Beauty and complexity of metamorphism: case studies from the frontal part of the Adria Micro-plate.

We review a selection of case studies that highlight the fascination and complexity of metamorphic processes and mechanisms, as revealed in rocks from the crystalline basement of the frontal part of the Adria microplate. The examples from the Austroalpine metamorphic rocks south of the Tauern Window, and from the crystalline basement lying more southwards underneath the Po plain, are presented for their petrologic importance and their relevance to other contexts worldwide. They mostly deal with important aspects of metamorphic processes such as kinetics of mineral reactions, thermobarometry in polymetamorphic rocks, fluid–rock interactions, and microstructures of contact metamorphism in previously metamorphosed rocks. Although they are reported primarily for their help in understanding nano-/micro-scale processes of metamorphism, these examples also have some implications for the geologic evolution of this sector of the Eastern Alps.