ALBERT

Notes: THE YOUNG EARTH: AN INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEAN GEOLOGY. By E.G. Nisbet. Allen and Unwin, Boston, 1987. pp. 402.

Notes: Abstract Mica porphyroblasts in schists from several regions show nearly planar inclusion trails that are parallel over areas much larger than the wavelengths of later folds. This indicates that the porphyroblasts have not rotated, with respect to geographical co-ordinates, during deformation. Instead, the matrix has rotated, as suggested by Ramsay (1962). Even in zones of marked shortening in the matrix adjacent to large rigid porphyroblasts (e.g. of cordierite or staurolite), small biotite porphyroblasts have not rotated, but have become thinned by solution, as indicated by parallelism of inclusion trails in separate biotite grains and by evidence of truncation of inclusion trails by the matrix foliation. Less common are biotite porphyroblasts that have single asymmetrical microfolds in the matrix adjacent to the porphyroblasts and so appear to have rotated; these porphyroblasts are characterized by kinking.

Notes: Abstract Two major problems which exist in the use of illite crystallinity to define low-grade metamorphic zones are the variety of values chosen for the zone boundaries and the persistent use of three different indices of crystallinity. Although measurement techniques, which cause much of the interlaboratory variation, can be standardized, it is shown that there is, nevertheless, significant additional variation which demands calibration on standards. The greatest variations are due to choices of different absolute values of crystallinity to define zone boundaries. The problem of relating measurements between different indices is approached by fitting mathematical relationships to pairs of measurements from the same sample. A power–law relationship is a satisfactory fit to the Kubler–Weaver and Weaver–Weber pairs, while the Kubler–Weber indices are linearly related. These relationships are used to transform definitions of the diagenetic zone, anchizone and epizone from one index to the others, although they apply strictly only to the data set from which they are derived. This results in compatibility between the three zones and shows that previous definitions to the anchizone in different indices have been chosen at incompatible values. The boundaries of Kubler's anchizone (0.42 and 0.25 Δ2θ) are 0.4 and 0.215 Δ2θ in this study, which become 5.1 and 14.6 in the Weaver index and 278 and 149 in the Weber index. An error analysis shows that percentage errors in both Kubler and Weaver indices increase with crystallinity; the Kubler measurements are marginally preferred at all grades.

Notes: Abstract Migmatites in the Quetico Metasedimentary Belt contain two types of leucosome: (1) Layer-parallel leucosomes that grew during deformation and prograde metamorphism. These are enriched in SiO2, Sr, and Eu, but depleted in TiO2, Fe2O3, MgO, Cs, Rb, REE, Sc, Th, Zr, and Hf relative to the Quetico metasediments. (2) Discordant leucosomes that formed after the regional folding events when metamorphic temperatures were at their peak. These are enriched in Rb, Ba, Sr and Eu, but display a wide range of LREE, Th, Zr, and Hf contents relative to the Quetico metasediments.Layer-parallel leucosomes formed by a subsolidus process termed tectonic segregation. This stress-induced mass transfer process began when the Quetico sediments were deformed during burial, and continued whilst the rocks were both stressed and heterogeneous. Subsolidus leucosome compositions are consistent with the mobilization of quartz and feldspar from the host rocks by pressure solution. The discordant leucosomes formed by partial melting of the Quetico metasediments, possibly during uplift of the belt. The range of composition displayed by the anatectic leucosomes arises from crystal fractionation during leucosome emplacement. Some anatectic leucosomes preserve primary melt compositions and have smooth REE patterns, but those with negative Eu anomalies represent fractionated melts, and others with positive Eu anomalies represent accumulations of feldspar plus trapped melt.

Notes: Abstract The effects of varying amounts of partial melt on the deformation of granitic aggregates have been tested experimentally at conditions (900°C, 1500 MPa, 10-4 to 10-6/s) where melt-free samples deform by dislocation creep, with microstructures approximately equivalent to those of upper greenschist facies. Experiments were performed on samples of various grain sizes, including an aplite (150 μm) and sintered aggregates of quartz-albitemicrocline (10–50 and 2–10 μm). Water was added to the samples to obtain various amounts of melt (1–15% in the aplite, 1–5% in the sintered aggregates). Optical and TEM observations of the melt distribution in hydrostatically annealed samples show that the melt in the sintered aggregates is homogeneously distributed along an interconnected network of triple junction channels, while the melt in the aplites is inhomogeneously distributed.The effect of partial melt on deformation depends an melt amount and distribution, grain size and strain rate. For samples deformed with ˜ 1% melt, all grain sizes exhibit microstructures indicative of dislocation creep. For samples deformed with 3–5% melt, the 150 μm and 10–50 μm grain size samples also exhibit dislocation creep microstructures, but the 2–10 μm grain size samples exhibit abundant TEM-scale evidence of dissolution-precipitation and little evidence of dislocation activity, suggesting a switch in deformation mechanism to predominantly melt-enhanced diffusion creep. At natural strain rates melt-enhanced diffusion creep would predominate at larger grain sizes, although probably not for most coarse-grained granites.The effects of melt percentage and strain rate have been studied for the 150 μm aplites. For samples with ˜ 5 and 10% melt, deformation at 10–6/s squeezes excess melt out of the central compressed region allowing predominantly dislocation creep. Conversely, deformation at 10-5/s produces considerable cataclasis presumably because the excess melt cannot flow laterally fast enough and a high pore fluid pressure results. For samples with 15% melt, deformation at both strain rates produces cataclasis, presumably because the inhomogeneous melt distribution resulted in regions of decoupled grains, which would produce high stress concentrations at point contacts. At natural strain rates there should be little or no cataclasis if an equilibrium melt texture exists and if the melt can flow as fast as the imposed strain rate. However, if the melt is confined and cannot migrate, a high pore fluid pressure should promote brittle deformation.

Notes: Abstract Crystal-chemical relationships between coexisting sodic and calcic amphiboles have been studied in eclogitic metagabbros from the Aosta Valley, Western Alps. Textural analysis gives evidence of three successive high-pressure parageneses:1. Pre-kinematic high-grade blueschist assemblages, preserved as polymineralic inclusions in garnet cores and made of glaucophane and actinolite (stage A).2. Synkinematic eclogite assemblages, composed of garnet + omphacite + glaucophane ± actinolite ± white mica ° Clinozoisite + quartz + rutile (stage B).3. Post-kinematic epitactic overgrowths of barroisitic amphibole on glaucophane and actinolite (stage C). P–T conditions of the eclogitic metamorphism have been estimated at around 500–550°C, 16 kbar.Glaucophane and actinolite coexist as discrete grains in stage A and B assemblages. This texture and the chemistry of the amphiboles unambiguously denotes the existence of a miscibility gap between sodic and calcic amphiboles (from NaM4= 0.80 in actinolite to NaM4= 1.70 in glaucophane at T= 500–550°C). A comparison with published analyses allows a new solvus along the glaucophane–actinolite join to be drawn.The later barroisitic amphibole (stage C) exhibits strong chemical zonation indicating disequilibrium growth. This amphibole cannot either be used to define a miscibility gap with glaucophane or actinolite or be considered as an intermediate stage between these two end-members.

Notes: Abstract Garnet granulites from Sri Lanka preserve textural and chemical evidence for prograde equilibration at temperatures of at least 700–750°C and pressures in the vicinity of 6–8 kbar. Associated strain patterns suggest prograde metamorphism occurred during and immediately following an episode of crustal thickening, with the prograde P–T conditions probably reflecting a combination of the conductive and advective transport of heat at the mid-levels of tectonically thickened crust. The occurrence of prograde wollastonite provides evidence for internally buffered fluid compositions, or fluid absent conditions, during peak metamorphism and precludes pervasive advection of a CO2-rich fluid. The advective heat component is therefore likely to have been provided by the transport of silicate melt. Intricate symplectitic textures record partial re-equilibration of the garnet granulites to lower pressures (˜ 4–6 kbar) at high temperatures (600–750°C), and testify either to the erosional denudation of the overthick crust prior to significant cooling (i.e. quasi-isothermal decompression) or to a subsequent static heating possibly of early Palaeozoic age (Pan-African). The metamorphic history of the Sri Lankan granulites is compared with high grade terrains in the neighbouring fragments of Gondwana, with the emphasis on similarities with Proterozoic granulites of the East Antarctic craton.

Notes: TECTONIC SETTINGS OF REGIONAL METAMORPHISM. Edited by E.R. Oxburgh, B.W.D. Yardley and P.C. England. Royal Society of London. 1987.

Notes: Abstract This paper provides methods and a description of a Pascal computer program, thermocalc, for various thermodynamic calculations using the thermodynamic dataset presented in earlier papers in this series (Holland & Powell, 1985; Powell & Holland, 1985). The dataset involves uncertainties on the thermodynamic parameters and therefore allows uncertainties to be calculated on results, for example in geothermometry and geobarometry. Recommendations are made for the uncertainties on activities to be used in calculations on rocks, particular emphasis being placed on preventing underestimates of these uncertainties at small mole fractions. Apposite examples of phase diagram and rock calculations are presented with ouput from thermocalc, demonstrating the utility of the program. Of the rock calculations, the most valuable are considered to be those involving simultaneous combination ‘least squares’of calculated conditions for a set of reactions applicable to a rock. This set of reactions involves the independent reactions which can be written between the end-members in the minerals in a rock and in the thermodynamic dataset. In contrast to an approach based on specific geothermometers and geobarometers, this approach maximizes the benefit of having an internally consistent thermodynamic dataset. thermocalc is available in IBM PC and Mac versions, from Roger Powell for A$25 or Tim Holland for £10 per version.

Notes: Abstract An inverted metamorphic gradient associated with the northern mylonite zone of the Cheyenne belt, a deeply eroded Precambrian suture in southern Wyoming, has been documented within metasedimentary rocks of the Early Proterozoic Snowy Pass Supergroup. Metamorphic grade in the steeply dipping supracrustal sequence increases from the chlorite through the biotite, garnet, and staurolite zones both stratigraphically and structurally upward toward the northern mylonite zone. A minimum temperature increase of approximately 100° C over a km-wide zone is required for this transition. Parallelism of inverted isograds with the trace of the northern mylonite zone implies a genetic relationship between deformation associated with that zone and the inverted metamorphic gradient within the Snowy Pass Supergroup.Field evidence together with microstructural and petrofabric analysis indicate northward thrusting of amphibolite-grade rocks over rocks of the Snowy Pass Supergroup along the northern mylonite zone. Mineral equilibria and garnet-biotite geothermometry on synkinematic mineral assemblages within the Snowy Pass metasedimentary rocks indicate deformation at minimum temperatures of 480° C and pressures of 350–400 MPa (3°5–4°0 kbar). This implies tectonic burial or upper plate thickness of 13–15 km.The narrow character of metamorphic zonation and microtextures within the Snowy Pass Supergroup which indicate late synkine-matic growth of garnet and staurolite, preclude rotation of pre-existing isograds by folding as a mechanism for development of the inverted gradient. Conductive transport of heat from the upper into the lower plate across the originally low-angle thrust is insufficient to produce the necessary temperatures in the lower plate. Shear heating is considered insufficient to produce the observed metamorphic transition unless high shear stresses are postulated. Up-dip advection of metamorphic fluids is a feasible, but unproven, mechanism for heat transport. The possibility that rapid uplift due to stacking of several thrust sheets may have played a role in preserving the inverted metamorphic gradient cannot be evaluated at present.