ISSN:
1525-1314
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Geosciences
Notes:
Ultrahigh-temperature quartz-sapphirine granulite xenoliths in the post-Karoo Lace kimberlite, South Africa, comprise mainly quartz, sapphirine, garnet and sillimanite, with rarer orthopyroxene, antiperthite, corundum and zinc-bearing spinel; constant accessories are rutile, graphite and sulphides. Comparison with assemblages in the experimentally determined FMAS and KFMASH grids indicates initial equilibration at 〉1040 °C and 9–11 kbar. Corona assemblages involving garnet, sillimanite and minor cordierite developed on a near-isobaric cooling P–T path as both temperature and, to a lesser extent, pressures decreased. Garnet-orthopyroxene Fe-Mg exchange thermometers record temperatures of only 830–916 °C. These estimates do not indicate the peak metamorphic conditions but instead reflect the importance of post-peak Fe-Mg exchange during cooling. Correction of mineral Fe-Mg compositions for this exhange using a convergence approach of Fitzsimons & Harley (1994) leads to retrieved P–T estimates from garnet-orthopyroxene thermobarometry (c. 1000 °C and 10.5±0.7 kbar) that are consistent with the petrogenetic grid constraints. U-Pb dating of a single zircon grain gives an age of 2590±83 Ma, interpreted as the age of the metamorphic event. Protolith major and trace element chemistries of the xenoliths differ from sapphirine-quartzites typical of the Napier Complex (Antarctica) but are comparable to less siliceous, high Cr and Ni, sapphirine granulites reported from several ultrahigh temperature granulite terranes.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1314.1997.00017.x
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