Integration of natural data within a numerical model of ablative subduction: the example of the Austroalpine Domain of the Alps

Manuel Roda (*), Maria Iole Spalla (**) & Anna Maria Marotta (*)
(*) Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra "A. Desio", Sezione di Geofisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Cicognara 7, 20129 Milano, Italy. E-mail: manuel.roda@unimi.it (**) Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra "A. Desio", Sezione di Geologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 34, 20133 Milano, Italy.

A numerical modeling approach is used to validate the physical and geological reliability of the Alpine geodynamic evolution of an inner portion of the Alpine belt: the Austroalpine Domain. A previous numerical model has been refined to extend the comparison with the natural data to the entire Austroalpine Domain in terms of P-T peak setting. The comparison between the model predictions and the natural data belonging to the Austroalpine Domain highlights a very good agreement for what concern the Austroalpine of the Western Alps. This could suggests that a pre-collisional evolution of this domain, with the burial of the continental rocks (induced by ablative subduction of the overriding plate - Adria plate) and their exhumation (driven by up- welling flow generated in a hydrated mantle wedge) could be a valid mechanism for this part of the Alps. The results are less comparable with the thermal state suggested by the natural data of the Austroalpine of the Eastern Alps.

numerical modeling, ablative subduction, Austroalpine Domain