P-T-fluid conditions of mineral equilibria in garnet-biotite crustal xenoliths from the Yubileinaya and Sytykanskaya kimberlite pipes, Yakutian kimberlite province.

Abstract

<p>This study provides the results of research of the garnet-biotite crustal xenoliths from the Yubileinaya (372±4.8 Ma) and Sytykanskaya (363±13 Ma) kimberlite pipes of the Alakit-Markhinsky field (Siberian craton). Isotopic evidence on zircons from similar crustal xenoliths (Grt+Bt+Pl+Kfs+Qtz±Scp) showed Archean Hf model ages (TDM = 3.13-2.5 Ga) and thus indicated that most of the lower and middle crust beneath the Markha terrane was produced in the Archean time (Shatsky et al., 2016).</p><p>The xenoliths are represented by the assemblage Grt+Bt+Pl+Kfs±Opx. Quartz is present only as rare inclusions in garnets. The rocks are coarse-grained, slightly foliated with garnets porphyroblasts of up to 5 cm in size. A spectacular feature of the rocks is an abundance of K-feldspar. Garnet grains are almost compositionally homogeneous, although they show a rimward decrease of the Mg and Ca contents indicating exchange reactions during cooling. Biotites are characterized by high F increasing from 1.5 wt.% in cores up to 2.2 wt.% in rims, as well as TiO<sub>2</sub> up to 7.8 wt.%, which is typical for high-grade rocks. Orthopyroxene (up to 5.5 wt. % Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) relics are preserved both as inclusions in garnet and as individual grains in the rock matrix. Plagioclase occurs both as separate grains and as lamellae in potassium feldspar.</p><p>The bulk chemical compositions correspond to a metagraywacke. The REE spectra in these rocks are rather flat with slight enrichment in LREE. All the studied rocks are characterized by a distinct negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 0.31-0.45).</p><p>Calculations using the PERPLEX software version 6.7.6 (Connolly, 2005) for Mg and Ca in Grt, Mg in Bt, and Ca in Pl indicated temperatures 630-730°C and pressures 5.8-7.2 kbar for the rocks. However, equilibria involving Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> in orthopyroxene corresponds to temperatures of 750-800<sup>o</sup>С at a similar pressure. It indicates that metamorphism of the garnet-biotite rocks reached higher temperatures, but they were actively modified later during cooling and insignificant decompression (by about 1 kbar). Calculations using the TWQ software version 2.3 (Berman, 2007) indicate consistent temperatures 610-680°C for the garnet-orthopyroxene and 640-690<sup>o</sup>C for garnet-biotite Mg-Fe exchange equilibria. Calculations using the Grs+2Prp+Kfs+H<sub>2</sub>O=Phl+3En+3An equilibrium demonstrated water activity below 0.1. Such low water activity could indicate an influence of highly concentrated alkaline Cl-F-bearing brines. This assumption is confirmed by extensive development of potassium feldspar, absence of quartz in the matrix, and elevated Cl contents of biotite, 0.1-0.3 wt. % at high #Mg (>0.7) and F content.</p><p><em>The study is supported by the Russian Science Foundation project 18-17-00206.</em></p><p><strong> </strong><strong>References </strong></p><p>Berman, R. G. (2007). winTWQ (version 2.3): a software package for performing internally-consistent thermobarometric calculations. Geological survey of Canada, open file, 5462, 41.</p><p>Connolly, T. M., & Begg, C. E. (2005). Database systems: a practical approach to design, implementation, and management. Pearson Education.</p><p>Shatsky, V. S., Malkovets, V. G., Belousova, E. A., ... & O’Reilly, S. Y. (2016). Tectonothermal evolution of the continental crust beneath the Yakutian diamondiferous province (Siberian craton): U–Pb and Hf isotopic evidence on zircons from crustal xenoliths of kimberlite pipes. Precambrian Research, 282, 1-20.</p>