Late stage evolution of the Serifos Metamorphic Core Complex (Cyclades, Greece)

Abstract

The island of Serifos is located in the Western Cyclades within the Attic- Cycladic metamorphic belt. It represents the westward continuation of an arcuate belt of Metamorphic Core Complexes with intrusions of late syn-post tectonic intrusions younging from East (e.g. Naxos main activity ca. 12Ma) to West (e.g. Serifos with 9–8Ma). In scientific discussions the dominance of probably continuous extension since ca. 30Ma (e.g. Jolivet & Faccenna, 2000) and the presence of Metamorphic Core Complexes (Lister et al. 1984) is accepted. The speculated roll-back of the subducting plate possibly started due to the slowing down of absolute plate convergence rate between Africa and Eurasia. This model is attractive, because it would also explain the shift from a compressional Andean-type regime to an extensional Mariana-type regime (Jolivet & Faccenna 2000). Contrary to the kinematic directions reported from the Central and Eastern Cyclades, the movement of the hanging wall of the Serifos Metamorphic Core Complex is south directed. The island’s main part is occupied by an undeformed granodiorite. Early granitic intrusions intruded into low-grade M2-crystalline rocks that have been overprinted to as high as amphibolite facies conditions due to contact metamorphism. Parts of these rocks (gneisses and amphibolites) as well as the early intrusions are deformed to mylonites (Grasemann et al. 2004).