Kyanite and Cordierite-Andalusite occurrences in parts of Barrow's Staurolite zones – The effects of high ferric iron

George Barrow's maps (1893, 1912) of the metamorphic zones named after him in the south-eastern Scottish Highlands, show a prominent staurolite zone running from the west of Glen Clova to the North Sea coast near Stonehaven in the east. Pelitic mica schists throughout this zone commonly show principal mineral assemblages of staurolite+biotite+garnet+muscovite +quartz (St + Bt + Grt), with sodic plagioclase, ilmenite and sometimes magnetite as common accessories; these schists have bulk compositions corresponding with those of common Dalradian metasediments. However, the mineral assemblages on the low- and high-grade margins of the staurolite zone show evidence of changes from west to east. Lower grade assemblages near Stonehaven include chloritoid+biotite, which has not been found further west in the classic ‘Barrovian’ sequence; whilst the higher grade assemblages near Stonehaven lack kyanite, which is widely seen further west. The Stonehaven area has been suggested to have under gone metamorphism at lower pressure (P) than the classic region of the ‘Glens’ inland to the west.

This paper describes the occurrence at middle grade in the broad staurolite zone, of unusual bulk rock compositions showing high ratios of Fe₂O₃/(Fe₂O₃ + FeO) and MgO/(MgO + FeO) (abbreviated to M/FM). The high M/FM assemblages are distinct from those of the common St-Bt-Grt schists. The high ratios of ferric to ferrous iron are thought to result from original sedimentary protolith compositions, that led to metamorphism at relatively high conditions of oxygen fugacity (ƒo₂), and resulted in the formation of haematite-bearing assemblages, rather than ones carrying accessory ilmenite and magnetite as in the common St + Bt + Grt rocks.

In the west (Glen Lethnot), the haematite-bearing pelites show the occurrence of kyanite at a distinctly lower grade than the common (haematite-free) pelites, and a transition from staurolite-biotite (St + Bt) through staurolite–kyanite-biotite (St + Ky + Bt) to kyanite-biotite (Ky-Bt) assemblages occurs with increasing abundance of haematite and higher bulk M/FM values. In all bulk compositions, the upgrade formation of kyanite may be associated with the movement of the St + Ky + Bt assemblage to lower M/FM bulk compositions with increasing temperature (T). The difference in the temperature of lowest-grade kyanite formation in haematite-rich schists, compared with that in common haematite-free schists may approach 50°C.

In the east (Stonehaven section), the haematite-bearing assemblages are much rarer than in Glen Lethnot, but those found so far are very distinctive in showing large porphyroblasts of probable cordierite (typically altered to chlorite and sericite). Occasional assemblages of andalusite-cordierite-biotite (And-Crd-Bt) also occur in the haematite-bearing rocks and confirm lower pressures of metamorphism near Stonehaven than those seen further west in Glens Clova, Lethnot and Esk.