Oceanic Faulting in the Northern Apennine Ophiolites, Italy

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Ophiolite sequences are of considerable interest as exposed examples of ancient seafloor or oceanic rocks. The Jurassic Apennine-Alpine ophiolites are unusual in that they have no sheeted dike component with mafic lavas and chert directly overlying serpentinite and gabbro. This project will examine the possibility that the top of the serpentinite/gabbro basement may be the footwall of a large low-angle detachment fault exposed on the seafloor prior to eruption of the mafic lavas. Results should help develop models for ophiolite generation and the role of extensional faulting in the subsequent evolution of the system.