White K-mica evolution from phengite to muscovite in shales and shale matrix melange, Diablo Range, California

Abstract

 Eleven samples from high-pressure/low-temperature (HP/LT) shales and shale-matrix melange from four areas in the Diablo Range were studied using electron microprobe (EMP), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and analytical electron microscopy (AEM) to provide information about white K-mica evolution and about the controls on illite “crystallinity” (IC) in these areas. The data indicate that: (1) compositional gradients from phengitic to muscovitic compositions occur along the long axis, perpendicular to c*, of white K-mica crystals; (2) compositional gradients parallel to c* were not observed, and thus coherent scattering domains along c* are homogeneous; (3) white K-mica crystals with compositions close to muscovite generally contain fewer planar defects and have larger defect-free distances than those with more phengitic compositions; (4) muscovitic white K-mica is less common than phengitic white K-mica. In the literature, grain growth has often been described to occur by the process of Ostwald ripening. Ostwald ripening is defined as an isochemical process and involves the reduction of surface free energy due to simultaneous dissolution and growth by transferring material from smaller particles to larger ones. However, in the present case: (1) coherent scattering domain boundaries often are created by intragranular faults such as dislocations, intergrown smectite layers (and other polysomatic defects), or incoherent layer rotations, which interrupt the 1.0 nm periodicity; (2) recrystallization from phengite to muscovite involves chemical changes. This implies that crystal growth can not be described by the term Ostwald ripening. Therefore, grain growth of white K-mica from the Diablo Range is described as a function of several processes that result in (1) reduction of surface free energy; (2) reduction of strain energy; (3) minimization of the Gibbs free energy due to change in composition. During growth of muscovitic white K-mica, planar defects become less abundant, and the defect-free distance (=coherent scattering domain size parallel to c*) increases. Strain energy decreases. Log-normal frequency distributions of coherent white K-mica scattering domains were found for three samples. The mode of these data coincides with the number of unit cells parallel to c* as calculated from the Scherrer equation. Thus, IC values from shales and shale matrix melange from the Diablo Range are the result of a physical mixture of numerous small phengitic coherent scattering domains and smaller numbers of slightly larger muscovitic coherent scattering domains. This implies that IC from the Diablo Range does not directly reflect maximum temperatures achieved by these rocks. It follows that IC data from terranes with a metamorphic evolution similar to that of the Diablo Range must be interpreted with caution.