Tectonic interpretation of metamorphic tectonites: integrating compositional mapping,microstructural analysis and in situ monazite dating

Interpreting tectonic histories from metamorphic tectonites requires an understanding of the linkages and feedbacks between deformation and metamorphism. Relationships between deformation and metamorphism can be divided into two broad groups: active and passive. Active relationships involve direct interactions whereby deformation directly influences metamorphic reactions or metamorphism directly affects the rate or style of deformation. One of the most important ‘active’ relationships is the role that deformation plays in helping to remove unstable reactant phases and to promote the growth of stable product phases. Passive relationships are correlations or linkages that allow the deformation history to be integrated with the metamorphic history. Compositional mapping of major and accessory phases and especially maps of larger thin section domains are particularly valuable for evaluating strain partitioning, scales of equilibrium, relationships between metamorphic textures and deformational fabrics, and in particular, for interpreting geochronological data. Petrological pseudosections are an increasingly utilized tool for interpreting microtextures and for linking deformation, metamorphism, and large‐scale tectonics. In situ geochronology and petrological analysis of chronometer phases (i.e. monazite, xenotime, titanite, allanite, etc.) are a critical part of tectonic analysis of metamorphic rocks. The electron microprobe plays an essential role in characterizing chronometer phases and placing them into the context of silicate fabrics and textures.     

Polar regionSq

Geomagnetically quiet day variations in the polar region are reviewed with respect to geomagnetic field variation, ionospheric plasma convection, electric field and current. Persistently existing field-aligned currents are the main source of the polar regionSq. Consequently, the morphology and variability of the polar regionSq largely depend upon both field-aligned currents and ionospheric conductivity. Since field-aligned currents are the major linkage between the ionosphere and the magnetosphere, the latter is controlled by solar wind state, in particular, the interplanetary magnetic field, the polar regionSq exhibits remarkable IMF dependence.     

A note on some early radiosonde temperature observations in the Antarctic lower stratosphere

The behaviour of the Southern Hemisphere stratosphere has attracted considerable interest, and been compared with the Northern Hemisphere, since the International Geophysical Year (1957–58) when the sudden (explosive or accelerated) springtime warming phenomenon in the Antarctic was first observed. Over the years studies of upper air temperature and wind observations have been made, principally through the spring months when the polar vortex breakdown occurs, utilising both ground-based (rawinsonde, rocket) and more recently, satellite-derived data. Although the radiosonde-derived temperature data are limited both by the number of reporting stations, and the practical difficulty of securing observations much above the 100 hPa level, useful records exist from 1956 or 1957. These have shown that in the 1959 southern spring, the lower stratosphere was relatively colder, and the warming rate through the season was essentially more regular, with little evidence of the marked but short-lived temperature fluctuations usually found. Similar, but not quite such wide-spread conditions occurred again in the 1961 spring. In another study, 30 hPa temperature fields over the Antarctic continent, which could be drawn for the 1967 spring, showed the complexity of the polar vortex breakdown. These features are recalled because extension of the 100 hPa springtime temperature series for the Australian Antarctic station at Casey (66.3°S, 110.5°E) shows that in 1985 and part of 1986, the temperature behaviour there was similar to, but not quite so extreme as that which occurred at Mirny (66.5°S, 93.0°E) in 1959.     

Low-pressure granulite facies metamorphism in the Larsemann Hills area, East Antarctica; petrology and tectonic implications for the evolution of the Prydz Bay area

ABSTRACT Thermobarometric studies on various granulite facies areas along the Prydz Bay coast, East Antarctica (73°-79°E, 68°-70°S), show that, at around 1100 Ma, during a late Proterozoic orogeny, the rocks of the Larsemann Hills suffered a lower pressure metamorphic peak than the surrounding areas. Along the Prydz Bay coast, the rocks affected by this event include parts of the Vestfold Hills block plus all of the Rauer Group, the Larsemann Hills and the Munro Kerr Mountains. The dykes in the south-west corner of the Vestfold Hills were recrystallized during this event with little deformation at temperatures not quite as high as in the areas further south-west (650°C, 6.5 kbar) (Collerson et al., 1983), the Rauer Group was metamorphosed at 800°C and 7.5 kbar (Harley, 1987a), the Larsemann Hills at 750°C and 4.5 kbar, and the Munro Kerr Mountains probably at around 850°C and 5 kbar. Retrograde equilibration in the different areas occurred during decompression to about 10 km depth in all areas, followed by isobaric cooling at this depth. This paper shows that the peak metamorphism in the Larsemann Hills occurred at a pressure which is too low to have been the consequence of thermal relaxation of overthickened crust with normal mantle heat flow. Although other areas in Prydz Bay were metamorphosed at sufficiently high pressures so that their decompression paths are not inconsistent with a continental collision model, the inferred pre-metamorphic peak histories and the requirement of consistency with the Larsemann Hills, make it unlikely that collision followed by erosion-driven decompression is an appropriate model. We suggest that the thermal regime of the crust in the Larsemann Hills region was controlled by a perturbation in the asthenosphere, with magma invasion of the crust. We suggest that the 500 Ma event, represented in Prydz Bay by granitic outcrops at Landing Bluff and by several K/Ar ages from the Larsemann Hills area, was responsible for the final excavation of the terrane.     

Contrasting mineral parageneses in high-temperature calc-silicate granulites: examples from the Eastern Ghats, India

Abstract Three types of mineral associations are described from calc-silicate granulites from the Eastern Ghats, India, where geothermobarometry in associated rocks suggests extremely high P–T conditions of metamorphism ( c . 9 ± 1 kbar, 950° C). These mineral associations are: (i) calcite + quartz + scapolite + plagioclase, (ii) calcite + scapolite + wollastonite + porphyroblastic garnet + coronal garnet and (iii) calcite + quartz + wollastonite + scapolite + porphyroblastic garnet + coronal garnet, all coexisting with K-feldspar, titanite and clinopyroxene. The first two associations evolved through nearly isobaric cooling retrograde paths, whereas the third evolved through a nearly isothermal decompression path followed by an isobaric cooling retrograde path. Textural and compositional characteristics suggest the following mineral reactions in the calc-silicate granulites: calcite + quartz = wollastonite + CO₂, calcite + plagioclase = scapolite, calcite + scapolite + wollastonite = porphyroblastic garnet ± quartz + CO₂, CaTs + wollastonite = coronal garnet (association ii) and wollastonite + scapolite = coronal garnet (association iii) + quartz + CO₂. Andradite content in garnet was buffered by the redox equilibria wollastonite + hedenbergite + O₂= andradite + quartz (association iii) and wollastonite + andradite + CaTs + scapolite = hedenbergite + calcite + grossular + O₂ (association ii). The contrasting mineral parageneses have been ascribed to interplay of variables such as X _CO2, f _O2, f _HCl in the fluid, bulk Na content and the nature of the retrograde P–T–X _CO2 paths through which the rocks evolved.     

Polar constituents of organic matter rich marls from evaporitic series of the Mulhouse basin

A suite of marl samples from the evaporitic series of the Mulhouse basin (France; Lower Oligocene) was studied for its biomarker content, in particular its polar constituents. Novel series of 3-carboxyalkyl steranes and 15-oxo triaromatic ketones were identified by synthesis. The 3-carboxyalkyl steranes probably originate from highly polar precursors yet unreported in living organisms. Our data suggest that micro-algae could be the major source of these compounds which seem to be indicators of high algal input rather than characteristic of evaporitic environments. The 15-oxo triaromatic ketones could be oxidation products of triaromatic steroid hydrocarbons formed during diagenesis, although their formation during work-up procedure could not be excluded.     

麻粒岩p—T—t轨迹的研究现状

综述了近年来麻粒岩中p-T-t轨迹的研究现状。内容涉及到麻粒岩相变质作用的温压条件及时间跨度,同时指出:结合岩石中的矿物组合、后成合晶及反应结构,利用矿物温压计是目前确定p-T-t轨迹的主要手段。     

电偶源频率电磁测深中比值视电阻率和阻抗相位的联合反演

本文论述了电偶源频率电磁测深中,利用比值视电阻率和相应阻抗相位进行联合反演的必要性和可能的应用前景及具体实施方法。理论模型和实际观测资料的反演试验表明这一联合反演是可行和有效的,且明显地优于视电阻率和阻抗相位的单参量反演。     

大别造山带钾氩年龄的解释—差异上升的地块

根据冷却年龄理论和大别造山带变质岩K-Ar表面年龄的平面分布,指出这些年龄既不代表岩石形成事件,也不简单地反映后期热事件,而代表岩石经剥蚀隆起温度下降到该矿物封度温度以来的时间,即反映地区的构造隆起历史。现有资料说明大别造山带整体在印支期开始隆起,但中部罗田—英山一带则隆起较快或地热增温率高,因而表现出年轻(燕山期)的表面年龄。     

超高压变质作用研究现状及问题

本文从超高压变质作用的矿物学、Ｐ－Ｔ－ｔ轨迹和超高压地体抬升、保存机制三个方面总结了近年来超高压变质作用研究所取得的重要进展和存在的问题。超高压变质作用的矿物学研究正在向深入发展，其Ｐ－Ｔ－ｔ轨迹具有三种成因类型。而其超高压地体的抬升、保存机制则是争论的焦点，其中增生楔模式（Ｐｌａｔｔ，１９８７）和连续俯冲─仰冲机制较好地解释了抬升过程，但也存在一些问题需进一步研究。