Polyphase tectonic, thermal and burial history of the Vocontian basin revealed by U-Pb calcite dating

Abstract

The Vocontian Basin in southeastern France records a long-lived history of subsidence and polyphase deformation at the junction of Alpine and Pyrenean orogenic systems. This study aims to reconstruct the tectonic, burial and thermal evolution of this basin, based on new U-Pb dating of calcite from veins and faults combined with new RSCM (Raman Spectroscopy of Carbonaceous Material) thermometry and stratigraphy-based burial models. Three main generations of calcite are identified: (1) the Late Cretaceous to Paleocene period related to the Pyrenean-Provençal convergence (∼84-50 Ma); (2) the Oligocene period linked to the extension of the West European Rift (∼ 30-24 Ma); and (3) the Miocene period, ascribed to strike-slip and compression associated with the Alpine collision (∼ 12-7 Ma). No older ages related to the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous rifting phase are obtained, despite targeted sampling near normal faults, suggesting highly localized syn-rift fluid circulation or dissolution of early calcite mineralization during subsequent tectonic events. RSCM data highlight a pronounced east-west thermal gradient. Peak temperatures are below 100 °C in the west and exceed 250 °C in the eastern basin, reflecting greater crustal thinning and salt diapirism in the eastern Vocontian Basin with the overlapping Jurassic and Cretaceous rifting phases. These results emphasize the significant impact of the West European Rift in south-eastern France. They further highlight the potential mismatch between large-scale tectonic processes and the tectonic history inferred from calcite U-Pb dating, which is sensitive to the presence of fluids and the physical conditions required for their preservation.