exhibit multiple generations of mineral overgrowths. In particular, two generations of white
mica with high-silicon content, indicative of formation at high pressure, are separated by an overgrowth with low-silicon content
that formed during exhumation at low pressures. Furthermore, the trace-element signatures of distinct zones within zircon
and allanite also reveal two episodes of high-pressure metamorphism, separated by a period of rapid exhumation. We use
uranium–lead dating of zircon and allanite overgrowths to constrain the timing of this subduction–exhumation–subduction cycle
to 79–65 Myr ago. We conclude that slices of the Sesia zone crust experienced two cycles of burial to mantle depths in less than
20 million years. The yo-yo subduction occurred during oblique convergence between the African and European plates, which
involved a continental margin.

the thinned Adriatic margin17 . The Sesia zone is a predominantly

S
ubduction zones are a unique feature of the Earth and
provide important insights into how plate tectonics works.
High-pressure (HP, eclogite and blueschist facies) rocks have
played a crucial role in characterizing the evolution of subduction
zones1,2 . Forty years of intense research into the petrology of
high-pressure terranes has provided important information on
several aspects of subduction, notably (1) the maximum depth to
which rocks now exposed at the surface have been subducted; and
(2) how fast they went down and how fast they were exhumed3–8 .
As the petrologic record of metamorphic rocks is intrinsically
discrete and depends on episodic re-crystallization, the detailed
dynamics of subduction zones are only poorly known. On the
basis of pressure–temperature (P–T ) trajectories derived from
individual eclogite-facies rock samples, the dominant view is that
subducted rocks now found at the surface undergo a simple
loop from blueschist- to eclogite-facies conditions, followed by
rapid retrograde decompression9 . However, conceptual10,11 and
numerical12 models of subduction suggest that under specific
circumstances, tectonic units may undergo multiple subduction–
exhumation cycles. So far, observations on natural-rock samples
from orogenic belts supporting this possibility are sparse.
Subduction in the Western Alps
The Western Alps (Supplementary Fig. S1a) formed as a result
of the convergence between Europe and Adria, a promontory of
Africa. This convergence led to the progressive subduction of units
of the Adria rifted margin, the Tethys ocean and the European
margin between ∼70 and 35 Myr ago13–16 . Existing tectonic models
account for a single burial–exhumation cycle for each unit. This
study focuses on rocks from the Sesia zone, which derives from
continental block (Supplementary Fig. S1) that has been tradition-
ally subdivided into three subunits on the basis of lithostratigraphy
and Alpine metamorphic grade: Eclogitic Micaschist Complex
(EMC), Second Dioritic–Kinzingitic zone and Gneiss Minuti18 .
During the Alpine orogeny, the entire EMC reached eclogite-facies
conditions of ∼1.5–2.0 GPa and 550–600 ◦ C, indicating subduction
to ∼50–70 km depth19,20 . The Second Dioritic–Kinzingitic zone
mainly preserves pre-Alpine amphibolite-facies assemblages with
localized Alpine blueschist re-equilibration. The Gneiss Minuti
recorded mild Alpine metamorphism, generally in greenschist fa-
cies, that occasionally reached omphacite, but not jadeite, grade.
Previous chronology of eclogite-facies rocks using U–Pb in titanite
and zircon13,21 and Lu–Hf in garnet14 point to a widely accepted
eclogitic stage at 70–65 Myr bp for the EMC.
Evidence of polyphase eclogite-facies conditions
Detailed fieldwork and investigation of various samples of the
southern part of the EMC provide new evidence for a much
more complex evolution of eclogite-facies metamorphism. Here we
report the findings of key samples.
Micaschists (samples SL21 and SL22) from Brosso, Val Chiusella
(Supplementary Fig. S1), were sampled in the area of the Sesia zone
where the oldest evidence of Alpine deformation is preserved22 .
The foliation at stage 1 (S1) is marked by the typical high-pressure
assemblage phengite, paragonite, and glaucophane or jadeite-rich
omphacite that coexist with garnet, rutile and accessory apatite,
zircon and allanite. Zr-in-rutile and garnet–phengite thermobaro-
metric calculations combined with the Si content in phengite
indicate temperatures of ∼570–580 ◦ C and pressures of ∼2.1 GPa

1 Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Mills Road, Canberra 0200, Australia, 2 Institute of Geological Sciences, University
of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland, 3 Department of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences, University of Torino, via Valperga Caluso 35,
I-10125 Torino, Italy. *e-mail: Daniela.rubatto@anu.edu.au.

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© 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
NATURE GEOSCIENCE DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1124 ARTICLES
a a a SL1 b c
Z2 Z3 SL1
Z3
Z1
Omp D D
Ab
Ab D D

Z3 Z1
SL1

d e f B24
SL21 B24 All core
Ab Jd
Ep rim

10 µm D

b All mantle
500 µm

2 LP
Phe
Phe3
Phe1 g 10,000
HP2
HP1
Z1: 78.6 ± 0.9 Myr
Phe2 LP

1,000
Z2: 73.7 ± 0.9 Myr

Z3: 77¬62 Myr

100

S3 Zircon/chondrite
10
c

0.10
SL21: 76.8 ± 0.9 Myr

0.01
La Ce Pr Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy H o Er Tm Yb Lu

Figure 2 | Accessory-mineral texture and composition.

200 m
Figure 1 | Mineral textural relationships showing the high–low–high
pressure sequence. a, Backscatter electron micrograph of jadeite (Jd)
breaking down to albite (Ab), which in turn is overgrown by omphacite
(Omp). Sample SL21. b, Sketch of the textural relationships between
different mica generations in sample B24. Phe1, Phe2 and Phe3 indicate
different generations of phengite. HP1 and HP2 indicate high-pressure
stage 1 and 2. LP indicates the low-pressure stage. c, Photomicrograph of
zoned phengite grains (crossed polarizer).
(details in Supplementary Note). Sample SL21 is important because
the age of high-pressure metamorphism is significantly older than
recognized before in the Sesia zone (see below).
A phengite-bearing quartzite with abundant accessory allan-
ite/epidote from Cima Bonze, Scalaro valley (B24) contains struc-
tural evidence for a complex high-pressure evolution. The white mi-
cas are aligned along two foliations that can be regionally correlated
to stage 2 (S2) and stage 3 (S3). The white micas have three distinct
compositions (Fig. 1b,c and Supplementary Fig. S4): relict cores
of high-Si phengite (Phe1) are rimmed by low-Si phengite (Phe2
aligned along S2), which in turn is rimmed by a second generation
of high-Si phengite (Phe3) that defines the main foliation (S3).
In the same quartzite, rare earth element (REE)-rich allanite cores
have mantles of REE-poor allanite and external rims of epidote
(Fig. 2e,f and Supplementary Fig. S5). These observations provide
a–c, Cathodoluminescence images of zircon grains that preserve three
distinct metamorphic rims (Z1, Z2 and Z3) in sample SL1. D, detrital zircon
core. d, Cathodoluminescence image of a zircon grain with a large
metamorphic rim in sample SL21. e,f, Backscatter electron micrographs of
zoned allanite in quartzite B24. Ep, epidote; All, allanite. In a–f, circles
indicate the location of the SHRIMP analysis (diameter 25 µm). g, The REE
composition and age of the different zircon domains. Average ages are
reported at the 95% confidence level.
evidence for a succession from high-pressure (S1) to low-pressure
(S2), followed by a new high-pressure stage (S3).
An eclogitic micaschist (SL1) from Quincinetto in the Aosta
valley contains jadeite, phengite, quartz and minor amounts
of garnet, omphacite, rutile, and accessory allanite, apatite and
zircon. This sample also has petrographic evidence for two
stages of high-pressure metamorphism (Fig. 1a). Eclogite-facies
jadeitic pyroxene (HP1 stage) is replaced by albite (LP stage),
which is then partially replaced by omphacite (HP2 stage).
See details in Supplementary Note. Furthermore, the sample
contains garnet with two distinct growth zones (Supplementary
Fig. S3). Jadeite inclusions in garnet indicate a first high-
pressure assemblage, whereas the coexistence of omphacite
and garnet rim constitutes the HP2 assemblage. Conditions
of ∼580 ◦ C and 2.2 GPa are indicated for the HP1 stage, as
thermodynamic models predict mineral compositions matching
those in the assemblage garnet–phengite–jadeite–paragonite–
quartz. Thermobarometry using the garnet rim in equilibrium
with phengite and omphacite, and Zr-in-rutile thermometry give
∼560 ◦ C and 2.0 GPa for the HP2 stage. The stability of sodic

NATURE GEOSCIENCE | VOL 4 | MAY 2011 | www.nature.com/naturegeoscience 339

© 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
ARTICLES
a S1, HP1 S2 S3, HP2
eclogite low P eclogite¬blueschist
78.5 ± 0.9 HP zircon
Include Jd Phe Rt
Micaschist SL1 73.7 ± 0.9 LP zircon
77¬62 HP zircon
Include Omp Phe Rt
Micaschist SL21 76.8 ± 0.9 HP zircon
75.6 ± 0.8
allanite core 69.8 ± 0.8 allanite rim
Quartzite B24
Previous works 65 ± 3 HP zircon
76 ± 1 LP zircon
Ref. 13
69 ± 3 garnet
Ref. 14
Ref. 21 66 ± 1 titanite
Age (Myr) 80 75 70 65
Figure 3 | Age and palaeogeographic setting for the yo-yo subduction of the Sesia zone. a, Summary of ages for the Sesia high-pressure unit from this
study and previous works. HP, high-pressure; LP, low-pressure. b, Palaeogeographic setting of the Western Tethys at ∼83 Myr BP (mainly based on ref. 42).
The position of the Sesia zone17 and the vector of relative motion between the African and European plates, with interposed Alkapeca microcontinent (A),
in the Cretaceous period15 are shown (ages in Myr). Brown shading indicates the distal Adriatic continental margin. Possible segmentation is shown in the
Adriatic margin. The comparison of time constraints from a and b suggests that the yo-yo subduction occurred during highly oblique convergence.
plagioclase during the LP stage in between the two high-pressure
assemblages is constrained to pressures lower than 1.4 GPa for the
temperature of ≤550 ◦ C.
Accessory-phase record of multiple eclogite-facies stages
Zircon from micaschists SL1 and SL21, and allanite from sample
B24 were investigated by cathodoluminescence (Fig. 2a–d) and
backscatter electron microscopy (Fig. 2e,f), respectively. Imaging
revealed complex growth zones that were characterized using Th,
U–Pb ages, trace elements and mineral inclusions (Supplementary
Table S4–S7 and Figs S6 and S7).
Zircons from micaschists SL1 and SL21 contain rounded cores of
variable age that are interpreted to represent detrital zircon grains
of the original sedimentary rock. In sample SL1, three distinct
metamorphic zircon domains are present, the oldest of which grew
directly on some detrital cores. This texturally older zircon rim
(Z1 in Fig. 2a–c) shows dark cathodoluminescence emission and
weak zoning. Sensitive high-resolution ion micro probe (SHRIMP)
dating of this domain yields a 206 Pb/238 U age of 78.5 ± 0.9 Myr
(95% confidence level). Inclusions consist of phengite, rutile and
jadeite and provide evidence that this zircon domain formed
during the jadeite-eclogite stage (HP1). Ti-in-zircon thermometry23
indicates temperatures of 560–620 ◦ C. Zircon1 REE patterns show
no significant Eu anomaly and a relatively steep heavy-REE pattern
(Fig. 2g). The lack of a negative Eu anomaly indicates the absence
of coexisting plagioclase24 , and thus zircon growth at high pressure,
beyond the stability of feldspar. The steep heavy-REE pattern of
zircon1 suggests that garnet, which readily sequesters heavy-REE,
was not a major constituent of the assemblage.
This early high-pressure stage is also recorded in the zircons of
micaschist SL21, which have a single generation of metamorphic
rims on detrital cores (Fig. 2d). The rims yield an age of 76.8 ±
0.9 Myr, in line with the observation that an early Alpine foliation
is dominant in this area22 . The REE pattern of these zircons
is characterized by a flat heavy-REE and only a weak negative
Eu anomaly (Fig. 2g), suggesting growth at high pressure in the
presence of garnet and lack of plagioclase24 . Ti contents are low
(mainly <2 ppm), indicating a T of 560–620 ◦ C.
In micaschist SL1, a second, younger zircon domain gen-
erally surrounds the detrital cores in place of the older zir-
con1. Zircon2 (Z2 in Fig. 2a–c) overgrowths have intermediate
340
© 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
NATURE GEOSCIENCE DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1124
b
Europe
N
At orth
lan
tic
?
Sesia
ia
I ber
A Adria
s
ethy
eT
lpin ?
A
? 67.7
79.1 73.6
Africa
83.0
Continental plate Oceanic plate
60 Thrust Africa movement vector
cathodoluminescence emission, exhibit no zoning and yield an age
of 73.7 ± 0.9 Myr. The REE pattern shows a marked negative Eu
anomaly and a steep heavy-REE pattern (Fig. 2g), indicating growth
within the stability field of feldspar and in the absence of garnet, and
therefore at lower pressures than the ∼78.5 Myr stage. Ti-in-zircon
thermometry yields temperatures of 610–660 ◦ C, but the buffering
assemblage is uncertain.
The texturally youngest zircon domain in micaschist SL1 (Z3
in Fig. 2a–c) occurs either as rims around zircon1 domains or
directly on detrital cores. The age of this third overgrowth is
not well constrained, with apparent 206 Pb/238 U ages scattering
between ∼77 and 62 Myr. This age scatter could be partly owing
to physical mixing with older domains, given the particularly
small size of these overgrowths, or to growth over an extended
period of time. Phengite, rutile and omphacite inclusions were
found within this domain, providing evidence that the third
overgrowth formed during the omphacite-eclogite stage (HP2).
Ti-in-zircon thermometry returns temperatures of 560–660 ◦ C.
REE patterns show a weak Eu anomaly, again suggesting the
absence of feldspar. The heavy-REEs vary significantly from steep
to flat patterns (Fig. 2g). The progressive heavy-REE depletion in
Z3 overgrowths is interpreted as the consequence of concomitant
garnet crystallization.
Impure quartzite B24 contains two generations of allanite that
were dated by ion microprobe analysis using the Th–Pb system. The
epidote rim was too rich in common Pb to yield any significant
age information. The REE-rich allanite cores yield consistent
208
Pb/232 Th ages with an average of 75.6 ± 0.8 Myr. Abundant
mica inclusions in these domains are identical in composition to
the texturally oldest phengite preserved in the sample (Phe1 in
Fig. 1b). The REE-poor allanite mantle is systematically younger, at
69.8±0.8 Myr, and contains inclusions of low-pressure mica (Phe2
in Fig. 1b and Supplementary Fig. S4). The two allanite populations
are thus indicative of a cycle from high pressure to low pressure
that pre-dates the ∼65 Myr bp HP2 stage13,14,21 , which is probably
represented by the texturally late high-pressure foliation (S3 marked
by Phe3 in Fig. 1b) preserved in the sample.
Two subduction–exhumation cycles in 20 Myr
The combined investigation of structures, petrology and
geochronology using major and accessory phases revealed two
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NATURE GEOSCIENCE DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1124
stages of eclogite-facies metamorphism, one at ∼79–75 Myr bp
and one at 70–65 Myr bp, separated by a low-pressure stage
(Fig. 3a). Despite extensive investigation of the high-pressure Sesia
zone—and, to the best of our knowledge, in other eclogite-facies
terranes worldwide—no double loop has been demonstrated
and timed so far. In the Sesia zone, the two stages produced
similar mineral assemblages with comparable mineral composi-
tion. Two stages of eclogite-facies metamorphism within single
samples (SL21 and B24) have been distinguished unambiguously
by geochronology and by linking the growth of the accessory
minerals with the main mineral assemblages and the foliations.
In all three samples, the older eclogite metamorphic stage is
preserved in zircon or allanite that contains high-pressure mineral
inclusions such as jadeite (SL21) or high-Si phengite (B24).
These samples were targeted because they best record the earlier
stages of metamorphism. Although the younger eclogite stage
could not be dated precisely here, that stage has been widely
documented by previous geochronological13,14,21 and petrological
studies19,20,25 . A low-pressure stage, with zircon and allanite ages
of ∼70–75 Myr, separates the two high-pressure stages (Fig. 3a).
Jadeite breakdown textures and trace-element signatures of zircon
in micaschist SL1 indicate that plagioclase (probably albite-rich)
was stable, and hence metamorphic pressure was at least 0.5 GPa
lower than during the first eclogite-facies stage. The inclusions
of low-Si phengite in the REE-poor allanite of quartzite B24
are another indicator of low-pressure conditions. A low-pressure
metamorphic stage at ∼75–70 Myr bp is also supported by a
metamorphic vein found in the Aosta valley, which contains zircon
formed at low pressure at 76 ± 1 Myr bp (ref. 13). Blueschist-facies
shear zones have been dated at ∼64 Myr (ref. 22), suggesting
a short residence time at depth for the second cycle as well.
Therefore, our study shows that a rock unit experienced two
subduction–exhumation cycles within less than 20 Myr. The slight
overlapping of high-pressure and low-pressure ages between
samples of the Sesia zone (Fig. 3a) could be owing to actual
diachronous metamorphism across the zone. Alternatively, some
bias was introduced by different techniques, as for example dating of
prograde garnet14 , or formation of high-pressure zircon and allanite
by different reactions.
Implications for subduction-zone models
Our case study provides new evidence for short-term, multiple
eclogite-facies metamorphism within a single unit, indicating
fast burial and exhumation cycles of rocks along convergent
plate margins. Pressure cycles of low amplitude have previously
been detected26–29 . The timescale of <20 Myr for the double-loop
metamorphism is in agreement with exhumation of high-pressure
rocks at plate tectonic rates of several centimetres per year6–8 . The
timescale and tectonic implications of such yo-yo subduction are
significantly different from subduction of high-grade metamorphic
rocks formed during a previous orogeny30 .
Burial–exhumation cycles of the type presented here may
in principle result from orogen-scale switches from shortening
to extension11,31 . Alternatively, such cycles may result from
Franciscan-type subduction channel dynamics12,32 , as recently
documented in a serpentinites mélange in Cuba33 . However, models
of rapid burial and exhumation within a thin and rapidly shearing
layer of unconsolidated sediments32 or hanging-wall serpentinites12
are not applicable to the Sesia zone, which largely consists of
laterally continuous slivers of Palaeozoic continental basement18 .
Palaeogeographic and plate kinematic studies provide good
constraints on the large-scale geodynamic setting in which such a
complex evolution took place. In the Jurassic period, the Sesia zone
was part of the distal rifted margin of the Adriatic continental plate17
(Fig. 3b). During the early stages of convergence, in the Cretaceous
period, this margin was oriented at a high angle to the direction
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ARTICLES
of relative motion between the African and European plates15
(Fig. 3b). At the onset of convergence, deformation localized within
the distal Adriatic continental margin, before involving the Western
Tethys slab sensu stricto16 . In this setting characterized by oblique
subduction, small changes in the relative direction of plate motion
and along-strike variations in the plate margin geometry may
have pronounced effects on the force balance acting on subducted
rocks. This may lead to episodic switches from transpressional to
transtensional deformation. Large, coherent slivers of subducted
material, once detached from the downgoing slab, may reside
along the interface with the upper plate and undergo episodic
exhumation in response to variations in boundary forces. Renewed
mechanical coupling with the subducting plate may lead to
further tectonic burial.
In any case, the first finding of rocks experiencing two
loops within less than 20 Myr of eclogite-facies metamorphism
provides evidence that the pressure–temperature–time trajectories
of eclogite-facies rocks can be much more complex than previously
thought and testifies to the highly dynamic character of subduction
zones and plate margins at large.
Methods
Imaging. Accessory zircon and allanite were retrieved by mineral separation.
Grains were mounted in epoxy resin and polished down to expose the
near-equatorial section. Imaging of grain sections was carried out at the Electron
Microscopy Unit at The Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.
Cathodoluminescence investigation of zircon employed a Hitachi S2250N
scanning electron microscope (SEM) supplied with an ellipsoidal mirror for
cathodoluminescence. Operating conditions for the SEM were 15 kV, 60 µA and
a 20 mm working distance. Backscattered electron micrographs of allanite were
obtained with a Cambridge S360 SEM using a voltage of 20 kV, current of ∼2 nA
and a working distance of 17–20 mm.
SHRIMP. Zircon and allanite were analysed for U, Th and Pb in the epoxy
mount using the SHRIMP-RG (reverse geometry) at the ANU in Canberra. For
zircon, instrumental conditions and data acquisition were generally as described
previously34 . The data were collected in sets of six scans throughout the masses and
a reference zircon (TEM granodiorite35 ) was analysed each fourth analysis. The
analyses (Supplementary Tables S4 and S5) were corrected for common Pb on the
basis of the measured 207 Pb/206 Pb ratios as described previously34 . The common Pb
composition was assumed to be that predicted by the model in ref. 36. For allanite,
instrumental conditions and data acquisition were as described previously37 , with
isotope data collected from sets of six scans through the masses. The measured
208
Pb/232 Th ratio was corrected using the allanite standard TARA (417 Myr;
ref. 37). A secondary standard (Bona, 208 Pb/232 Th age of 30.1 Myr; ref. 38) returned
ages within 1% of the nominal value. All analyses were corrected for common
Pb on the basis of measured 207 Pb/206 Pb as described previously37 . Common Pb
measured in allanite is essentially inherent; therefore, an estimate of initial Pb
composition at the time of crystallization from an evolving model Pb composition
was assumed36 . This assumption was justified by applying free regressions to the
uncorrected data: for the allanite rims the Tera–Wasserburg initial 207 Pb/206 Pb
intercept of 0.831 ± 0.027 (2σ ) is within error of the model Pb compositions at
∼70 Myr bp. For both minerals, data evaluation and age calculation were done
using the software Squid and Isoplot/Ex (ref. 39), respectively. Average ages are
quoted at the 95% confidence level.
Trace elements. Trace elements of zircon and rutile (Supplementary Table S6)
were analysed by laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry at
the Research School of Earth Sciences (ANU) using a pulsed 193 nm ArF excimer
laser with 100 mJ output energy at a repetition rate of 5 Hz (ref. 40) coupled to
an Agilent 7500 quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. A
synthetic glass (NIST 612 for zircon and NIST 610 for rutile) was used for external
calibration, and reference values were taken from ref. 41. Internal standards were
SiO2 as determined by SEM–energy dispersive spectrometry for allanite, SiO2 of
32.45 weight% for zircon and TiO2 of 98 weight% for rutile. A BCR-2G glass was
used as a secondary standard.
Element analysis and maps. Element maps for garnet (Supplementary Fig. S3)
were produced using an SX100 electron microprobe housed at the Research School
of Earth Sciences (ANU) using a beam current of 40 nA and a dwell time of 100 ms.
Mineral composition data (Supplementary Tables S1 and S2) were acquired using
a JEOL 6400 SEM (Electron Microscopy Unit, ANU) with EDS operating at 15 kV
and a focused beam of 1 nA. Quantitative electron microprobe analyses for major
elements of phengite and allanite on sample B24 (Supplementary Table S3) were
obtained on a JEOL JXA8200 at the University of Bern.
341
ARTICLES
Received 19 August 2010; accepted 25 February 2011;
published online 10 April 2011
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Acknowledgements
We thank I. Campbell and H. Brueckner for constructive comments. This research has
been supported by the Australian Research Council (DP0556700) and the Swiss National
Science Foundation (project 200020_126946).
Author contributions
D. Rubatto and K.B. contributed the geochronological and chemical data; D. Regis
and M.E. provided data for sample B24 and regional knowledge; J.H. contributed to
petrological investigation of samples SL21–22 and SL1; M.B. provided the tectonic
model; S.R.B.M. contributed to the investigation of sample SL21. D. Rubatto and J.H.
wrote the paper.
Additional information
The authors declare no competing financial interests. Supplementary information
accompanies this paper on www.nature.com/naturegeoscience. Reprints and permissions
information is available online at http://npg.nature.com/reprintsandpermissions.
Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to D. Rubatto.
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