Kinetic control of staurolite–Al2SiO5 mineral assemblages: Implications for Barrovian and Buchan metamorphism

The distribution and textural features of staurolite–Al₂SiO₅ mineral assemblages do not agree with predictions of current equilibrium phase diagrams. In contrast to abundant examples of Barrovian staurolite–kyanite–sillimanite sequences and Buchan‐type staurolite–andalusite–sillimanite sequences, there are few examples of staurolite–sillimanite sequences with neither kyanite nor andalusite anywhere in the sequence, despite the wide (~2.5 kbar) pressure interval in which they are predicted. Textural features of staurolite–kyanite or staurolite–andalusite mineral assemblages commonly imply no reaction relationship between the two minerals, at odds with the predicted first development (in a prograde sense) of kyanite or andalusite at the expense of staurolite in current phase diagrams. In a number of prograde sequences, the incoming of staurolite and either kyanite, in Barrovian sequences, or andalusite, in Buchan‐type sequences, is coincident or nearly so, rather than kyanite or andalusite developing upgrade of a significant staurolite zone as predicted. The width of zones of coexisting staurolite and either kyanite, in Barrovian sequences, or andalusite, in Buchan‐type sequences, is much wider than predicted in equilibrium phase diagrams, and staurolite commonly persists upgrade until its demise in the sillimanite zone. We argue that disequilibrium processes provide the best explanation for these mismatches. We suggest that kyanite (or andalusite) may develop independently and approximately contemporaneously with staurolite by metastable chlorite‐consuming reactions that occur at lower P–T conditions than the thermodynamically predicted staurolite‐to‐kyanite/andalusite reaction, a process that involves only modest overstepping (<15°C) of the stable chlorite‐to‐staurolite reaction and which is favoured, in the case of kyanite, by advantageous nucleation kinetics. If so, the pressure difference between Barrovian kyanite‐bearing sequences and Buchan andalusite‐bearing sequences could be ~1 kbar or less, in better agreement with the natural record. The unusual width of coexistence of staurolite and Al₂SiO₅ minerals, in particular kyanite and andalusite, can be accounted for by a combination of lack of thermodynamic driving force for conversion of staurolite to kyanite or andalusite, sluggish dissolution of staurolite, and possibly the absence of a fluid phase to catalyse reaction. This study represents an example of how kinetic controls on metamorphic mineral assemblage development have to be considered in regional as well as contact metamorphism.     

Metamorphic record of collision and collapse in the Ediacaran‐Cambrian Araçuaí orogen,SE‐Brazil: Insights from P–T pseudosections and monazite dating

The Araçuaí orogen is the Brazilian counterpart of the Araçuaí‐West Congo orogenic system (AWCO), a component of the Ediacaran‐Cambrian orogenic network formed during the amalgamation of West Gondwana. The northwestern portion of the Araçuaí orogen is dominated by a succession of metasedimentary rocks made up of Meso‐ to Neoproterozoic rift, passive margin and syn‐orogenic sequences, locally intruded by post‐collisional granites. These sequences are involved in three distinct tectonic units, which from west to east are: the southern Espinhaço fold‐thrust system (SE‐thrust system), the normal‐sense Chapada Acauã shear zone (CASZ) and the Salinas synclinorium. Three deformation phases were documented in the region. The first two phases (D₁ and D₂) are characterized by contractional structures and represent the collisional development stage of the orogen. The third phase (D₃) is extensional and currently viewed as a manifestation of orogenic collapse of the system. The distribution of the metamorphic mineral assemblages in the region characterizes two metamorphic domains. The M‐Domain I on the west, encompassing the SE‐thrust system and the CASZ, is marked by a syn‐collisional (syn‐D₁) Barrovian‐type metamorphism with P–T conditions increasing eastwards and reaching ~8.5 kbar at ~650°C between 575 and 565 Ma. The M‐Domain II comprises the Salinas synclinorium in the hangingwall of the CASZ, and besides the greenschist facies syn‐collisional metamorphism, records mainly a Buchan‐type metamorphic event, which took place under 3–5.5 kbar and up to 640°C at c. 530 Ma. The northwestern Araçuaí orogen exhibits, thus, a paired metamorphic pattern, in which the Barrovian and Buchan‐type metamorphic domains are juxtaposed by a normal‐sense shear zone. Lithospheric thinning during the extensional collapse of the orogen promoted ascent of the geotherms and melt generation. A large volume of granites was emplaced in the high grade and anatectic core of the orogen during this stage, and heat advected from these intrusions caused the development of Buchan facies series over a relatively large area. Renewed granite plutonism, hydrothermal activities followed by progressive cooling affected the system between 530 and 490 Ma.     

The role of viscous heating in Barrovian metamorphism of collisional orogens: thermomechanical models and application to the Lepontine Dome in the Central Alps

Thermal models for Barrovian metamorphism driven by doubling the thickness of the radiogenic crust typically meet difficulty in accounting for the observed peak metamorphic temperature conditions. This difficulty suggests that there is an additional component in the thermal budget of many collisional orogens. Theoretical and geological considerations suggest that viscous heating is a cumulative process that may explain the heat deficit in collision orogens. The results of 2D numerical modelling of continental collision involving subduction of the lithospheric mantle demonstrate that geologically plausible stresses and strain rates may result in orogen‐scale viscous heat production of 0.1 to >1 μW m^?3, which is comparable to or even exceeds bulk radiogenic heat production within the crust. Thermally induced buoyancy is responsible for crustal upwelling in large domes with metamorphic temperatures up to 200 °C higher than regional background temperatures. Heat is mostly generated within the uppermost mantle, because of large stresses in the highly viscous rocks deforming there. This thermal energy may be transferred to the overlying crust either in the form of enhanced heat flow, or through magmatism that brings heat into the crust advectively. The amplitude of orogenic heating varies with time, with both the amplitude and time‐span depending strongly on the coupling between heat production, viscosity and collision strain rate. It is argued that geologically relevant figures are applicable to metamorphic domes such as the Lepontine Dome in the Central Alps. We conclude that deformation‐generated viscous dissipation is an important heat source during collisional orogeny and that high metamorphic temperatures as in Barrovian type metamorphism are inherent to deforming crustal regions.     

Phase Relations and Chemical Composition of Phengite and Paragonite in Pelitic Schists During Decompression: a Case Study from the Monte Rosa Nappe and Camughera-Moncucco Unit, Western Alps

The metamorphic evolution of metapelites from the eastern partof the Monte Rosa nappe and the Camughera–Moncucco unit,both situated in the upper Penninic units SW of the Simplonline, were investigated using microstructural relationshipsand equilibrium phase diagrams. The units under considerationexperienced pre-Alpine amphibolite-facies conditions and underwenta complex metamorphic evolution during the Alpine orogeny. Peakpressures during an early Alpine high-pressure stage of 12·5–16kbar were similar in the Monte Rosa nappe and Camughera–Moncuccounit. A pronounced thermal gradient is indicated during decompressionleading to an amphibolite-facies overprint, as the decompressionpaths went through the chlorite, biotite and plagioclase stabilityfields in most of the Monte Rosa nappe, through the staurolitefield in the easternmost Monte Rosa nappe and in the Camughera–Moncuccounit, and through the sillimanite field in the easternmost Camughera–Moncuccounit. In high-Al metapelites the initial formation of stauroliteis related to continuous paragonite breakdown and associatedformation of biotite. In the course of this reaction phengitebecomes successively sodium enriched. In low-Al metapelites,in contrast, the initial staurolite formation occurs via thecontinuous breakdown of sodium-rich phengite. In both low- andhigh-Al metapelites the largest volume of staurolite is formedduring the continuous breakdown of sodium-rich phengite belowP–T conditions of about 9·5 kbar at 600–650°C.During this reaction phengite becomes successively potassiumenriched as sodium from phengite is used to form the albitecomponent in plagioclase. For ‘normal’ pelitic chemistries,phengite becomes Na enriched during decompression through thebreakdown of paragonite along a near-isothermal decompressionpath. The Na content in phengite reaches its maximum when paragoniteis entirely consumed. During further decompression the paragonitecomponent in phengite decreases again because Na is preferentiallyincorporated into the albite component of plagioclase. KEY WORDS: metapelites; white mica; high pressure; equilibrium diagrams; Western Alps     

The effect of Mn on mineral stability in metapelites

Calculations based on a KMnFMASH petrogenetic grid derived using an internally consistent thermodynamic dataset indicate that the principal effect of the presence of Mn in average subaluminous pelite compositions is to stabilize garnet to higher and lower pressures and temperatures over a wide range of bulk compositions. Garnet-bearing fields expand to lower temperatures and pressures with the addition of Mn, and garnet appears as an extra phase at low pressures. The addition of Mn also increases the number and extent of four AMnFM phase assemblages and stabilizes five AMnFM phases along univariant reactions. The KMnFMASH system predictions for typical subaluminous pelite bulk compositions match the sequence of isograds and assemblages observed in the Barrovian zones. The sequence of assemblages observed in the Stonehaven section can also be predicted if there is variation in bulk composition within the stratigraphic section. Mn appears to be less important in producing the sequence of isograds and garnet-absent assemblages in the low-pressure Buchan zones. The addition of Mn to the calculations does not change the sequence of isograds that are predicted to be stable in a regional metamorphic terrane, but the P – T  position of these isograds does change. In particular, the predicted temperature of the garnet-in isograd is lowered by as much as 100 °C by the addition of Mn to KFMASH. Mn also increases the range of metapelite bulk compositions that develop the assemblages traditionally identified as metapelite isograds.     

Ultra-high Excess Argon in Kyanites: Implications for Ultra-high Pressure Metamorphism in Northeast Japan

A laser fusion Ar-Ar technique applied on single crystals of kyanite from river sands of the Kitakami Mountain region of northeast Japan yielded ages of up to 16 Ga, more than three times the age of the earth. Although the age values are geologically meaningless, the ultra-high excess argon in kyanites is unique and hitherto unreported. We interpret this to be an artifact of ultra-high argon pressure derived from radiogenic argon in potassium-rich phases such as phengites during the Barrovian type retrogression of the ultra-high pressure rocks in this region.     

Geothermobarometry and development of inverted metamorphism in the Darjeeling-Sikkim region of the eastern Himalayan

ABSTRACT The Darjeeling-Sikkim region provides a classic example of inverted Himalayan metamorphism. The different parageneses of pelitic rocks containing chlorite, biotite, garnet, staurolite, kyanite, sillimanite, plagioclase and K-feldspar are documented by a variety of textures resulting from continuous and discontinuous reactions in the different zones. Microprobe data of coexisting minerals show that X_Mg varies in the order: garnet < staurolite < biotite < chlorite. White mica is a solid solution between muscovite and phengite. Garnet is mostly almandine-rich and shows normal growth zoning in the lower part of the Main Central Thrust (MCT) zone, and reverse zoning in the upper part of the zone. Chemographical relations and inferred reactions for different zones are portrayed in AFM space. In the low-grade zones oriented chlorites and micas and rolled garnets grew syntectonically, and were succeeded by cross-cutting chlorites and micas and garnet rims. In the upper zones sillimanite, kyanite and staurolite crystallized during a static inter-kinematic phase. P-T contitions of metamorphism, estimated through different models of geothermobarometry, are estimated to have been 580°c for the garnet zone to a maximum of 770°c for the sillimanite zone. The preferred values of pressure range from 5.0 kbar to 7.7 kbar. Models to explain the inverted metamorphism include overthrusting of a hot high Himalayan slab along a c. 5 km wide ductile MCT zone and the syn- or post-metamorphic folding of isograds.     

Evidence from Fe- and Al-rich metapelites for thrust loading in the Transangarian region of the Yenisey Ridge, eastern Siberia

In the Transangarian region of the Yenisey Ridge in eastern Siberia (Russia), Fe‐ and Al‐rich metapelitic schists of the Korda plate show field and petrological evidence of two superimposed metamorphic events. An early middle Proterozoic event with age of c.1100 Ma produced low‐pressure, andalusite‐bearing assemblages at c. 3.5–4 kbar and 540–560 °C. During a subsequent late Proterozoic event at c. 850 Ma, a medium‐pressure, regional metamorphic overprint produced kyanite‐bearing mineral assemblages that replaced minerals formed in the low‐pressure event. Based on the results of geothermobarometry and P–T path calculations it can be shown that pressure increased from 4.5 to 6.7 kbar at a relatively constant temperature of 540–600 °C towards a major suture zone called the Panimba thrust. In order to produce such nearly isothermal loading of 1–7 °C km ^?1, we propose a model for the tectono‐metamorphic evolution of the study area based on crustal thickening caused by south‐westward thrusting of the 5–7 km‐thick upper‐plate metacarbonates over lower‐plate metapelites with velocity of c. 350 m Myr^?1. A small temperature increase (up to 20 ± 15 °C) of the upper part of the overlapped plate is explained by specific behaviour of steady‐state geotherms calculated using lower radioactive heat production of metacarbonates as compared with metapelites. The suggested thermal‐mechanical model corresponds well with P–T paths inferred from obtained thermobarometric data and correlates satisfactorily with P–T trajectories predicted by other two‐dimensional thermal models for different crustal thickening and exhumation histories.     

Very Low-grade Metamorphic Evolution of Pelitic Rocks under High-pressure/Low-temperature Conditions, NW New Caledonia (SW Pacific)

The P–T gradient in a Late Eocene low-T high-P metamorphicbelt in northern New Caledonia increases from SW to NE. Metapelitesin the pumpellyite–prehnite and blueschist zones containlawsonite, Mg-carpholite, Fe-stilpnomelane and Fe-glaucophane.Thermodynamic calculations indicate a progression of metamorphicconditions from less than 0·3 GPa and 250°C in akaolinite-bearing rock in the SW, up to 1·5 GPa and 410°Cin a lawsonite–glaucophane-bearing sample in the NE ofthe Diahot terrane. Through a multi-method investigation ofphyllosilicates, organic matter and fluid inclusions, we demonstratethat the evolution of organic matter and illite crystallinitydepends strongly on the evolution of the P–T path withtime. In addition, we show that the illite–muscovite bcell dimension provides a robust estimate of maximum pressurereached in low-temperature domains with polyphase metamorphichistories, despite subsequent high-temperature–low-pressureevents. Fluid inclusion study reveals an isothermal decompressionin the Diahot terrane. KEY WORDS: low-temperature/high-pressure metapelites; illite crystallinity; coal rank; illite–muscovite b cell dimension; New Caledonia     

Deformation, metamorphism and imbrication of the Indian plate, south of the Main Mantle Thrust, north Pakistan

ABSTRACT South of the Main Mantle Thrust in north Pakistan, rocks of the northern edge of the Indian plate were deformed and metamorphosed during the main southward thrusting phase of the Himalayan orogeny. In the Hazara region, between the Indus and Kaghan Valleys, metamorphic grade increases northwards from chlorite zone to sillimanite zone rocks in a typically Barrovian sequence. Metamorphism was largely synchronous with early phases of the deformation. The metamorphic rocks were subsequently imbricated by late north-dipping thrusts, each with higher grade rocks in the hanging wall than in the footwall, such that the metamorphic profile shows an overall tectonic inversion. The rocks of the Hazara region form one of a number of internally imbricated metamorphic blocks stacked, after the metamorphic peak, on top of each other during the late thrusting. This imbrication and stacking represents an early period of post-Himalayan uplift.