P-T paths derived from garnet growth zoning in Danba domal metamorphic terrain, Sichuan Province, West China

Abstract

Danba (丹巴) domal metamorphic terrain belongs to Songpan (松潘)-Ganze (甘孜) orogenic belt, where typical Barrovian and Buchan metamorphic zones are preserved. The former included chlorite, biotite, garnet, staurolite, kyanite and sillimanite zones, while the latter only developed silimanite+muscovite and sillimanite+K-feldspar zones. Integrated study has been carried on metamorphic reactions of garnet production and consumption, P-T paths and P-T-X-M phase relation and thermal tectonic model for Danba metamorphic zones. Petrological textures in thin sections show that garnet production and consumption in kyanite-sillimanite zone is mainly attributed to Chl+Ms+Pl+Q= Grt+Bt+H2O and kyanite=sillimanite respectively. Based on mineral compositions, the geothermobarometry gives an average P, T condition of (4.9±0.3)×108 Pa, 543±30 °C for the first growth stage of the garnet and (5.8±0.3)×108 Pa, 534±29 °C for the second stage of garnet growth respectively. Anti-counter clockwise P-T paths were drawn using Gibbs method by NCMnKFMASH system for sample G98686 in the kyanite zone. The P-T-X-M modeling for the first mineral assemblages shows that the prediction is similar to the measured values in gossular, almandine and spessartine but mole fraction of pyrope and Fe/(Fe+Mg) deviated far from the contours; while that for the second mineral assemblages exhibits that the prediction is consistent with the measured value of pyrope, grossular content and Fe/(Fe+Mg) of garnet. A thermal tectonic model that there are at least three structure levels across the thrust-decollement zones is presented according to the P-T paths, metamorphic grades and deformation styles for the staurolite-kyanite zone of the Barrovian type metamorphism, which will provide some constraints for the evolution of the nappe complex.