Journal of Metamorphic Geology最新文献

The Amdo microcontinent which separates the Qiangtang terrane to the north and the Lhasa terrane to the south is a key terrane for reconstructing the tectonic evolution of Central Tibet. We report the new finding of retrograde eclogites within the Amdo microcontinent in this study. The eclogites are characterized by peak metamorphic mineral assemblages of garnet, omphacite, rutile and quartz and underwent a four-stage metamorphic evolution, including a peak eclogite facies stage (M₁) at ~20–24 kbar and 580–620°C, followed by an HP granulite facies decompression stage (M₂) at ~13–15 kbar and 750–780°C, a subsequent MP-UHT granulite facies heating stage (M₃) at 8–10 kbar and >840°C and a final amphibolite facies retrogression (M₄) at 5.3–6.0 kbar and 560–580°C. The eclogites exhibit rare earth element distribution patterns and trace element abundances similar to those of N-MORB and arc-related volcanics, with depleted whole-rock ε_Nd(t) values of 3.4 to 4.2, and are inferred to have formed in a back-arc basin tectonic setting. Zircon and rutile U–Pb dating yields a protolith age of 226 ± 5 Ma, a peak eclogite facies metamorphic age of 190 ± 1 Ma, an HP granulite facies metamorphic age of 179 ± 1 Ma and an amphibolite facies retrograde age of 172 ± 1 Ma. The clockwise P–T–t paths and the oceanic protolith signature of retrograde eclogites suggest that part of the back arc basin was subducted to depths of ~80 km. Tectonic erosion associated with the subduction of the Amdo microcontinent beneath the Tethys Ocean accounts for the deep subduction of the back-arc basin and the absence of arc magmatic rocks in the northern Amdo microcontinent.

Accurately defining the peak ages and timescales of high-temperature metamorphism is fundamental to unravelling tectonic dynamics. However, metamorphic constraints are frequently hampered by a large spread of zircon U–Pb ages without explicit textural relationships. Integrated garnet and zircon petrochronology may clarify ambiguous ages retrieved from ancient high-temperature metamorphic rocks. There is a long-standing debate on the interpretation of the spread of zircon ages from c. 2.5–1.8 Ga for the granulites of the North China Craton. In order to clarify the timing and duration of (ultra)high-temperature metamorphism in the North China Craton, we investigated a mafic granulite and the adjoining gneiss from the Yinshan Block of the North China Craton using zircon and titanite U–Pb geochronology combined with garnet Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd geochronology. Pseudosection modelling and conventional thermobarometric calculations constrain the peak metamorphic conditions to be ~1.0 GPa and ~850°C. The near-complete lack of major-element zoning in garnet, aside from ~2 μm diffusion profiles at crystal rims, suggests complete re-equilibration at peak temperatures followed by fast cooling from high temperatures. The Lu–Hf garnet age of 1870 ± 4 Ma and Sm–Nd age of 1870 ± 7 Ma, determined on the same garnet fractions, are indistinguishable from the zircon U–Pb age of 1866 ± 11 Ma obtained from zircon that grew contemporaneously with garnet, evidenced by the chemical equilibrium of coexisting garnet and zircon, and are additionally consistent with a titanite U–Pb age of 1876 ± 7 Ma. We interpret this close agreement of ages, within uncertainty, coupled to the existence of flat Sm–Nd–Hf profiles in garnet that also has well-preserved Lu zoning, to reflect a short-lived high-temperature metamorphic event that was terminated by rapid exhumation and cooling. The short-lived (<4 Myr) high-temperature metamorphism may be generated in the lowermost parts of the crust through magmatic underplating/intraplating during extension that follows collision of the Ordos and the Yinshan Blocks.

This paper presents the results of petrological observations and diffusion modelling on garnet from high-pressure to ultrahigh-pressure ((U)HP) metamorphic rocks of the Western Gneiss Region in the Nordfjord. Garnet from kyanite-bearing micaschist preserves two generations of garnet growth that are related to the Pre-Caledonian granulite facies and Caledonian eclogite facies metamorphic events. Mafic eclogite, forming lenses in the micaschist, contains only eclogite facies assemblages with partial recrystallization under amphibolite facies conditions. Caledonian garnet in both the micaschist and hosting eclogite indicates reaction overstepping and nucleation near or above 550°C/2.0 GPa. Maximum pressure and temperature, calculated using pseudosection modelling for the eclogite facies event, were ~2.6 GPa and 650°C. The interface between the Pre-Caledonian and Caledonian garnet in the micaschist shows a strong compositional gradient or possibly a compositional jump. The preservation of such a gradient together with the hummocky-shaped composition profiles in the Caledonian garnet from the eclogite indicates either no relaxation or a short-time of relaxation of the rocks at their peak temperature conditions, as well as their exhumation by cooling. Possibly, heating or exhuming of the rocks by isothermal decompression could have easily modified such compositional irregularities along the garnet profiles. A cooling rate of ~187°C/Ma and exhumation rate in the vertical direction of ~2.5 cm/year for the HP rocks were obtained by considering that the temperature and transport distance changes from their maximum depth and peak temperature to the surface were proportional to the time (3.5 Ma) calculated by modelling for the garnet.

Orogenically thickened lower crust is the key site of crustal differentiation, crustal deformation, and Moho modification. However, the composition of thickened lower crust is still highly debated. Here, we calculate a set of pseudosections with mafic lower crust compositions in the Na₂O–CaO–K₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O–TiO₂–O₂ (NCKFMASHTO) system. Our modelling results show that the maximum thickness of the mafic lower crust increases with the Moho temperature (T_Moho). In addition, the lithologies of stable mafic crust are characterized by medium-pressure (MP) to high-pressure (HP) granulites at 40–50 km, HP granulites and garnet-omphacite granulites at 50–60 km, and garnet-omphacite granulites at 60–70 km. Under the Pamir geothermal conditions, mafic rocks with high SiO₂ (>50.2 wt%), X_Mg (>0.70), X_Ca (>0.49), or low X_Al (<0.11) could be stable at 70 km; however, only ~10% of global mafic granulite xenoliths lie within this compositional range. Further modelling indicates that if T_Moho reaches 900–1000°C, neither the lower crust nor the upper mantle has significant strength relative to the upper crust and that only ~5–37% of mafic materials are gravitationally stable at 70 km. This implies that the base of doubly thickened (70 km) crust is dominated by intermediate-felsic rocks, consistent with the low V_p and V_p/V_s values seismically observed in young orogenic crustal roots. Thus, most mafic materials at >70 km could delaminate into the deep mantle. Our results provide insights on the formation of extremely thick crust with a predominantly intermediate-felsic base and the crustal thickness variation in continental collision zones.

We present data on the pressure and temperature (P–T) conditions experienced by metamorphic rocks of the Meguma Terrane, Nova Scotia, Canada, also utilizing three-dimensional microstructural data on one sample to better constrain the mechanisms that controlled garnet crystallization. Inverse and forward thermodynamic modelling place peak P–T conditions in the southwestern Meguma Terrane at ~650°C and 4.5 kbar. Interpretation of these results with petrographic observations and previous P–T constraints across the terrane suggests that amphibolite facies metamorphism occurred during the Devonian Neoacadian orogeny (406–388 Ma). Integration of quantitative 3D textural data with an estimated metamorphic heating rate of <5°C/Myr is consistent with amphibolite facies metamorphism resulting from tectonic loading during the Neoacadian orogeny, though the exact nature of the orogeny is still not well understood. Further, the intrusion of granitic plutons into the Meguma metasediments at 373 Ma likely locally drove metamorphic recrystallization (polymetamorphism). The 3D size, shape, and location of garnet crystals in one sample reveal that the rate-limiting step for garnet crystallization was likely the diffusion of aluminium through the intergranular matrix at length scales less than the mean nearest neighbour distance between garnet crystals. Nucleation was aided by epitaxial overgrowth onto a muscovite substrate, though it appears there may have been a decoupling between minerals providing a substrate and those providing nutrients during garnet growth.