Raman spectral analysis and genetic mechanism of pseudotachylyte in Xiaoqinling detachment fault

Veins and clasts of pseudotachylyte developed in the microbreccias of the detachment fault along the boundary of the Xiaoqinling metamorphic core complex. The Raman spectral analysis shows that there are three kinds of textures in the matrices of the pseudotachylyte, i.e. ultracataclastic fine-grained texture, cryptocrystalline texture and both of them with minute quantity of glass. The three different textures are the results of different degrees of ultracataclasis. This demonstrates that ultracataclasis-comminution-melting is the genetic mechanism of the pseudotachylytes in the Xiaoqinling detachment fault and the ultracataclasis-comminution dominates in their formation. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49472142).