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The recognition of multiple magmatic events and pre-existing deformation zones in metamorphic rocks as illustrated by CL signatures and numerical modelling: examples from the Ballachulish contact aureole, Scotland

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Abstract

The combination of cathodoluminescence (CL) analysis, temperature and temperature–time calculations, and microstructural numerical modelling offers the possibility to derive the time-resolved evolution of a metamorphic rock. This combination of techniques is applied to a natural laboratory, namely the Ballachulish contact aureole, Scotland. Analysis of the Appin Quartzite reveals that the aureole was produced by two distinct magmatic events and infiltrated by associated fluids. Developing microstructures allow us to divide the aureole into three distinct regions. Region A (0–400 m, 663°C < T max < 714°C) exhibits a three-stage grain boundary migration (GBM) evolution associated with heating, fluid I and fluid II. GBM in region B (400–700 m, 630°C < T max < 663°C) is associated with fluid II only. Region C (>700 m of contact, T max < 630°C) is characterised by healed intragranular cracks. The combination of CL signature analysis and numerical modelling enables us to recognise whether grain size increase occurred mainly by surface energy-driven grain growth (GG) or strain-induced grain boundary migration (SIGBM). GG and SIGBM result in either straight bands strongly associated with present-day boundaries or highly curved irregular bands that often fill entire grains, respectively. At a temperature of ~620°C, evidence for GBM is observed in the initially dry, largely undeformed quartzite samples. At this temperature, evidence for GG is sparse, whereas at ~663°C, CL signatures typical for GG are commonplace. The grain boundary network approached energy equilibrium in samples that were at least 5 ka above 620°C.

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Acknowledgments

Marianne Ahlbom, George Morris and Patrick Trimby, are acknowledged for helpful assistance with the ESEM and EBSD analyses, and proof reading. The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the Swedish Research Council (VR) are acknowledged for funding the EBSD set-up in Stockholm and analysis, respectively. We thank Paul Bons, Marian Holness, Marlina Elburg and 2 anonymous reviewers for constructive reviews that significantly improved the manuscript. Alasdair Skelton and Valentin Troll are thanked for comments and discussions on an earlier version of the manuscript. This is contribution 771 from the Australian Research Council National Key Centre for the Geochemical Evolution and Metallogeny of Continents (http://www.gemoc.mq.edu.au). The MQNS Grant (Macquarie University) to SP is acknowledged.

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    Helena Bergman & Sandra Piazolo

  2. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, GEMOC ARC National Key Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Sandra Piazolo

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  1. Helena Bergman
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Correspondence to Sandra Piazolo.

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531_2011_731_MOESM1_ESM.mpg

Movie showing the grain boundary network evolution during simulation of normal grain growth (modelGG). Starting microstructure is medium grained, strain free with no shape preferred orientation (SPO). The movie covers 3000 simulation steps and displays the grain boundary network for each 100 simulation step interval. During the simulation, small grains quickly shrink and curved bands are straightened. The migration rates are significantly lower than in modelSIGBM (Movie 3). The resulting microstructure is very similar with a foam structure, i.e. large grain size with straight to smoothly curved grain boundaries, triple junctions of ~120°, and no SPO. See text for further details (MPG 2766 kb)

531_2011_731_MOESM2_ESM.mpg

Movie showing the same simulation as Movie 1 (progressive evolution of the grain boundary network during simulation of normal grain growth (modelGG)), but with the grain boundary network overlain by consecutive 200 simulation step intervals. The resulting pattern has many features that can be directly related to the CL signature 3, described in the text. See Figs. 8 and 12, and text for further details (MPG 2249 kb)

531_2011_731_MOESM3_ESM.mpg

Movie showing the network evolution during strain-induced grain boundary migration (modelSIGBM). The starting microstructure is deformed, i.e. with a shape preferred orientation (SPO), with significant dislocation density variations. The movie covers 2,400 simulation steps and displays the grain boundary network for each 200 simulation step interval. Small, high-density grains disappear immediately and the microstructure evolves rapidly. The migration rates are significantly higher than in modelGG (Movie 1). As in modelGG the resulting microstructure is similar with a foam structure, i.e. large grains with close to straight grain boundaries, triple junctions ~120°, and no SPO. See text for further details (MPG 2249 kb)

531_2011_731_MOESM4_ESM.mpg

Movie showing the same simulation as Movie 3 (the progressive changes of the grain boundary network during strain-induced grain boundary migration (modelSIGBM)), but with the grain boundary network overlain by consecutive 200 step intervals. Several features in the resulting pattern can be directly related to the CL Signature 7, described in the text. See Figs. 9 and 13, and text for further details (MPG 2680 kb)

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Bergman, H., Piazolo, S. The recognition of multiple magmatic events and pre-existing deformation zones in metamorphic rocks as illustrated by CL signatures and numerical modelling: examples from the Ballachulish contact aureole, Scotland. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 101, 1127–1148 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-011-0731-6

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