Lawsonite-Omphacite-Bearing Metabasites of the Pam Peninsula, NE New Caledonia: Evidence for Disrupted Blueschist- to Eclogite-Facies Conditions

The Diahot terrane of NE New Caledonia contains an interbeddedsequence of Cretaceous to Eocene metasediments, felsic and maficmetavolcanics that experienced c. 40 Ma high-P/T metamorphism.Metabasaltic assemblages define two prograde events (M₁ andM₂) and a tectonically disrupted crustal profile that extendsfrom lawsonite–blueschist conditions in the SW to paragonite–eclogiteconditions in the NE. Weakly deformed metabasalts from lowest-gradeparts of the Diahot terrane contain M₁ omphacite, chlorite,lawsonite and glaucophane-bearing assemblages that partiallypseudomorph igneous plagioclase and augite, and reflect P =0·7–1·0 GPa and T = 350–400°C.M₁ assemblages are enveloped by a steeply SW-dipping S₂ foliationthat becomes progressively more intense towards the NE overa distance of c. 15 km. S₂ assemblages are divided into fourzones: (1) lawsonite–omphacite; (2) lawsonite–clinozoisite–spessartine;(3) clinozoisite–hornblende–almandine; (4) almandine–omphacite.S₂ assemblages reflect a P–T gradient that spans the exposed15 km of the Diahot terrane from P = 0·8–1·0GPa and T = 350–400°C (Zone 1) to P = 1·6–1·7GPa and T = 550–600°C (Zone 4). The systematic mineralogicalchanges reflect parts of a P–T array between 1·0and 1·7 GPa that was extensively disrupted by tectonicthinning during exhumation. KEY WORDS: blueschist; eclogite; New Caledonia; CNFMASH; pseudosection     

U-Pb Zircon Calendar for Namaquan (Grenville) Crustal Events in the Granulite-facies Terrane of the O'okiep Copper District of South Africa

The O'okiep Copper District is underlain by voluminous 1035–1210Ma granite gneiss and granite with remnants of metamorphosedsupracrustal rocks. This assemblage was intruded by the 1030Ma copper-bearing Koperberg Suite that includes jotunite, anorthosite,biotite diorite and hypersthene-bearing rocks ranging from leuconoriteto hypersthenite. New sensitive high-resolution ion microprobeage data demonstrate the presence of 1700–2000 Ma zirconas xenocrysts in all of the intrusive rocks, and as detritalzircon in the metasediments of the Khurisberg Subgroup. Thesedata are consistent with published Sm–Nd model ages ofc. 1700 Ma (T_CHUR) and c. 2000 Ma (T_DM) of many of the intrusivesthat support a major crust-forming event in Eburnian (Hudsonian)times. In addition, U–Th–Pb analyses of zirconsfrom all major rock units define two tectono-magmatic episodesof the Namaquan Orogeny: (1) the O'okiepian Episode (1180–1210Ma), represented by regional granite plutonism, notably theNababeep and Modderfontein Granite Gneisses and the Concordiaand Kweekfontein Granites that accompanied and outlasted (e.g.Kweekfontein Granite) regional tectonism [F₂(D₂)] and granulite-faciesmetamorphism (M₂); (2) the Klondikean Episode (1020–1040Ma), which includes the intrusion of the porphyritic RietbergGranite and of the Koperberg Suite that are devoid of regionalplanar or linear fabrics. Klondikean tectonism (D₃) is reflectedby major east–west-trending open folds [F₃(D_3a)], andby localized east–west-trending near-vertical ductilefolds [‘steep structures’; F₄(D_3b)] whose formationwas broadly coeval with the intrusion of the Koperberg Suite.A regional, largely thermal, amphibolite- to granulite-faciesmetamorphism (M₃) accompanied D₃. This study demonstrates, interalia, that the complete spectrum of rock-types of the KoperbergSuite, together with the Rietberg Granite, was intruded in ashort time-interval (<10 Myr) at c. 1030 Ma, and that therewere lengthy periods of about 150 Myr of tectonic quiescencewithin the Namaquan Orogeny: (1) between the O'okiepian andKlondikean Episodes; (2) from the end of the latter to the formalend of Namaquan Orogenesis 800–850 Ma ago. KEY WORDS: U–Pb, zircon; O'okiep, Namaqualand; granite plutonism; granulite facies; Koperberg Suite; Namaquan (Grenville) Orogeny     

Structure and Petrology of the Alpine-type Peridotite at Burro Mountain, California, U.S.A.

The alpine-type peridotite at Burro Mountain is a partiallyserpentinized harzburgite-dunite body approximately 2 km indiameter. It lies in a chaotic mélange derived from theFranciscan Formation (Upper Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous) ofthe southern Coast Ranges of California. The peridotite is boundedon the east by a vertical fault in the Nacimiento fault zonethat brings sedimentary rocks of Taliaferro's (1943b) AsuncionGroup (Upper Cretaceous) into contact with the peridotite. Theperidotite appears to be one of a number of tectonic lenses,having a wide range in size, that make up the mélange.These lenses include metagraywacke, metachert, greenstone, amphibolite,and blueschist, as well as ultramafic rocks, and represent awide range of pressure-temperature environments. The outer shell of the peridotite is a sheared serpentinitezone 10–15 m thick. The peridotite was tectonically emplacedat its present level as a cold solid mass and had little effecton the mineral assemblages of the Franciscan Formation. Localdevelopment of lawsonite and aragonite in shear zones may berelated to the peridotite emplacement. Foliated harzburgite forms approximately 60 per cent of theperidotite. It is a lithologically uniform rock that has anolivine: orthopyroxene ratio of approximately 75:25. Accessoryclinopyroxene and chromian spinel generally make up less than5 per cent of the harzburgite. Dunite, composed of olivine,accessory chromian spinel (< 5 per cent), and trace amountsof pyroxene, makes up approximately 40 per cent of the peridotiteand occurs as dikes, sills, and irregular bodies in the harzburgite. Olivine and pyroxene show small but significant compositionalvariations and chromian spinel shows a large range in the cationratio Cr/(Cr+Al+ Fe³⁺). The compositional variations in theseminerals are related to original differences in bulk chemicalcomposition. The following compositional ranges were determinedfor minerals in the harzburgite: olivine, Fo_91.1–Fo_91.4;orthopyroxene, En_89.8–En_91.1; clinopyroxene, Ca_47.0Mg_50.0Fe_3.0–Ca_48.7Mg_48.2Fe_3.1;chromian spinel, Cr/(Cr+Al+Fe³⁺) 0.37–0.55. The pyroxeneshave a range in A1₂O₃ content of 1.3–3.0 wt per cent.Olivine from dunite ranges from Fo₉₁ to Fo_{92 7} and the chromianspinel has a range in the Cr/(Cr+Al+Fe³⁺) ratio of 0.30–0.75.Although all the dunites are lithologically similar, three distincttypes are recognized on the basis of composition of coexistingolivine and chromian spinel. Structural relations between thethree types of dunite suggest three periods of emplacement (possiblyoverlapping) of dunite into harzburgite. The evidence indicatesthat the dunite, and probably also the harzburgite crystallizedfrom an ultramafic magma, probably in the upper mantle. After the magmatic episode and crystallization, the peridotitewas subjected to a deep-seated plastic deformation and recrystallization.The first phase of the deformation produced a pervasive, planarstructural element (S₁) that crosscuts many harzburgite-dunitecontacts. It is probable that some of the dunite sills wereemplaced during this deformation. The foliation, S₁, is definedby layers of different orthopyroxene content in harzburgite,and by discontinuous layers of chromian spinel in dunite. Flowor slip along S₁ produced slip folds in harzburgite—dunitecontacts with axial planes parallel to S₁. At a later stage,isoclinal folds developed in S₁, and the present olivine microfabricwas probably formed by recrystallization in the stress fieldthat produced the isoclinal folding. In the olivine microfabric,X tends to be perpendicular to the axial planes (S₂) of theisoclinal folds and Y and Z tend to form double maxima in S₂approximately 90° apart. Mg–Fe²⁺ distribution betweencoexisting mineral pairs yields a calculated temperature offormation of approximately 1200 °C. Although this temperatureis only a nominal value, it indicates that the mineral pairsequilibrated at a significantly high temperature. In view ofthe deformation and recrystallization, the calculated temperaturepossibly represents subsolidus re-equilibration of the mineralsduring this event. The deformation and recrystallization probablyoccurred shortly after crystallization while the peridotitewas still at a high temperature. A later deep-seated deformation produced small scattered kinkfolds in S₁ that tend to disrupt the major olivine microfabric.The kink folding was accompanied or followed by the developmentof kink bands in olivine that reflect intragranular glidingon the system T = [Okl], t = [100]. The kink bands probablyformed at a minimum temperature of 1000 °C. Following the deep-seated deformation, which probably took placein the mantle, the peridotite mass was tectonically detachedand moved upward to its present level in the crust. Cleavages,joints, and faults provided channels for water to pervade theperidotite and allow alteration of the primary minerals.     

Melting Behaviour of Model Lherzolite in the System CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-FeO at 0{middle dot}7-2{middle dot}8 GPa

Fe–Mg exchange is the most important solid solution involvedin partial melting of spinel lherzolite, and the system CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–FeO(CMASF) is ideally suited to explore this type of exchange duringmantle melting. Also, if primary mid-ocean ridge basalts arelargely generated in the spinel lherzolite stability field bynear-fractional fusion, then Na and other highly incompatibleelements will early on become depleted in the source, and themelting behaviour of mantle lherzolite should resemble the meltingbehaviour of simplified lherzolite in the CMASF system. We havedetermined the isobarically univariant melting relations ofthe lherzolite phase assemblage in the CMASF system in the 0·7–2·8GPa pressure range. Isobarically, for every 1 wt % increasein the FeO content of the melt in equilibrium with the lherzolitephase assemblage, the equilibrium temperature is lower by about3–5°C. Relative to the solidus of model lherzolitein the CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ system, melt compositionsin the CMASF system are displaced slightly towards the alkalicside of the basalt tetrahedron. The transition on the solidusfrom spinel to plagioclase lherzolite has a positive Clapeyronslope with the spinel lherzolite assemblage on the high-temperatureside, and has an almost identical position in P–T spaceto the comparable transition in the CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–Na₂O(CMASN) system. When the compositions of all phases are describedmathematically and used to model the generation of primary basalts,temperature and melt composition changes are small as percentmelting increases. More specifically, 10% melting takes placeover 1·5–2°C, melt compositions are relativelyinsensitive to the degree of melting and bulk composition, andequilibrium and near-fractional melting yield similar melt compositions.FeO and MgO are the oxides that exhibit the greatest changein the melt with degree of melting and bulk composition. Theamount of FeO decreases with increasing degree of melting, whereasthe amount of MgO increases. The coefficients for Fe–Mgexchange between the coexisting crystalline phases and melt,K_dFe–Mg^xl–liq, show a relatively simple and predictablebehaviour with pressure and temperature: the coefficients forolivine and spinel do not show significant dependence on temperature,whereas the coefficients for orthopyroxene and clinopyroxeneincrease with pressure and temperature. When melting of lherzoliteis modeled in the CMASF system, a strong linear correlationis observed between the mg-number of the lherzolite and themg-number of the near-solidus melts. Comparison with meltingin the CMASN system indicates that Na₂O has a strong effecton lherzolite melting behaviour only at small degrees of melting. KEY WORDS: CMASF; lherzolite solidus; mantle melting     

Phase Relations in Peridotitic and Pyroxenitic Rocks in the Model Systems CMASH and NCMASH

Alpine-type peridotites and associated pyroxenites are foundas lenses in the continental crust in many different orogens.The reconstruction of the pressure–temperature (P–T)evolution of these rocks is, however, difficult or even impossible.With geothermobarometry, usually one point on the overall P–Tpath can be obtained. To use the different mineral assemblagesobserved in ultramafic rocks as P–T indicators, quantitativeP–T phase diagrams are required. This study presents newcalculated phase diagrams for peridotitic and pyroxenitic rocksin the model systems CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O(CMASH) and Na₂O–CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O(NCMASH), which include the respective solid solutions as continuousexchange vectors. These phase diagrams represent applicablepetrogenetic grids for peridotite and pyroxenite. On the basisof these general petrogenetic grids, phase diagrams for particularperidotite and pyroxenite bulk compositions are constructed.In an example of pyroxenite from the Shackleton Range, Antarctica,the different observed mineral assemblages are reflected bythe phase diagrams. For these rocks, a high-pressure metamorphicstage around 18 kbar and an anticlockwise P–T evolution,not recognized previously, can be inferred. KEY WORDS: Antarctic; high-pressure metamorphism; peridotite; phase diagrams; pyroxenite     

Synthesis of Staurolite in Melting Experiments of a Natural Metapelite: Consequences for the Phase Relations in Low-Temperature Pelitic Migmatites

We document experiments on a natural metapelite in the range650–775°C, 6–14 kbar, 10 wt % of added water,and 700–850°C, 4–10 kbar, no added water. Staurolitesystematically formed in the fluid-present melting experimentsabove 675°C, but formed only sporadically in the fluid-absentmelting experiments. The analysis of textures, phase assemblages,and variation of phase composition and Fe–Mg partitioningwith P and T suggests that supersolidus staurolite formed at(near-) equilibrium during fluid-present melting reactions.The experimental results are used to work out the phase relationsin the system K₂O–Na₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂Oappropriate for initial melting of metapelites at the upperamphibolite facies. The P–T grid developed predicts theexistence of a stable P–T field for supersolidus staurolitethat should be encountered by aluminous Fe-rich metapelitesduring fluid-present melting at relatively low temperature andintermediate pressures (675–700°C, 6–10 kbarfor X_H2O = 1, in the KNFMASH system), but not during fluid-absentmelting. The implications of these findings for the scarcityof staurolite in migmatites are discussed. KEY WORDS: metapelites; migmatites; partial melting; P–T grid; staurolite     

Petrogenesis of the Eastern Bushveld Complex: Crystallization of the Middle Critical Zone

The bronzite—chromite-anorthite assemblage of the F—unit(Cameron & Emerson, 1959) from the Critical Zone of theBushveld Igneous Complex, was examined with the aid of an electrolyticcell designed after Sato (1971). The resultant fO₂-T data reveala last equilibration at an fO₂ value of 10^{11·82 ±·40} atm and at a temperature of 1091 ± 35 °C.These fO₂-T data when compared with: (1) a one atmosphere quenching—technique solidus determinationof 1110 ± 5 °C, (2) the Bushveld plagioclase compositional trends (Cameron,1970), (3) Bushveld petrofabric examinations (Cameron, 1969) (4) phase equilibria in the system CaO–MgO–FeO–CaAl₂Si₂O₈–SiO₂(Roeder & Osborn, 1966), (5) phase equilibria in the system CaAl₂Si₂O₈–NaAlSi₃O₈–SiO₂–MgO–Fe–O₂–H₂O–CO₂(Eggler, 1974), all support the idea that the Eastern Bushveld magma was notappreciably differentiating in the middle Critical Zone betweenF and the L Horizons, an accumulation of nearly 220 meters.     

High-Grade Reworking of Central Australian Granulites: Metamorphic Evolution of the Arunta Complex

The poly-metamorphic evolution of the Strangways Range granulitesof central Australia has been constrained by the phase stabilityrelationships of silica-saturated aluminous gneisses in KFMASH,in conjunction with geothermobarometry and equilibrium thermodynamics.Two contrasting, but overlapping, P-T paths are proposed. Thefirst (M1, at 1800 Ma) had an ‘anticlockwise’ P-Tpath (i.e., increasing P/T with time) and was terminated byisobaric cooling from 850–950 C, at 8–9 kb, toa stable crustal geotherm (<700C). In contrast, the secondgranulite metamorphism (M2–M5, suggested to be at 1400–1500Ma; Goscombe, 1992a) followed a ‘clockwise’ P-Tpath(i.e., decreasing P/T with time) terminated by decompressionand cooling to {small tilde}6–7 kb on a stable crustalgeotherm. M2–M5 occurred during reworking of M, granulitesby compressional orogenesis (Goscombe, 1992a). Initially, loadingand prograde metamorphism accompanied non-coaxial ductile shearand fold repetition (D2–D3). Prograde metamorphism wasfollowed by uplift and retrogression accompanying oblique transpressionand shear zone development while still under compression (D4–D5)(Goscombe, 1992a). The poly-metamorphic evolution indicatesthat ductile deformation reworked the M₁ granulites in an orogenicepisode unrelated, both temporally and tectonically, to M₁,metamorphism (Goscombe, 1992b).     

Garnetiferous Metabasites from the Sausar Mobile Belt: Petrology, P-T Path and Implications for the Tectonothermal Evolution of the Central Indian Tectonic Zone

A suite of garnetiferous amphibolites and mafic granulites occuras small boudins within layered felsic migmatite gneiss in thenorthern part of the Sausar Mobile Belt (SMB), the latter constitutingthe southern component of the Proterozoic Central Indian TectonicZone (CITZ). Although the two types of metabasites are in variousstages of retrogression, textural, compositional and phase equilibriastudies attest to four distinct metamorphic episodes. The earlyprograde stage (M_o) is represented by an inclusion assemblageof hornblende₁ + ilmenite₁ + plagioclase₁ ± quartz andgrowth zoning preserved in garnet. The peak assemblage (M₁)consists of porphyroblastic garnet + clinopyroxene ±quartz ± rutile ± hornblende in mafic granulitesand garnet + quartz + hornblende in amphibolites and stabilizedat pressure–temperature conditions of 9–10 kbarand 750–800°C and 8 kbar and 675°C, respectively.This was followed by near-isothermal decompression (M₂), andpost-decompression cooling (M₃) events. In mafic granulites,the former resulted in the development of early clinopyroxene_2A–hornblende_2A–plagioclase_2Asymplectites at 8 kbar and 775°C (M_2A stage), synchronouswith D₂ and later anhydrous clinopyroxene_2B–plagioclase_2B–ilmenite_2Bsymplectites and coronal assemblages at 7 kbar, 750°C (M_2Bstage) and post-dating D₂. In amphibolites, ilmenite + plagioclase+ quartz ± hornblende symplectites appeared during M₂at 6·4 kbar and 700°C. During M₃, coronal garnet+ clinopyroxene + quartz ± hornblende-bearing symplectitesin metabasic dykes and hornblende₃–plagioclase₃ symplectitesembaying garnet in mafic granulites were formed. P–T estimatesshow near-isobaric cooling from 7 kbar and 750°C to 6 kbarand 650°C during M₃. It is argued that the decompressionin the mafic granulites is not continuous, being punctuatedby a distinct heating (prograde?) event. The latter is alsocoincident with a period of extension, marked by mafic dykeemplacement. The combined P–T path of evolution has aclockwise sense and provides evidence for a major phase of earlycontinental subduction in parts of the CITZ. This was followedby a later continent–continent collision event duringwhich granulites of the first phase became tectonically interleavedwith younger lithological units. This tectonothermal event,of possibly Grenvillian age, marks the final amalgamation ofthe North and the South Indian Blocks along the CITZ to producethe Indian subcontinent. KEY WORDS: Central Indian Tectonic Zone; clockwise P–T path; continental collision; metabasite     

High fO2 During Sillimanite Zone Metamorphism of Part of the Barrovian Type Locality, Glen Clova, Scotland

The redox state of sillimanite zone (650–700°C, 5–6kbar) metasediments of the Barrovian type area, Scotland, wasinvestigated using estimates of metamorphic oxygen fugacity(f_O2), sulfur fugacity (f_S2), and fluid chemistry based on newdeterminations of mineral and rock compositions from 33 samples.A total of 94% of the samples lack graphite, contain both ilmenite–hematitesolid solutions (RHOMOX) and magnetite, and had metamorphicf_O2 about 2 log₁₀ units above the quartz–fayalite–magnetite(QFM) buffer. The regional variation in metamorphic f_O2 forthese rocks was minimal, about ±0·3 log₁₀ units,reflecting either a protolith that was homogeneous with respectto redox state, or an initially variable protolith whose redoxstate was homogenized by metamorphic fluid–rock interaction.RHOMOX inclusions in garnet porphyroblasts that become richerin ilmenite from the interior to the edge of the host porphyroblastsuggest that at least some syn-metamorphic reduction of rockoccurred. Significant variations in bulk-rock oxidation ratio(OR) that are probably inherited from sedimentary protolithsare found from one layer to the next; OR ranges mostly between     

The Sulfide Capacity and the Sulfur Content at Sulfide Saturation of Silicate Melts at 1400{degrees}C and 1 bar

The solubility of sulfur as S^2– has been experimentallydetermined for 19 silicate melt compositions in the system CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂(CMAS)± TiO₂ ± FeO, at 1400°C and 1 bar, using CO–CO₂–SO₂gas mixtures to vary oxygen fugacity (fO₂) and sulfur fugacity(fS₂). For all compositions, the S solubility is confirmed tobe proportional to (fS₂/fO₂)^1/2, allowing the definition ofthe sulfide capacity (C_S) of a silicate melt as C_S = [S](fO₂/fS₂)^1/2.Additional experiments covering over 150 melt compositions,including some with Na and K, were then used to determine C_Sas a function of melt composition at 1400°C. The resultswere fitted to the equation     

Transport and Storage of Potassium in the Earths Upper Mantle and Transition Zone: an Experimental Study to 23 GPa in Simplified and Natural Bulk Compositions

We have investigated the stability and composition of potassiumamphibole and its high-pressure breakdown product phase X insynthetic peralkaline and subalkaline KNCMASH (K₂O–Na₂O–CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O)and natural KLB-1 peridotite bulk compositions between 10 and23 GPa at 800–1800°C. In the KNCMASH system, potassiumamphibole reaches its upper pressure stability limit at 13–15GPa at     

Phase Relations and Stability of Magnetoplumbite- and Crichtonite-Series Phases under Upper-Mantle P-T Conditions: an Experimental Study to 15 GPa with Implications for LILE Metasomatism in the Lithospheric Mantle

High-pressure–high-temperature experiments were performedin the range 7–15 GPa and 1300–1600°C to investigatethe stability and phase relations of the K- and Ba-dominantmembers of the crichtonite and magnetoplumbite series of phasesin simplified bulk compositions in the systems TiO₂–ZrO₂–Cr₂O₃–Fe₂O₃–BaO–K₂Oand TiO₂–Cr₂O₃–Fe₂O₃–BaO–K₂O. Both seriesof phases occur as inclusions in diamond and/or as constituentsof metasomatized peridotite mantle xenoliths sampled by kimberlitesor alkaline lamprophyres. They can accommodate large ion lithophileelements (LILE) and high field strength elements (HFSE) on awt % level and, hence, can critically influence the LILE andHFSE budget of a metasomatized peridotite even if present onlyin trace amounts. The Ba and K end-members of the crichtoniteseries, lindsleyite and mathiasite, are stable to 11 GPa and1500–1600°C. Between 11 and 12 GPa, lindsleyite breaksdown to form two Ba–Cr-titanates of unknown structurethat persist to at least 13 GPa. The high-pressure breakdownproduct of mathiasite is a K–Cr-titanate with an idealizedformula KM₇O₁₂, where M = Ti, Cr, Mg, Fe. This phase possessesspace group P6₃/m with a = 9·175(2) Å, c = 2·879(1)Å, V = 209·9(1) ų. Towards high temperatures,lindsleyite persists to 1600°C, whereas mathiasite breaksdown between 1500 and 1600°C to form a number of complexTi–Cr-oxides. Ba and K end-members of the magnetoplumbiteseries, hawthorneite and yimengite, are stable in runs at 7,10 and 15 GPa between 1300 and 1400°C coexisting with anumber of Ti–Cr-oxides. Molar mixtures (1:1) of lindsleyite–mathiasiteand hawthorneite–yimengite were studied at 7–10GPa and 1300–1400°C, and 9–15 GPa and 1150–1400°C,respectively. In the system lindsleyite–mathiasite, onehomogeneous Ba–K phase is stable, which shows a systematicincrease in the K/(K + Ba) ratio with increasing pressure. Inthe system hawthorneite–yimengite, two coexisting Ba–Kphases appear, which are Ba rich and Ba poor, respectively.The data obtained from this study suggest that Ba- and K-dominantmembers of the crichtonite and magnetoplumbite series of phasesare potentially stable not only throughout the entire subcontinentallithosphere but also under conditions of an average present-daymantle adiabat in the underlying asthenosphere to a depth ofup to 450 km. At still higher pressures, both K and Ba may remainstored in alkali titanates that would also be eminently suitablefor the transport of other ions with large ionic radii. KEY WORDS: crichtonite; magnetoplumbite; high-P–T experiments; phase relations; upper mantle     

Melting of Refractory Mantle at 1{middle dot}5, 2 and 2{middle dot}5 GPa under Anhydrous and H2O-undersaturated Conditions: Implications for the Petrogenesis of High-Ca Boninites and the Influence of Subduction Components on Mantle Melting

Boninites are an important ‘end-member’ supra-subductionzone magmatic suite as they have the highest H₂O contents andrequire the most refractory of mantle wedge sources. The pressure–temperatureconditions of boninite origins in the mantle wedge are importantto understanding subduction zone initiation and subsequent evolution.Reaction experiments at 1·5 GPa (1350–1530°C),2 GPa (1400–1600°C) and 2·5 GPa (1450–1530°C)between a model primary high-Ca boninite magma composition anda refractory harzburgite under anhydrous and H₂O-undersaturatedconditions (2–3 wt % H₂O in the melt) have been completed.The boninite composition was modelled on melt inclusions occurringin the most magnesian olivine phenocrysts in high-Ca boninitesfrom the Northern Tongan forearc and the Upper Pillow Lavasof the Troodos ophiolite. Direct melting experiments on a modelrefractory lherzolite and a harzburgite composition at 1·5GPa under anhydrous conditions (1400–1600°C) havealso been completed. Experiments establish a P, T ‘meltinggrid’ for refractory harzburgite at 1·5, 2 and2·5 GPa and in the presence of 2–3 wt % H₂O. Theeffect of 2–3 wt % dissolved H₂O produces a liquidus depressionin primary boninite of     

The Effect of Reaction Overstep on Garnet Microtextures in Metapelitic Rocks of the Ilesha Schist Belt, SW Nigeria

Garnet-bearing assemblages of K-rich and K-poor metapelitesfrom the Ilesha Schist belt, SW Nigeria, are investigated. K-richsamples contain the assemblages (A) garnet–staurolite–muscovite–chlorite–magnetite,(B) andalusite–garnet–staurolite–muscovite–chlorite–magnetiteand (C) sillimanite–andalusite–garnet–muscovite–chlorite–magnetite.K-poor samples contain the assemblages (D) garnet–staurolite–cordierite–chloriteand (E) garnet–cordierite–chlorite ± staurolite.All assemblages contain quartz, plagioclase, biotite and ilmenite.P–T pseudosections calculated in the system CaO–Na₂O–K₂O–TiO₂–MnO–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ –H₂O ± O₂ suggest peak metamorphismat 590 ± 20°C at 5 ± 0·5 kbar, followedby retrogression to 550°C at 3·0 kbar, in agreementwith field evidence, domain assemblages, mineral compositions,modes and geothermobarometry. The absence of compositional zonationshows that garnet in all investigated rocks nucleated and grewat constant P–T–X in equilibrium with associatedminerals on the thin-section scale. However, the garnet-in reactiondid not begin until the establishment of a significant temperatureoverstep of     

Precambrian Sequence Bordering the Skaergaard Intrusion

Archean tonalitic-granodioritic orthogneisses bordering theSkaergaard Intrusion contain widespread boudins and lenses ofgarnet-biotite schist, quartzite, amphibolite, and ultramaficrocks. These rocks are similar to and locally gradational withnarrow intact supracrustal belts in the region. We correlateearliest isoclinal folds in supracrustal belt rocks and in earliesttonalitic-trondhjemitic-granitic (TTG1) orthogneisses with regionallydeveloped (D₂) deformation. We also correlate strong foliation(Ssp1) in the supracrustal rocks and banding (Sbgn1) in earliestorthogneisses with D₂ deformation which followed and overlappedearliest M₁ metamorphism. Ssp1 foliation is in part axial planarwith D₂ isoclinal folds transposing compositional and subparallelmetamorphic banding in the hinge areas. Ssp1 assemblages inmetapelites consist of folia of coexisting sillimanite-biotite-quartzand correspond roughly to metamorphism at the second sillimaniteisograd. We correlate syntectonic emplacement of a later generationof orthogneisses (TTG2) with strong D₃ shearing-cataclasis associatedwith tectonic intercalation of supracrustal rocks and earliestorthogneisses. The latest metamorphic assemblages (M₂) consistof granoblastic and porphyroblastic minerals that overprintSsp1 (M₁) foliation and D₃ fabrics. These assemblages formedduring largely static regional metamorphism about 2900 Ma agoand are locally aligned with fabric elements of D₄ folding. Temperatures during M₂ metamorphism equalled or exceeded thestability of biotite-sillimanite-quartz in metapelites and chlorite-orthopyroxene-olivine-spinel-hornblendein ultramafic rocks. Fe-Mg biotite-garnet exchange, and thepressure-dependent garnet-plagioclase-sillimanite-quartz equilibriumassemblage in metapelites yield temperature and pressure estimatesfor M₂ metamorphism of 650–700?C and 3–4 kb. Thesedata suggest that M₂ assemblages formed as results of dehydrationreactions at water partial pressures that were less than thetotal pressure. The temperature-dependent equilibrium assemblagechlorite-orthopyroxene-olivine-spinel-vapor (+hornblende), adjustedfor observed phase compositions, is consistent with the Fe-Mgbiotitegarnet exchange geothermometer. Rare-earth element, Rb-Sr and Pb-Pb isotopic, and other compositionalcharacteristics of the orthogneisses are generally consistentwith a multiple stage magmatic origin of their protoliths. OlderTTG1 orthogneisses have compositions generally consistent withformation of the magmas parental to their protoliths by partialmelting of garnetiferous source rocks such as eclogite, or lowercrust. Younger TTG2 orthogneisses have compositions that areconsistent with their formation as water-saturated second meltsin equilibrium with a hornblende-rich residuum. Their formationoccurred within a few 10⁷ y after crustal emplacement of TTG1orthogneisses. The source of water for the formation of later(TTG2) melts may have been M₂ dehydration reactions deeper withinthe supracrustal pile.     

Calculated Phase Relations in the System NCKFMASH (Na2O-CaO-K2O-FeO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O) for High-Pressure Metapelites

Petrogenetic grids in the system NCKFMASH (Na₂O–CaO–K₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O)and the subsystems NCKMASH and NCKFASH calculated with the softwareTHERMOCALC 3.1 are presented for the P–T range 7–30kbar and 450–680°C, for assemblages involving garnet,chloritoid, biotite, carpholite, talc, chlorite, kyanite, staurolite,paragonite, glaucophane, jadeite, omphacite, diopsidic pyroxene,plagioclase, zoisite and lawsonite, with phengite, quartz/coesiteand H₂O in excess. These grids, together with calculated compatibilitydiagrams and P–T and T–X_Ca and P–X_Ca pseudosectionsfor different bulk-rock compositions, show that incorporationof Ca into the NKFMASH system leads to many of the NKFMASH invariantequilibria moving to lower pressure and/or lower temperature,which results, in most cases, in the stability of jadeite andgarnet being enlarged, but in the reduction of stability ofglaucophane, plagioclase and AFM phases. The effect of Ca onthe stability of paragonite is dependent on mineral assemblageat different P–T conditions. The calculated NCKFMASH diagramsare powerful in delineating the phase equilibria and P–Tconditions of natural pelitic assemblages. Moreover, contoursof the calculated phengite Si isopleths in P–T and P–X_Capseudosections confirm that phengite barometry in NCKFMASH isstrongly dependent on mineral assemblage. KEY WORDS: phase relations; metapelites; NCKFMASH; THERMOCALC; phengite geobarometry     

Variation in Metamorphic Style along the Northern Margin of the Damara Orogen, Namibia

The northern margin of the Inland Branch of the Pan-AfricanDamara Orogen in Namibia shows dramatic along-strike variationin metamorphic character during convergence between the Congoand Kalahari Cratons (M₃ metamorphic cycle). Low-P contact metamorphismwith anticlockwise P–T paths dominates in the westerndomains (Ugab Zone and western Northern Zone), and high-P Barrovianmetamorphism with a clockwise P–T path is documented fromthe easternmost domain (eastern Northern Zone). The sequenceof M₃ mineral growth in contact aureoles shows early growthof cordierite porphyroblasts that were pseudomorphed to biotite–chlorite–muscoviteat the same time as an andalusite–biotite–muscovitetransposed foliation was developed in the matrix. The peak-Tmetamorphic assemblages and fabrics were overprinted by crenulationsand retrograde chlorite–muscovite. The KFMASH P–Tpseudosection for metapelites in the Ugab Zone and western NorthernZone contact aureoles indicates tight anticlockwise P–Tloops through peak metamorphic conditions of 540–570°Cand 2·5–3·2 kbar. These semi-quantitativeP–T loops are consistent with average P–T calculationsusing THERMOCALC, which give a pooled mean of 556 ± 26°Cand 3·2 ± 0·6 kbar, indicating a high averagethermal gradient of 50°C/km. In contrast, the eastern NorthernZone experienced deep burial, high-P/moderate-T Barrovian M₃metamorphism with an average thermal gradient of 21°C/kmand peak metamorphic conditions of c. 635°C and 8·7kbar. The calculated P–T pseudosection and garnet compositionalisopleths in KFMASH, appropriate for the metapelite sample fromthis region, document a clockwise P–T path. Early plagioclase–kyanite–biotiteparageneses evolved by plagioclase consumption and the growthof garnet to increasing X_Fe, X_Mg and X_Ca and decreasing X_Mncompositions, indicating steep burial with heating. The developedkyanite–garnet–biotite peak metamorphic parageneseswere followed by the resorption of garnet and formation of plagioclasemoats, indicating decompression, which was followed by retrogressivecooling and chlorite–muscovite growth. The clockwise P–Tloop is consistent with the foreland vergent fold–thrustbelt geometry in this part of the northern margin. Earlier formed(580–570 Ma) pervasive matrix foliations (M₂) were overprintedby contact metamorphic parageneses (M₃) in the aureoles of 530± 3 Ma granites in the Ugab Zone and 553–514 Magranites in the western Northern Zone. Available geochronologicaldata suggest that convergence between the Congo and KalahariCratons was essentially coeval in all parts of the northernmargin, with similar ages of 535–530 Ma for the main phaseof deformation in the eastern Northern Zone and Northern Platformand 538–505 Ma high-grade metamorphism of the CentralZone immediately to the south. Consequently, NNE–SSW-directedconvergent deformation and associated M₃ metamorphism of contrastingstyles are interpreted to be broadly contemporaneous along thelength of the northern margin of the Inland Branch. In the westheat transfer was dominated by conduction and externally drivenby granites, whereas in the east heat transfer was dominatedby advection and internally driven radiogenic heat production.The ultimate cause was along-orogen variation in crustal architecture,including thickness of the passive margin lithosphere and thicknessof the overlying sedimentary succession. KEY WORDS: Pan-African Orogeny; P–T paths; pseudosections; low-P metamorphism; contact metamorphism; Barrovian metamorphism     

Calculated Phase Relations in High-Pressure Metapelites in the System NKFMASH (Na2O-K2O-FeO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O)

Using an internally consistent thermodynamic dataset and updatedmodels of activity–composition relation for solid solutions,petrogenetic grids in the system NKFMASH (Na₂O–K₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O)and the subsystems NKMASH and NKFASH have been calculated withthe software THERMOCALC 3.1 in the P–T range 5–36kbar and 400–810°C, involving garnet, chloritoid,biotite, carpholite, talc, chlorite, kyanite/sillimanite, staurolite,phengite, paragonite, albite, glaucophane, jadeite, with quartz/coesiteand H₂O in excess. These grids, together with calculated AFMcompatibility diagrams and P–T pseudosections, are shownto be powerful tools for delineating the phase equilibria andP–T conditions of Na-bearing pelitic assemblages for avariety of bulk compositions from high-P terranes around theworld. These calculated equilibria are in good agreement withpetrological studies. Moreover, contours of the calculated phengiteSi isopleths in P–T pseudosections for different bulkcompositions confirm that phengite barometry is highly dependenton mineral assemblage. KEY WORDS: phase relations; HP metapelite; NKFMASH; THERMOCALC; phengite geobarometry     

Magmatic Evolution of the La Pacana Caldera System, Central Andes, Chile: Compositional Variation of Two Cogenetic, Large-Volume Felsic Ignimbrites

La Pacana is one of the largest known calderas on Earth, andis the source of at least two major ignimbrite eruptions witha combined volume of some 2700 km³. These ignimbrites have stronglycontrasting compositions, raising the question of whether theyare genetically related. The Toconao ignimbrite is crystal poor,and contains rhyolitic (76–77 wt % SiO₂) tube pumices.The overlying Atana ignimbrite is a homogeneous tuff whose pumiceis dacitic (66–70 wt % SiO₂), dense (40–60% vesicularity)and crystal rich (30–40 % crystals). Phase equilibriaindicate that the Atana magma equilibrated at temperatures of770–790°C with melt water contents of 3·1–4·4wt %. The pre-eruptive Toconao magma was cooler (730–750°C)and its melt more water rich (6·3–6·8 wt% H₂O). A pressure of 200 MPa is inferred from mineral barometryfor the Atana magma chamber. Isotope compositions are variablebut overlapping for both units (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i 0·7094–0·7131;¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd 0·51222–0·51230) and are consistentwith a dominantly crustal origin. Glass analyses from Atanapumices are similar in composition to those in Toconao tubepumices, demonstrating that the Toconao magma could representa differentiated melt of the Atana magma. Fractional crystallizationmodelling suggests that the Toconao magma can be produced by30% crystallization of the observed Atana mineral phases. Toconaomelt characteristics and intensive parameters are consistentwith a volatile oversaturation-driven eruption. However, thelow H₂O content, high viscosity and high crystal content ofthe Atana magma imply an external eruption trigger. KEY WORDS: Central Andes; crystal-rich dacite; eruption trigger; high-silica rhyolite; zoned magma chamber