Amphibolitized sheared gabbros from ophiolites as indicators of the evolution of the oceanic crust: Bay of Islands,Newfoundland

In the Bay of Islands ophiolite complex both the basal part of the cumulate gabbro sequence and the underlying peridotites have been plastically deformed. Higher in the series the cumulate gabbros are undeformed except in localized shear zones slightly to strongly oblique to the layering. The resulting shear bands are narrow and composed either of mylonitic amphibole-bearing gabbros or of highly foliated amphibolites.The amphibole composition and nature, and the chemistry of coexisting minerals combined with structural evidence imply that a first episode of shearing subhorizontal in the crust occurred at decreasing temperatures ranging from 750 to 450°C. This shearing probably represent the response of the lithosphere to stresses also responsible of asthenospheric flow in the upper mantle. A second episode of shearing oblique to the first one and probably related to cooling of the crust away from the ridge, occurred at lower temperatures ranging from 500 to 300°C. The surrounding gabbros have undergone static hydrothermal metamorphism at temperatures decreasing from 650 to 450°C. All metamorphic events occurred in hydrous conditions in the vicinity of the ridge axis.