Chloritoid-bearing pelitic rocks of the Horsethief Creek Group,Southeastern British Columbia

Aluminous pelitic rocks of the Late Precambrian Horsethief Creek Group of southeastern British Columbia contain the assemblage chloritoidmuscovite-paragonite-quartz-chlorite (biotite zone). Additional members of the assemblage may include graphite, Fe-Mg carbonate, rutile, ilmenite and pyrite. No albite was detected. Lower grade pelitic rocks (chlorite zone) contain muscovite-chlorite and rare paragonite.Chloritoids from carbonate-free assemblages show a narrow range of composition (85±5 mol % Fe-chtd) and most porphyroblasts are zoned with higher Mn in cores and higher Mg in rims. For eight chloritoid-chlorite pairs, K_D = (Mg/Fe chtd/Mg/Fe chl) = 0.188±0.0234.Correlation of these mineral assemblages with experimental and computed phase equilibria and oxygen isotope temperatures suggest a minimum pressure near 4.5 Kbar, a minimum temperature near 335 ° C and an upper limit on temperature near 460 ° C. Variation in X_CO2 content of fluids attending metamorphism is inferred from the alternate appearance of either Fe-Mg carbonate + rutile or ilmenite-bearing assemblages. The assemblage paragonite-chloritoid-quartz-Fe-Mg carbonate-rutile is inferred to be stable at a T near 360 ° C, an X_CO2 near 0.9 and P near 5 Kbar.