The Imataca Complex near Cerro Bolivar,Venezuela — a calc-alkaline Archean protolith

The Imataca Complex in an area near Cerro Bolivar, Venezuela, consists of a conformable, predominantly acid, compositionally-intergradational, sequence of acid, intermediate and mafic granulites, granitic gneisses and amphibolites with minor iron-formation and other metasedimentary interlayers.Major- and trace-element compositions of granulites, granitic gneisses, and amphibolites, and compositional relations in pyroxenes and irontitanium oxides indicate an igneous protolith. Pyroxenes and oxides in the granulites appear to be relict igneous phases, and record Tf_O2 of original igneous crystallization, despite high-grade metamorphism. Mineral thermometers in granitic gneisses (biotite, FeTi oxides) and in metasedimentary biotite gneisses (cordieritegarnet, FeTi oxides) indicate metamorphic TP_T of 625–675°C, 4–6.5 kbar.Major- and trace-element variations in meta-igneous granulites, granitic gneisses, and amphibolites are calc-alkaline in character, and the sequence, particularly in its predominantly acid composition, most closely resembles continental (i.e., “Andean”) calc-alkaline series. Mafic granulites and amphibolites, however, are tholeiitic and relatively iron-rich.The compositional similarity between the Imataca series and other granulite series raises the possibility that acidic calc-alkaline continental volcanism may be more important in the Archean than recent emphasis on greenstones and island-arc oceanic types of volcanism would suggest.