Pressure--Temperature--Time Paths of Regional Metamorphism II. Their Inference and Interpretation using Mineral Assemblages in Metamorphic Rocks

A companion paper (England & Thompson, 1984a) investigatesthe pressure-temperature-time (PTt) paths followed by rocksundergoing burial metamorphism in continental thickening events.This paper discusses problems involved in inferring such pathsfrom the petrological data available in metamorphic rocks and—oncesuch paths are determined—how they may be interpretedin terms of the thermal budgets of metamorphism. Each of theprincipal facies series (glaucophane-jadeite, andalusite- sillimaniteand kyanite-sillimanite) may be encountered by rocks involvedin the thickening and erosion of continental crust in a regimeof average continental heat flow. The inference of a minimumthermal budget required for a given metamorphism depends stronglyon a knowledge of the PTt paths followed by rocks during themetamorphism. Discrimination between possible thermal regimesis greatly enhanced if portions of PTt paths, rather than singlePT points, are available, and additional constraint is possibleif these paths are supplemented by geochronological, structuraland heat flow data.