Abstract
The Sanbagawa metamorphic belt in central Shikoku, Japan, is a classic example of a high-pressure, intermediate facies series metamorphic belt. The lowest structural horizon of the Sanbagawa belt exposed in central Shikoku is the Oboke unit and this is overlain by the Besshi unit, which contains high-grade mineral zones. Seven fission track (FT) zircon ages were obtained from five fractions of felsic igneous pebbles in conglomerate, the matrix schist of conglomerate and an intercalated psammitic schist from the Oboke unit. The ages are in the range 56–69 Ma and are younger than 40Ar/ 39Ar ages previously reported from the Oboke unit (70–77 Ma). These concordant grain ages are interpreted as being post-metamorphic cooling ages because the samples analyzed are composed of zircon crystals of igneous and various detrital origins and, therefore, of variable provenance age. The cooling rate of the Oboke unit is less than 8°C/Ma, which is lower than that obtained for the Besshi unit. Our results of FT zircon dating are close to those of the melange zone of the Northern (Cretaceous) Shimanto belt (ca. 65 Ma). This suggests that the underplating of the high-pressure type Sanbagawa metamorphic rock occurred contemporaneously within the same subduction system as the growth of the Shimanto accretionary complex.
Published Version
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