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Shear heating during rapid subduction initiation beneath the Samail Ophiolite

Nature Geoscience volume 18, pages 653–660 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Metamorphic soles beneath ophiolites are thought to record subduction initiation. However, there is ambiguity about the tectonic and thermal mechanisms operative during subduction initiation, arising partly from uncertainty in the duration of sole metamorphism. Here we use chemical mapping and diffusion speedometry of garnet crystals from the metamorphic sole of the Samail Ophiolite (Oman and United Arab Emirates) to show that high-temperature (≥750 °C) metamorphism was rapid, lasting ≤1 Myr (potentially ≤100 kyr) at peak temperature conditions. The short durations are supported by zircon U–Pb ages and new garnet–whole-rock–zircon Lu–Hf data from the same rocks, contrasting with previous inferences for ≥8 Myr metamorphic durations. These observations are nominally consistent with the spontaneous sinking of a dense lower plate. However, the rapid metamorphic timescales cannot be accounted for solely by conductive thermal equilibration with juxtaposed oceanic mantle. One potential explanation is dissipative heating driven by relative motion across the nascent plate interface. This interpretation accounts for the timescales, the spatial pattern of metamorphism and the global similarities in sole pressure–temperature conditions independent of other geodynamic variables.

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Fig. 1: Geological map and sample textures.
Fig. 2: Garnet chemical maps and transect locations.
Fig. 3: Garnet major-element speedometry.
Fig. 4: Garnet Lu diffusion speedometry.
Fig. 5: Lu–Hf and U–Pb isotopic data.
Fig. 6: Thermal histories of the Samail sole.

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Data availability

All data supporting the conclusions in this study (Supplementary Tables 1–7) are freely available online at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ZNT7S (ref. 63).

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Director General of Minerals, Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Sultanate of Oman for allowing us to conduct fieldwork in the Sultanate of Oman. K. Crispin is thanked for EPMA assistance; A. Nikitin is thanked for assistance with 171213J02 Lu–Hf sample preparation; J. Cottle, A. Kylander-Clark, T. Mittal, R. Parrish and J. Wakabayashi are thanked for discussions regarding the paper. This research was supported by National Science Foundation grant EAR-2120931 to J.M.G. and A.J.S., National Science Foundation grants EAR-1250522 and EAR-1650407 to M.R. and The Pennsylvania State University.

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  1. Joshua M. Garber

    Present address: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Joshua M. Garber, Andrew J. Smye & Maureen D. Feineman

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

    Matthew Rioux

  3. School of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA

    Alicia M. Cruz-Uribe

  4. School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

    Peter L. Baker & Jeffrey D. Vervoort

  5. Department of Earth Sciences, Oxford University, Oxford, UK

    Michael P. Searle

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Contributions

J.M.G., M.R. and A.J.S. conceived the study. J.M.G. and M.R. carried out sample collection and preparation. J.M.G. performed petrographic analysis, LA-ICP-MS spot analyses, major-element and REE thermometry, Lu diffusion speedometry, and supervised EPMA mapping; A.M.C.-U. and J.M.G. performed LA-ICP-MS mapping; P.L.B. and J.D.V. performed Lu–Hf isotopic data collection; M.D.F. performed quantitative EPMA spot transects; and A.J.S. performed the garnet major-element diffusion speedometry and thermal–kinematic modelling. J.M.G. wrote the original manuscript; all authors contributed to final data interpretation and paper writing.

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Correspondence to Joshua M. Garber.

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Nature Geoscience thanks Thomas Lapen, John Platt and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editor: Alison Hunt, in collaboration with the Nature Geoscience team.

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Supplementary Information

Supplementary Figs. 1–15, Texts 1–3, captions for Supplementary Tables 1–7 and references.

Supplementary Tables 1–7

Supplementary Table 1: Lu–Hf data summary. Supplementary Table 2: Major-element profile of WT garnet for diffusion speedometry. Supplementary Table 3: Granulite-facies garnet and clinopyroxene major-element compositions used for Fe–Mg thermometry. Supplementary Table 4: Core profile of Lu concentration for sample WT15 diffusion speedometry. Supplementary Table 5: Rim profile of Lu concentration for sample WT15 diffusion speedometry. Supplementary Table 6: Rim profile of Lu concentration for sample J02 diffusion speedometry. Supplementary Table 7: Granulite-facies garnet and clinopyroxene major-element compositions used for REE thermometry.

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Garber, J.M., Rioux, M., Smye, A.J. et al. Shear heating during rapid subduction initiation beneath the Samail Ophiolite. Nat. Geosci. 18, 653–660 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01711-6

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