Pumpellyite from zeolite facies metabasites of the Horokanai ophiolite in the Kamuikotan zone,Hokkaido, Japan

Pumpellyite occures in zeolite facies metabasites of the Horokanai ophiolite in the Kamuikotan zone, Hokkaido, Japan, filling veins or amygdules, replacing igneous plagioclase or clinopyroxene or olivine, and occupying the matrix. Its composition and pleochroism vary greatly even within a single sample, but appear to be related to its mode of occurrence. Thus, the most Al-rich pumpellyite with pale green to green pleochroism develops in pseudomorphs after plagioclase, whereas the most Fe^*-rich variety with deep green to brown pleochroism occurs in the matrix. In low-grade metamorphic rocks which commonly contain relict minerals, chemical equilibrium is attained only locally. This results in the correlation of the composition of pumpellyite with its mode of occurrence, such as the precursor phases which are replaced by pumpellyite. On the other hand, among pumpellyites occurring in similar mode and coexisting with Ca-zeolite (laumontite or wairakite), epidote, chlorite and quartz, the Al content tends to be enriched in the wairakite-bearing metabasites over the laumontite-bearing metabasites. It follows that the composition of pumpellyite is also dependent upon the temperature of metamorphism.