Reactions in UHT calc-silicate granulites from the In Ouzzal terrane (Western Hoggar, South Algeria): Implication for pressure-temperature-fluid evolution

Abstract

Calc-silicate granulites constitute a relatively small part of the whole granulitic material outcrops characterizing the In Ouzzal terrane (NW Hoggar, South Algeria). However, these rocks preserve a number of spectacular reaction textures that could be effectively used to infer their pressure-temperature-fluid history. These textures are interpreted using P-T and T-XCO2 grids in the simplified CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-Vapor system. In this process, sequences of reactions have been subdivided into two distinct stages: (i) the early prograde stage that was accompanied by significant rise of temperature from about 800 °C up to 1050 °C at around10 kbar followed by (ii) the decompression stage from about 9 to 6 kbar. During the prograde stage, coarse grained wollastonites were produced according to the reaction calcite + quartz → wollastonite + CO2. Furthermore, in the peak pressure temperature stage, the reaction producing wollastonite + scapolite from coarse primary garnet consumes CO2 with temperature increasing from 850 °C to 1000 °C according to the reaction 3grossular + 3CO2 → 3wollastonite + 2calcite + scapolite. The latest reactions have been occurred during the decompression stage from about 10 kbar to 5 kbar and cooling from 1000 °C to 800 °C. The growth of calcite + quartz around wollastonite besides to garnet coronas between wollastonite, calcite and scapolite are explained by the reaction: calcite + quartz → wollastonite + CO2 and 3wollastonite + scapolite +2calcite → 3grossular + 3CO2. The appearance of anorthite around scapolite occurs following a decrease of temperature independently to the fluids according to the reaction scapolite → 3anorthite + calcite. All reactions took place at CO2 low pressure which was estimated between 0.04 and 0.55.