Paragonite eclogites from Dabie Shan, China: re‐equilibration during exhumation?

Abstract

Abstract Paragonite in textural equilibrium with garnet, omphacite and kyanite is found in two eclogites in the ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphic terrane in Dabie Shan, China. Equilibrium reactions between paragonite, omphacite and kyanite indicate a pressure of about 19 kbar at c. 700° C. However, one of the paragonite eclogites also contains clear quartz pseudomorphs after coesite as inclusions in garnet, suggesting minimum pressures of 27 kbar at the same temperature. The disparate pressure estimates from the same rock suggest that the matrix minerals in the ultrahigh‐pressure eclogites have recrystallized at lower pressures and do not represent the peak ultrahigh‐pressure assemblages. This hypothesis is tested by calibrating a garnet + zoisite/clinozoisite + kyanite + quartz/coesite geobarometer and applying it to the appropriate eclogite facies rocks from ultrahigh‐ and high‐pressure terranes. These four minerals coexist from 10 to 60 kbar and in this wide pressure range the grossular content of garnet reflects the equilibrium pressure on the basis of the reaction zoisite/clinozoisite = grossular + kyanite + quartz/coesite + H2O. The results of the geobarometer agree well with independent pressure estimates from eclogites from other orogenic belts. For the paragonite eclogites in Dabie Shan the geobarometer indicates pressures in the quartz stability field, confirming that the former coesite‐bearing paragonite‐eclogite has re‐equilibrated at lower pressures. On the other hand, garnets from other coesite‐bearing but paragonite‐free kyanite‐zoisite eclogites show a very wide variation in grossular content, corresponding to a pressure variation from coesite into the quartz field. This wide variation, partly due to a rimward decrease in grossular component in garnet, is caused by partial equilibration of the mineral assemblage during the exhumation.