Sub-greenschist facies assemblages of metabasites from south-eastern Peloritani range (NE-Sicily)

Abstract

Pre-Hercynian magmatic rocks are widespread in the Palaeozoic basement of the Peloritani range. The metabasites of the Mongiuffi-Melia and Gallodoro areas represent the largest and the most important lower-Ordovician magmatic products of this range. These rocks were metamorphosed during the Hercynian event and preserve relict igneous minerals and textures. A detailed study of the metamorphic assemblages has allowed the identification of two stages of metamorphic crystallisation; they are mainly distinguished by the differentXCO2 of the fluid phase. The first metamorphic event produced three calcite-free sub-greenschist facies assemblages that contain ubiquitous quartz+albite+titanite+chlorite+epidote along with pumpellyite or prehnite or actinolite. The second metamorphic episode produced a “Calcite+Chlorite” assemblage, non-diagnostic to evaluate P-T conditions of metamorphism. The first stage assemblages are only preserved in small domains of the rock. As even very low amounts of CO2 in the fluid phase drastically inhibit the formation of diagnostic sub-greenschist facies calc-silicate assemblages, it appears that a more CO2-rich fluid must have been introduced during the second event. We suggest that this introduction of more CO2-rich fluid occurred during the development of S2 crenulation cleavage.