Prograde metamorphism, crustal thickening and lower crustal flow: new concept of building of crustal root in Variscan orogen
The aim of this project is to carry out large-scale investigations of mechanisms and processes related to crustal thickening and formation of thick crustal root of large hot orogens exemplified by the Bohemian Massif. Our recent studies in Bohemian Massif showed that the formation of thickened continental crust was related to massive relamination of lower plate felsic crust followed by crustal thickening. In here we would like to address three fundamental issues related to this process: (i) what are the metamorphic records of crustal thickening in upper and lower plates and how they can be discriminated from subduction records preserved in the lower plate; (ii) what was the time scale of crustal thickening and subduction events and what is the chronological relationship between superstructure thickening and infrastructure lateral redistribution; and (iii) what was the driving force for such horizontal crustal redistribution.