Age and early metamorphic history of the Sanbagawa belt: Lu–Hf and P–T constraints from the Western Iratsu eclogite

Two distinct age estimates for eclogite-facies metamorphism in the Sanbagawa belt have been proposed: (i) c.  120–110 Ma based on a zircon SHRIMP age for the Western Iratsu unit and (ii) c.  88–89 Ma based on a garnet–omphacite Lu–Hf isochron age from the Seba and Kotsu eclogite units. Despite the contrasting estimates of formation ages, petrological studies suggest the formation conditions of the Western Iratsu unit are indistinguishable from those of the other two units—all ∼20 kbar and 600–650 °C. Studies of the associated geological structures suggest the Seba and Western Iratsu units are parts of a larger semi-continuous eclogite unit. A combination of geochronological and petrological studies for the Western Iratsu eclogite offers a resolution to this discrepancy in age estimates. New Lu–Hf dating for the Western Iratsu eclogite yields an age of 115.9 ± 0.5 Ma that is compatible with the zircon SHRIMP age. However, petrological studies show that there was significant garnet growth in the Western Iratsu eclogite before eclogite facies metamorphism, and the early core growth is associated with a strong concentration of Lu. Pre-eclogite facies garnet (Grt1) includes epidote–amphibolite facies parageneses equilibrated at 550–650 °C and ∼10 kbar, and this is overgrown by prograde eclogite facies garnet (Grt2). The Lu–Hf age of c.  116 Ma is strongly skewed to the isotopic composition of Grt1 and is interpreted to reflect the age of the pre-eclogite phase. The considerable time gap ( c.  27 Myr) between the two Lu–Hf ages suggests they may be related to separate tectonic events or distinct phases in the evolution of the Sanbagawa subduction zone.     

Asymmetrically zoned reaction rims: assessment of grain boundary diffusivities and growth rates related to natural diffusion-controlled mineral reactions

This study explores garnet coronas around hedenbergite, which were formed by the reaction plagioclase + hedenbergite→garnet + quartz, to derive information about diffusion paths that allowed for material redistribution during reaction progress. Whereas quartz forms disconnected single grains along the garnet/hedenbergite boundaries, garnet forms ～20‐μm‐wide continuous polycrystalline rims along former plagioclase/hedenbergite phase boundaries. Individual garnet crystals are separated by low‐angle grain boundaries, which commonly form a direct link between the reaction interfaces of the plagioclase|garnet|hedenbergite succession. Compositional variations in garnet involve: (i) an overall asymmetric compositional zoning in Ca, Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Al across the garnet layer; and (ii) micron‐scale compositional variations in the near‐grain boundary regions and along plagioclase/garnet phase boundaries. These compositional variations formed during garnet rim growth. Thereby, transfer of the chemical components occurred by a combination of fast‐path diffusion along grain boundaries within the garnet rim, slow diffusion through the interior of the garnet grains, and by fast diffusion along the garnet/plagioclase and the garnet/hedenbergite phase boundaries. Numerical simulation indicates that diffusion of Ca, Al and Fe²⁺ occurred about three to four, four and six to seven orders of magnitude faster along the grain boundaries than through the interior of the garnet grains. Fast‐path diffusion along grain boundaries contributed substantially to the bulk material transfer across the growing garnet rim. Despite the contribution of fast‐path diffusion, bulk diffusion through the garnet rim was too slow to allow for chemical equilibration of the phases involved in garnet rim formation even on a micrometre scale. Based on published garnet volume diffusion data the growth interval of a 20‐μm‐wide garnet rim is estimated at ～10³–10⁴ years at the inferred reaction conditions of 760 ± 50 °C at 7.6 kbar. Using the same parameterization of the growth law, 100‐μm‐ and 1‐mm‐thick garnet rims would grow within 10⁵–10⁶ and 10⁶–10⁷ years respectively.     

Disequilibrium for Ca during growth of pelitic garnet

Compositional zoning in hundreds of almandine-rich garnets in amphibolite by facies micaceous quartzites from the Picuris Range, north-central New Mexico USA, indicates that although Mn, Mg and Fe achieve chemical equilibrium at hand-sample scale during garnet growth, Ca does not. Instead, Ca concentrations at the surface of growing garnets appear to depend strongly on kinetic factors that govern the local chemical environment, yielding disequilibrium for Ca at scales larger than the region immediately surrounding an individual porphyroblast. Detailed zoning profiles were obtained for 371 garnet crystals in a small volume of a single sample of garnetiferous quartzite, and core analyses were made of 97 additional crystals. Each analysis was made on a section that passed precisely through the morphological centre of the crystal, located by means of 3-D imagery from computed X-ray tomography. The data reveal strong correlations between crystal size and concentrations of Mn, Mg and Fe (but not Ca) in garnet cores; a relationship between crystal size and isolation; rigorous cross-correlations among concentrations of Mn, Mg and Fe (but not Ca); and systematic variations in Ca concentrations as a function of crystal size and core composition that are anomalous in comparison to the behaviour of the other divalent cations. We interpret these observations as the result of thermally accelerated diffusion-controlled garnet growth, in circumstances that promoted rapid intergranular diffusion and thus rock-wide equilibration of Mn, Mg and Fe, but that prevented equilibration at similar scale for Ca because of its more sluggish intergranular diffusion. The anomalous behaviour of Ca is made evident in these garnets by the presence of sharp spikes in Ca concentration, which are demonstrably not a consequence of any simultaneous rock-wide event, such as a change in pressure, temperature, or some other intensive parameter. Instead, Ca concentrations probably reflect the local extent of reaction in the immediate vicinity of each porphyroblast. To the degree that such kinetic factors introduce departures from chemical equilibrium for Ca, thermobarometric estimates that involve grossular contents of pelitic garnet will be in error.     

The Discovery of Phlogopite Exsolution Lamellae in Garnets of Eclogite Inclusions, Liaoning Province

In No. 50 kimberlite pipe of Fuxian County, Liaoning Province, an eclogite inclusion(nodule), which is extremely rare in kimberlites, was discovered and phlogopite exsolutionlamellae were found in garnets of the inclusion. Microscopic, TEM and energy spectral observa-tions and studies confirmed that these lamellae are phlogopite. They are colourless and acicularin section, generally 0.5-5μm in width and 10-100μm in length. Nevertheless, fine lamellae,0.05-0.1μm wide and 1-2μm long, are also well developed. Along [111] of the garnet, three setsof phlogopite lamellae show oriented arrangement approximately at angles of 60°-70°, indi-cating that these lamellae might be the product of exsolution from garnet as a result ofpressure-release when eclogite ascended from the relatively deep level to the relatively shallowlevel of the mantle. Tiny acicular exsolution minerals (or inclusions) are commonly found ingarnet and pyroxene in eclogite inclusions of kimberlites all over the world and it has been re-ported that the identified exsolution minerals include pyroxene and rutile. This is the first timethat phlogopite exsolution lamillae were found in eclogite inclusions in the world.     

Field and petrological evidence for a Late Palaeozoic (Upper Carboniferous–Permian) age of the Erfaulet orthogneiss (Gran Paradiso,western Alps)

In the Gran Paradiso massif (western Alps), the boundary between the Erfaulet orthogneiss and the overlying metasediments (Money Complex) is interpreted as a Late Palaeozoic intrusive contact. Major arguments in favour of this hypothesis are: (i) the obliquity of the sedimentary layering with respect to the contact; (ii) the presence of aplitic dykes within the Money Complex; (iii) the lack of a mylonitic zone; and (iv) rare relics of an early generation of garnet in the Money metasediments, interpreted as evidence of the contact metamorphism of the Erfaulet granite. To cite this article: B. Le Bayon, M. Ballèvre, C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

LA-ICP-MS石榴子石U-Pb定年方法在异剥钙榴岩和矽卡岩年代学研究中的应用

本文利用Coherent GeoLasHD型193 nm ArF准分子激光剥蚀系统和Agilent 7900型四极杆电感耦合等离子体质谱仪, 建立了LA-ICP-MS石榴子石U-Pb定年方法。利用该方法, 对采自冀北地区晚古生代镁铁质-超镁铁质混杂岩体中的异剥钙榴岩和闽西南马坑式铁矿含矿石榴子石矽卡岩这两种岩石中的石榴子石开展U-Pb定年研究。在冀北地区晚古生代镁铁质-超镁铁质混杂岩体中的异剥钙榴岩中, 获得石榴子石下交点年龄为(387.6±5.4) Ma (D496-1, MSWD=1.1, N=30)和(409.3±7.8) Ma (D493-1, MSWD=2.0, N=60), 在马坑铁矿石榴子石矽卡岩中, 获得石榴子石下交点年龄为(128.6±2.1) Ma (ZK7921-b24, MSWD=2.0, N=60)和(128.7±3.2) Ma (ZK7922-b1, 用锆石91500校正, MSWD=1.8, N=42); 在潘田铁矿的石榴子石矽卡岩中, 获得石榴子石的下交点年龄为(128.7±1.7) Ma (PT-b1, MSWD=1.7, N=30)和(132.1±1.3) Ma (PT-b1样品, 用锆石91500校正, MSWD=1.6, N=30)(除了指明使用锆石标样91500校正石榴子石未知样品外, 其他皆用石榴子石标样Willsboro校正石榴子石未知样品的U/Pb分馏)。以上结果与Sm-Nd等时线年龄及前人报道的锆石U-Pb年龄在误差范围内一致。对马坑式铁矿石榴子石矽卡岩U-Pb定年结果表明, 利用石榴子石标样Willsboro和锆石标样91500作为外标样校正同一样品中石榴子石U/Pb同位素分馏, 获得的下交点年龄一致, 206Pb/238U年龄的加权平均值也一致, 说明石榴子石与锆石之间的基体效应较小, 在缺乏石榴子石标样时, 可用锆石标样91500代替。在上述研究基础上分析了石榴子石U-Pb定年方法在矽卡岩型矿床成矿时代研究及异剥钙榴岩年代学研究中的应用潜力, 认为石榴子石U-Pb定年方法在矽卡岩型矿床及异剥钙榴岩年代学研究中具有巨大的应用推广前景, 具有重要的理论指导和实际应用意义。     

P-T Paths Derived from Garnet Growth Zoning in Danba Domal Metamorphic Terrain, Sichuan Province, West China

Danba (丹巴) domal metamorphic terrain belongs to Songpan (松潘)-Ganze (甘孜) orogenic belt, where typical Barrovian and Buchan metamorphic zones are preserved. The former included chlorite, biotite, garnet, staurolite, kyanite and sillimanite zones, while the latter only developed silimanite+muscovite and sillimanite+K-feldspar zones. Integrated study has been carried on metamorphic reactions of garnet production and consumption, P-T paths and P-T-X-M phase relation and thermal tectonic model for Danba metamorphic zones. Petrological textures in thin sections show that garnet production and consumption in kyanite-sillimanite zone is mainly attributed to ChI+Ms+PI+Q=Grt+Bt+H2O and kyanite=sillimanite respectively. Based on mineral compositions, the geothermobarometry gives an average P, T condition of (4.9±0.3)×108 Pa, 543±30℃ for the first growth stage of the garnet and (5.8±0.3)±108 Pa, 534±29 ℃ for the second stage of garnet growth respectively. Anti-counter clockwise P-T paths were drawn using Gibbs method by NCMnKFMASH system for sample G98686 in the kyanite zone. The P-T-X-M modeling for the first mineral assemblages shows that the prediction is similar to the measured values in gossular, almandine and spessartine but mole fraction of pyrope and Fe/(Fe+Mg) deviated far from the contours; while that for the second mineral assemblages exhibits that the prediction is consistent with the measured value of pyrope, grossular content and Fe/(Fe+Mg) of garnet. A thermal tectonic model that there are at least three structure levels across the thrnst-decollement zones is presented according to the P-T paths, metamorphic grades and deformation styles for the staurolite-kyanite zone of the Barroviau type metamorphism, which will provide some constraints for the evolution of the nappe complex.     

Metamorphic evolution of garnet-bearing ultramafic rocks from the Gongen area, Sanbagawa belt, Japan

Garnet‐bearing ultramafic rocks including clinopyroxenite, wehrlite and websterite locally crop out in the Higashi‐akaishi peridotite of the Besshi region in the Cretaceous Sanbagawa metamorphic belt. These rock types occur within dunite as lenses, boudins or layers with a thickness ranging from a few centimetres to 1 metre. The wide and systematic variation of bulk‐rock composition and the overall layered structure imply that the ultramafic complex originated as a cumulate sequence. Garnet and other major silicates contain rare inclusions of edenitic amphibole, chlorite and magnetite, implying equilibrium at relatively low P–T conditions during prograde metamorphism. Orthopyroxene coexisting with garnet shows bell‐shaped Al zoning with a continuous decrease of Al from the core towards the rim, consistent with rims recording peak metamorphic conditions. Estimated P–T conditions using core and rim compositions of orthopyroxene are 1.5–2.4 GPa/700–800 °C and 2.9–3.8 GPa/700–810 °C, respectively, implying a high P/T gradient (> 3.1 GPa/100 °C) during prograde metamorphism. The presence of relatively low P–T conditions at an early stage of metamorphism and the steep P/T gradient together trace a concave upwards P–T path that shows increasing P/T with higher T, similar to P–T paths reported from other UHP metamorphic terranes. These results suggest either (1) down dragging of hydrated mantle cumulate parallel to the slab–wedge interface in the subduction zone by mechanical coupling with the subducting slab or (2) ocean floor metamorphism and/or serpentinization at early stage of subduction of oceanic lithosphere and ensuing HP–UHP prograde metamorphism.     

Plastic Deformation and Recrystallization of Garnet: A Mechanism to Facilitate Diffusion Creep

Elongate and deformed garnets from Glenelg, NW Scotland, occurwithin a thin shear zone transecting an eclogite body that hasundergone partial retrogression to amphibolite facies at circa700°C. Optical microscopy, back-scattered electron imaging,electron probe microanalysis and electron back-scatter diffractionreveal garnet sub-structures that are developed as a functionof strain. Subgrains with low-angle misorientation boundariesoccur at low strain and garnet orientations are dispersed, aroundrational crystallographic axes, across these boundaries. Towardshigh-strain areas, boundary misorientations increase and thereis a loss of crystallographic control on misorientations, whichtend towards random. In high-strain areas, a polygonal garnetmicrostructure is developed. The garnet orientations are randomlydispersed around the original single-crystal orientation. Somegarnet grains are elongate and Ca-rich garnet occurs on thefaces of elongate grains oriented normal to the foliation. Commonly,the garnet grains are admixed with matrix minerals, and, wherein contact with other phases, garnet is well faceted. We suggestthat individual garnet porphyroclasts record an evolution fromlow-strain conditions, where dislocation creep and recoveryaccommodated deformation, through increasing strain, where dynamicrecrystallization occurred by subgrain rotation, to higheststrains, where recrystallized grains were able to deform bydiffusion creep assisted grain boundary sliding with associatedrotations. KEY WORDS: diffusion creep; EBSD; garnet; plastic deformation; recrystallization     

Raman microspectrometry, FT-IR and inclusion characteristics of gem garnets from Tanzania and Madagascar

Chemical composition, Raman microspectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-1R) and SEM-CL (Cathodluminescence) analyses are carried out for Tanzania and Madagascar garnets for locality identification. Inclusion study was sustained after electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Needle-like illmenites, apatites and zircons were the most common solid inclusions in Tanzania garnets. Madagascar garnets revealed rutile needles and apatites were also observed, but differences in size, shape and distribution patterns were noticed compared to Tanzania garnets. Tanzania garnets exhibited all types of observable fluid inclusions such as ““ fingerprint““ pattern, called Type Ⅰ-A, liquid-only (L) single phase fluid inclusion, called Type Ⅰ-B and Type Ⅱ-A ( L S), Type Ⅱ-B ( L V) and Type Ⅲ-A (L Sylvite even if all examined garnets from three localities retained ““fingerprint““ features, so called, partially healed fractures, in common. Chemical composition, Raman microspectrometry and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis taken turned out to be useful methods for the purpose of this study. Using consequences of SEM-CL and inclusion study, accordingly, the locality identification of gem-quality garnets is capable of being available in further application for other kinds of gemstones.