Peak Eclogite Facies Research Articles

Transitional time of oceanic to continental subduction in the Dabie orogen: Constraints from U–Pb, Lu–Hf, Sm–Nd and Ar–Ar multichronometric dating

We investigated the oceanic-type Xiongdian high-pressure eclogites in the western part of the Dabie orogen with combined U–Pb, Lu–Hf, Sm–Nd and Ar–Ar geochronology. Three groups of weighted-mean 206Pb/ 238U ages at 315 ± 5, 373 ± 4 and 422 ± 7 Ma are largely consistent with previous dates. In contrast, Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd isochron dates yield identical ages of 268.9 ± 6.9 and 271.3 ± 5.3 Ma. Phengite and amphibole Ar–Ar total fusion analyses give Neoproterozoic apparent ages, which are geologically meaningless due to the presence of excess 40Ar. Plagioclase inclusions in zircon cores suggest that the Silurian ages likely represent protolith ages, whereas the Carboniferous ages correspond to prograde metamorphism, based on the compositions of garnet inclusions. Despite weakly-preserved prograde major- and trace element zoning in garnet, a combined textural and compositional study reveals that the consistent Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd ages of ca. 270 Ma record a later event of garnet growth and thus mark the termination of high-pressure eclogite–facies metamorphism. The new U–Pb, Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd ages suggest a model of continuous processes from oceanic to continental subduction, pointing to the onset of prograde metamorphism prior to ca. 315 Ma for the subduction of oceanic crust, while the peak eclogite–facies metamorphic episode is constrained to between ca. 315 and 270 Ma. Thus, the initiation of continental subduction is not earlier than ca. 270 Ma.

Petrology of eclogites from north of Shahrekord, Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, Iran

Metabasic rocks were recently found within a ductile shear zone in the north of Shahrekord, being a part of the structural zone of Sanandaj-Sirjan, SW Iran. The rocks give evidence of a so far unrecognized eclogite facies metamorphic event and testify to high pressure metamorphism in the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, near the Main Zagros Reverse Fault, which is the assumed suture zone between the Arabian plate and the Iranian block. The eclogites occur as lenses or blocks within ortho- and paragneisses. The petrographic features and reaction textures display at least two main metamorphic stages: (1) a peak eclogite facies stage, and (2) a subsequent amphibolite facies stage. The eclogite facies metamorphism is indicated by omphacite + garnet + sodic-calcic amphiboles (barroisite, magnesiokatophorite and magnesiotaramite) + phengite + rutile + (clino-)zoisite + quartz ± dolomite. The garnets are mainly almandine-rich, which fits with the C-type eclogite classification. Calcic amphiboles (hornblende, tschermakite and pargasite) + plagioclase are secondary phases formed during the retrograde amphibolite-facies metamorphism. P-T estimates for the eclogite facies give pressures of 21–24 kbar and temperatures of 590–630 °C (geothermometry) and 470–520 °C (THERMOCALC), respectively. Geothermobarometry for the amphibolite-facies metamorphism yields 10–11 kbar and 650–700 °C.

Prograde pressure‐temperature path of jadeite‐bearing eclogites and associated high‐pressure/low‐temperature rocks from western Tianshan, northwest China

Abstract Jadeite‐bearing eclogites and associated blueschists locally crop out in a greenschist facies area at Kuldkourla, near the Akeyazhi River in the western Chinese Tianshan region, northwestern China. Garnet in these metamorphic rocks shows prograde zoning with increasing Mg and decreasing Mn from the crystal center towards the rim, and is divided into Ca‐poor/Fe‐rich core and Ca‐rich/Fe‐poor mantle parts. The garnet cores include the assemblages of (i) jadeite/omphacite (Xjd = 0.34–0.96) + barroisite/taramite; and (ii) omphacite + barroisite/pargasite, with paragonite, epidote, rutile and quartz as major phases with rare albite. The garnet mantles rarely contain inclusions of omphacite, glaucophane, epidote, rutile and quartz. Major matrix phases of the pre‐exhumation stage are omphacite, glaucophane, paragonite, rutile and quartz. These mineral parageneses give pressure (P)‐temperature (T) conditions of 0.9 GPa/390°C−1.4 GPa/560°C for the stage of the garnet core formation, 1.8 GPa/520°C for the stage of the garnet mantle formation, and 2.2 GPa/495°C‐2.4 GPa/535°C for the peak eclogite facies assemblage in the matrix. The estimated P‐T conditions and continuous changes of mineral parageneses imply a counterclockwise P‐T path which is a combination of (i) an early prograde stage of high‐pressure/low‐temperature (HP/LT) blueschist facies and/or LP/LT eclogite facies; (ii) a later prograde stage involving compression with minimal heating; and (iii) a climax‐of‐subduction stage characterized by a slight decrease of temperature with increasing pressure. The negative dP/dT of the latest subduction stage is possibly a record of the following events after a continuous subduction and ridge approach: (i) material migration within the upper part of the subducting slab, which has an inverse thermal gradient caused by ductile flow and/or slab break during subduction; and/or (ii) temporary cooling of the wedge mantle–slab interface by continuous subduction of a relatively cold slab following subduction of a hotter ridge.

Late Paleozoic retrograded eclogites from within the northern margin of the North China Craton: Evidence for subduction of the Paleo-Asian ocean

Retrograded eclogites from the central part of the northern margin of the North China Craton, Hebei Province, China occur as separate tectonic lenses or boundins within garnet–biotite–plagioclase gneisses of the Paleoproterozoic Hongqiyingzi Complex characterized by amphibolite facies paragneisses. The petrographic features and mineralogical compositions represent three main metamorphic stages: (1) the peak eclogite facies stage ( P > 1.40–1.50 GPa, T = 680–730 °C), (2) the granulite facies stage and (3) the amphibolite facies stage ( P = 0.67–0.81 GPa, T = 530–610 °C) formed during decompression. The major and trace element and Sm–Nd isotopic data suggest that most of the retrograded eclogite samples had protoliths of tholeiitic oceanic crust with geochemical characteristics of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) or island arc tholeiite (IAT) environment, and were contaminated by crustal components during subsequent subduction. Zircon SHRIMP isotopic dating of two different textural varieties of retrograded eclogite defines a weighted mean age of ∼325 Ma, which is interpreted as the peak metamorphic age of the eclogites and reflects the occurrence of eclogite facies metamorphism related to subduction of Paleo-Asian Oceanic crust beneath the North China Craton during the Late Paleozoic. Finally, we show that the retrograded eclogite from Hebei Province is not related to the Baimashi retrograded eclogite at the northern foot of the Heng Mountains, approximately, 300 km to the southwest.

P–T conditions of Grenville-age eclogite facies metamorphism and amphibolite facies retrogression of the Glenelg–Attadale Inlier, NW Scotland

Peak and retrograde P–T conditions of Grenville-age eclogites from the Glenelg–Attadale Inlier of the northwest Highlands of Scotland are presented. Peak conditions are estimated as c. 20 kbar and 750–780°C, in broad agreement with previous work. The eclogites subsequently followed a steep decompression path to c. 13 kbar and 650–700°C during amphibolite facies retrogression. Peak eclogite facies metamorphism occurred > 1080 Ma and retrogression at c. 995 Ma, suggesting fairly sluggish uplift rates of < 0.3 km/Ma and cooling rates of < 1.25°C/Ma, when compared with other parts of the Grenville orogeny and/or modern orogens. However, current poor constraints on the timing of peak metamorphism mean that these rates cannot be used to interpret the geodynamic evolution of this part of the orogen. The P–T–t data, together with petrology and the field relationships between the basement rocks of the Glenelg–Attadale Inlier and the overlying Moine Supergroup, mean that it is difficult to support the currently held view that an unconformable relationship exists between the two. It is suggested that more data are required in order to re-interpret the Neoproterozic tectonic evolution of the northwest Highlands of Scotland.

Eclogites of the Snowbird tectonic zone: petrological and U-Pb geochronological evidence for Paleoproterozoic high-pressure metamorphism in the western Canadian Shield

Eclogite occurs within the southern domain of the East Athabasca mylonite triangle in northern Saskatchewan. Situated at the boundary between the Archean Rae and Hearne Provinces of the western Canadian Shield, the East Athabasca mylonite triangle is a fundamental exposure of the ~3,000-km-long Snowbird tectonic zone. The eclogite occurs in association with a variety of lower crustal high-pressure granulites that record a complex metamorphic history from 2.6 to 1.9 Ga. Temperatures of the eclogite facies metamorphism are constrained by garnet-clinopyroxene exchange thermometry at 920–1,000 °C. Minimum pressure conditions are recorded by the jadeite+quartz=albite geobarometer at 1.8–2.0 GPa. A near-isothermal decompression path to granulite facies conditions is inferred from retrograde reaction textures involving the formation of granulite facies assemblages such as orthopyroxene-plagioclase and pargasite-plagioclase. U-Pb IDTIMS zircon geochronology of the eclogite yields a weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb date of 1,904.0±0.3 Ma, which we interpret as the time of peak eclogite facies metamorphism. SHRIMP in situ analyses of metamorphic zircons included within omphacitic clinopyroxene support this interpretation with a weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb date of 1,905±19 Ma. Inclusion suites of high-pressure phases and the petrographic setting of zircon are a direct link between zircon growth and eclogite facies metamorphism. Zircon from one eclogite sample has older cores that are 2.54 Ga, which is a minimum age for the emplacement or earliest metamorphism of the gabbroic protolith. U-Pb rutile data indicate slow cooling at ~1°C/Ma below ~500 °C from 1.88 to 1.85 Ga. The formation and exhumation of the eclogites at ca.1.9 Ga has important implications for the tectonic significance of the Snowbird tectonic zone during the Paleoproterozoic. The eclogites described here are consistent with transport of continental crust to mantle depths during the Paleoproterozoic, followed by rapid buoyancy-driven exhumation to normal lower crustal depths.

Discovery of Late Paleozoic retrograded eclogites from the middle part of the northern margin of North China Craton

The retrograded eclogites have been discovered in the middle part of the northern margin of the North China Craton, which occur as lens or boudin within biotite-plagioclase gneisses in Paleoproterozoic Hongqiyingzi Group. The peak eclogite facies (P > 1.40–1.50 GPa, T= 680 –730 °C) mineral assemblage is composed of garnet, omphacite and rutile (± quartz), which was overprinted by the granulite facies mineral assemblage of vermicular symplectite of sodic clinopyroxene and plagioclase which replaced the precursory omphacite, and then amphibolite facies retrograded minerals with characterization of Amp+Pl kelyphitic rim and symplectite, and amphibole replaced clinopyroxene. The protolith of retrograded eclogites is oceanic basalt formed at 438 ± 11 Ma.The peak eclogite facies metamorphic age of the retrograded eclogite is 325 ± 4 Ma. These relict eclogites may be formed by the subduction of Paleo-Asian oceanic crust beneath the North China Craton during Late Paleozoic. The discovery of relict eclogite in this paper provides a new insight into farther understanding of tectonic evolution of the northern margin of the North China Craton, and the relationship between the Paleo-Asian Ocean and the North China Craton.

Metamorphic evolution of the coesite‐bearing ultrahigh‐pressure terrane in the North Qaidam, Northern Tibet, NW China

AbstractWidespread evidence for ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) metamorphism is reported in the Dulan eclogite‐bearing terrane, the North Qaidam–Altun HP–UHP belt, northern Tibet. This includes: (1) coesite and associated UHP mineral inclusions in zircon separates from paragneiss and eclogite (identified by laser Raman spectroscopy); (2) inclusions of quartz pseudomorphs after coesite and polycrystalline K‐feldspar + quartz in eclogitic garnet and omphacite; and (3) densely oriented SiO2lamellae in omphacitic clinopyroxene. These lines of evidence demonstrate that the Dulan region is a UHP metamorphic terrane. In the North Dulan Belt (NDB), eclogites are characterized by the peak assemblage Grt + Omp + Rt + Phn + Coe (pseudomorph) and retrograde symplectites of Cpx + Ab and Hbl + Pl. The peak conditions of the NDB eclogites areP= 2.9–3.2 GPa, andT= 631–687 °C; the eclogite shows a near‐isothermal decompressionP–Tpath suggesting a fast exhumation. In the South Dulan Belt (SDB), three metamorphic stages are recognized in eclogites: (1) a peak eclogite facies stage with the assemblage Grt + Omp + Ky + Rt + Phn atP= 2.9–3.3 GPa andT= 729–746 °C; (2) a high‐pressure granulite facies stage with Grt + Cpx (Jd < 30) + Pl (An24–29) + Scp atP= 1.9–2.0 GPa,T= 873–948 °C; and (3) an amphibolite facies stage with the assemblage Hbl + Pl + Ep/Czo atP= 0.7–0.9 GPa andT= 660–695 °C. The clockwiseP–Tpath of the SDB eclogites is different from the near‐isothermal decompressionP–Tpath from the NDB eclogites, which suggests that the SDB was exhumed to a stable crustal depth at a slower rate. In essence these two sub‐belts formed in different tectonic settings; they both subducted to mantle depths of around 100 km, but were exhumed to the Earth's surface separately along different paths. This UHP terrane plays an important role in understanding continental collision in north‐western China.

Petrology and geochronology of eclogites from the western segment of the Altyn Tagh, northwestern China

The eclogites from the western segment of the Altyn Tagh occur as lens or boundins within quartzofeldspathic gneisses or pelitic gneisses characterized by amphibolite facies parageneses. The petrographic features and reaction textures testify to three main metamorphic stages: (1) the peak eclogite facies stage ( P>15 kbar, T=665–880°C), (2) the granulitic facies stage ( P=11–14 kbar, T=670–800°C) and (3) the amphibolite facies stage ( P=6.3–9.5 kbar, T=619–738°C) during decompression. The trace element, rare earth element and Sm–Nd isotopic data suggest that most of the eclogites have protolith features resembling transitional type (T-type) mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB). The well preserved eclogite was selected for Sm–Nd and U–Pb isotopic dating. The Sm–Nd isotopic data yield a whole rock–garnet–omphacite isochron of 500±10 Ma age. The U–Pb isotopic measurement of zircons from the same eclogite shows that the four grain populations are near concordant and are well plotted on concordia, giving a weighted mean age of 503.9±5.3 Ma. The two different geochronological methods yield a similar age which is interpreted as the peak metamorphic age of eclogites, and reflects the existence of a mountain root related to continental subduction during Early Paleozoic. Moreover, based on the comparison with similar rocks in the northern margin of the Qaidam basin, a displacement of 350–400 km for the Altyn Tagh fault have been estimated.

P–T path of high‐pressure/low‐temperature rocks and tectonic implications in the western Tianshan Mountains, NW China

The Chinese western Tianshan high‐pressure/low‐temperature (HP–LT) metamorphic belt, which extends for about 200 km along the South Central Tianshan suture zone, is composed of mainly metabasic blueschists, eclogites and greenschist facies rocks. The metabasic blueschists occur as small discrete blocks, lenses, bands, laminae or thick beds in meta‐sedimentary greenschist facies country rocks. Eclogites are intercalated within blueschist layers as lenses, laminae, thick beds or large massive blocks (up to 2 km2 in plan view). Metabasic blueschists consist of mainly garnet, sodic amphibole, phengite, paragonite, clinozoisite, epidote, chlorite, albite, accessory titanite and ilmenite. Eclogites are predominantly composed of garnet, omphacite, sodic–calcic amphibole, clinozoisite, phengite, paragonite, quartz with accessory minerals such as rutile, titanite, ilmenite, calcite and apatite. Garnet in eclogite has a composition of 53–79 mol% almandine, 8.5–30 mol% grossular, 5–24 mol% pyrope and 0.6–13 mol% spessartine. Garnet in blueschists shows similar composition. Sodic amphiboles include glaucophane, ferro‐glaucophane and crossite, whereas the sodic–calcic amphiboles mainly comprise barroisite and winchite. The jadeite content of omphacite varies from 35–54 mol%. Peak eclogite facies temperatures are estimated as 480–580 °C for a pressure range of 14–21 kbar. The conditions of pre‐peak, epidote–blueschist facies metamorphism are estimated to be 350–450 °C and 8–12 kbar. All rock types have experienced a clockwise P–T path through pre‐peak lawsonite/epidote‐blueschist to eclogite facies conditions. The retrograde part of the P–T path is represented by the transition of epidote‐blueschist to greenschist facies conditions. The P–T path indicates that the high‐pressure rocks formed in a B‐type subduction zone along the northern margin of the Palaeozoic South Tianshan ocean between the Tarim and Yili‐central Tianshan plates.

Oxygen and carbon isotopic constraints on the development of eclogites, Holsnøy, Norway

Eclogite formation on the island of Holsnøy required the addition of water to anhydrous granulite-facies protoliths. In order to assess this process, oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of whole rock powders and mineral separates from eclogites and granulites have been measured. Whole rock oxygen isotope ratios range from 7.3 to 6.0%. SMOW in granulites (average = 6.38%.) and 7.2 to 6.1%. in eclogites (average = 6.55%.). Field relations permit identification of the granulite protolith of eclogites. Oxygen isotope measurements show shifts of up to 0.5%. between some eclogites compared to their corresponding granulite protoliths, indicating open system and locally heterogeneous fluid behavior. Mineral pair fractionations in the eclogites show disequilibrium, are incompatible with slow cooling and diffusive exchange between phases, and suggest that open system fluid movement continued after eclogite-facies metamorphism. Carbonate is also present in some of the eclogites as a primary mineral (dolomite) and as part of a retrograde assemblage (calcite). Textural evidence suggests that carbonate formation occurred during and after eclogite formation, however all measured carbonate is out of isotopic equilibrium with eclogite facies minerals, due to the influx of retrograde fluids. Massive calcite marble pods, containing amphibolite facies cale-silicate minerals, have average δ 18O of 9.5 ± 0.6%., while calcite in retrograded eclogites has δ 18O 17.7 ± 2.7%., The δ 13C (≈ −4 ± 0.8%.) is indistinguishable between these two groups. Both whole rock and carbonate stable isotope data are interpreted as indicating a continued history of fluid infiltration during and after peak eclogite facies metamorphism. The most probable source of fluids are from dewatered sediments tectonically juxtaposed during the Caledonian orogeny.