** Progress in Earth and Planetary Science is the official journal of the Japan Geoscience Union, published in collaboration with its 50 society members.

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    • Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
    • Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
    • Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
    • Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
    • Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
    Progress in Earth and Planetary Science

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    Solid earth sciences

    202107202107

    Carbonate clumped isotope thermometry of fault rocks and its possibilities: tectonic implications from calcites within Himalayan Frontal Fold-Thrust Belt

    DP Sarkar, Ando J, Kano A, Kato H, Ghosh G, Das K

    Carbonate clumped isotope thermometry, Calcite twin thermometry, NT, MBT

    Depth and temperature estimation of continuous thrust movement in the Himalayan Frontal Fold-Thrust Belt

    Disentangling the temperature and depth of formation of fault rocks is critical for understanding their rheology, exhumation, and the evolution of fault zones. Estimation of fault rock temperatures mostly relies on conventional geothermometers of metamorphic minerals and element partitioning analysis, which are largely inapplicable in shallow crustal fault rocks. Here, we demonstrate the applicability of the carbonate clumped isotope thermometer in low-grade carbonate-bearing fault rocks from the Himalayan frontal wedge (northwest India). Coalescing carbonate clumped isotope thermometry and calcite e-twin morphology allows us to constrain the temperature and depth of formation of the two main thrusts of the Himalayan frontal wedge, the Nahan thrust (170 ± 10 °C; 6–7 km depth), and the Main Boundary thrust (262 ± 30 °C; 10–11 km depth). The integration of the adopted analytical techniques can promote the application of calcite-based clumped isotope thermometry to the fault zone processes and refinement of shallow crustal fault zone models.