Did the “Autochthonous” European foreland of Corsica Island (France) experience Alpine subduction?

Abstract

Despite the important role played by the Sardinia-Corsica block in the reconstruction of the Western Mediterranean geodynamics, the extent of involvement of the “Autochthonous” European margin exposed in Corsica (France) (i.e., Hercynian Corsica) in the Alpine orogeny remains uncertain. Stratigraphic and sedimentological studies in the post-Variscan deposits on the Hercynian Corsica are scarce and even scarcer are the structural and metamorphic constraints. To face these uncertainties, we present new stratigraphic, structural and metamorphic data from the area of Razzo Bianco, Central Corsica, where a complete sequence belonging to the European continental margin is exposed. Field and structural investigations demonstrate that the sequence represents the easternmost edge of the downgoing European plate. Metamorphic studies on the Eocene deposits indicate that the margin was buried at depth up to blueschist facies conditions and, subsequently, it was progressively exhumed mainly through the activation of oblique top-to-the NW shear zones.