Into the high to ultrahigh temperature melting of Earth’s crust: Investigation of melt and fluid inclusions within Mg–rich metapelitic granulites from the Mather Peninsula, East Antarctica

Abstract

Precise constraints on the compositions of melts generated by anatexis under ultrahigh temperature (UHT) conditions are critical for understanding processes of partial melting and differentiation of the Earth’s crust. Here we reveal geochemical and physical signatures of anatectic melts preserved as nanogranitoids (i.e. crystalized melt inclusions) within sapphirine–bearing UHT metapelitic granulites from the Mather Peninsula, East Antarctica. Their coexistence with high−Al orthopyroxene as inclusions in garnets strongly suggests that the investigated melts were at least partially UHT in origin. The nanogranitoids are enriched in SiO2 (69.9−75.6 wt.%), strongly peraluminous (ASI values = 1.2−1.6) and potassic to ultrapotassic (Na2O + K2O = 7.1−9.5 wt.%, K/Na = 2.2−9.3). When compared to the granulitic restite, the melts are enriched in Li, Cs, Rb, Ta, Sm, Nd, Zr, U and Pb, and depleted in Ce, Th, Ba, Sr and Nb. Their geochemical characteristics are consistent with biotite−dehydration melting in the absence of plagioclase. Our calculation results indicate that these hot crustal melts have low densities of 2.47 ± 0.07 g/cm3, low viscosities of 104.9±1.2 Pa·s and high heat production values of ∼2.8 μW/m3. Therefore, such melts are mobile and susceptible to be extracted from the source, and consequently their flow and removal from the deep crust may greatly affect the chemical and thermal structure of the continental crust. Secondary C−O−H fluid inclusions within garnet and orthopyroxene have also been detected. These inclusions contain magnesite, pyrophyllite, corundum, with or without residual CO2. The minerals within the fluid inclusions are interpreted as stepdaughter minerals, which were produced by the reaction of the fluid with their host. The metamorphic timing of the investigated rocks is still a matter of debate. Zircon U−Pb dating results obtained in this study suggest that the metapelitic granulites may have undergone two separated thermal events at ∼1000 and ∼530 Ma, respectively. The presence of fluid inclusions indicates that fluid infiltration and Pan–African reworking may have played an important role in obscuring chronological information of the early thermal scenario in poly–metamorphic terranes.