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Deformation behavior of migmatites: insights from microstructural analysis of a garnet–sillimanite–mullite–quartz–feldspar-bearing anatectic migmatite at Rampura–Agucha, Aravalli–Delhi Fold Belt, NW India

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Abstract

In the present study we investigate the microstructural development in mullite, quartz and garnet in an anatectic migmatite hosted within a Grenvillian-age shear zone in the Aravalli–Delhi Fold Belt. The migmatite exhibits three main deformation structures and fabrics (S1, S2, S3). Elongated garnet porphyroblasts are aligned parallel to the metatexite S2 layers and contain crenulation hinges defined by biotite–sillimanite–mullite–quartz (with S1 axial planar foliation). Microstructural evidence and phase equilibrium relations establish the garnet as a peritectic phase of incongruent melting by breakdown of biotite, sillimanite ± mullite and quartz at peak P–T of ~ 8 kbar, 730 °C along a tight-loop, clockwise P–T path. Monazite dating establishes that the partial melting occurred between ~ 1000 and 870 Ma. The absence of subgrains and systematic crystal lattice distortions in these garnets despite their elongation suggests growth pseudomorphing pre-existing 3-D networks of S1 biotite aggregates rather than high-temperature crystal plastic deformation which is noted in the S1 quartz grains that exhibit strong crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO), undulatory extinction and subgrains. Mode-I fractures in these garnet porphyroblasts induced by high melt pressure during late stage of partial melt crystallization are filled by retrograde biotite–sillimanite. Weak CPO and non-systematic crystal lattice distortions in the coarse quartz grains within the S2 leucosome domains indicate these crystallized during melt solidification without later crystal plastic deformation overprint. In the later stages of deformation (D3), strain was mostly accommodated in the mullite–biotite–sillimanite-rich restite domains forming S3 which warps around garnet and leucosome domains; consequently, fine-grained S3 quartz does not exhibit strong CPOs.

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Acknowledgements

LS acknowledges Faculty Initiation Grant, IIT Roorkee for conducting field work and for the analytical costs. LS also acknowledges Dr. M. Satyanarayanan, NGRI, Hyderabad, India, for XRF analyses and Ms. Jyothirmayee Palaparthi for compiling the figures. SP acknowledges the Australian Research Council through her Future Fellowship (FT1101100070) for financial support. The authors thank one anonymous reviewer and Kåre Kullerud for their constructive reviews and Prof. Dullo for helpful editorship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, India

    Abhishek Prakash, Lopamudra Saha & Saheli Sarkar

  2. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, GEMOC ARC National Key Centre and ARC Centre of Excellence Core to Crust Fluid Systems (CCFS), Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia

    Sandra Piazolo

  3. School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    Sandra Piazolo

  4. Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India

    Abhijit Bhattacharya

  5. AMETEK Instruments India Pvt. Ltd, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Dhanbad, 826004, India

    Durgesh Kumar Pal

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Correspondence to Lopamudra Saha.

Appendix

Appendix

See Fig. 11.

Fig. 11
figure 11

a, b T–MH2O pseudosections at 6 and 8 kbar, respectively, showing stability fields of different minerals under water-deficient and water-fluxed conditions. High modal percentages of melt are observed in garnet–sillimanite–bioite–feldspar–quartz–melt-bearing fields. Bulk compositions for C0 and C1 (in molar proportions) are, respectively, SiO2:Al2O3:FeO:MgO:CaO:Na2O:K2O:H2O = 62.68:12.56:6.77:10.99:1.49:1.49: 3.77:0.26 and 41.18:8.25:4.45:7.22:0.98:0.98:2.47:34.46

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Prakash, A., Piazolo, S., Saha, L. et al. Deformation behavior of migmatites: insights from microstructural analysis of a garnet–sillimanite–mullite–quartz–feldspar-bearing anatectic migmatite at Rampura–Agucha, Aravalli–Delhi Fold Belt, NW India. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 107, 2265–2292 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-018-1598-6

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