Intermediate high-pressure exhumation of the northern segment of the Sanbagawa belt, Saruta-gawa area, central Shikoku, Japan

The retrograde chemical zonal structure of amphibole in hematite-bearing basic and quartz schists from the higher grade zone in the Saruta-gawa area of the Sanbagawa belt was studied to investigate the relationships between the prograde and retrograde P–T paths of the Sanbagawa metamorphism. This amphibole coexists with chlorite, epidote, muscovite, albite, quartz and hematite, and is composed of Al-rich core and Al-poor mantle. The core is fairly homogeneous and has a barroisitic composition. In the mantle part, ^[B]Na increases with decreasing ^[4]Al towards the margins, which have winchite–magnesioriebeckite compositions. The barroisite–winchite–magnesioriebeckite composite crystal is sometimes rimmed by actinolite and/or winchite with low ^[4]Al and ^[B]Na. The Al-rich core and Al-poor mantle are regarded as prograde and retrograde products, respectively. The retrograde mantle in the Saruta-gawa area: (1) is systematically richer in ^[B]Na [0.40–1.73 per formula unit (pfu; for O=23)] than that from the same grade zone in the Asemi-gawa area (0.19–0.78 pfu), about 8 km south of the studied area; (2) tends to be ^[B]Na-poorer (less than 1.73 pfu) than prograde sodic amphibole (up to 1.93 ^[B]Na pfu) produced in the peak temperature stage from the lower grade zone in the same and other areas; and (3) extends its compositional range towards higher ^[B]Na and lower ^[4]Al than prograde-formed amphibole from the same grade zone in the same area. These zonal characteristics imply that (1) the Saruta-gawa samples experienced retrograde metamorphism under higher P/T conditions than the Asemi-gawa samples, (2) the retrograde P–T path of the Saruta-gawa area passes on the lower pressure side of the metamorphic field gradient, and (3) the Saruta-gawa samples underwent retrograde metamorphism under higher P/T conditions than the prograde metamorphism. The higher P/T conditions of the retrograde metamorphism suggests an increasing dP/dT of the geotherm during exhumation. Retrograde P–T conditions during the formation of magnesioriebeckite can be roughly estimated at 7–8 kbar, 400–450°C based on semi-quantitative phase relations of actinolite–winchite–magnesioriebeckite–barroisite series associated with chlorite, epidote, muscovite, albite, quartz and hematite.