Peak Metamorphic Conditions Research Articles

Early palaeozoic arc-continent collision in East Kunlun, northern Tibet: evidence from the minerology, geochemistry, and geochronology of the Adatan garnet amphibolites

ABSTRACT The evolution of the Tethys is one of the key issues in revealing the global ocean-continent transition tectonic process. The East Kunlun Orogenic Belt (E-KOB) in the northern Tibetan Plateau witnessed the subduction-accretion process of the Proto- and Palaeo-Tethyan Oceans formed a trench-arc-back arc basin system. Thus, this back arc basin is a window for exploring the tectonic evolution of the Tethys. In this study, the Adatan garnet amphibolites and the host paragneiss were investigated and used to constrain the evolution of the back arc basin. The mineralogical observations and microstructure of the garnet amphibolite suggest the successive formation of three mineral assemblages: a Hb + Pl + Ilm inclusion assemblage within garnet cores, a Grt + Pl + Hb + Bit + Phe matrix assemblage, and a retrograde assemblage of white-eye coronas around the garnet. The thermobarometric calculations suggest a clockwise P-T path with peak metamorphic conditions of 10.1–12.6 kbar and 715–830°C and a subsequent near-isothermal decompression process. The geochemistry indicates that the protolith of the garnet amphibolites was formed in a subduction-related tectonic setting with enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt (E-MORB) geochemical characteristics. U-Pb zircon dating reveals that the crystallization age of the garnet amphibolite’s protolith is ca. 457–452 Ma. Based on field occurrences, the protolith of the amphibolite was probably mafic dikes that intruded into the paragneiss due to subduction of the back-arc basin. Both the garnet amphibolite and gneissic rocks experienced contemporaneous metamorphism at ca. 420–410 Ma, suggesting that a crustal thickening event occurred due to closure of the back-arc basin and arc-continent collision. Based on the above evidence and the results of previous studies, it can be concluded that the Qimantagh back arc basin involved opening, subduction, and closure tectonic processes at ca. 486 Ma, ca. 460 Ma and ca. 420–410 Ma, respectively.

The origin and P-T conditions of the metamorphic sole rocks beneath the Late Cretaceous Pınarbaşı Ophiolite, Eastern-Central Anatolia

ABSTRACT Metamorphic sole rocks of the Pınarbaşı Ophiolite are one of the best-preserved rock units observed along the Tauride Ophiolite Belt in Turkey. The metamorphic sole rocks observed as tectonic slices at the base of mantle tectonites as well as blocks in the mélange units consist mainly of garnet-clinopyroxene-amphibolite, garnet-amphibolite, amphibolite, epidote-amphibolite, quartz-amphiboleschist and metabasalt. The amphibolites display a wide range of geochemical signatures such as those of N-MORB, E-MORB, OIB and IAT. The metabasalts exhibit OIB geochemical characteristics. P-T estimates indicate that the garnet-clinopyroxene-amphibolites reached peak metamorphic conditions of 790-840 °C and 12-14 kbar. High-grade metamorphism is followed by a stage of decompression, which is indicated by the presence of symplectitic growth of amphibole and plagioclase over garnet in garnet-clinopyroxene-amphibolites. P-T estimates for garnet-clinopyroxene-amphibolites suggest that they were metamorphosed under granulite-facies conditions (ca. 35-40 km). High temperature estimated from granulite facies rocks should be ascribed to the occurrence of the sole rocks during the inception of the intra-oceanic subduction, beneath young or relatively hot oceanic lithosphere. On the other hand, mineral paragenesis of the metabasalts suggest greenschist facies metamorphic conditions. Protoliths of the metabasalts were probably metamorphosed during final stages of subduction where they were very close to sea floor as the subduction zone was probably clogged by a seamount. The greenschist- and granulite-facies sole rocks were metamorphosed probably beneath the hot oceanic lithosphere at different depths of the subduction zone. Considering all these data are important to better understanding intra-oceanic subduction and final obduction events of the Tethys Ocean.

Chemical mass transport during deformation and metamorphism: Insights from the Main Central Thrust and its footwall of Western Arunachal Himalaya, NE India

The Main Central Thrust (MCT) is one of the major tectonic discontinuities stretching about ~2500 km along the length of the Himalaya and it plays important role during the tectono-metamorphic evolution of Himalayan orogen. This contribution aims to find out the element mobility and loss or gain of chemical mass during mylonitization and migmatization of rocks and their relation with deformation and metamorphism within the Main Central Thrust Zone (MCTz) and its immediate footwall along the Bomdila-Dirang-Seppar section of the Western Arunachal Himalaya, India. Based on meso- and microstructural observations, we divided the Dirang Formation in the footwall of the MCT into 3 units: Lower Mylonite Zone (LMZ), Protomylonite Zone (PMZ) and Upper Mylonite Zone (UMZ), with increasing structural distance from Dirang thrust towards NW. Deformation of the Dirang Formation results in enrichment of Na, K and Si with significant gain in mass of ~55% in the UMZ relative to the PMZ. We inferred that shear strain localization during mylonitization in the UMZ induces textural transitions causing chemical alterations at peak metamorphism conditions of 0.62–0.66 GPa and 690°-710 °C. Migmatites of Lower Structural Position (LSP) show enrichment of Si, Na, K, Ca, Mn and P with depletion of Mg and Fe in the leucosome + mafic selvage (LM) relative to the paleosome with ~13% chemical mass gain. On the other hand, migmatites of Upper Structural Position (USP) are characterized by enrichment of Si, Mn and K and depletion of Ca, Mg, Na, P and Fe in the LM relative to the paleosome with ~17% chemical mass gain. Such chemical changes occur during near peak metamorphic conditions of 0.52–0.63 GPa and 680°-720 °C and it is accompanied by the appearance of sillimanite. This study improves our understanding of the chemical modification of rocks in the MCT and its footwall, which were subjected to deformation and metamorphism during its evolution in Himalayan orogen. The emplacement of the GHS along the MCT buried the Dirang Formation to a depth of ~23–25 km. Interaction of fluids, derived from dewatering of the underthrusted Dirang Formation, induced chemical alteration in the UMZ. We interpret that chemical mass transfer in migmatite zones directly influences the metamorphic reactions that occur during deformation and crustal anatexis in intracontinental shear zones, such as the MCT.

Subducted fragments of the Liguro-Piemont ocean, Western Alps: Spatial correlations and offscraping mechanisms during subduction

Fragments of subducted slow-spreading oceanic lithosphere are exposed continuously in the Liguro-Piemont domain of the Western Alps. By combining new and literature petrological data, interpolated maps of maximum temperatures, maximum Si contents of phengite as a proxy for peak pressure and thermodynamic modelling, we provide a detailed framework of the peak metamorphic conditions experienced by the distinct subduction slices. High-resolution mapping confirms the marked eastward increase in metamorphic grade throughout the domain, as well as within some slices. The compilation of lithostratigraphic, structural and radiochronological data and the estimation of sediment/mafic-ultramafic ratio for each slice allow refining the origin of these tectonometamorphic units within the former oceanic domain. The refined structural sketchmap allows to restore the geometries of the Alpine subduction at peak burial conditions. Results point to a trimodal distribution of the units with an increase in metamorphic conditions from the Upper (LPU; 320-400°C- 1.2-1.9 GPa) to the Middle (LPM; 415-475°C- 1.7-2.2 GPa) and to the Lower units (LPL; 500-580°C- 2.2-2.8 GPa). The blueschist-facies LPU and LPM units are dominated by sediments (>90%), whereas the eclogitic LPL units are far richer in mafic-ultramafic rocks (>40%). These characteristics, along with lithostratigraphic differences, reflect major differences in their initial paleogeography and/or in the mechanisms responsible for material offscraping from the downgoing slab. The peak burial depths of the LPU, LPM and LPL units are similar to those inferred for slicing and underplating in both modern and fossil subduction zones. Petrological and lithostratigraphic data suggest that the offscraping of the LPU and LPM units was mostly controlled by lithological contrasts, within pelagic shales or along contacts within the uppermost serpentinized mantle. In contrast, major dehydration reactions (such as lawsonite breakdown in sediments) likely controlled the offscraping of the LPL units at eclogite-facies conditions, possibly through high fluid pressure conditions and rocks embrittlement.

Raman Geobarometry of Quartz Inclusions in Kyanite: Application to Quartz Eclogite from the Gongen Area of the Sanbagawa Belt, Southwest Japan

ABSTRACT Residual pressure values of quartz inclusions in host kyanite were estimated using Raman spectroscopy and show that the quartz-inclusions-in-kyanite system can be used as a geobarometer for estimating peak metamorphic conditions. Samples of quartz eclogite, a pelitic high-pressure metamorphic rock composed mainly of garnet, omphacite, and quartz, with subordinate kyanite, were obtained for analysis from the Gongen area in the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt, southwest Japan. Residual pressure in the 236 analyzed quartz inclusions within kyanite grains varies from 0.12 to 0.76 GPa. Values are independent of inclusion size and inclusion aspect ratio, and the distribution of residual pressure within the inclusions is homogeneous, except at inclusion-host interfaces. Numerical calculations based on elastic modeling with the equations of state of quartz and kyanite were applied using the highest residual pressure value of 0.76 GPa, with the calculated isopleth being consistent with previous results obtained by conventional thermodynamic geothermobarometry. We conclude that the quartz-inclusions-in-kyanite system can be used as a reliable new Raman geobarometer.

An apatite to unravel petrogenic processes of the Nova-Bollinger Ni-Cu magmatic sulfide deposit, Western Australia

The trace element signature and U-Pb systematics of apatite are useful in identifying petrogenic processes and tracking crust through the ∼375–600 °C thermal interval. Furthermore, as apatite is more abundant in mafic rocks than other more conventional U-Pb chronometers (e.g. zircon), it may be better suited to constrain magmatic ore systems. This work focuses on a case study of apatite from the Nova-Bollinger Ni-Cu magmatic sulfide deposit in the Fraser Zone of the Albany Fraser Orogen, Western Australia. LA-ICP-MS analysis is used to characterise the U-Pb systematics and trace element chemistry of apatite across four rock types at Nova-Bollinger. These analyses are combined with whole-rock geochemistry and petrography to resolve the poorly understood thermal evolution of Nova-Bollinger after peak metamorphic conditions.Apatite U-Pb data indicate an initial 15 °C/my cooling rate to 1284 ± 12 Ma from peak metamorphic conditions of ∼850 °C at 1304 ± 22 Ma. After 1284 Ma the cooling rate dramatically slowed to 1.2 °C/my until at least 1225 ± 17 Ma. Most apatite retains an igneous trace element signature where thermal diffusion has not influenced trace element concentrations, suggesting that any exposure to temperatures above ∼670 °C was short-lived or trace element diffusion was slow. Furthermore, trace element chemistry discriminates apatite that crystallised from an evolved intercumulus disequilibrium liquid, and apatite that crystallised in equilibrium with the mineral assemblage of more fractionated rocks. The new results from this study highlight the change from a fast to slow cooling regime in this litho-tectonic zone, likely driven by ebbing regional magma emplacement. This new information enables better understanding of the tectono-magmatic evolution of the Proterozoic Nova-Bollinger deposit and the broader Fraser Zone.

Metamorphic tourmaline and its petrogenetic significance from the Maramureș Mountains (East Carpathians, Romania)

Abstract This study describes mineralogical and crystallochemical characteristics of metamorphic tourmalines from an Alpine shear zone in a Variscan metamorphic rock sequence from the Maramures region in the northern part of the East Carpathians. We use this mineral to unravel aspects of the evolution of the tourmaline bearing host rocks and compare the crystallo-chemical characteristics to other tourmalines from Alps. Petrographic and microstructural observations, as well as electron microprobe analyses on several zoned tourmalines and associated minerals (mica, feldspar) from mylonitic schist of the Rebra terrane (Maramureș Mountains), indicate that the pre-kinematic tourmalines belong to the alkali group (Na dominant), hydroxyl dominated on the crystallographic W-site and can be assigned to the species dravite and schorl. The tourmaline-bearing rocks have a metasedimentary protolith. The analysed porphyroblasts, rotated by simple shear, show corroded rim that are interpreted to have formed due to pressure release. Three main compositional zones were evidenced on a tourmaline porphyroblast: a core zone and two asymmetrically arranged inclusion-poor/free rims, all formed in pre-alpine prograde metamorphic conditions. Based on mineral microstructural relations and geothermobarometry (tourmaline–muscovite, tourmaline–plagioclase geothermometry and phengite geobarometry), the metamorphic peak conditions of the investigated Rebra terrane were evaluated to have been at a temperature of ca. 590 to 620 ± 22 °C and Pmin = 5.5 - 6.0 ± 0.5 kbar. By observing dynamically recrystallized microstructures in quartz and feldspar in the shear zone a temperature of 350 - 400 °C was estimated and the quartz paleopiezometry outlined a differential stress of about 1.5 kbar that implied only minor chemical change in tourmaline outer zone.

Neoarchean arc magmatism and Paleoproterozoic high-pressure granulite-facies metamorphism in the southern Motloutse Complex, eastern Botswana: Implications for the western extension of the Limpopo Complex

We provide the first record of the occurrence of high-pressure garnet-bearing amphibolite and mafic granulite hosted by amphibolites from the Maope area of the southern Motloutse Complex in eastern Botswana. The mineral assemblages of the rocks are garnet + edenite + plagioclase + ilmenite + rutile + quartz (garnet-bearing amphibolite), magnesio-hornblende + orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + quartz (mafic granulite), and magnesio-hornblende + plagioclase + quartz + ilmenite + epidote + titanite (host amphibolite). The poikiloblastic garnet in the garnet-bearing amphibolite contains inclusions of edenite, ilmenite, quartz, and plagioclase as prograde minerals, while it is mantled by ferro-edenite + plagioclase coronae formed during retrograde metamorphism. The geochemical signatures of the mafic granulite and amphibolite, combined with the enrichment of large-ion lithophile elements and depletion of high-field strength elements (Nb and Ta), indicate subduction-related volcanic arc affinity, whereas the garnet-bearing amphibolite indicates subduction-related volcanic arc or within-plate basalt affinity. The peak metamorphic condition of the garnet-bearing amphibolite was constrained as 850–910 °C and 10.0–10.5 kbar based on phase equilibrium modeling in the Na2O-CaO-FeO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O-TiO2-Fe2O3 (NCFMASHTO) system and geothermobarometry. Slightly lower conditions were obtained from the mafic granulite (745–825 °C) and amphibolite (610–750 °C). Zircon grains from the garnet-bearing amphibolite with lower Th/U ratios of 0.02–0.23 yielded a weighted-mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 2020.2 ± 4.9 Ma as the timing of high-grade metamorphism. In contrast, oscillatory-zoned zircons from the mafic granulite with higher Th/U ratios of 0.44–0.86 recorded a magmatic age of 2648.8 ± 9.8 Ma. As the age is consistent with previously reported age of a tonalite gneiss (2645 Ma) from the same region, we infer bimodal arc magmatism during Neoarchean. The results of this study indicate that the southern Motloutse Complex underwent high-pressure granulite-facies metamorphism with post-peak decompression along a single clockwise P–T evolution during Paleoproterozoic Era (∼2.02 Ga). Our integrated petrological and geochronological studies suggest that the southern Motloutse Complex is nearly equivalent to the Beit Bridge Complex as a possible western extension of a collisional suture (the Central Zone of the Limpopo Complex) between the Archean Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons. The occurrence of ca. 2.0 Ga high-pressure granulite-facies rocks from the southern Motloutse Complex might suggest multiple collisions of discrete crustal units during Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic.

The slab–mantle wedge interface of an incipient subduction zone: Insights from the P–T–D evolution and petrological characteristics of the Dalrymple Amphibolite, Palawan Ophiolite, Philippines

AbstractIn this contribution, we present the petrological characteristics and pressure–temperature–deformation (P–T–D) history of the Dalrymple Amphibolite in Palawan Island, Philippines. This unit occurs below the residual mantle peridotites of the Palawan Ophiolite composed of interlayered dunite and harzburgite. The Dalrymple Amphibolite is predominantly composed of high‐grade metamafic blocks with minor metasedimentary units surrounded by a highly sheared hybridized matrix (kyanite + Ca‐amphibole + biotite + ilmenite ± garnet). Zr‐in‐rutile geothermometry and quartz‐in‐garnet geobarometry of the garnet amphibolite block reveal the P–T conditions of the prograde metamorphism from ~625°C, 11.5 kbar to ~700°C, 13 kbar. Zr‐in‐rutile geothermometer and the TZARS geobarometer (clinozoisite + rutile + quartz = anorthite + titanite + H2O) further indicate comparable peak metamorphic conditions for the amphibolite and epidote amphibolite (~605–710°C, 10–13 kbar) blocks. Geothermobarometry of the matrix surrounding the blocks reveals similar peak metamorphic conditions of ~700°C and 13 kbar to the garnet amphibolite blocks. The paleogeothermal gradient preserved in the Dalrymple Amphibolite (~16°C/km) and its block‐in‐matrix structure are atypical of metamorphic soles and are more akin to high‐T mélange complexes interpreted to have formed during incipient subduction. These P–T estimates and its block‐in‐matrix structure suggest that the Dalrymple Amphibolite likely represents the slab–mantle wedge interface of a young arc complex already transitioning from the much warmer paleogeothermal gradients of the slab–mantle wedge interface when subduction was first initiated. The similar peak metamorphic conditions constrained in the matrix and the metamafic blocks in the Dalrymple Amphibolite indicate that the matrix‐forming deformation started before the sequence reached peak metamorphic conditions at depths of around 45 km. Furthermore, the petrological and geochemical characteristics of this block‐in‐matrix sequence and the multiple generation of cross‐cutting veins reveal the complex processes that occur in the slab–mantle wedge interface of an arc in its infancy. Our results highlight the prevalence of Ca‐amphibole and kyanite over phyllosilicates (e.g., chlorite and serpentine) in the mélange matrix, mixing of crustal components along the slab–mantle wedge interface promoted by multiple deformation events and the ubiquity of fluids throughout its history. Subduction zones with similar geothermal gradients (e.g., warm subduction zones) possibly share these petrological characteristics.

Experiments and thermodynamic modelling on the blueschists in the Longmu Co‐Shuanghu Suture Zone, North Tibet: Estimation of the metamorphic conditions and implications for garnet stability in the subduction zone

The pressure–temperature (P‐T) path of blueschist is usually applied to understanding the evolution of the subducted oceanic crust. Garnet plays a key role in calculating the metamorphic conditions, but sometimes it is absent in the blueschists. Nevertheless, the high‐P experimental simulation may serve as a useful tool to constrain the P‐T conditions. In the middle of the Longmu Co‐Shuanghu Suture, North Tibet, blueschist blocks embedded in the marble were discovered, where garnet is abundant in the core but absent in the marble‐contacting margin. These two kinds of blueschist contain similar mineral assemblage (glaucophane, epidote, and phengite) and show comparable basaltic character. Pseudosection modelling was applied to the garnet‐bearing blueschist that calculated the peak metamorphic condition of ca. 1.9 GPa and 530°C. As for the garnet‐absent blueschist, experiments (1.2–2.3 GPa and 500–800°C) were performed on the designed mixture of 93 wt% basalt and 7 wt% calcite. The results show that the total Fe content in the glaucophane and barroisite is positively correlated with the pressure but not with temperature, which could be regarded as a geobarometer. Accordingly, the peak condition was constrained at 2.3 GPa and 500–600°C. Therefore, the equivalent metamorphic conditions of the blueschists indicate that the Palaeo‐Tethys oceanic crust subducted into at least 70 km. Furthermore, both the experiments and the T‐X (CaCO3) pseudosection, constructed based on basaltic lithology, support that the absence of garnet in the blueschist is predominantly caused by the mixing of calcite. In summary, this study provides a valid attempt in exploring metamorphic conditions by experiment simulation, and evaluates the profound influence of the interaction between the basaltic crust and overlying carbonate‐bearing sediments in the subduction zone.

Ultrahigh-temperature granulite-facies metamorphism and exhumation of deep crust in a migmatite dome during late- to post-orogenic collapse and extension in the central Adirondack Highlands (New York, USA)

AbstractThis study combines field observations, mineral and whole-rock geochemistry, phase equilibrium modeling, and U-Pb sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) zircon geochronology to investigate sillimanite-bearing felsic migmatites exposed on Ledge Mountain in the central Adirondack Highlands (New York, USA), part of an extensive belt of mid-crustal rocks comprising the hinterland of the Mesoproterozoic Grenville orogen. Phase equilibrium modeling suggests minimum peak metamorphic conditions of 960–1025 °C and 11–12.5 kbar during the Ottawan orogeny—significantly higher pressure-temperature conditions than previously determined—followed by a period of near-isothermal decompression, then isobaric cooling. Petrography reveals abundant melt-related microstructures, and pseudosection models show the presence of at least ~15%–30% melt during buoyancy-driven exhumation and decompression. New zircon data document late Ottawan (re)crystallization at ca. 1047 ± 5 to 1035 ± 2 Ma following ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) metamorphism and anatexis on the retrograde cooling path. Inherited zircon cores give a mean date of 1136 ± 5 Ma, which suggests derivation of these felsic granulites by partial melting of older igneous rocks. The ferroan, anhydrous character of the granulites is similar to that of the ca. 1050 Ma Lyon Mountain Granite and consistent with origin in a late- to post-Ottawan extensional environment. We present a model for development of a late Ottawan migmatitic gneiss dome in the central Adirondacks that exhumed deep crustal rocks including the Snowy Mountain and Oregon anorthosite massifs with UHT Ledge Mountain migmatites. Recognition of deep crustal meta-plutonic rocks recording UHT metamorphism in a migmatite gneiss dome has significant implications for crustal behavior in this formerly thickened orogen.

Geochemistry and mineral chemistry of pelitic gneiss of Ikare area, southwestern Nigeria

This study conducts Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis on the pelitic gneiss of the Basement complex of Nigeria. Phase equilibrium modeling was undertaken in the MnO–Na2O–CaO–K2O–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O–TiO2–O2 (MnNCKFMASHTO) chemical system using THERMOCALC. The rock comprises of sillimanite + biotite + garnet + K-feldspar + quartz + ilmenite + plagioclase ± cordierite. Garnet has inclusions of sillimanite, biotite, and quartz. There is a very close association between biotite and sillimanite. Fibrolitic and prismatic sillimanite are both present. Fibrolitic sillimanite surrounding biotite could have possibly formed through melt-residue back reactions involving crystallization of melt. Garnet has almandine higher than 60 % and pyrope less than 33 %. Plagioclase feldspar has anorthite content between 29 and 39 %, comprising of both oligoclase and andesine. Microtextures such as cordierite corona round garnet, symplectite and kinked biotite were observed. The textural association indicates that cordierite was formed at the expense of garnet and sillimanite; garnet + sillimanite + plagioclase => cordierite + melt/fluid. Metamorphic peak conditions of 770–840 °C and 5.5–7 kbar were obtained for the mineral assemblage garnet-biotite-sillimanite-K-feldspar-quartz indicating medium-pressure granulite facies metamorphism.

Metamorphic evolution of the pelitic and mafic granulites from Daltonganj, Chhotanagpur Granite Gneiss Complex, India: Constraints from zircon U–Pb age and phase equilibria modelling

The Daltonganj region is located on the northwestern extension of the Chhotanagpur Granite Gneiss Complex in the eastern Indian Peninsula, which is characterized by pelitic and mafic assemblages of granulite facies rock. The pelitic granulites contain garnet, cordierite, biotite, plagioclase, K‐feldspar, sillimanite, and quartz. Petrographical interpretations divulge prograde and retrograde metamorphic events within mafic granulites, which consist of clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, amphibole, plagioclase, biotite, and quartz. Field observation, petrography, phase equilibrium modelling, and U–Pb zircon geochronology of the pelitic granulites reveal two stages of metamorphic events along the clockwise P–T path. Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) zircon U–Pb age dating of pelitic granulites shows the detrital zircon ages from ~1,734 Ma to 1,677 Ma, and the possible metamorphic domains show the weighted mean age of 1,638 ± 22 Ma, which represents the timing of metamorphism. Subsequently, the magmatic emplacement of mafic granulites was recorded at 1,629 ± 6 Ma age by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) zircon U–Pb dating which coincide with the timing of metamorphism of the pelitic granulite. Phase equilibrium modelling in the NCKFMASHTO system divulges the pre‐peak metamorphic stage at ~3.2 kbar and ~620°C and the first stage which is characterized by a peak metamorphic condition that ranges from 7.40 to 9.10 kbar and from 815 to 835°C during ~1,638 Ma with the mineral assemblage of garnet + sillimanite + biotite + plagioclase + K‐feldspar + melt + quartz + ilmenite. Sequentially, the retrograde metamorphism is observed by a nearly isothermal decompression stage at ~4.0 kbar/~790°C after 1,638 Ma, due to the appearance of garnet + cordierite + biotite + plagioclase + K‐feldspar + melt + quartz + ilmenite + magnetite. The formation of cordierite is due to the decompression and dehydration melting phases. The Nb, Sr, and Ti negative anomalies suggest their generation from crustal sources. The geochemical analyses constrain that the sedimentation of pelitic sediments was recorded along the convergent margin and encountered by a subduction‐related tectonic setting. The geochemical interpretation provides significant evidence that the protoliths of pelitic granulites were derived from the Singhbhum Mobile Belt, Mahakoshal Supracrustal Belt, and Bundelkhand Craton, while their metamorphism was processed by the continent–continent collision and followed by exhumation.

Neoarchean ultrahigh-temperature sapphirine granulites from the Karimnagar Granulite Terrane, Southern India: Implications for hot orogen along the Eastern Dharwar Craton margin

We have uncovered evidence of Neoarchean ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) metamorphism in the Karimnagar Granulite Terrane (KGT), southern India, based on new petrological and mineralogical data of sapphirine-bearing and related granulites. We investigated their petrogenesis and implications of a hot orogen along the north-eastern margin of the Eastern Dharwar Craton (EDC). We found various reaction textures, such as spinel mantled by sapphirine and hydration of orthopyroxene, indicating a peak mineral assemblage of cordierite + sapphirine + spinel + orthopyroxene + biotite + rutile + K-feldspar. Phase-equilibria modelling in the Na2O–CaO–K2O–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O–TiO2–Fe2O3 system indicates peak metamorphic conditions of 905 °C–910 °C and 4.5–4.6 kbar. The peak stage was followed by a retrograde metamorphic stage represented by increasing modal abundance of biotite and consumption of rutile and spinel at ~730 °C and ~ 4 kbar, suggesting near-isobaric cooling. Using the chemical Th–U-Pbtotal isochron method, we dated monazites in textural association with sapphirines and cordierites in a sapphirine–spinel–orthopyroxene–cordierite granulite. The resulting Neoarchean age (2638 ± 44 Ma) probably represents the timing of peak UHT metamorphism. We infer that Neoarchean UHT metamorphism and post-peak near-isobaric cooling took place in the terrane during the terminal stage of complex accretion–collision tectonic processes related to amalgamation of microcontinents and/or magmatic arcs that occurred during 2.70–2.62 Ga, one of the major episodic crust-forming events in the EDC. Our findings and regional distribution of lithologies overturn the existing tectonic model of the KGT as a collisional suture zone between the EDC and the Bastar Craton. Moreover, we propose that the KGT is a discrete tectonic block composed of ~2.7–2.6-Ga granulites and younger granite representing the mid-crustal segment of the EDC, which was uplifted as a tilted tectonic block along the southern flank of the Kadam outlier.

Petrochronology of high‐pressure granulite facies rocks from Southern Brasília Orogen, SE Brazil: Combining quantitative compositional mapping, single‐element thermometry and geochronology

AbstractWe use a combination of several in situ techniques to assess the P‐T‐t path of high‐pressure granulites from the Passos Nappe in the Southern Brasília Orogen (SE Brazil). Quantitative element mapping and single‐element thermometers (Zr‐in‐rutile and Ti‐in‐quartz) are coupled with P‐T pseudosections and monazite and rutile dating. Compositional and temperature maps, based on cathodoluminescence mapping and in situ analyses of Ti‐in‐quartz, are presented as a novel approach to evaluate crystallization temperature. The studied rocks have a pelitic protolith and record a peak pressure assemblage of garnet + kyanite + rutile + K‐feldspar + quartz + melt ± plagioclase that formed at ~830°C and 1.2 GPa. Retrograde conditions of ~560°C and 0.6 GPa are determined based on the grossular content of garnet and the crystallization of biotite and ilmenite. Metamorphic peak conditions occurred ca. 635 Ma, according to monazite dating, with a younger date of ca. 615 Ma associated with later kyanite crystallization. Rutile ages of ca. 590 Ma are linked to the late retrograde stage (at ~600°C). Results show that the distribution of Ti‐in‐quartz is heterogeneous, decreasing in abundance towards the rim of crystals, though the higher temperatures constrained with Ti‐in‐quartz thermometry are broadly consistent with peak conditions. The peak pressure conditions are consistent with continental collision setting in the Southern Brasília Orogen and were followed by an early cooling/decompression stage and then by a slow cooling during exhumation and transport to shallower crustal levels.

Seeing through metamorphic overprints in Archean granulites: Combined high-resolution thermometry and phase equilibrium modeling of the Lewisian Complex, Scotland

Abstract The Lewisian Complex in northwest Scotland presents a record of the transition from the Neo-Archean to the Paleoproterozoic. However, this record is complicated by a long and varied history after peak metamorphism that has erased and/or partially reset much of the early history of the rocks. Such overprinting is a common feature of Archean granulites and poses a substantial problem when trying to understand the tectonic processes that were active prior to the onset of modern plate tectonics. By combining careful petrography with phase diagram modeling and a range of exchange thermometers we obtain the peak and retrograde temperature history of the Lewisian Complex from a single, well-preserved, representative sample of garnet-bearing mafic granulite. We present the application of high-resolution electron probe microanalysis (HR-EPMA) to characterize sub-micrometer orthopyroxene exsolution lamellae in clinopyroxene. We discuss ways to mitigate issues associated with HR-EPMA including surface contamination, beam drift, standards, and the need to correct for secondary fluorescence effects. The resulting compositions from our HR-EPMA analyses provide an independent measure of the retrograde temperature conditions and can also be used to back-calculate the compositions of clinopyroxene in the peak assemblage. We obtain peak metamorphic conditions for the Lewisian of >11 kbar and >1025 °C, and constrain subsequent metamorphic overprints to 850 °C (Grt-Cpx), 590 °C (Opx-Cpx), and 460 °C (Mag-Ilm). These peak and retrograde temperatures span the range of those found in the literature. Whereas recent phase equilibrium studies assume equilibrium among all preserved high-T minerals, this study considers microstructural and mineral-chemical evidence for corona formation that reflects post-peak decompression with partial equilibration at ~850 °C, as recognized in some earlier studies.

Paleo-Tethys subduction induced slab-drag opening the Neo-Tethys: Evidence from an Iranian segment of Gondwana

The Iranian plateau has a more straightforward relationship between the Paleo-Tethys and Neo-Tethys, than other regions in the Tethyan realm and is an ideal place to test the genetic connection of how the Paleo-Tethys affected the Neo-Tethys. Moreover, there is no consensus on how Paleo-Tethyan evolution influenced the Neo-Tethyan Wilson cycle. We studied the petrology , geochemistry , and metamorphic age of an eclogite suite at Rasht in northern Iran from the Paleo-Tethyan suture. The eclogitic protolith was a typical mid-ocean-ridge basalt and achieved its peak metamorphic condition of 2.7 GPa and 590 °C at 353 ± 8.9 Ma. Reconstructed pressure-temperature-time path of the eclogite-facies rocks suggests that the eclogitic protolith entered the trench at 356 ± 8.9 Ma. Mid-oceanic ridge rocks formed at ~380 Ma at the Rasht region and other places along the Alborz Mountain strike. A ~ 25 million years (Myr) period from the birth of oceanic crust to subduction at Rasht region implies that the mid-ocean-ridge was close to the trench. We propose that the Paleo-Tethyan mid-ocean-ridge was trench-parallelly subducted beneath the Eurasian boundary in northern Iran. This ridge-subduction propagated from east to west between 380 and 355 Ma. 47–27 Myr after ridge consumption, subduction of the remaining Paleo-Tethyan oceanic crust exerted a continuous extensional stress of ~0.1 GPa on the passive margin of Gondwana since the late Carboniferous. The drag-force eventually detached the Central Iranian Block from Gondwana, and opened the Neo-Tethyan ocean during the middle-late Permian .

Incipient charnockite formation at the waning stage of Paleoproterozoic hot orogenesis, Yeongnam Massif, Korea

The incipient charnockite or orthopyroxene-bearing granitic orthogneiss is a relatively common constituent in ancient granulite-facies terranes, and its formation has been often attributed to an influx of CO2-rich fluid or a removal of aqueous melt. Temporal relationship between the orthopyroxene formation and the fluid or melt migration, however, remains debatable. Here we report the first finding of incipient charnockite hosted by garnet-biotite-bearing granitic gneisses in the Sancheong–Hadong anorthosite complex, Yeongnam Massif. Both lithologies preserve a variety of field and microstructural evidence for partial melting and subsequent melt crystallization, as manifested by granitic leucosomes and biotite-rich residua. Based on the phase equilibria modeling and geothermobarometric calculation, peak metamorphic conditions of migmatities were estimated to be 5.4–6.0 kbar and 800–850 °C, which led to the biotite dehydration melting together with the orthopyroxene formation in incipient charnockite. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U–Pb analyses of zircon from an incipient charnockite and a host gneiss yielded the weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb ages identical within errors; 1880 ± 5 Ma and 1872 ± 6 Ma for the cores, and 1862 ± 4 Ma and 1861 ± 4 Ma for the rims, respectively. The former is interpreted to represent the time for magmatic crystallization of granitic protoliths, whereas the latter for subsequent anatexis typified by peritectic growth of orthopyroxene. Such a timeline is consistent with two distinct thermal events previously reported from the Sancheong-Hadong anorthosite complex. By contrast, monazite grains from a biotite-bearing granitic gneiss in the charnockite zone yielded the weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb ages of 1866 ± 14 Ma and 1835 ± 11 Ma for the core and rim, respectively. The latter is consistent with 1842 ± 8 Ma, estimated from monazite neoblasts of incipient charnockite. The monazite growth during a post-peak metamorphic stage at ca. 1.84 Ga is attributed to a fluid influx event, apparently concentrated in the charnockite zone. The charnockite formation in the Yeongnam Massif further attests to the longevity (>ca. 40 m.y.) of hot orogenesis that has governed the Paleoproterozoic crustal evolution in eastern North China Craton.

Thermodynamic analysis of HP-UHP fluid inclusions: The solute load and chemistry of metamorphic fluids

Subduction fluids play a crucial role in regulating long-term chemical cycles. Their characterisation is essential to understand the processes responsible for metasomatism, oxidation and melting of the mantle wedge. Both direct (fluid inclusion studies) and indirect (thermodynamic modelling) approaches to study subduction fluids have reliability issues due to the complexity of the investigated processes. Post-entrapment processes (e.g., solvent loss by diffusion or decrepitation and/or chemical reactions between host mineral and trapped fluid) are likely to modify the chemical fingerprint of ultra-high pressure (UHP) fluid inclusions, while thermodynamic modelling of solute-bearing fluids at UHP conditions is still at the beginning of its application. In this work, we apply and compare data obtained by both approaches for fluid inclusions trapped within UHP clinopyroxene from a chemically simple Ol-Cpx-Dol-Cal marble (Brossasco-Isasca Unit, Dora-Maira Massif, Western Italian Alps). Classical molecular-fluid thermodynamics is adequate to qualitatively describe the post-entrapment reactions between fluid inclusions and host clinopyroxene. However, an electrolytic fluid model is necessary to describe the chemical composition of the solute-bearing aqueous fluids at the peak metamorphic condition (H2O: 96.30 mol%/88.49 wt%; solutes: 3.61 mol%/11.34 wt%/2.08 mol/kg; other volatiles: 0.09 mol%/0.17 wt%) generated by progressive rock dissolution. Comparison of the model fluid composition with that inferred from the analysis of fluid inclusions clarifies the types and the extent of post-trapping chemical modification of the UHP fluid inclusions. Our data reveal that the fluid-host reactions carry up to 42 mol% of host clinopyroxene component in the fluid inclusion bulk composition, whereas the fluid inclusion decrepitation and the water diffusion in the host clinopyroxene (through dislocations and/or micro-fractures) cause an H2O loss ranging from 18 mol% to 99 mol%. Applying these approaches, we demonstrate that the most relevant post-entrapment process is H2O loss. We also demonstrate that some fluid inclusions did not experience post-entrapment fluid-host modification and, thus, preserve the original fluid geochemistry.

An extensive record of orogenesis recorded in a Madagascar granulite

AbstractWe present a comprehensive petrological and geochronological study of a single granulite sample from the lithosphere‐scale Beraketa shear zone in southern Madagascar to constrain the orogenic history of Gondwana assembly in this region. The studied sample provides a panoply of data constraining the prograde, retrograde, and late metasomatic history of the region via the application of Ti‐in‐quartz, Ti‐in‐zircon, Zr‐in‐rutile, and Al‐in‐orthopyroxene thermobarometry; phase‐equilibrium modelling; U–Pb monazite, zircon, and rutile petrochronology; and trace element diffusion chronometry in rutile. Our results reveal five stages of metamorphism along a narrow clockwise P–T path that may have begun as early as 620–600 Ma and certainly by 580–560 Ma, based on the oldest concordant zircon dates. The rock was heated to >725°C at less than 7.5 kbar (Stage 1) before burial to ~8 kbar (Stage 2). By c. 540 Ma, the rock had heated to ~970°C at ~9 kbar, and lost approximately 12% melt (Stage 3), before decompressing and cooling to the solidus at ~860°C and 6.5 kbar within 10 Ma (Stage 4). The vast majority of monazite and zircon dates record Stage 4 cooling and exhumation. Monazite and zircon rim dates as young as c. 510 Ma record subsolidus cooling (Stage 5) and associated symplectite formation around garnet. U–Pb rutile dates record partial resetting at c. 460 Ma; Zr‐ and Nb‐in‐rutile diffusion chronometry link these dates to a metasomatic event that lasted <1 Ma at ~600°C. In addition to chronicling a near‐complete cycle of metamorphism in southern Madagascar, this study constrains the rates of heating and cooling. We estimate that heating (7–14°C/Ma) outpaced reasonable radiogenic heating rates with modest mantle heat conduction. Therefore, we conclude that elevated mantle heat conduction or injection of mantle‐derived magmas likely contributed to regional ultrahigh‐temperature metamorphism (UHTM). Exhumation and cooling from peak metamorphic conditions to the solidus occurred at rates greater than 0.45 km/Ma and 14°C/Ma.