Pressure–temperature–deformation paths of closely associated ultra-high-pressure (diamond-bearing) crustal and mantle rocks of the Kimi complex: implications for the tectonic history of the Rhodope Mountains, northern Greece

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 1755-1776 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Mposkos ◽  
A Krohe

The ultra-high-pressure (UHP) Kimi complex (uppermost eastern Rhodope Mountains) is a tectonic mixture of crustal and mantle derived associations. Pressure–temperature (P–T) paths and microtextural and geochronological data reveal that crustal and mantle parts juxtaposed against each other at a depth corresponding to ~15 kbar (1 kbar = 100 MPa) had separate ascend histories. The crustal rocks comprise amphibolitised eclogites, orthogneisses, marbles, and migmatitic pelitic gneisses. The latter document UHP metamorphism within the dehydration-melting range of pelitic gneisses, with maximum P–T conditions of >45 kbar at ~1000 °C, as determined by diamond inclusions in garnet and rutile needle exsolutions in Na-bearing garnet. Decompression was combined with only little cooling before 15 kbar, followed by more significant cooling between 15 and 10 kbar. This P–T path probably reflects ascent of UHP rocks within a subduction channel, followed by accretion in the lower crust of a thickened wedge. Although the first ascend phase was probably rapid, the overall time span for UHP metamorphism and final exhumation may have extended over more than 70 Ma. A U–Pb sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) age on zircons of ±149 Ma was suggested to date the UHP metamorphism, whereas Rb–Sr white mica and U–Pb zircon ages from syn-shearing pegmatites of ±65 Ma constrain medium- to low-grade shearing and final exhumation of UHP rocks. Mantle parts consisting of spinel–garnet metaperidotites and garnet pyroxenites reached maximum P–T conditions in the garnet-peridotite field at T > 1200 °C and P > 25 kbar. This was associated with plastic flow and followed by severe near isothermal cooling to T < 800 °C at 15 kbar and static annealing. A garnet–clinopyroxene whole-rock Sm–Nd age from a garnet pyroxenite of ±119 Ma probably reflects the age of metamorphic mantle processes (static annealing following the high P/high T strain episode), rather than constraining the age of UHP metamorphism.

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Chapman ◽  
Geoffrey L. Clarke ◽  
Nathan R. Daczko

AbstractEclogite facies metamorphism of the lithosphere forms dense mineral assemblages at high- (1.6–2.4 GPa) to ultra-high-pressure (>2.4–12 GPa: UHP) conditions that drive slab-pull forces during its subduction to lower mantle conditions. The relative densities of mantle and lithospheric components places theoretical limits for the re-exposure, and peak conditions expected, of subducted lithosphere. Exposed eclogite terranes dominated by rock denser than the upper mantle are problematic, as are interpretations of UHP conditions in buoyant rock types. Their subduction and exposure require processes that overcame predicted buoyancy forces. Phase equilibria modelling indicates that depths of 50–60 km (P = 1.4–1.8 GPa) and 85–160 km (P = 2.6–5 GPa) present thresholds for pull force in end-member oceanic and continental lithosphere, respectively. The point of no-return for subducted silicic crustal rocks is between 160 and 260 km (P = 5.5–9 GPa), limiting the likelihood of stishovite–wadeite–K-hollandite-bearing assemblages being preserved in equilibrated assemblages. The subduction of buoyant continental crust requires its anchoring to denser mafic and ultramafic lithosphere in ratios below 1:3 for the continental crust to reach depths of UHP conditions (85–160 km), and above 2:3 for it to reach extreme depths (>160 km). The buoyant escape of continental crust following its detachment from an anchored situation could carry minor proportions of other rocks that are denser than the upper mantle. However, instances of rocks returned from well-beyond these limits require exceptional exhumation dynamics, plausibly coupled with the effects of incomplete metamorphism to retain less dense low-P phases.


Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Zhen Li ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
Qian Zhang ◽  
Meng-Yan Shi ◽  
Jun-Sheng Lu ◽  
...  

Ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphism is recorded by garnet clinopyroxenite enclaves enclosed in an undeformed, unmetamorphosed granitic pluton, northeastern Paleozoic Dunhuang orogenic belt, northwestern China. The protoliths of the garnet clinopyroxenite might be basic or ultrabasic volcanic rocks. Three to four stages of metamorphic mineral assemblages have been found in the garnet clinopyroxenite, and clockwise metamorphic pressure–temperature (P-T) paths were retrieved, indicative of metamorphism in a subduction environment. Peak metamorphic P-T conditions (790–920 °C/28–41 kbar) of garnet clinopyroxenite suggest they experienced UHP metamorphism in the coesite- or diamond-stability field. The UHP metamorphic event is also confirmed by the occurrence of high-Al titanite enclosed in the garnet, along with at least three groups of aligned rutile lamellae exsolved from the garnet. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) U-Pb dating of metamorphic titanite indicates that the post-peak, subsequent tectonic exhumation of the UHP rocks occurred in the Devonian period (~389–370 Ma). These data suggest that part of the Paleozoic Dunhuang orogenic belt experienced UHP metamorphism, and diverse metamorphic facies series prevailed in this Paleozoic orogen. It can be further inferred that most of the UHP rocks in this orogen remain buried.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Aguilar ◽  
Pavla Štípská ◽  
Francis Chopin ◽  
Karel Schulmann ◽  
Pavel Pitra ◽  
...  

&lt;h3&gt;High-pressure granitic orthogneiss of the south-eastern Orlica&amp;#8211;&amp;#346;nie&amp;#380;nik Dome (NE Bohemian Massif) shows relics of a shallow-dipping S1 foliation, reworked by upright F2 folds and a mostly pervasive N-S trending subvertical axial planar S2 foliation. Based on macroscopic observations, a gradual transition perpendicular to the subvertical S2 foliation from banded to schlieren and nebulitic orthogneiss was distinguished. All rock types comprise plagioclase, K-feldspar, quartz, white mica, biotite and garnet. The transition is characterized by increasing presence of interstitial phases along like-like grain boundaries and by progressive replacement of recrystallized K-feldspar grains by fine-grained myrmekite. These textural changes are characteristic for syn-deformational grain-scale melt percolation, which is in line with the observed enrichment of the rocks in incompatible elements such as REEs, Ba, Sr, and K, suggesting open-system behaviour with melt passing through the rocks. The P&amp;#8211;T path deduced from the thermodynamic modelling indicates decompression from ~15&amp;#8722;16 kbar and ~650&amp;#8211;740 &amp;#186;C to ~6 kbar and ~640 &amp;#186;C. Melt was already present at the P&amp;#8211;T peak conditions as indicated by the albitic composition of plagioclase in films, interstitial grains and in myrmekite. The variably re-equilibrated garnet suggests that melt content may have varied along the decompression path, involving successively both melt gain and loss. The 6&amp;#8211;8 km wide zone of vertical foliation and migmatite textural gradients is interpreted as vertical crustal-scale channel where the grain-scale melt percolation was associated with horizontal shortening and vertical flow of partially molten crustal wedge en masse.&lt;/h3&gt;


Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Sizova ◽  
Christoph Hauzenberger ◽  
Harald Fritz ◽  
Shah Wali Faryad ◽  
Taras Gerya

Some (ultra)high-pressure metamorphic rocks that formed during continental collision preserve relict minerals, indicating a two-stage evolution: first, subduction to mantle depths and exhumation to the lower-crustal level (with simultaneous cooling), followed by intensive heating that can be characterized by a β-shaped pressure–temperature–time (P–T–t) path. Based on a two-dimensional (2D) coupled petrological–thermomechanical tectono-magmatic numerical model, we propose a possible sequence of tectonic stages that could lead to these overprinting metamorphic events along an orogenic β-shaped P–T–t path: the subduction and exhumation of continental crust, followed by slab retreat that leads to extension and subsequent asthenospheric upwelling. During the last stage, the exhumed crustal material at the crust–mantle boundary undergoes heating from the underlying hot asthenospheric mantle. This slab rollback scenario is further compared numerically with the classical continental collision scenario associated with slab breakoff, which is often used to explain the late heating impulse in the collisional orogens. The mantle upwelling occurring in the experiments with slab breakoff, which is responsible for the heating of the exhumed crustal material, is not related to the slab breakoff but can be caused either by slab bending before slab breakoff or by post-breakoff exhumation of the subducted crust. Our numerical modeling predictions align well with a variety of orogenic P–T–t paths that have been reported from many Phanerozoic collisional orogens, such as the Variscan Bohemian Massif, the Triassic Dabie Shan, the Cenozoic Northwest Himalaya, and some metamorphic complexes in the Alps.


2001 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
Α. ΚΙΛΙΑΣ

In the Hellenic orogen both typs of late orogenic extension, associated with deep crustal parts exhumation, are recognized during the Tertiare: In the areas of Olympos-Ossa and Pelion Mts in Northern Greece, as well as in the island of Crete in Southern Greece a bivergent late orogenic extension is recognized. Nappes collapse took place immediately above the cold accretionary wedge while compression was active at depth. Heer high pressure assemplages were good preserved. On the contrary, in the Rhodope and Cyclades areas an asymmetric extension dominates. Heer extensional exhumation of deep crustal rocks took place in the high thermal flow back-arc region and high pressure metamorphic rocks were highly overprinted by greenschist to amphibolite facies metamorphism. Partial melting and granitoids intrusions followed the high grade metamorphic reworking of the rocks. Tertiary late orogenic extension in the Hellenides tooke place simultaneously with successive subductions processes and crustal thickening at the front of the extended plate, forming with the associated compression a SW-ward migrated system. Extension started in the Rhodope massif during the Eocene/Oligocene to be reached in the Olympos, Ossa, Pilion and Cyclades areas in the Oligocene/Miocene and final in the Crete island at the more external Hellenides, during the Mid-Miocene. Changes in the rate of convergence between Africa and Eurasia associated with retreating plate boundaries conditions allowed the successive, extensional exhumation of the deep crustal rocks in the Hellenides. Assymetric collapse in the back-arc area was possibly favoured, because the high potential energy of the thickened crust in the active orogenic arc was counteracted by the continuing subduction along the boundaries of the converging segments of Africa and Eurasia. Symmetric collapse of the overthickened crust above the cold accretionary prism was favoured probably, due to an increasing of the upward pressure produced by the unterplating of the lithospheric slap beneath the accretionary wedge.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen M. G. Li ◽  
Hao Y. C. Wang ◽  
Qian W. L. Zhang ◽  
Meng-Yan Shi ◽  
Jun-Sheng Lu ◽  
...  

Abstract. Ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphism is recorded by garnet clinopyroxenite enclaves enclosed in an undeformed, unmetamorphosed granitic pluton, northeastern Paleozoic Dunhuang orogenic belt, northwest China. Three to four stages of metamorphic mineral assemblages have been found in the garnet clinopyroxenite, and clockwise metamorphic pressure-temperature (P-T) paths were retrieved, indicative of metamorphism of a possible subduction environment. Peak metamorphic P-T conditions (790~920 °C/28~41 kbar) of garnet clinopyroxenite suggest that they experienced high pressure to UHP metamorphism, and the UHP metamorphism occurred in the coesite- or diamond-stability field. The UHP metamorphic event is further confirmed by the occurrence of high-Al titanite enclosed in the garnet, along with at least three groups of aligned rutile lamellae exsolved from within the garnet. SIMS U-Pb dating of metamorphic titanite indicates that the post peak, subsequent tectonic exhumation of the UHP rocks occurred in the Devonian (~ 389~370 Ma). These data suggest that part of the Paleozoic Dunhuang orogenic belt experienced UHP metamorphism, and diverse metamorphic facies series prevailed in this orogen in the Paleozoic. It can be further inferred that most of the UHP rocks of this orogen are now buried in the depth.


1988 ◽  
Vol 52 (364) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner Schreyer

AbstractMetamorphic rocks of undoubted crustal origin have been described in recent years, principally from Mediterranean collision zones that have been subjected to PT conditions along very low geothermal gradients (∼ 7°C/km) and have reached pressures up to 30 kbar. MgAl-rich metapelites develop particularly diagnostic high-pressure minerals and mineral assemblages that have been and are being studied experimentally in model systems involving the components K2O, MgO, Al2O3, TiO2, SiO2, P2O5, and H2O up to pressures of 50 kbar and temperatures of 1000°C.In the present review the following synthetic phases and phase assemblages are discussed, emphasizing their water-pressure-temperature stability fields (approximated in parentheses here), their reaction relationships, and their known or potential occurrences in metamorphic rocks. Sudoite (0 to ∼ 12 kbar, 150? to 380°C) occurs in very low-grade metapelites. Mg-carpholite (∼ 7 to ∼ 45 kbar, ∼ 200 to 600°C) is found in subducted metabauxites, metapelites, and related quartz veins. Mg-chloritoid (18 to 45 kbar?; 400 to 760°C) has not been found in nature as pure or nearly pure end-member; it requires silica-deficient environments. Yoderite, known in nature only from a single talc-kyanite schist occurrence, has only a small stability field (9 to 18 kbar?, 700 to 870°C?), cannot coexist with quartz, but may be stabilized by Fe3+. Pyrope (∼ 15 to at least 50 kbar, ∼ 700°C to melting), with or without relic coesite inclusions, occurs spectacularly in quartzites. Mg-staurolite (∼ 14 to some 90 kbar?, 700 to 1000°C), recently discovered as inclusions in pyrope, requires silica-deficiency. MgMgAl-pumpellyite is a new synthetic phase in which Mg totally replaces Ca of normal pumpellyite; because of its very high-pressure, low-temperature stability (∼ 37 to at least 55 kbar, < 400 to 780°C) it may not form within our globe. Ellenbergerite, the new high-pressure mineral forming inclusions in pyrope, apparently exhibits a rather composition-dependent stability with Ti-ellenbergerite, requiring higher pressures (> 20 kbar) than P-bearing, Ti-free members; a pure hydrous Mg-phosphate with ellenbergerite structure was synthesized at 10 kbar. Phengites, the widespread MgSi-substituted muscovites, require increasingly high water pressures (up to ∼ 20 kbar) for higher degrees of substitution, but the Al-celadonite end-member is not stable under any conditions; the compositions of phengites coexisting with limiting assemblages such as phlogopite, K-feldspar, and an SiO2 phase are useful geobarometers. The common assemblage Mg-chlorite + Al2SiO5 (mainly kyanite) has an extensive stability field ranging from near zero to 31 kbar at temperatures varying from some 320 to ∼ 760°C depending on pressure. The whiteschist assemblage talc + kyanite (6 to ∼ 45 kbar, 550 to 810°C) plays an important role in collision zone metamorphism as it forms from the greenschist assemblage chlorite + quartz at low grades but is also known to break down into pyrope + coesite at the highest grade observed thus far. The assemblage talc-phengite (11 to at least 35 kbar, 300? to 820°C depending on pressure), on the other hand, is well known from subducted metapelites. At pressures of 15–20 kbar and temperatures of 400–650°C a very K,Mg-rich, siliceous fluid forms as a consequence of the mutual reaction of the minerals K-feldspar and phlogopite (biotite) which are very common in crustal rocks including granites. Such fluids are bound to cause metasomatism in neighbouring mantle rocks which, upon subsequent increase of temperature, produce post-collisional ultrapotassic, lamproitic melts.


2017 ◽  
Vol 155 (2) ◽  
pp. 298-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
GISELLA REBAY ◽  
DAVIDE ZANONI ◽  
ANTONIO LANGONE ◽  
PIETRO LUONI ◽  
MASSIMO TIEPOLO ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Zermatt-Saas Zone was part of the Middle to Late Jurassic Tethyan lithosphere that underwent oceanic metamorphism during Mesozoic time and subduction during Eocene time (HP to UHP metamorphism). In upper Valtournanche, serpentinite, metarodingite and eclogite record a dominant S2 foliation that developed under 2.5±0.3 GPa and 600±20°C during Alpine subduction. Serpentinites contain clinopyroxene and rare zircon porphyroclasts. Clinopyroxene porphyroclasts show fringes within S2 with similar compositions to that of grains defining S2. Zircon cores show zoning typical of magmatic growth and thin fringes parallel to the S2 foliation. These features indicate crystallization of clinopyroxene and zircon fringes during HP syn-D2 metamorphism, related to the Alpine subduction. The U–Pb zircon dates for cores and fringes reveal crystallization at 165±3.2 Ma and 65.5±5.6 Ma, respectively. The Middle Jurassic dates are in agreement with the known ages for the oceanic accretion of the Tethyan lithosphere. The Late Cretaceaous - Paleocene dates suggest that the Zermatt-Saas Zone experienced high-pressure to ultra-high-pressure (HP–UHP) metamorphism at c. 16 Ma earlier than previously reported. This result is in agreement with the evidence that in the Western Alps the continental Sesia-Lanzo Zone reached the subduction climax at least from 70 Ma and was exhumed during ongoing oceanic subduction. Our results are further evidence that the Zermatt-Saas ophiolites diachronically recorded heterogeneous HP–UHP metamorphism.


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