An (in‐)coherent metamorphic evolution of high‐P eclogites and their host rocks in the Chinese southwest Tianshan?

In the (ultra‐)high‐P–low‐T metamorphic terrane of the Chinese South Tianshan, discontinuous mafic blocks and boudins (former upper oceanic crust) are now embedded in voluminous (mainly metasedimentary) host rocks. Two different models were proposed and relate the occurrence of both high‐P and ultra‐high‐P mafic and metasedimentary rocks to either (i) a tectonic mélange style exhumation, with no exhumation of coherent units, but different lithologies derived from different depths juxtaposed and intermingled during exhumation in the subduction channel, or (ii) the evolution of two coherent metamorphic belts: one with high‐P and the other with ultra‐high‐P conditions. In contrast to most previous studies in the Chinese South Tianshan which focused either on single eclogites or metasedimentary rocks (assumed as representative), this study concentrates on the systematic investigation of both mafic boudins and their immediate sedimentary host rocks, because the investigation of both lithologies and the comparison of their metamorphic evolution is crucial to reconstruct the geodynamical context of the whole (ultra‐)high‐P–low‐T metamorphic complex. Several sample pairs consisting of both lithologies were geochemically investigated and their respective metamorphic evolution was reconstructed using geothermobarometry and thermodynamic modelling. The latter approach considers changes in the mineral assemblage during the metamorphic evolution, as well as changes in mineral composition, which may help to determine the metamorphic history of a rock despite the preservation of critical mineral assemblages. All samples experienced a clockwise P–T path with overall maximum P–T conditions of 540–550 °C and 1.9–2.25 GPa for the host rocks, and 555–575 °C and 2.2–2.5 GPa for the eclogites. Peak‐metamorphic temperatures of ~525–540 °C of the metasedimentary host rocks were also confirmed by Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material. Results from thermobarometry and thermodynamic modelling are consistent with the observation that none of the samples contains mineral relicts indicating UHP conditions (like coesite in garnet) and neither conventional thermobarometry, nor thermodynamical modelling resulted in P–T conditions in the stability field of coesite. Thus, no evidence of ultra‐high‐P conditions was found. Given that the whole sampled river valley lies within the proposed ‘ultra‐high‐P sub‐belt’ and considering former studies, which showed that at other places within this ‘unit’ both ultra‐high‐P and high‐P rocks are now juxtaposed on a small scale, the formation of the whole (ultra‐)high‐P–low‐T metamorphic belt in the Chinese South Tianshan as a tectonic mélange style exhumation is more convincing than the formation and juxtaposition of two coherent metamorphic units with high‐P and ultra‐high‐P conditions respectively.     

GOCE gravitational gradiometry

GOCE is the first gravitational gradiometry satellite mission. Gravitational gradiometry is the measurement of the second derivatives of the gravitational potential. The nine derivatives form a 3 × 3 matrix, which in geodesy is referred to as Marussi tensor. From the basic properties of the gravitational field, it follows that the matrix is symmetric and trace free. The latter property corresponds to Laplace equation, which gives the theoretical foundation of its representation in terms of spherical harmonic or Fourier series. At the same time, it provides the most powerful quality check of the actual measured gradients. GOCE gradiometry is based on the principle of differential accelerometry. As the satellite carries out a rotational motion in space, the accelerometer differences contain angular effects that must be removed. The GOCE gradiometer provides the components V _xx , V _yy , V _zz and V _xz with high precision, while the components V _xy and V _yz are of low precision, all expressed in the gradiometer reference frame. The best performance is achieved inside the measurement band from 5 × 10^–3 to 0.1 Hz. At lower frequencies, the noise increases with 1/f and is superimposed by cyclic distortions, which are modulated from the orbit and attitude motion into the gradient measurements. Global maps with the individual components show typical patterns related to topographic and tectonic features. The maps are separated into those for ascending and those for descending tracks as the components are expressed in the instrument frame. All results are derived from the measurements of the period from November to December 2009. While the components V _xx and V _yy reach a noise level of about \({10\;\rm{\frac{mE}{\sqrt{Hz}}}}\), that of V _zz and V _xz is about \({20\; \rm{\frac{mE}{\sqrt{Hz}}}}\). The cause of the latter’s higher noise is not yet understood. This is also the reason why the deviation from the Laplace condition is at the \({20 \;\rm{\frac{mE}{\sqrt{Hz}}}}\) level instead of the originally planned \({11\;\rm{\frac{mE}{\sqrt{Hz}}}}\). Each additional measurement cycle will improve the accuracy and to a smaller extent also the resolution of the spherical harmonic coefficients derived from the measured gradients.     

Nb–Ta fractionation by partial melting at the titanite–rutile transition

During the evolution of the Earth, distinct geochemical reservoirs with different Nb/Ta ratios have developed. Archean granitoids of the tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) suite, which represent the Earth’s early continental crust, show larger Nb/Ta variations than any other Earth reservoir. This implies that significant Nb–Ta fractionation must have occurred during early crust formation, while the underlying mechanism behind is still unclear. Here, we present a new model on how Nb may be fractionated from Ta during partial melting of subducted oceanic crust. Our data show that Nb/Ta ratios in melts derived from rutile- and titanite-bearing eclogite are largely controlled by the modal relative abundances of rutile and titanite in the source. High modal ratios of titanite over rutile generate melts with very high Nb/Ta (>60), whereas low modal titanite/rutile produces melts with much lower Nb/Ta (≤30). Very low Nb/Ta (<16) occur when all Ti-phases are consumed at very high degrees of melting. As the modal ratio of titanite to rutile is a function of pressure, the Nb/Ta of melts is a function of melting depth. Our new model helps to explain the extreme variation of Nb/Ta observed in many TTGs and thus how Nb and Ta were fractionated during the early evolution of the Earth. Furthermore, the model also indicates that simple one-stage melting models for mafic crust are not sufficient to explain the formation of TTGs.     

Weathering of Fruchtschiefer building stones: mineral dissolution or rock disaggregation?

Building stones manufactured from contact metamorphic slates (Fruchtschiefer slate) from Theuma (Sachsen, Germany) were investigated for mineralogical alterations as well as for changes in porosity and surface roughness due to weathering. After weathering periods of several years to decades, the originally dark gray-colored slates show pale spots of several centimeters in size at the surface of building stones. The dark-colored and light-colored sections of the slate show no differences in mineralogy. Surface weathering did not result in newly precipitated minerals. It was also found that the observed differences in color are not caused by variations in sedimentary organic carbon concentration or in sulfide/sulfate concentrations. Obtained results instead indicate that dark surface sections may show a thin cover of recent organic matter (OM), e.g., living OM, soot, dirt, etc. Microscopic investigations suggested that this cover was exfoliated at light-colored surface sections. The observed disaggregation of the upper 2 mm of the building block material results in an increase in porosity. Porosity of black (unweathered) slate is <2 vol.%. Due to weathering, the slate’s pores with diameters >1 μm show a significant increase in frequency compared to the original pore size distribution. Porosity of weathered rock volumes increased to approx. 8 vol.%. Discolored surface sections show a higher surface roughness (root-mean-square roughness, Rq ~ 1 μm) compared to dark-colored slate surfaces (Rq ~ 200 nm), both data are for cleavage planes. Preferentially, the discolored surface sections are located close to the edges of cut stones. This and the alteration in porosity, pore size, and surface roughness indicate that color changes of the slate are largely influenced by rock disaggregation proceeding from the edges into the center rather than by mineral dissolution/precipitation processes.     

P–T evolution of glaucophane–omphacite bearing HP–LT rocks in the western Tianshan Orogen, NW China:new evidence for 'Alpine-type' tectonics

The late Palaeozoic western Tianshan high‐pressure /low‐temperature belt extends for about 200 km along the south‐central Tianshan suture zone and is composed mainly of blueschist, eclogite and epidote amphibolite/greenschist facies rocks. P–T conditions of mafic garnet omphacite and garnet–omphacite blueschist, which are interlayered with eclogite, were investigated in order to establish an exhumation path for these high‐pressure rocks. Maximum pressure conditions are represented by the assemblage garnet–omphacite–paragonite–phengite–glaucophane–quartz–rutile. Estimated maximum pressures range between 18 and 21 kbar at temperatures between 490 and 570 °C. Decompression caused the destabilization of omphacite, garnet and glaucophane to albite, Ca‐amphibole and chlorite. The post‐eclogite facies metamorphic conditions between 9 and 14 kbar at 480–570 °C suggest an almost isothermal decompression from eclogite to epidote–amphibolite facies conditions. Prograde growth zoning and mineral inclusions in garnet as well as post‐eclogite facies conditions are evidence for a clockwise P–T path. Analysis of phase diagrams constrains the P–T path to more or less isothermal cooling which is well corroborated by the results of geothermobarometry and mineral textures. This implies that the high‐pressure rocks from the western Tianshan Orogen formed in a tectonic regime similar to ‘Alpine‐type’ tectonics. This contradicts previous models which favour ‘Franciscan‐type’ tectonics for the southern Tianshan high‐pressure rocks.     

A combined IR and XRD study of natural well crystalline goethites (α-FeOOH)

Acta Geochimica - Goethite (α-FeOOH) is one of the most abundant minerals on the Earth surface, occurring in temperate, tropical and equatorial climates. Fe in goethite can be substituted by...     

P–T path of high-pressure/low-temperature rocks and tectonic implications in the western Tianshan Mountains, NW China

The Chinese western Tianshan high-pressure/low-temperature (HP–LT) metamorphic belt, which extends for about 200 km along the South Central Tianshan suture zone, is composed of mainly metabasic blueschists, eclogites and greenschist facies rocks. The metabasic blueschists occur as small discrete blocks, lenses, bands, laminae or thick beds in meta-sedimentary greenschist facies country rocks. Eclogites are intercalated within blueschist layers as lenses, laminae, thick beds or large massive blocks (up to 2 km² in plan view). Metabasic blueschists consist of mainly garnet, sodic amphibole, phengite, paragonite, clinozoisite, epidote, chlorite, albite, accessory titanite and ilmenite. Eclogites are predominantly composed of garnet, omphacite, sodic–calcic amphibole, clinozoisite, phengite, paragonite, quartz with accessory minerals such as rutile, titanite, ilmenite, calcite and apatite. Garnet in eclogite has a composition of 53–79 mol% almandine, 8.5–30 mol% grossular, 5–24 mol% pyrope and 0.6–13 mol% spessartine. Garnet in blueschists shows similar composition. Sodic amphiboles include glaucophane, ferro-glaucophane and crossite, whereas the sodic–calcic amphiboles mainly comprise barroisite and winchite. The jadeite content of omphacite varies from 35–54 mol%. Peak eclogite facies temperatures are estimated as 480–580 °C for a pressure range of 14–21 kbar. The conditions of pre-peak, epidote–blueschist facies metamorphism are estimated to be 350–450 °C and 8–12 kbar. All rock types have experienced a clockwise P–T path through pre-peak lawsonite/epidote-blueschist to eclogite facies conditions. The retrograde part of the P–T path is represented by the transition of epidote-blueschist to greenschist facies conditions. The P–T path indicates that the high-pressure rocks formed in a B-type subduction zone along the northern margin of the Palaeozoic South Tianshan ocean between the Tarim and Yili-central Tianshan plates.     

The Moho Structure in The Western Eger Rift: A Receiver Function Experiment

We used teleseismic recordings of a temporary deployment of seismic stations and of permanent short period stations in the western Eger Rift system to study the lithosphere with the help of Receiver Functions. The crust-mantle boundary (Moho) is observed at almost all stations by strong P-to-S converted phases. The Moho is basically flat between about 26 – 30 km depth in the entire region. At one station in the Eger Rift (BOH-1, Loket castle) no Moho is observed. We interpret this with the existence of a broad gradient zone there, instead of a sharp discontinuity. This observation, however, needs to be confirmed by more data.