The Crossite Content of Ca-Amphibole as a Guide to Pressure of Metamorphism |
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Authors: | BROWN E. H. |
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Affiliation: | Dept. of Geology, Western Washington State College Bellingham, Washington 98225 |
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Abstract: | A correlation between the crossite component (NaM4) in Ca-amphiboleand pressure of metamorphism has long been recognized (Shido& Miyashiro, 1959), but only recently has the reaction beenidentified which buffers this aspect of amphibole composition(Brown, 1974): Ca-amphibole+iron oxide+albite+chloriteI+H2O (±stilp,qtz) = crossite+epidote (±muscovite, qtz). The exact stoichiometry of the reaction depends on compositionalvariables in the minerals, especially Fe2+/Mg and Fe3+/Al. Ca-amphiboleshould have fixed NaM4, at any given T and P, where it coexistswith iron oxide, albite, and chlorite. Comparison of Ca-amphibole composition with mineral assemblage,in rocks from Otago, N.Z., and elsewhere, supports this hypothesis.In any terrane NaM4 is nearly constant at a particular metamorphicgrade where amphibole exists in the buffering assemblage, butvaries widely outside of this assemblage. Variations in Fe2+/Mgand Fe3+/Al in the amphibole have relatively little effect onNaM4, but in high pressure amphiboles NaM4 varies inverselywith Aliv. Ca-amphiboles from high pressure areas have substantially moreNaM4 (Otago, 0.6 of 2.0) than those from lower pressure areas(Sierra contact aureoles, 0.1). These relations suggest thatin the buffering assemblage, the NaM4 content of Ca-amphiboleshould be a useful relative barometer for low to medium grademetamorphic rocks. |
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