Fluid flow,metasomatism and amphibole deformation in an imbricated ophiolite,North Cascades,Washington

Metasomatic tremolite-rich mylonites are widespread in imbricate thrust slices of ultramafic rocks of the ophiolitic Ingalls Complex in Washington State. Protoliths for these amphibolite-facies mylonites were peridotite and serpentinite. Abundant syntectonic tremolite veins in the ultramafites record narrowly channelized flow of infiltrating fluids, whereas metasomatic mylonite zones record more pervasive flow. Fluids were probably released mainly by prograde devolatization reactions within serpentinite and mafic ophiolitic rocks that experienced earlier hydrothermal metamorphism.Olivine apparently deformed by dislocation creep in the mylonites. In the tremolite-rich rocks, locally preserved amphibole porphyroclasts deformed mainly by microfracturing. Acicular tremolites, which dominate the mylonites, form syntectonic overgrowths on porphyroclasts and probably record diffusive mass transfer which may have accompanied cataclasis. Acicular tremolites subsequently were folded and define both post-crystalline crenulations and polygonal arcs.Fluid flow, deformation and metamorphism were apparently complexly interrelated in the imbricate zone. Thrusts juxtaposed contrasting rock types that were sources and sinks for fluids, and shear zones focused fluid flow. Metamorphism probably facilitated deformation through the release of fluids during dehydration reactions. High fluid pressure may have led to hydraulic fracturing and may have controlled strain softening in the tremolitic mylonite zones as it favored microcracking and diffusive mass transfer over dislocation creep. Infiltrating metasomatic fluids probably play an important role in the evolution of shear zones in many ultramafic bodies during medium-grade metamorphism.