Empirical Garnet-Biotite-Plagioclase-Quartz (GBPQ) Geobarometry in Medium- to High-Grade Metapelites

On the basis of the net transfer reactions among garnet, biotite,plagioclase and quartz (for both Mg and Fe end-member models),the garnet–biotite–plagioclase–quartz (GBPQ)geobarometer was empirically calibrated under physical conditionsof P = 1·0–11·4 kbar and T = 515–878°C,based on the input garnet–biotite temperatures and garnet–aluminosilicate–plagioclase–quartz(GASP) pressures of 224 natural aluminosilicate-bearing metapeliticsamples collated from the literature. The calibrations are internallyconsistent with the asymmetric quaternary solid solution modelof garnet, the symmetric quaternary solid solution model ofbiotite, and the Al-avoidance ternary solid solution model ofplagioclase in calibrating the garnet–biotite geothermometerand the GASP geobarometer. The resulting two GBPQ barometerformulae reproduce the input GASP pressures well within ±1·0kbar (mostly within ±0·5 kbar). For both aluminosilicate-bearingand aluminosilicate-absent metapelites, the two GBPQ barometryformulae yielded identical pressures, whether the sample wasincluded or not included in calibrating the GBPQ barometry.The random error of the GBPQ barometry may be expected as ±1·2kbar. The dP/dT slopes of these two GBPQ formulae are closeto that of the GASP barometer in P–T space. Applicationsof the GBPQ barometry of aluminosilicate-absent metapelitesto the rocks within a thermal contact aureole, or rocks withina limited geographical area without post-metamorphic structuraldiscontinuity, show no obvious pressure change. It may be concludedthat the two GBPQ barometry formulae derived in this study maybe used as practical tools for metamorphic pelites under theconditions of 515–878°C and 1·0–11·4kbar, in the composition range of X_gros >3% in garnet, X_an>17% in plagioclase, and