Kyanite from the Eastern Iratsu metagabbro mass in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, Japan

Metamorphic zonation and metamorphism of pelitic schists in the higher grade region of the Sambagawa metamorphic belt in central Shikoku, Japan

Gamma radiation-induced thermoluminescence, trace element and paramagnetic defect of quartz from the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, Central Shikoku, Japan

四国中央部三波川変成帯の変成分帯

c-Axis fabrics and microstructures in quartz schist from the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, Japan

The western Iratsu mass, the largest tectonic body in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, is mainly composed of epidote amphibolite with minor amounts of eclogite. Systematically, a majority of garnets show bell-shaped chemical zoning of pyrope contents and Mg/(Mg+Fe2+) monotonously increasing outward. The grossular component in zonal garnet increases outwards, maximizes at an intermediate part, and then decreases towards the outermost rim, reflecting a process from increasing to decreasing pressure conditions during the prograde metamorphism. Jadeite contents of omphacite range from 25≈20 mole% within the cores to 15≈10 mole% at the rims, implying a pressure-decreasing process (from 11×105 Pa to 8×105 Pa). The peak pressure-temperature (P-T) condition of 630≈680°C and ca. 15×105 Pa in the western Iratsu mass is much higher than that of (610±25)°C and (10±1)×105 Pa of the Sambagawa oligoclase-biotite zone schists. The authors suggest a clockwise P-T-t path for the western Iratsu mass.

40Ar/ 39Ar mineral age constraints for the tectonothermal evolution of the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, Japan: a Cretaceous accretionary prism

Omphacite-bearing metapelite was found from the Seba area of the Besshi region, Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, Japan. Omphacite occurs as inclusions in garnet together with quartz, sodic amphibole, phengite, and paragonite. The major matrix phases are quartz, albite, phengite, chlorite, subcalcic amphibole, calcite, dolomite, and graphite. Garnet shows a prograde zoning and comprises three segments in order from the crystal center to the margin: the core, inner mantle, and outer mantle. The garnet core shows monotonous decrease of MnO content outward, and includes sodic phases: paragonite and glaucophane. The garnet mantle is substantially homogeneous in composition, and poorer in MnO and richer in MgO than the core. The inner mantle of garnet includes omphacite, paragonite and glaucophane. The outer mantle includes omphacite, but paragonite and glaucophane grains are absent. The jadeite content of omphacite inclusions (XJd) increases slightly from 0.55 in grains included in the inner mantle to 0.62 in the outer mantle of garnet. The systematic distribution of sodic minerals in garnet documents a prograde evolution of metamorphism from the blueschist to eclogite facies conditions. The occurrence of omphacite-bearing metapelite in the Seba area of the Besshi region is direct evidence of: (1) at least some of the Sambagawa metapelites in the Besshi region certainly experienced eclogite facies metamorphism, and (2) eclogite facies metamorphism extends beyond the previously assumed eclogite facies area in the Sambagawa belt.

The isotopic compositions of Os, Nd, and Sr, as well as major elements of dunites, spinel lherzolites, websterite, and serpentinite from the Nikubuchi ultramafic cumulous complex in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt (SMB) were investigated. The Nikubuchi ultramafic complex is a layered cumulate and is surrounded by a metagabbro massif in the SMB. We obtained a Sm-Nd whole-rock isochron of the Nikubuchi complex with an age of 138 ± 18 (2σ) Ma and an initial 143Nd/144Nd ratio of 0.51270 ± 3. The Nikubuchi complex contains well preserved protogranular textures and cumulous layering structures, and has good correlation coefficients among the major element abundances, which indicate an event before the Sambagawa metamorphism. The eNd values of 138 Ma (+3.5 to +5.3) correspond to the isotope signatures of ocean island basalt (OIB) or island arc basalt (IAB), and not mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB). Taking the results of previous studies into consideration, the most likely origin of the Nikubuchi complex is that of a fragmented block of residual cumulate formed by the OIB magma chamber. The Rb-Sr isotope system has been disturbed by hydration and/or metamorphism after 138 Ma, and the Re-Os isotope system also has no valid isochron. One of the possible causes is that rhenium addition by hydration has occurred subsequent to 60 Ma. The results of the isotope systems show that hydration can cause disturbance in Re-Os systems but not in Sm-Nd systems. This probably reflects differences between these systems in resistance of the host phase.

This is the first report of lawsonite in pelitic schists from the Kebara Formation, a tectonometamorphic unit exposed between the Sambagawa metamorphic belt and the Chichibu belt in western Kii Peninsula. Lawsonite and pumpellyite have previously been reported from basic schists in the Kebara Formation, suggesting high-P/T metamorphic conditions. The pelitic schists consist mainly of quartz, albite and chlorite along with minor carbonaceous matter and rare phengite, lawsonite, calcite and titanite. The mineral assemblage of the lawsonite-bearing pelitic schists is chlorite+phengite +lawsonite+albite+quartz. This assemblage is basically the same as that reported for lawsonite-bearing pelitic schists from the chlorite zone in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, i.e. in the Ise area in eastern Kii Peninsula and in the Besshi nappe complex exposed along the Asemigawa River in central Shikoku. These various lawsonite-bearing pelitic schists probably experienced similar high-P/T metamorphic conditions suggesting that the entire Kebara Formation experienced similar high-P/T metamorphism to that of the chlorite zone in the Sambagawa belt.

Aragonite and omphacite‐bearing metapelite occurs in the albite–biotite zone of the Togu (Tohgu) area, Besshi region, Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, Japan. This metapelite consists of alternating graphite‐rich and graphite‐poor layers that contain garnet, phengite, chlorite, epidote, titanite, calcite, albite, and quartz. A graphite‐poor layer contains a 1.5‐cm ivory‐colored lens that mainly consists of phengite, calcite, albite, and garnet. Aragonite, omphacite, and paragonite occur as inclusions in the garnet of the ivory lens. The aragonite has a composition that is close to the CaCO3 end‐member: the FeCO3 and MnCO3 components are both less than 0.3 mol% and the SrCO3 component is about 1 mol%. The aragonite + omphacite + quartz assemblage in garnet indicates equilibrium conditions of P > 1.1–1.3 GPa and T = 430–550°C. Quartz grains sealed in garnet of the aragonite and omphacite‐bearing sample and other metapelites in the Togu area preserve a high residual pressure that is equivalent to the Sambagawa eclogite samples. These facts suggest that: (i) the Togu area experienced eclogite facies metamorphism; and (ii) thus, eclogite facies metamorphism covered the Sambagawa belt more extensively than previously recognized.

In the Asemi River region of the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku (Fig.1), dozens of quartz schist layers are intercalated, in which well-defined quartz c-axis fabrics penetratively developed. In this pictorial, we show the close relationship between microstructures and c-axis fabrics in the deformed quartz, which indicates that both the microstructures reflect the deformation geometries caused by ductile flow in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt.The geological structure in the region is characterized by E-Wtrending and Ndipping foliation (Sb), and horizontal mineral lineation (Lm). ThesamplesforFigs.2, 3, 4 and 5 are collected respectively from the metamorphic zones as shown in Fig.1. In all the figures, X, Y and Z directions denote the directions parallel to Iineation, parallel to foliation and normal to lineation, and normal to foliation, respectively, and thesedirections can be approximated as the principal directions of strain ellipsoid(X>Y>Z).

別子地域三波川変成帯，五良津緑れん石角閃岩体中のエクロジャイト

K-Ar age determinations were carried out on two lamprophyre dikes intruded into the Sambagawa metamorphic rocks at Shingu in the central part of Shikoku Island, Southwest Japan. These dikes are very distinctive among Neogene igneous rocks in Shikoku because of their abundant mantle xenoliths and carbonate minerals in the fresh groundmass, and of their unique chemical compositions. In order to eliminate the effect of extraneous argon from xenoliths and carbonates, removal of large crystals and acid leaching experiments were done for three grain size fractions. Apparent ages ranging from 18.6±0.7Ma to 21.6 ±2.0Ma were obtained for both rocks. However, positive correlation between apparent ages and atm. 40Ar% suggests that samples contain initial argon which is not atmospheric. The well defined isochron age of 17.7±0.5Ma is obtained from all samples with the initial 40Ar/36Ar ratio of 310±5 in the 40Ar/36Ar-40K/36Ar diagram. As the initial 40Ar/36Ar ratio is higher than that of atmosphere, apparent ages do not show any geologic meaning, and the isochron age of 17.7±0.5Ma gives the intrusive age of dikes. The Shingu lamprophyres are much older than other Miocene igneous rocks in Shikoku ranging in age from 14 to 12Ma, and both magmatisms could be genetically independent. As the Shikoku Basin kept opening in a northeast-southwest direction at 18Ma, it could not subduct significantly beneath Southwest Japan from the south when the Shingu lamprophyres intruded into the Sambagawa metamorphic belt. Petrogenesis of the Shingu magma could be related to the rifting of the back arc basin, the Japan Sea.

Metamorphism of the western Irastu mass in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, southwest Japan.

Metamorphism of high–Mg garnet and kyanite-bearing garnet amphibolites from the Tonaru metagabbro mass, Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, Japan