Porphyroblast rotation during crenulation cleavage development: an example from the aureole of the Mooselookmeguntic pluton, Maine, USA

In the low‐pressure, high‐temperature metamorphic rocks of western Maine, USA, staurolite porphyroblasts grew at c. 400 Ma, very late during the regional orogenesis. These porphyroblasts, which preserve straight inclusion trails with small thin‐section‐scale variation in pitch, were subsequently involved in the strain and metamorphic aureole of the c. 370 Ma Mooselookmeguntic pluton. The aureole shows a progressive fabric intensity gradient from effectively zero emplacement‐related deformation at the outer edge of the aureole ～2900 m (map distance) from the pluton margin to the development of a pervasive emplacement‐related foliation adjacent to the pluton. The development of this pervasive foliation spanned all stages of crenulation cleavage development, which are preserved at different distances from the pluton. The spread of inclusion‐trail pitches in the staurolite porphyroblasts, as measured in two‐dimensional (2‐D) thin sections, increases nonlinearly from ～16° to 75° with increasing strain in the aureole. These data provide clear evidence for rotation of the staurolite porphyroblasts relative to one another and to the developing crenulation cleavage. The data spread is qualitatively modelled for both pure and simple shear, and both solutions match the data reasonably well. The spread of inclusion‐trail orientations (40–75°) in the moderately to highly strained rocks is similar to the spread reported in several previous studies. We consider it likely that the sample‐scale spread in these previous studies is also the result of porphyroblast rotation relative to one another. However, the average inclusion‐trail orientation for a single sample may, in at least some instances, reflect the original orientation of the overgrown foliation.     

The Mineralogy and Petrology of the Transition from the Lower to Upper Sillimanite Zone in the Oquossoc Area, Maine

Systematic changes in the assemblages and compositions of mineralssuggest that the transition from lower to upper sillimanitezone in the Oquossoc area, Maine, is marked by the reaction Staurolite+Sodic Muscovite+QuartzSillimanite+Biotite+K-richerMuscovite+Albite+Garnet+H₂O. Moreover, the mineralogic data for the silicates suggest thatH₂ O is buffered by some of the assemblages present but PH₂O<P_total. A consideration of the equilibria among the opaqueminerals enables a calculation of the composition of the fluidphase assuming specific PT conditions and that P_fluid = P_total.At several reasonable PT conditions the calculated fluid phaseis reasonable in terms of the model for P_H2O based upon thesilicate equilibria. Probable PT conditions for the metamorphism considered in thisstudy range from 575 to 630°C and 3 to 5 kb.     

The effects of ferromagnesian components on the paragonite-muscovite solvus: a semiquantitative analysis based on chemical data for natural paragonite-muscovite pairs

Chemical data for 139 natural paragonite-muscovite (Pg-Ms) pairs illustrate the effects of ferromagnesian components on the P-T-X topology of the Pg-Ms solvus. The pairs were selected on the basis of: reasonably accurate knowledge of the P-T conditions of formation; evidence for close approach to equilibrium at peak metamorphic conditions; exclusion of pairs in which paragonite contains more than 5 mol% margarite; and exclusion of pairs from polymetamorphic rocks that contain more than one set of cogenetic Pg-Ms pairs. Graphical analysis reveals considerable scatter in the data; nevertheless, it is evident that the muscovite limb of the solvus shifts markedly toward end-member muscovite with increasing pressure from approximately 7 kbar to 21 kbar. This shift is attributed to a pressure-induced increase of the ferromagnesian content of muscovite, which increases the size of the XII alkali site - to the effect that K is more readily accommodated than Na. The data also suggest that the paragonite limb of the solvus migrates slightly toward end-member paragonite with increasing pressure. Broadening of the Pg-Ms solvus with increasing pressure reflects increasingly nonideal Na-K mixing as the phengite content of muscovite increases. Due to the wide scatter of data for Pg-phengitic-Ms pairs, it is concluded that, at the present time, Pg-Ms solvus thermometry is only viable for quasibinary Pg-Ms pairs.     

The Acadian thermal history of western Maine

ABSTRACT Following the Middle Devonian Acadian deformation an extensive belt of high grade metamorphism was formed in New England. In south-western Maine, at the northern end of this belt, there occurs a transition along the strike from regional low-pressure/high-temperature metamorphism to contact metamorphism in low-grade rocks. Petrological studies indicate that this transition occurs along a surface plunging to the north-east at about 3.5°, with respect to the Middle-to-Late Devonian erosion surface. In addition, detailed petrological mapping has defined a history of temporally separate, localized metamorphic events associated with plutonism and occurring at increasingly deeper levels to the south-west. Geochronological studies constrain ambient temperatures in the transition zone at the time of metamorphism to be less than 300° C in the north-east and between 350° C and 500° C in the south-west. They also establish a pattern of diachronous cooling due to differential uplift and erosion, with cooling occurring later and most rapidly to the south-west. Geophysical evidence suggests that along with this spatial variation in metamorphic style the shapes of the plutons in Maine undergo a transition from laterally extensive sheet-like bodies in the high grade terrane to more equant-shaped bodies in the low-grade terrane. Using the results of these petrological, geochronological and geophysical studies, as well as those of stratigraphical and structural studies we construct a thermal model for the transition zone. The model suggests that the Acadian metamorphism in south-western Maine is a result of deep-level contact metamorphism near laterally extensive granitic sills dipping to the north-east with respect to the present erosion surface. The plutons themselves are interpreted to be a result of lower crustal melting in response to crustal thickening in the presence of normal or slightly augmented mantle heat flux.