Petrological characteristics of the Damiao anorthosite complex in Hebei Province, China

Abstract

The Damiao anorthosite complex occurs in the high-grade metamorphic Precambrian rocks in the axial part of the Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia) Anticline. It is a monoclinal, layered intrusion, with distinguishable layers of anorthosite, monzonite and quartz-monzonite from bottom to top. Gradation evidence can be noticed between these layers. Accumulation structure is obvious in anorthositic rocks. In the anorthositic rocks feldspars, mainly antiperthite and plagioclase, are hosted with An 44–49, while in the acid rock facies, perthite and plagioclase are present. The complex investigated can be assigned to andesine-type rocks. Both the Damiao anorthosites and the Miyun rapakivi granites are calc-alkaline in terms of petrochemical characteristics, and the latter exhibits a very close petrochemical similarity, i.e., high in Al and K, with the acid members in the upper layers of the complex at Damiao. In view of the close temporal-spatial relationship and the resemblance of rock structure, it is thought that the two suites are resulted from a single parent magma under approximate tectonic environments, and that gravitative fractionation may have played an important role in their evolution. Calculations show that the parent magma responsible for the suites bears obvious resemblance to quartz diorite and quartz monzonite in composition, which is in agreement with the experiments by T. H. Green. The Damiao anorthosite complex is characterized by deep source and shallow emplacement as evidenced by high-pressure and high-temperature experiments, geothermometry and petrochemical features as well as the occurrence of both pigeonite and primary “Al-pyroxene”.