High-T, low-P metamorphism in the Palaeoproterozoic Halls Creek Orogen, northern Australia: the middle crustal response to a mantle-related transient thermal pulse

High‐T, low‐P metamorphic rocks of the Palaeoproterozoic central Halls Creek Orogen in northern Australia are characterised by low radiogenic heat production, high upper crustal thermal gradients (locally exceeding 40 °C km^?1) sustained for over 30 Myr, and a large number of layered mafic‐ultramafic intrusions with mantle‐related geochemical signatures. In order to account for this combination of geological and thermal characteristics, we model the middle crustal response to a transient mantle‐related heat pulse resulting from a temporary reduction in the thickness of the mantle lithosphere. This mechanism has the potential to raise mid‐crustal temperatures by 150–400 °C within 10–20 Myr following initiation of the mantle temperature anomaly, via conductive dissipation through the crust. The magnitude and timing of maximum temperatures attained depend strongly on the proximity, duration and lateral extent of the thermal anomaly in the mantle lithosphere, and decrease sharply in response to anomalies that are seated deeper than 50–60 km, maintained for <5 Myr in duration and/or have half‐widths <100 km. Maximum temperatures are also intimately linked to the thermal properties of the model crust, primarily due to their influence on the steady‐state (background) thermal gradient. The amplitudes of temperature increases in the crust are principally a function of depth, and are broadly independent of crustal thermal parameters. Mid‐crustal felsic and mafic plutonism is a predictable consequence of perturbed thermal regimes in the mantle and the lowermost crust, and the advection of voluminous magmas has the potential to raise temperatures in the middle crust very quickly. Although pluton‐related thermal signatures significantly dissipate within <10 Myr (even for very large, high‐temperature intrusive bodies), the interaction of pluton‐ and mantle‐related thermal effects has the potential to maintain host rock temperatures in excess of 400–450 °C for up to 30 Myr in some parts of the mid‐crust. The numerical models presented here support the notion that transient mantle‐related heat sources have the capacity to contribute significantly to the thermal budget of metamorphism in high‐T, low‐P metamorphic belts, especially in those characterised by low surface heat flow, very high peak metamorphic geothermal gradients and abundant mafic intrusions.     

Constraints on the application of carbon isotope thermometry in high- to ultrahigh-temperature metamorphic terranes

Nine marble horizons from the granulite facies terrane of southern India were examined in detail for stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in calcite and carbon isotopes in graphite. The marbles in Trivandrum Block show coupled lowering of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values in calcite and heterogeneous single crystal δ¹³C values (? 1 to ? 10‰) for graphite indicating varying carbon isotope fractionation between calcite and graphite, despite the granulite facies regional metamorphic conditions. The stable isotope patterns suggest alteration of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values in marbles by infiltration of low δ¹³C–δ¹⁸O‐bearing fluids, the extent of alteration being a direct function of the fluid‐rock ratio. The carbon isotope zonation preserved in graphite suggests that the graphite crystals precipitated/recrystallized in the presence of an externally derived CO₂‐rich fluid, and that the infiltration had occurred under high temperature and low f_O2 conditions during metamorphism. The onset of graphite precipitation resulted in a depletion of the carbon isotope values of the remaining fluid+calcite carbon reservoir, following a Rayleigh‐type distillation process within fluid‐rich pockets/pathways in marbles resulting in the observed zonation. The results suggest that calcite–graphite thermometry cannot be applied in marbles that are affected by external carbonic fluid infiltration. However, marble horizons in the Madurai Block, where the effect of fluid infiltration is not detected, record clear imprints of ultrahigh temperature metamorphism (800–1000 °C), with fractionations reaching <2‰. Zonation studies on graphite show a nominal rimward lowering δ¹³C on the order of 1 to 2‰. The zonation carries the imprint of fluid deficient/absent UHT metamorphism. Commonly, calculated core temperatures are > 1000 °C and would be consistent with UHT metamorphism.     

Mechanisms of coal metamorphism: case studies from Paleozoic coalfields

Controls on coal metamorphism can be complex. In this paper, we examine four Paleozoic coalfields: the western Kentucky portion of the Illinois Basin, the Pennsylvania anthracite fields, the South Wales Coalfield, and the Bowen Basin. An increase in temperature with depth of burial is certainly a factor in coal metamorphism. In many coalfields, however, including the coalfields reviewed here, it has become apparent that such a simple mechanism does not explain the coal rank patterns observed. The flow of hydrothermal fluids through the coals has been proposed as a cause of coal metamorphism. Evidence includes inverted rank gradients, elevated CFL as an indicator of brine fluids, isotopic evidence for hydrothermal fluids, and vein and cleat mineral assemblages. In any case, multiple hypotheses must often be evaluated in the examination of any coalfield since the simple paradigm of coal rank increases with a simple increase in temperature with increasing depth does not fit the evidence observed in many cases.     

煤变质作用对煤层气赋存和富集的控制--以沁水盆地为例

通过对国内外有关煤变质作用与煤层气形成、赋存和富集关系研究成果的系统总结，阐述了煤变质作用类型及煤变质作用程度与煤层气的生成、吸附量、煤储层孔隙—裂隙系统形成发育及煤层特性的相互关系，认为煤变质作用对煤层气赋存富集的影响集中体现在它对煤储层孔隙一裂隙系统形成发育过程的控制上。并以沁水盆地为例，探讨了高阶煤煤变质作用对煤层气赋存富集的控制作用，提出了对沁水盆地高阶煤煤层气勘探开发研究的几点思考和建议。     

庐山星子群变质岩的变质作用P-T条件研究

对分布于扬子块体南缘古元古代星子群变质宏的变质作用研究表明，它们普遍经历了角闪岩相的变质，其变质温度为480℃-580℃，压力在300MPa-500MPa之间。这与扬子块体南缘其他元古代地层仅经历了轻微变质的事实截然不同，表明星子群变质岩具有独特的构造演化历史。越来越多的研究发现，星子群变质岩是由地壳伸展作用引发的、来源于下地壳的前寒武纪变质基底，它并不是来源于华夏块体的“飞来峰”。     

吉林延边开山屯地区蓝片岩相变质作用——来自硬绿泥石＋纤锰柱石＋多硅白云母组合的证据

吉林延边开山屯低级变质作用发育于兴凯地块西南晚古生代活动大陆边缘，这里产出二叠纪末的消减增生杂岩。低级变质作用矿物除冻蓝闪石、阳起石、玉髓、黝帘石、多硅白云母、绿泥石、钠长石外，还在灰黑色变泥质岩中发现硬绿泥石 纤锰柱石 多硅白云母组合。这是国内首次报道的以泥质岩为原岩并具有硬绿泥石 纤锰柱石标志矿物组合的蓝片岩相岩石。研究表明，该组合的形成温度290．14(或370．8)℃，具明显的低温特征。     

北大别燕子河片麻岩的锆石U-Pb年龄：印支期变质事件的确定

本文对北大别燕子河地区英云闪长质片麻岩中的锆石进行了单颗粒U-Pb年龄测定。该片麻岩中存在两种类型的锆石,一种是片麻岩原岩中的岩浆锆石,在后期的变质事件中经历了不同程度的Pb丢失;另一种是变质作用过程中的新生锆石。5个分析点拟合出一条很好的不一致线,得到上下交点的年龄分别为880±110Na和228±13Ma(MSWD=1.1),其中上交点的年龄代表了片麻岩原岩的形成时代,下交点的年龄代表了变质作用发生的时间。变质锆石给出了238Ma的一致年龄,与不一致线给出的下交点年龄在误差范围内相同。这一结果表明北大别片麻岩也经历了印支期变质作用。北大别地体为扬子板块的北缘,华北与扬子板块的缝合线应位于北大别以北。     

中国东部苏鲁榴辉岩超基性岩褶皱带的演化及其与大别(中国)和柯切塔夫(哈萨克斯坦)杂岩的对比(英文)

苏鲁褶皱带形成于元古宙 (2 2 33～ 185 5Ma)典型优地槽构造环境 ,主要由石榴橄榄岩、石榴辉石岩、榴辉岩等侵入岩 (柯石英深度相地幔岩浆房中形成 )和它们的火山沉积建造围岩一起经褶皱、变质而形成。变质作用经历了先蓝片岩相 (前花岗岩 )后片麻岩混合岩相过程。由于变质作用的不规律性 ,苏鲁褶皱带可分为 2个构造带 :(1)东部构造带 (蓝片岩 )和 (2 )西部构造带 (片麻岩混合岩 )。根据A·都城秋穗所识别的变质带系统 ,可将其作为一个双变质带。东部构造带以出现许多块状、条带状榴辉岩辉石岩橄榄岩组合的残余岩块为特征 ,其中还残留着高压的矿物 (石榴石、绿辉石、柯石英 ) ,而且有被混合岩和各种交代岩替代的显著标志。在中生代 ,苏鲁元古褶皱带受造山作用的影响活化 ,导致许多花岗岩体的侵入 ,使交代岩广泛发育。     

韧性剪切带的变形变质与同构造熔融作用——以中祁连地块宝库河韧性走滑剪切带为例

宝库河韧性剪切带是发育在中祁连地块北缘上的一条向北陡倾,走向近东西,宽约6 km的右行平移型韧性剪切带.剪切带内岩石原岩为泥质岩、基性岩和花岗岩,变质程度达角闪岩相,变形变质温度在685～763±46℃之间,压力在0.62～0.83±0.13 GPa范围内.其内长英质条带非常发育,规模变化较大,分布局部相对集中且受剪切带控制,走向与剪切带一致,平行于叶理,孤立无根,并在后期递进变形过程中发生不同程度的糜棱岩化、布丁化和褶皱,主要成分为长石和石英,明显不同于韧性剪切前或后侵入的花岗岩脉或岩体.长英质条带特征、REE配分模式及剪切带内岩石的变形变质温度说明剪切带内发育的长英质条带与基体是同源的,是在剪切应变过程中剪切热使围岩内部分物质发生动态熔融形成的,是同构造熔融作用的产物.