Mineral paragenesis of pumpellyite in low-grade mafic rocks

1995 ◽  
pp. 5-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond E. Beiersdorfsser ◽  
Howard W. Day
Keyword(s):  
Low Grade ◽  
Mafic Rocks ◽  
Mineral Paragenesis

Zircon ages and the distribution of Archaean and Proterozoic rocks in the Rauer Islands

1993 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. Kinny ◽  
L. P. Black ◽  
J. W. Sheraton
Keyword(s):  
Granulite Facies ◽  
Metamorphic Rocks ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Ion Microprobe ◽  
Rock Interaction ◽  
Mafic Rocks ◽  
Grade Fluid ◽  
Vestfold Hills ◽  
Intrusive Suite

The application of zircon U-Pb geochronology using the SHRIMP ion microprobe to the Precambrian high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Rauer Islands on the Prydz Bay coast of East Antarctica, has resulted in major revisions to the interpreted geological history. Large tracts of granitic orthogneisses, previously considered to be mostly Proterozoic in age, are shown here to be Archaean, with crystallization ages of 3270 Ma and 2800 Ma. These rocks and associated granulite-facies mafic rocks and paragneisses account for up to 50% of exposures in the Rauer Islands. Unlike the 2500 Ma rocks in the nearby Vestfold Hills which were cratonized soon after formation, the Rauer Islands rocks were reworked at about 1000 Ma under granulite to amphibolite facies conditions, and mixed with newly generated felsic crust. Dating of components of this felsic intrusive suite indicates that this Proterozoic reworking was accomplished in about 30–40 million years. Low-grade retrogression at 500 Ma was accompanied by brittle shearing, pegmatite injection, partial resetting of U-Pb geochronometers and growth of new zircons. Minor underformed lamprophyre dykes intruded Hop and nearby islands later in the Phanerozoic. Thus, the geology of the Rauer Islands reflects reworking and juxtaposition of unrelated rocks in a Proterozoic orogenic belt, and illustrates the important influence of relatively low-grade fluid-rock interaction on zircon U-Pb systematics in high-grade terranes.

Early Cambrian back-arc volcanism in the western Taurides, Turkey: implications for rifting along the northern Gondwanan margin

2005 ◽  
Vol 142 (5) ◽  
pp. 617-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. GÜRSU ◽  
M. C. GÖNCÜOGLU
Keyword(s):  
Oceanic Lithosphere ◽  
Tholeiitic Basalt ◽  
Central Anatolia ◽  
Geochemical Data ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Early Cambrian ◽  
Spinel Lherzolite ◽  
Mafic Rocks ◽  
Clastic Rocks ◽  
Back Arc

The Lower Cambrian (Tommotian) Gögebakan Formation in western Central Anatolia is made up of slightly metamorphosed continental to shallow marine clastic rocks with pillowed and massive spilitic lavas and dolerite dykes. Spilitic lavas, commonly amygdaloidal, are albite- and pyroxene-phyric with the metamorphic mineral paragenesis albite+calcite+sericite±epidote±tremolite±chlorite. Dolerite dykes mainly include plagioclase and pyroxene as primary minerals and tremolite±epidote±chlorite as low-grade secondary minerals. Geochemical data show that the spilitic lavas and dolerite dykes are sub-alkaline, of oceanic tholeiitic basalt character and display a tholeiitic fractional trend, characterized by an increase in FeO/MgO and Zr and TiO2 in variation diagrams. They are characterized by relatively high Zr/Y (2–4.5), relatively high Th/Yb (0.15–1.0) and La/Nb (0.5–2.5). Both show marked negative Nb and Ti anomalies relative to Th and La (Ce), implying a subduction-related chemistry. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns display slight enrichment of light REE (spilitic lavas (La/Yb)N = 0.79–1.56; dolerite dykes (La/Yb)N = 0.89–3.50) fairly comparable with MORB. The geochemical similarity of the spilitic lavas and dolerite dykes suggests a co-genetic origin. La/Nb ratios of both types are slightly higher than average MORB values and were possibly formed in the early stages of back-arc basin development. Petrogenetic modelling suggests the mafic rocks of the formation were formed by 9% batch melting of spinel lherzolite in shallower depths (c. 60 km). Taken together the data suggest that the Early Cambrian mafic rocks of the Taurus units were developed in a back-arc basin along the northern edge of Gondwana above the southward-subducting oceanic lithosphere and may represent initial rifting that resulted in separation of the peri-Gondwanan terranes.

Low grade metamorphism of mafic rocks

1995 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Schiffman
Keyword(s):  
Low Grade ◽  
Mafic Rocks ◽  
Grade Metamorphism

Paleomagnetic investigations in igneous–metamorphic rock units in eastern New England

1981 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 1248-1260 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Hurley ◽  
C. K. Shearer
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Metamorphic Rock ◽  
Potential Usefulness ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Mafic Rocks ◽  
Grade Metamorphism ◽  
Rock Types ◽  
Metamorphic Terrain ◽  
Paleomagnetic Poles ◽  
Eastern Massachusetts

A clustering of paleomagnetic poles for rock units of mid-Paleozoic (ca. 400 Ma) age in eastern New England indicates that a variety of lithologic types may be used to obtain virtual geomagnetic poles (VGP's) in an igneous–metamorphic terrain. These rock types include chilled margins of basaltic dikes or narrow dikes, hydrothermal alterations such as epidote veinlets, mafic rocks reset by low-grade metamorphism, and hypabyssal igneous bodies, particularly where there is evidence of hydrothermal activity.The results suggest the approach to be followed to obtain valid VGP's in similar geological belts in the Precambrian. The remanence directions in Devonian and Mississippian rock units in eastern Massachusetts and southern and northern Maine are close to other determinations of similar age within the Maritime block, demonstrating the potential usefulness of the procedures.

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