P-T Conditions and the Influence of Graphite on Pelitic Phase Relations in the Ballachulish Aureole, Scotland

Pressure-temperature conditions of pelites in the Ballachulishaureole, Scotland, have been determined from a calibrated petrogeneticgrid and from published geothermometers and geobarometers. Tocalibrate the mineral reactions in the grid, thermodynamic datafor appropriate end members of Ms, Chi, Qtz, And, Sil, Ky, Crn,Crd, Kfs, and Bt were derived from experimental data. This approachwas hampered by the unknown compositions of many of the mineralsused in the experiments, and by apparent inconsistency betweenthe experiments. A best compromise grid that satisfies mostof the data was obtained, which is applicable to the Ballachulishand other contact aureoles. In this grid, the first developmentof sillimanite is constrained to lie between the Richardsonet al. (1969) and Holdaway (1971) andalusite-sillimanite boundaries. A pressure estimate of 3.0 + 0.5 kb is obtained from the calibratedgrid, within 0.3 kb of estimates from geobarometry and fromtwo other independent petrological studies. Temperatures rangedfrom 560?20?C at the first development of cordierite in theassemblage Ms+Qtz+Chl+Crd+Bt to 750–800?C in Grt+Crd+Hyassemblages in pelitic screens within the igneous complex. In graphitic slates, in contrast to non-graphitic pelites, anentire andalusite-bearing subzone is developed, and initialcordierite development occurs further from the igneous contacts.The presence of graphite lowered a_H2o in the slaters, expandingthe stability field of the andalusite-bearing assemblage And+Qtz+Bt+Ms+Crdrelative to the assemblage Kfs+Qtz+Bt+Ms+Crd developed in non-graphiticunits. Initial development of cordierite in the assemblage Ms+Qtz+Chl+Crd+Btwas also promoted by reduced a_H2o in graphitic slates. The regular sequence and spacing of mineral zones in the aureolesuggests that gross equilibrium was attained during contactmetamorphism, even though the thermal metamorphic pulse is estimatedto have been less than 0.2 Ma (Buntebarth, in press). Thereis no evidence for reaction overstepping in cordierite-producingreactions.