Very Low-grade Metamorphism in Basement Greywacke Terranes of the Northern and Central North Island, New Zealand

Abstract

Metamorphism in the late Permian to early Cretaceous North Island basement greywackes has been investigated using petrography and clay mineral crystallinity. Several terranes are represented in the North Island greywackes and the study area includes Murihiku, Manaia Hill, Bay of Islands and Omahuta terranes and the Mélange Zone. Very low-grade metamorphic events in the greywackes have produced mineral assemblages of zeolite to pumpellyite-actinolite greywacke facies. Zeolite facies greywackes are characterized by the assemblage Zeo (Lmt, Anl, Hul)+Qtz±Ab±Cal± Chl±I±I/S* observed in the entire Murihiku terrane and in the eastern part of the Bay of Islands terrane and the Mélange Zone. The entire Manaia Hill, most of the Bay of Islands, the eastern area of the Omahuta terranes and the central part of the Mélange Zone are at prehnite-pumpellyite facies with mineral assemblages of Prh+Qtz+Chl+Pmp+Ab+± Ill±Cal±Lmt. Pumpellyite-actinolite facies with the mineral assemblage of Pmp±Act+Qtz+Ab+Chl±Ep±Ill±Cal±Chl occurs in the western part of the Mélange Zone and the Omahuta terrane. Illite (IC) and chlorite (ChC) crystallinity values of greywackes are very similar and range from diagenetic zone to anchizone. Metamorphic conditions indicated by the IC and ChC and mineral facies are in excellent agreement and correlate as follows: crystallinity diagenetic-zone with the zeolite mineral facies, crystallinity lower anchizone with prehnite-pumpellyite mineral facies and crystallinity upper anchizone with pumpellyite-actinolite mineral facies. The general increase in the metamorphic grade from east to west, except in Murihiku terrane, is compatible with the sequence of accretion expected in a subduction environment.