Metasomatic origin of some of the eclogite-bearing carbonate rocks in the Dabie mountain region, China

Carbonate rocks are one of the major hosts to eclogite in the Mt. Dabie region. Eclogite bodies enclosed in the carbonate rocks occur mostly as knobs, ovoids and lenses measuring centimeters to tens of centimeters in size. The bodies have been intensely carbonatized and usually have transitional contacts with their carbonate hosts. The carbonate rocks have abundant relics of eclogite minerals and their retrogressive derivatives. The REE patterns of the carbonate rocks are characterized by the absence of negative Ce anomaly. These features suggest that a considerable portion of the eclogite-bearing carbonate rocks in the Mt. Dabie region was produced by carbonatization of eclogites and their retrogressive derivatives. These carbonate rocks suffered deformation and recrystallization after their formation. This research project was financially supported by the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources (Project No. 9501102-04-1).