Prograde Metamorphism of the Horokanai Ophiolite in the Kamuikotan Zone, Hokkaido, Japan

The Horokanai ophiolite is a segment of metamorphosed oceaniccrust and upper mantle, tectonically replaced into the KamuikotanZone of Hokkaido, Japan. Metamorphic grade, ranging from thezeolite faciles (Zone A) through the greenschist facile (ZoneB) and the greenschist-amphibolite transitional facile (ZoneC), to the amphibolitic and granulizes facile (Zone D) increasesprogressively downwards with zone boundaries subparallel tothe ophiolite pseudostraitigraphy. The granulite facile rocksinclude both metagabbros and their underlying ultranafic rocks.Coexisting minerals from several tens of samples covering allthe minerals zones were analysed by means of an electronprodemicroanalyser; the results are presented, along with brief considerationof their compositional variation with metamorphic grade. Thefaciles series of metamorphism of the Horokanai ophiolite correspondsto the low-pressure type with a temperature range of 100-750?C, which is broadly comparable to that inferred for ocean-floormetamorphism. The major difference is the presence of the granulitefacile rocks in the Horokanai ophiolite and its absence in ocean-floormetamorphism.