Rutile U-Pb age for the ultrahigh pressure eclogite from the Dabie Mountains,central China: Evidence for rapid cooling

The U-Pb isotope compositions of rutile, omphacite and garnet in the eclogite from the Jinheqiao area in the Southern Dabie ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic zone were analyzed. The consistent high precision U-Pb age (218 ± 1.2) Ma of rutile in eclogite from the Dabie Mountains was obtained by two ways of isochron and common Pb correction based on the composition of omphacite. This proves that the omphacite in eclogite has a U/Pb ratio (m = 2.8) low enough to be used for common Pb correction in the analyses of rutile. Under the rapid cooling condition (40℃/Ma) the closure temperature for U-Pb diffusion in rutile is about 470℃. Thus, this U-Pb age of rutile proves that 218 Ma should be the cooling age of eclogite at 470℃ instead of the peak metamorphic age.     

New finding of micro-diamonds in eclogites from Dabie-Sulu region in central-eastern China

Micro-diamonds were only found ten years ago in eclogite associated with marble at Xindian in the Dabie Mountains. This paper reports our new finding of micro-diamonds not only in eclogites at Maobei in the Sulu region and at Xindian and Laoyoufang in the south part of the Dabie Mountains (South Dabie), but also in eclogites at Baizhangya and Huangweihe in the northern part of the Dabie Mountains (North Dabie) that has usually been considered not to experience ultrahigh pressure metamorphism.Except the micro-diamond at Huangweihe that was found from the artificial heavy sands of zircons used for isotopic dating, the micro-diamonds from other localities were identified in thin sections of the eclogites. Besides a few interstitial grains, most of the micro-diamond grains in thin sections occur as inclusion in garnet. Three crystals of microdiamond at Maobei in the Sulu region are sized in 120, 60 and 30 lira, respectively. Crystal forms look like octahedron and the composite of octahedron and hexahedron. The largest micro-diamond crystal comes from Xindian, which is measured to be 180 lira in diameter with distinct zonal structure and inclusions. The zonal structure occurs as an inclined octahedron inside rounded by an incomplete hexagonal girdle. A smaller micro-diamond inclusion occurs inside the central octahedron, and a larger graphite inclusion is within the outer zone. The Laoyoufang micro-diamond is partially retrograded to graphite. Micro-diamond from the Baizhangya eclogite in the ultramafic rock belt of North Dabie is an aggregate of 70 lira X 90 lira in size. All the micro-diamonds are confirmed by the Raman spectrum analysis. The occurrence of the micro-diamonds from the eclogites in the ultramafic rock belt of North Dabie demonstrates that this region was also subjected to ultrahigh pressure metamorphism as well as the South Dabie did.     

Characteristics and geological significance of the eclogites from the Tongbai Mountains, Henan Province

Some eclogites and the related high-P metamorphic belt have been found for the first time from the Tongbai Mountains, Henan Province, where the eclogites and their probable retrogressive products ——garnet amphibolites——occur as lenses in mica-schists. The fresh eclogites comprise garnet, omphacite, quartz, rutile, phengite, barroisite, etc. The compositional features of garnet and available geothermobarometers indicated that the eclogites belong to the low-T type. The mica-schists contain phengite, quartz, garnet and rutile that are also attributed to high-P assemblage. The eclogites and related high-P belt probably belong to the Early Paleozoic in age, which is distinct from the Indosinian Dabie high- and ultrahigh-P metamorphic belt.     

Coesite in the eclogite and schist of the Atantayi Valley,southwestern Tianshan,China

Coesite is an indicator mineral of ultra-high-pressure metamorphism. Since coesite was reported in the Habutengsu Valley, we have also found it in eclogite and schist from the Atantayi Valley in the southwestern Tianshan, China. Petrographic and micro-Raman analyses were carried out for the Atantayi metamorphic rocks and coesite was recognized in the predominant rock types, i.e. schist and eclogite, from three sections. The coesite-bearing schist consists mainly of garnet, Na-Ca amphibole, quartz, white mica and albite; the coesite-bearing eclogite is mainly composed of omphacite, garnet, glaucophane and zoisite. The coesite occurs as various mineral inclusions within porphyroblastic garnet. Findings of coesite in eclogite and associated schist indicate not only the regional in situ formation of the Atantayi ultra-high-pressure eclogite, but also the large areal extent of ultra-high-pressure metamorphism in southwestern Tianshan, extending up to 10 km north-south and 60-80 km east-west.     

Nd isotopic disequilibrium between minerals and Rb-Sr age of the secondary phengite in eclogite from the Yangkou area, Qingdao, eastern China

There are two generations of white micas in retrograded coesite-bearing eclogite from the Yangkou area near Qingdao, eastern China. The secondary phengite developed along the folliations in eclogite is the majority of the white micas. Nd and Sr isotopic disequilibriums between garnet and retrograded omphacite as well as secondary phengite have been observed. Consequently, the Rb-Sr ages ((193 ± 4) Ma―(195 ± 4) Ma) given by the tie lines of the secondary phengite + garnet or whole rock may predate the formation time of the phengite. The Rb-Sr age of (183 ± 4) Ma given by the secondary phengite + retrograde omphacite is much closer to the formation time of the phengite indicating the retrograde age of eclogite instead of a cooling age of eclogite at 500℃.     

Discovery of ultrahighpressure magnesite-bearing garnet lherzolite (>3.8 GPa) in the Altyn Tagh,Northwest China

Magnesite-bearing garnet lherzolite from the Altyn Tagh, associated with garnet pyroxenite, and garnet-bearing felsic gneiss, crops out as lenses in Proterozoic gneiss about 100 km east of the Jianggelasayi River. The garnet lherzolite, together with the eclogite in western Jianggelasayi, composes a high-pressure to ultrahigh- pressure metamorphic belt in the southern margin of the Altyn Tagh. Parageneses of minerals from magnesite-bearing garnet lherzolite indicate that the rock evolved a multi-stage metamorphism. The peak-stage metamorphism produces an assemblage of Grt+Ol+Opx+Cpx±Mgs, in which Al₂O₃ content of Opx is very low (0.30 — 0.66wt%). The calculated P-T condition of the peak stage is 3.8—5.1GPa and 880—970℃, some exsolution rods of clinopyroxene and rutile occur in the Grt and magnesite is rimed by dolomite and orthopyroxene, all implying that the peak stage was a UHP metamorphic process. Together with regional geological studies, isotopic dating and the discovery of coesite inclusions in zircon separates from felsic gneiss from the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, the presence of a very long UHP metamorphic belt in northwest China is suggested.     

Discovery of eclogite inclusions and its geological significance in early Jurassic intrusive complex in Xuzhounorthern Anhui,eastern China

The early Jurassic intrusive complex is chiefly made of monzodioritic porphyry in northern Anhui and northern Jiangsu, which emplaced in 191 Ma. The intrusive complexes contain a lot of eclogite inclusions which belong to eclogite and garnet-pyroxenite. The inclusions had undergone eclogite facies high-pressure metamorphism and amphibolite facies retrogressive metamorphism. The garnets in eclogite inclusions are mainly almandine varieties and clinopyroxenes are omphacite and augite. The mineral assemblage and P-T estimation results show that P-T conditions of eclogite facies metamorphism and amphibolite facies retrogressive metamorphism are over 1.2—1.5 GPa, 709—861℃ and 0.7—1.03 GPa, 666—738℃, respectively. The discovery of the highpressure xenoliths not only is of important significance to understand the composition and structure of deep crust in southern edge of North China Platform, but also can be of important influence on realizing the subduction-collision-exhumation evolutional process of the DabieSulu ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic belt.     

The formation depth of coesitebearing eclogite, Dabie UHPM zone, China, modified by tectonooriginal additional hydrostatic pressure

The knowledge that hydrostatic pressure is equal to the gravity value of the overlying rocks in studying a dynamic state of certain underground site is argued. It is suggested that the stress field T in the crust is a combination or superposition of total hydrostatic pressure P with differential stress σ , and the total hydrostatic pressure P at any point in the crust comprises two parts: one is spherical stress tensor PG caused by the gravity, and the other is spherical stress tensor Ps caused by tectonic stress; therefore P could not be attributed to the gravity of overlying rocks only. The results obtained by a finite-element simulation indicate that the tectono-original additional hydrostatic pressures Ps decrease gradually from the compressive zone (Pcs) to the shear zone (PSHs) and to the tensile zone (PTs), i. e. PCS>PSHs> PTs in the same depth. On the basis of the above-mentioned research, the method of measurement and calculation of metal logenetic depth corrected by Ps is established, i.e. first tectonic additional hydrostatic pressure Ps is removed from general hydrostatic pressure P to get PG, gravity additional pressure, then accordingly the depth data are measured and calculated. The plastic deformation of garnet in coesite-bearing eclogite, quartz eclogite and garnet amphibo-lite of the ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic (UHPM) complex in the Yingshan County in Dabie Mt. is studied by the transmission electron microscope (TEM). It is shown that the garnets have ductile deformation in the metamorphic condition of eclogite and amphibolite facies. Microstructures of the garnet vary greatly among coesite-bearing eclogite, quartz eclogite and garnet amphibolite. The tectonic principal stress in three-dimensional space and the tectonic additional hydrostatic pressure are reconstructed by differential stress and strain ratio (α) of garnet in minor coesite-bearing eclogite, then the gravity and thickness of overlying rocks are determined. The formation depth of ≥ 32.09-32.106 km of the coesite-bearing eclogite in Yingshan County in the Dabie UHPM zone is obtained from difference PG which comes from P minus Ps, Ps = (σ1 + σ2 + σ3) /3. The value of P is 2.8 GPa resulting from Qz-coes geobarmeter. This result is at all different from other researchers' conclusion that the formation depth of eclogite in Dabie UHPM zone is ≥100 km by the method of weight/ special weight (W/SW). The strong tectionic action makes a great contribution to the formation of e-clogite in the Dabie UHPM zone at so shallow depth of about 32 km, therefore it is thought that attention should be paid to the tectonc-original additional hydrostatic pressure in the study on UHPM zone.     

A combined study of SHRIMP U-Pb dating, trace element and mineral inclusions on high-pressure metamorphic overgrowth zircon in eclogite from Qinglongshan in the Sulu terrane

Methods recently advanced for discrimination on the genesis of metamorphic zircon, such as analysis of mineral inclusions and trace elements, provide us powerful means to distinguish zircon overgrowth during high-pressure metamorphism. Zircons in ultrahigh-pressure eclogite from Qinglongshan in the Sulu terrane were studied by the SHRIMP U-Pb method in combining with trace element and mineral inclusion analyses. No inherited core was identified in the analyzed zircons by means of cathodoluminescence images. The occurrence of high-pressure metamorphic mineral inclusions in zircon, such as garnet, omphacite, rutile, and the flat HREE pattern in zircon indicate that the zircon formed at high-pressure metamorphic conditions. Therefore, a weighted average U-Pb age of 227.4±3.5 Ma obtained from such a kind of zircon is interpreted to represent the timing of peak nietamorphism for the Qinglongshan eclogite.     

The white schist assemblage in the kyanite quartzite from the ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt, eastern Dabie Mountains

The kyanite quartzite from the ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt in the eastern Dabie Mountains is composed mainly of quartz, kyanite, talc and epidote, which contains a typical mineral assemblage of white schist. It suffered an eclogite facies metamorphism of P =(2 4±0 3) GPa and T =630℃ together with coexisting eclogite. The protolith may be an aplite replaced by high-pressure fluid of eclogite facies.     

Rutile U-Pb age for the ultra-high pressure eclogite from the dabie Mountains,central China:Evideence for rapid cooling

The U-Pb isotope compositions of rutile, omphacite and garnet in the eclogite from the Jinheqiao area in the Southern Dabie ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic zone were analyzed. The consistent high precision U-Pb age (218 ±(1.2) Ma of rutile in eclogite from the Dabie Mountains was obtained by two ways of isochron and common Pb correction based on the composition of omphacite. This proves that the omphacite in eclogite has a U/Pb ratio (μ = 2.8) low enough to be used for common Pb correction in the analyses of rutile. Under the rapid cooling condition (40℃/Ma) the closure temperature for U-Pb diffusion in rutile is about 470℃. Thus, this U-Pb age of rutile proves that 218 Ma should be the cooling age of eclogite at 470℃ instead of the peak metamorphic age.     

Isotope composition of helium in eclogite from the Dabie Mountains, central China and its geological significance

Isotopic geochemical characteristics of helium in garnet and omphacite of eclogite in the Dabie Mountains are discussed. Concentrations of 3He and 4He in garnet and omphacite are 3.9×10 -14- 24.0×10 -14 and 0.48×10 -7-9.42×10 -7cm+3·g -1, respectively. Values of 3He/ 4He have a range of (1.19-4.63)×10 -7. Helium in the eclogite is derived from both mantle and crust. Isotopic geochemical data of helium indicate that eclogite in the Dabie Mountains might be formed in depleted mantle and the age of the cologite would be Indo-China epoch.     

Lower time limit on the UHPM rock exhumation: Discovery of eclogite pebbles in the Late Jurassic conglomerates from the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains, eastern China

Eclogite pebbles are first discovered in late Jurassic conglomerates of the Fenghuangtai Formation from the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains, eastern China. The eclogite shows relatively strong retrograde metamor- phism. The major remnant minerals are garnet, phengite, quartz, rutile, clinozoisite, fingerprint(or worm)-form sym- plectite and pseudomorphic enclosure of coesite in garnet. End-member components of the garnet mainly made up of grossular (27.7%-37.8%), almandinc (45.5%-49.0%) and pyrope (12.3%-25.7%). End-member components of the pyrope is less than 30%, i.e. equivalent to C type eclogite. Si-cations of the phengite are 3.44-3.54 p.f.u. (taking O=11 as standard). It is estimated that the pressures are 2.5-3.2 GPa, the temperatures are 600-900℃. Discovery of the eclogite pebbles in the late Jurassic conglomerates from the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains suggests that the HP-UHP metamorphic rocks of the Dabie Mountains, which were formed in Triassic, had been exposed to the surface in the late Jurassic or before it by exhumation.