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The reconstruction of the Early Paleozoic collision metamorphism of the Khan-Khukhei Block (Northern Mongolia) based on 3D modeling of thermal state of the crust and isotope dating is presented. The age of garnet–biotite schist from a metamorphic complex of the Khan-Khukhei Block of 517.4 ± 7.4 Ma is determined for the first time. 3D modeling was conducted to compare this age of metamorphism with the available age determinations of (post-) collision granite formation in the range of 513‒505 Ma. The model considers radiogenic heating at an elevated heat production of rocks of the thickened crust of the Khan-Khukhei block as the cause of the migmatization and granitoid melts formation. 3D modeling was conducted for the first time for thermal-dome type of metamorphism. The results provide a realistic conception of magma generation in typical collision settings in the absence of mantle magmatic heat sources. The time interval between metamorphism and the stage of anatectic magma formation is 5–12 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada's northern cratons record a complex poly‐metamorphic evolution in response to multiple orogenic events. The Snowbird Tectonic Zone (STZ), the principal suture between the Archean Rae and Hearne cratons, is a highly debated structure; it is argued to have accommodated modern‐style accretion in either the Neoarchean (2.6–2.5 Ga) or Palaeoproterozoic (ca. 1.9 Ga). To resolve this controversy, we use Lu–Hf garnet geochronology to date an eclogite collected from the East Athabasca mylonite triangle of the STZ. Garnet shows prograde trace‐element zoning, and we obtained an age of 1914.5 ± 3.4 Ma. The age is interpreted to date the timing of collision related to deep burial of crust along the STZ. This strongly supports Palaeoproterozoic terminal collision between the Rae and Hearne cratons, and that to constrain high‐pressure metamorphism during supercontinent assembly, dating eclogite itself is key. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conditions of pyrite (Py) stability inform the extent of S mobility during prograde metamorphism, the formation of orogenic Au deposits, and the S cycle in subduction zones. The variables that affect Py stability and chalcophile element mobility are investigated in the Pacific Rim Terrane of Vancouver Island, Canada, where sulfide-bearing carbonaceous sediments have been metamorphosed from 230 to 600 °C and 4 kbar by mid-ocean ridge subduction in a hot fore arc setting during the Eocene. The petrographic evidence in the rocks shows Py can coexist with pyrrhotite (Po) over a wide temperature window to >550 °C as preserved in porphyroblasts of andalusite, staurolite, and garnet. Conversely, equilibrium phase diagrams constructed for the rock compositions conflict with observations and suggest the breakdown of primary Py occurs over a narrow temperature range below 400 °C. The phase diagrams are consistent with the coexistence of Py and Po up to lower amphibolite facies only if S locally comprises a much greater proportion involved in a reaction than that of the overall bulk-rock composition used in the calculations. While the chemistry of the bulk rocks and Po included in porphyroblasts show mobilization of H2O and S with increasing metamorphic grade of the forearc, this process appears unrelated to the distribution of chalcophile elements or Au deposits found in the Pacific Rim Terrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral reactions were studied in metamorphic rocks from the Meyeri tectonic zone, and the P–T path of the development of this structure was calculated. According to the P–T path, the Proterozoic granulite complex of the Svecofennian Belt was thrust onto low-temperature rocks of the Archean Karelian Craton. Relict staurolite and other minerals preserved as inclusions in the garnet porphyroblasts made it possible to identify the pre-peak stage of metamorphism with P–T parameters no higher than the low-temperature amphibolite facies of moderate and low pressure. The peak metamorphic conditions of the tectonic zone are estimated at T > 700°C and P ~ 7 kbar using the composition of relict minerals, while the temperature on the prograde trend of metamorphism was 500–600°C at a pressure of about 5 kbar. The post-peak stage began with a distinct decompressional P–T path at the aforementioned high temperatures, with a change from granulite hypersthene-containing assemblages to lower-temperature hydrous ones. The subsequent metamorphic retrogression was characterized by the development of numerous hydrous minerals as a result of the activation of fluids in the shear zone. The P–T path of the tectonic zone is clockwise and reflects the exhumation of the Svecofennian granulite complex during the orogenic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New U–Th–Pb chemical data from both electron probe microanalysis and U–Pb laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry on monazite inclusions in giant andalusite porphyroblasts indicate that the lowermost subdivision of the Rocky Cape Group in northwest Tasmania underwent metamorphism at ca 1100 Ma. The Proterozoic Rocky Cape Group is a ∼10 km-thick succession of quartz arenite, siltstone and pelite. These sediments were deposited between ca 1450 and ca 1010 Ma. Metamorphism within the Rocky Cape Group ranges from the prehnite–pumpellyite to upper greenschist facies, locally reaching garnet grade. In the lowermost formation of the Rocky Cape Group, andalusite-bearing mineral assemblages in the Pedder River Siltstone formed prior to or synchronously with monazite development. The andalusite-bearing mineral assemblage indicates relatively low-pressure conditions of <200 MPa, consistent with the stratigraphic thickness of the Rocky Cape Group (∼10 km). However, the presence of the intermediate-temperature biotite–andalusite mineral assemblages (500 °C) in the study area suggests the contribution of additional heat sources. Garnet porphyroblasts were observed ∼2 km away. Similar-age medium-grade metamorphism and magmatism at about 1100 Ma have been observed regionally in the South Tasman Rise and East Tasman Plateau, and in areas that are thought to have been contiguous with northwestern Tasmania such as Dronning Maud Land, central Arizona (Yavapai–Mazatzal) and Belt–Purcell Basin in the southwestern and northwestern Laurentian crustal sequences. The pressure and temperature relationships, mineral associations and regional data suggest additional heat flow was present through the lower part of the Rocky Cape Group. The higher geothermal gradient could be attributed to burial during basin development and deposition of the upper Rocky Cape Group or associated magmatism on the margin of Laurentia during assembly of Rodinia. Low-pressure, intermediate-temperature mineral associations occur in the Rocky Cape Group. Heat sources are unrelated to nearby Devonian granite. Robust ages reveal the first discovery of 1100 Ma metamorphism in Tasmania. These provide data for a missing link in Rodinian paleogeographic reconstructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the issues related to the primary nature and metamorphism of gneisses from the Larba block of the Dzhugdzhur–Stanovoy fold area, which are based on the study of the mineralogical composition of supracrustal rocks. The PT-parameters for the highest temperature and pressure metamorphic transformations of rocks of the Larba block are estimated as P = 6.5–8.5 kbar and T > 800°C. Relatively low-temperature garnet–biotite and garnet–biotite–chlorite mineral parageneses were formed at the regressive stage of metamorphism at ~4–6 kbar and temperatures up to 500–600°C. Wide variations in paragneiss compositions indicate that the studied gneisses were derived from protoliths of different composition. Overall, Larba metasedimentary rocks had weakly and moderately weathered source areas. Most of the compositions of paragneisses are located in the field of chlorite–montmorillonite, montmorillonite–kaolinite–hydromica, and chlorite clays formed from the mafic protolith. The low alkalinity in combination with a high MgO content indicates the presence of rock erosion products with a significant admixture of basic volcanic material in the detrital material. Migmatization of the rocks is the most significant factor that distorts the reconstruction of the original rock composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eastern Taurides, which form the imbrication and nappe zone in the northernmost part of the Arabian platform, are located within the Southeastern Anatolian Orogenic Belt. In the present study, spectral enhancement methods such as band ratioing, minimum noise fraction (MNF), relative band depth (RBD), and supervised classification were applied to ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) images of metamorphic massifs, ophiolites, and sedimentary rocks outcropping in the western part of the Eastern Taurides (Göksun, Afşin, and Ekinözü regions). With these methods, the aim was to distinguish geological units from each other accurately. In the study area, arid climatic conditions with relatively poor vegetation, allowing for precise visual interpretations, play a significant role. Vegetation and water bodies were also masked before these procedures. In the Göksun, Afşin, and Ekinözü regions, metamorphic rocks of phyllite, schist, and gneiss types, which underwent metamorphism during the Upper Cretaceous and Eocene periods, are observed. The geologically dominant minerals in these rocks include silica, mica (muscovite, phengite, biotite), chlorite (clinochlore, chamosite), kaolinite, and carbonates (calcite, dolomite). These rocks are accompanied by ophiolitic, volcanic/volcano-sedimentary, and plutonic igneous rocks. Due to geological events during the closure of the Neotethys Ocean and continental collision in the area, it became evident that the lithological diversity from various rock groups was reflected in the ASTER images, in addition to field observations. Image processing analyses applied to the ASTER sensor images, rich in short-wave infrared (SWIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) bands on the Terra platform, revealed distributions of clay, sulfate, carbonate, iron oxide, and silica minerals. The highest geological differentiation potential was observed through ASTER 643 (RGB) and ASTER 13,12,10 (RGB) false-color composites, as well as ASTER 456 (RGB) minimum noise fraction (MNF) analyses and, especially, relative band depth processes. Relative band depth processes were employed to identify epidote-chlorite-amphibole, calcite-chlorite-amphibole, alunite-kaolinitepyrophyllite, muscovite, and silica minerals. The application of these processes revealed lithologies that strongly feature these minerals. Specifically, the goal was to differentiate rock units containing kaolinite, muscovite, phengite, chlorite, and epidote minerals belonging to AlOH and FeOH groups and elucidate their compositions. Moreover, rocks containing primarily quartz and feldspar were distinguished using ASTER TIR bands. The obtained data revealed that mineralogical and corresponding lithological spatial distributions, as depicted by ASTER images, could play a crucial role in geological mapping, particularly in regions where mapping is challenging due to geographical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The redox state of chromium ores of the main industrially significant types, developed in ultramafic rocks of the Rai-Iz–Voykar complex of the Polar Urals, was studied. The chromitites occurring in various geological settings—dunite–harzburgite complex and large dunite bodies metamorphosed to different degrees—have been investigated. For the first time, oxygen fugacity and temperature of the formation of chromium ores, based on olivine–spinel equilibrium, were studied in more than representative samples from the Rai-Iz and Voikar–Synya massifs. The Fe/(Fe + Mg) of minerals increases linearly from chromitites to their host ultramafic rocks at each of the studied objects. The temperature of olivine–spinel equilibrium in chromitites varies within 550–800°С. The oxygen fugacity in aluminous chromitites averages FMQ +0.5–1.5 log units; in medium chromium, FMQ +1.5–2.5 log units; in high-chromium ones, more than +2.5 log units relative to the FMQ buffer. The oxygen fugacity in densely disseminated chromitites is 0.5–1 log units higher than in poorly disseminated and rarely disseminated ones. The T–fO2 values correspond to the crustal conditions and are close to those established in the metaultramafic rocks of the studied massifs. The data obtained may indicate that the concentration of the ore component and the formation of chromium ore deposits occur not only in mantle or lower crustal conditions, characterized by fO2 values close to the FMQ buffer, but also as a result of ultramafic crustal metamorphism occurring in an oxidizing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence is presented that the metaconglomerate-hosted Jacobina gold deposits in Brazil represent paleoplacers that became partly remobilized during later metamorphic overprint analogous to Witwatersrand-type deposits elsewhere, notably in South Africa. This includes strong lithological and sedimentological control on the gold, presence of detrital minerals with gold inclusions, and detrital gold particles. Detrital, synsedimentary, and post-depositional pyrite types can be differentiated. Whereas the first two types can be linked to gold accumulation, the latter was associated with gold dispersion. Synsedimentary pyrite has the highest Au content, from which elevated Au concentrations in Archean rivers can be inferred. The nature and extent of post-depositional alteration, mainly in the course of the Paleoproterozoic Orogeny, distinguishes the Jacobina deposits from other Witwatersrand-type gold deposits. Phase equilibria and Zr-in-rutile thermometry indicate peak metamorphic temperatures of ca. 600 °C. Both Mg-chlorite and Fe-chlorite formed in disequilibrium at approximately 280–340 °C during retrograde metamorphism. An igneous signature in the chemistry of some of the tourmaline and the remobilization of gold associated with Fe-oxides, near intrusive rocks, point at a local magmatic influence on the post-depositional mineralization stage. Whether magmatic hydrothermal fluids added Au to the system at that stage remains to be determined. Remobilization during regional metamorphism was insufficient to form substantial ore bodies but led to purification of the initially detrital gold particles that now contain relatively little Ag and Cu and lack Hg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Add Zr to A17SiO. 3Mg alloy containing 0. 3% Er, characterize the microstructure of the sample using Optical Microscopy (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), analyze the phase composition using high resolution X Ray Diffraction(XRD), and test its mechanical properties. Study the effect of different contents of Zr on the microstructure morphology and mechanical properties of the alloy. The results showed that after adding Zr element, Zr and Er formed second phase particles Alg Er and Ab Zr, which played a dual nucleation and refinement role in the solidification process of aluminum liquid, significantly refining a Al. The branching of Al and eutectic Si improves the mechanical properties of the alloy» But if Zr is added too much, it will form too many intermetallic compounds with Er inside the alloy, weaken the modification effect, and cause a decrease in tensile strength and elongation. The best effect is achieved when the Zr content is 0. 2 %, with a tensile strength of 182 MPa and an elongation of 6. 4%, which is 16. 7 % and 33. 3 % higher than the alloy without the addition of Zr element in terms of tensile strength and elongation, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Cretaceous metamorphic events are known in Crete and the Cyclades from klippen above the External Hellenides. This work extends their occurrence to the North Aegean area within the tectonic units of the Internal Hellenides. New 40Ar/39Ar white mica ages from garnet-bearing micaschists of the Upper Metamorphic Unit of Skyros Island, cropping out in the Skyrian Olympus Mountain, document a Late Cretaceous tectono-metamorphic evolution. Several mica generations have been distinguished using electron probe microanalyses and were dated using the 40Ar/39Ar method: a relict mica older than 96 Ma, followed by a foliation-forming mica of about 88–84 Ma and alteration phases ≤ 68 Ma were recognized. This Cretaceous tectono-metamorphic evolution falls between the closure of the internal Axios/Vardar oceanic basin in the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous, and the closure of the external Pindos–Cyclades oceanic basin in the Early Cenozoic. The position of the Upper Metamorphic Unit of Skyros was probably within the evolving Hellenic volcanic/magmatic arc during the continuous subduction of the African plate beneath the European plate. The present tectonic position of the units bearing the Late Cretaceous metamorphic event is the result of the Cenozoic tectonic emplacement onto the more external units across the Hellenides from the Pelagonian to the Pindos–Cyclades domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Carbonate-silicate rocks of unclear origin have been observed in granulites of the Porya Guba of the Lapland-Kolvitsa Belt within the Fennoscandinavian Shield. The present work aims to reconstruct possible protoliths and conditions of metamorphic transformation of these rocks based on oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios combined with phase equilibria modeling. Isotope analysis and lithochemical reconstructions suggest that carbonate-silicate rocks of the Porya Guba represent metamorphosed sediments (possibly marls) with the isotopic composition corresponding to the Precambrian diagenetically transformed carbonates (δ18O ≈ 17.9 ‰, SMOW and δ13C ≈ –3.4 ‰, PDB). The chemical composition varies depending on the balance among the carbonate, clay, and clastic components. Significant changes of the isotopic composition during metamorphism are caused by decomposition reactions of primary carbonates (dolomite, siderite, and ankerite) producing CO2 followed by degassing. These reactions are accompanied by δ18O and δ13C decrease of calcite in isotopic equilibrium with CO2 down to 15 ‰ (SMOW) and –6 ‰ (PDB), respectively. The isotopic composition is buffered by local reactions within individual rock varieties, thus excluding any pronounced influence of magmatic and/or metasomatic processes.

The Wulashan rock group, a set of Early Precambrian high-grade metamorphic rock series with high metamorphic degree of amphibolite facies-granulite facies, has been determined in the Wulashan-Daqingshan Area of central Inner Mongolia. The metamorphic plutons of quartz diorite gneiss and perilla granitic gneiss, intruded into the biotite garnet plagioclase gneiss of the Wulashan rock group, were studied by chronology to divide the protolith formation age and metamorphic age of aluminum-rich gneiss in the Wulashan- Daqingshan Area. The results show as follows. The weighted average ages of perilla granitic gneiss ( TW7 ) and granodiorite gneiss (D1227) are (2 462 ± 13) Ma and and (2 512 ± 24) Ma, respectively. It could be inferred that, the formation age of the protolith of the aluminum-rich gneiss in Wulashan is earlier than 2. 5 Ga, because of the transformation of rock by later tectonic events. Two metamorphic ages of 2. 2 Ga and 1. 9 Ga, respectively, could be confirmed from the quartz diorite gneiss ( TWB6), indicating that the Wulashan- Daqingshan Area has undergone the superposition of early and late Paleoproterozoic tectonic thermal events. Overall it can be concluded that the latest formation age of aluminum-rich gneiss in the Wulashan-Daqingshan area is limited to 2. 5 Ga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthoamphibole, clinoamphibole and magnetite are common minerals in altered rocks associated spatially with Palaeoproterozoic volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits in Colorado, USA and metamorphosed to the amphibolite facies. These altered rocks are dominated by the assemblage orthoamphibole (anthophyllite/gedrite)–cordierite–magnetite±gahnite±sulfides. Magnetite also occurs in granitoids, banded iron formations, quartz garnetite, and in metallic mineralisation consisting of semi-massive pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite with subordinate galena, gahnite and magnetite; amphibole also occurs in amphibolite. The precursor to the anthophyllite/gedrite–cordierite assemblages was probably the assemblage quartz–chlorite formed from hydrothermal ore-bearing fluids (~250° to 400°C) associated with the formation of metallic minerals in the massive sulfide deposits. Element–element variation diagrams for amphibole, magnetite and ilmenite based on LA-ICP-MS data and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for orthoamphiboles and magnetite show a broad range of compositions which are primarily dependent upon the nature of the host rock associated spatially with the deposits. Although discrimination plots of Al/(Zn+Ca) vs Cu/(Si+Ca) and Sn/Ga vs Al/Co for magnetite do not indicate a VMS origin, the concentration of Al+Mn together with Ti+V and Sn vs Ti support a hydrothermal rather than a magmatic origin for magnetite. Principal Component Analyses also show that magnetite and orthoamphibole in metamorphosed altered rocks and sulfide zones have distinctive eigenvalues that allow them to be used as prospective pathfinders for VMS deposits in Colorado. This, in conjunction with the contents of Zn and Al in magnetite, Zn and Pb in amphibole, ilmenite and magnetite, the Cu content of orthoamphibole and ilmenite, and possibly the Ga and Sn concentrations of magnetite constitute effective exploration vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of S during high-grade metamorphism is a topic that has not garnered much interest in the literature until recently. In this review, the role of S as an active component in high grade hypersaline fluids is reviewed per a series of regional studies involving orthopyroxene-bearing granulite-facies granitoids. These include the Shevaroy Block and Nilgiri Block, southern India; the Bamble Sector, southwest Norway; the Val Strona traverse of the Ivrea-Verbano Zone, northern Italy; and the Lewisian Complex, northwest Scotland. In each these terranes, S-bearing, high-grade, low H2O activity fluids are conjectured to have been present during granulite-facies metamorphism and to have contributed to the dehydration of the rock, the oxidation state of the rock, and trace element mobility, leaving behind pyrite and/or pyrrhotite as traces of its presence. The various mineral equilibria reactions between the various oxidation states of S in these fluids and the oxide and silicate minerals encountered by the fluid are explored and a coherent framework of interdependent chemical reactions are developed, which describe both oxidation of the rock and the formation of pyrite and pyrrhotite during both peak- and post-peak metamorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remarkably well-preserved crustal sections from the Eastern Hellenides offer the chance to evaluate the regional geodynamic evolution of continental crust. Here, we identify and geodynamically interpret eclogite facies metamorphism in the Triassic–Jurassic volcano-sedimentary series of the West Circum Rhodope zone in the eastern Hellenides. Equilibrium phase diagrams and measured mineral compositions were used to inform reconstructions of geodynamic evolution during the early Alpine period. We newly define the existence of the Eohellenic HP belt, consisting of pre-Alpine basement, continental volcano-sedimentary formations, and a Jurassic magmatic arc. We suggest that the Eohellenic HP-Belt was subducted in the late Jurassic to early Cretaceous beneath the European plate margin. Detailed geodynamic reconstructions such as ours provide a robust anchor for future computational models of long-term crustal evolution in the Eastern Hellenides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of surface heat flux from boreholes of the NIED Hi‐net network of seismometers are used to determine temperature and shear stress on the plate interface beneath northern Honshu. At the maximum depth of thrust‐faulting earthquakes, about 60 km, the temperature is 660 ± 240°C and the average shear stress during slip on the interface is 100 ± 45 MPa. The equivalent quantities from the oceanic setting of the Kermadec trench are 630 ± 140°C and 115 ± 25 MPa. The shear stresses are substantially higher than commonly assumed in models of convergent plate interfaces, but are consistent with measurements made above other convergent plate interfaces where heat flux data are more sparse. They are also consistent with the level of shear stress required to explain measurements of pressure and temperature from high‐pressure‐low‐temperature terrains that experienced metamorphism on subduction interfaces, in particular those from the Cretaceous Sanbagawa belt of SW Japan. Plain Language Summary: The temperatures and stresses under which most of the world's great earthquakes nucleate are poorly known because they take place at depths of tens of kilometers, where conditions cannot be directly observed. Measurements of surface heat flux above plate interfaces provide the strongest indirect constraints, but those measurements are sparse. We use a dense set of heat flux measurements to determine shear stress and temperature on the plate interface of northern Honshu, on which the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake occurred. The shear stress, 100 ± 45 MPa, and temperature, 660 ± 240°C, are significantly higher than previous estimates, but are supported by analysis of heat flux above the Kermadec plate interface—the only location where a comparable density of heat flux measurements has been used to estimate shear stress. Shear stresses of ∼100 MPa can also account for the conditions of temperature and pressure recorded in rocks of the Sanbagawa belt of SW Japan, which are the exhumed remnants of an approximately 90‐million‐year‐old plate interface. This concordance supports arguments that the Sanbagawa, and similar terrains around the world, record physical and chemical conditions relevant to the generation of earthquakes on present‐day plate interfaces. Key Points: Surface heat flux measurements constrain temperature (660 ± 240°C) and shear stress (100 ± 45 MPa) at ∼60 km on the plate interface in N HonshuThese values are supported by estimates from dense heat flux measurements at the Kermadec plate boundary (630 ± 140°C) and (115 ± 25 MPa)Metamorphic temperatures in an exhumed plate interface, the Sanbagawa belt of SW Japan, are also explained by this level of shear stress [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the snow microstructure at various metamorphism times and extract the snow neck area, a constant density (200 kg/m3) snow metamorphism experiment was conducted. The findings show that the neck region is mostly influenced by temperature, sun radiation, snow density and specific humidity, with wind speed having little effect. Additionally, we developed a multiple linear regression equation for the neck area under atmospheric forcing: "S = 288T + 2E + 189ρ + 12,194V − 20,443RH − 42,729". This equation accounts for solar radiation (E), temperature (T), snow density (ρ), specific humidity (RH) and wind speed (V). Notably, the above five factors can account for 84% of the factors affecting the neck area, making it a crucial factor. The relationship between snow hardness and neck area is correlated at 71%, and in later stages of metamorphism, the correlation may increase to 91%. Based on the neck area, the following hardness value prediction is made: "H = 0.002764S + 67.922837". This study documents the growth variations in the neck region of the metamorphic snow cover and elucidates the process by which outside factors impact the microstructure and macroscopic physical characteristics of the snow cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reaction rims contain a wealth of information that can be used to decipher the P-T-t-X history of metamorphic and metasomatic rocks. One of the most important parameters that controls reaction rim growth is the presence of volatiles, which can affect rim thicknesses, phase stabilities and the development of rim microstructures. In this study, reaction rim growth experiments were performed between periclase and quartz at anhydrous to water-saturated conditions at 3–4 kbar and 1100–1300 °C. Controlled minute amounts of water were added through OH-doped periclase, which enabled us to perform experiments at controlled water-undersaturated conditions. At anhydrous conditions, no reaction rim formed at all implying that water acts as a catalyst, and a minimum fluid threshold is needed to initiate metamorphic reactions. At water-undersaturated conditions extremely small variations in water content are sufficient to change reaction rim growth rates by multiple orders of magnitude. This implies that reaction rims have the potential to monitor variations in the amount of water at those grain boundaries that serve as fast pathways for component transport at water-undersaturated conditions during metamorphic and metasomatic reactions in natural systems, allowing them to be used as sensitive "geohygrometers". Additionally, the effect of water on relative layer thicknesses may provide an application for reaction rim microstructures to be used as new physico-chemical gauges that will allow us to discriminate between water-undersaturated and water-saturated conditions during metamorphic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple interpretations exist regarding the tectonic evolution model of the Neoarchean North China Craton, requiring a more in-depth study of metamorphic processes. Systematic petrographic observations, mineral chemical analysis, phase equilibrium modeling, and zircon dating were conducted on the basic granulites from Qingyuan in northern Liaoning to elucidate their metamorphic evolution processes and geological significance. The selected samples of mafic granulites were divided into the garnet-bearing domain (19DJ07-GD) and garnet-free domain (19DJ07-NGD), with the garnet-bearing region displaying a banded and inhomogeneous distribution. Both domains exhibit two generations of granulite facies assemblages. In the garnet-bearing domain, the first-generation metamorphic mineral assemblage includes garnet + clinopyroxene + orthopyroxene + hornblende + biotite + plagioclase + quartz. Notably, the first-generation plagioclase (Pl1) exhibits a complex compositional zoning, with anorthite content (xAn) increasing from the core to the mantle and then decreasing towards the rim. Similarly, the titanium component zoning in the first-generation amphibole (Amp1) follows a pattern of increasing from the core to the mantle and then decreasing towards the rim. Based on mineral assemblages and corresponding component zoning, it is inferred that the first-generation granulite facies metamorphic process followed a counterclockwise P-Tpath, involving a pre-peak P-T rise stage and a post-peak P-T drop stage. Phase equilibrium modeling constrains the peak conditions at 0.8~0.9 GPa/900~950 ℃, indicative of high-ultrahigh-temperature (HT-UHT) metamorphism conditions. Zircon dating results yielded a post-peak cooling age of 2498±6.9 Ma (MSWD=0.39). Considering the regional "dome-and-keel" tectonics, the counterclockwise P-T path, and the metamorphic timing of supracrustal rock nearly synchronous with late-stage TTG magmatic pulses, the UHT metamorphism of the supracrustal rocks is believed to be controlled by the unique Archean vertical tectonics/sagduction system. The second-generation metamorphic assemblage is characterized by locally formed coronas or symplectites of garnet + quartz ± clinopyroxene, representing high-pressure (HP) granulite facies metamorphism associated with a Paleoproterozoic orogenic event.

The reasons for the formation of rare minerals and mineral assemblages during metamorphism and metasomatosis are found to be the atypical composition of the protolith, the structural–textural heterogeneity, restricted mass transfer, and high temperatures. This is often observed under shallow conditions (pressure up to 3 kbar) during additional heating of rocks by igneous intrusions. In this paper, these questions are discussed with a series of domestic examples, the processes of mineral formation in which are studied in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contact metamorphism of carbonate rocks is a complex process, often characterized by chemical and isotopic disequilibrium and dominated by open-system fluid flow. As such, a handful of recent studies have applied the relatively new tool of carbonate clumped isotope thermometry across km-scale contact aureoles to track conditions from low to high grade. Results have been particularly intriguing among low grade carbonates at the extreme outer edge of the metamorphic aureole. We therefore present results of carbonate clumped isotope analysis combined with detailed petrography and sample characterization to explore the onset of metamorphism in the Alta stock contact aureole, Utah. In addition to focusing on a few densely sampled field profiles near the lowest-grade talc isograd, we perform mm-scale microsampling to assess the relationship between heterogeneous reaction features and carbonate clumped isotopes. We find that elevated metamorphic temperatures (~ 275–300 °C) are recorded by matrix dolomite only in samples which underwent corresponding recrystallization and grain size reduction, and that the boundary between recrystallized and un-recrystallized samples is consistently expressed in the field across a ~ 33 m wide zone. At the microscale, clumped isotopes reveal very local equilibration and recrystallization, recording differing prograde and retrograde reaction temperatures within a few millimeters. Carbonate clumped isotope thermometry and traditional stable isotopes are further used to explore heterogeneous fluid compositions and channelized flow in the outer aureole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological, mineralogical, and petrological observations are reported for hornfels-like fine-grained granular mafic rocks in the Early Paleozoic Olkhon collisional orogen (West Baikal area, Russia). The rocks are composed of orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, amphibole, plagioclase, and ilmenite; some samples also contain olivine, phlogopite, spinel, and titanomagnetite (Opx+Cpx+Amp+Pl+Ilm±Ol±Bt±Spl±Ti-Mag). There are three occurrences of these rocks in the area: a 500 m × 1000 m field in the Shirokaya Valley, another occurrence within the Tazheran Massif (a complex of igneous and metamorphic rocks), and dismembered dikes on the southern margin of the Birkhin gabbro intrusion. The Shirokaya field is located between two 500 Ma intrusions of the Birkhin gabbro; the Tazheran occurrence coexists with syenite, including nepheline syenite, subalkaline gabbro, and marble protrusions; and the dismembered dikes coexist with carbonates and display progressive alteration of dolerite through typical granular varieties. The dikes associated with granite and marble veins mark a part of a large arc-shaped shear zone that traverses the whole intrusive body produced by rotation of a rigid gabbro block during the peak of tectonic deformation at 470–460 Ma. All three occurrences of the hornfels-like rocks lack any evident source of heat that would be responsible for the thermal alteration of the igneous protolith. We hypothesize that the precursor, subvolcanic dolerite, may have undergone autometamorphism maintained by self-generated heat. Mafic magma intruded during high-rate strike–slip faulting, which caused rapid recrystallization of magmatic minerals and produced the observed metamorphic structures. Proceeding from the controversy in the formation mechanisms, with a heat source required for hornfels but lacking from the sampled occurrences of hornfels-like rocks, we suggest identifying the latter as beerbachite, though the term has mostly fallen into disuse. The reason is that the Olkhon rocks we study have a mineralogy, structure, and texture that are perfectly identical to those of beerbachites described in publications from the first half of the 20th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a reconstruction of metamorphic stages in the Moren and Erzin metamorphic complexes in the Khan-Khuhay block of northern Mongolia. This reconstruction is used as a basis for discussing the general geodynamic history of the Sangilen terrain of the Tuva–Mongolia Massif. The calculated clockwise P–T path shows two stages of metamorphism: (1) collisional metamorphism at 9 kbar, 740°C; and (2) metamorphism related to a regional magmatic episode, at 6–7 kbar, 860–880°C. Geochemical and petrological features of rocks in the Khan-Khuhay block demonstrate that these rocks are similar to those of the metamorphic block of Western Sangilen in southeastern Tuva. Quartz monzodiorite intrusive bodies first found in the Khan-Khuhay block show geochemical features similar to those of Ordovician gabbro–monzodiorite intrusions in the western Sangilen. The Khan-Khuhay quartz monzodiorite intrusions may be small apophyses of an intermediate deep crustal magma chamber and could be a probable thermal source of metamorphic stage M2 in the Khan-Khuhay block. The numerical thermo-mechanical model of metamorphism in the Khan-Khuhay block explains the heating in the thickened crust during collision by a higher (relative to the average crustal) radiogenic heat production of 1.52 μW/m3. Computer modeling indicates that the P–T parameters of the second metamorphic stage could be reached only with the involvement of magmatic heat from the monzodiorite intrusion. The P–T metamorphic parameters calculated using mineral thermobarometry, similarity of geochemical characteristics, and results of the thermomechanical modeling allow us to conclude that the Erzin and Moren complexes have undergone a joint tectono-metamorphic evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper–gold porphyry deposits are the world's main source of copper and a significant source of gold. They consist of vein networks and their surrounding alteration zones. Commonly the deposits are centred on narrow intrusions (stocks), but calling these deposits 'porphyries' is unjustified because the name carries little descriptive or genetic value. Extensional veins were formed by hydraulic fracturing of the stocks, at depths where open spaces could not be maintained and where fluid pressure approaches lithostatic pressure. The post-crystallisation timing of the veins is important because it indicates that the host stocks could not have been the direct sources of either metals or ore-forming fluids. In the traditional magmatic model, precursor batholiths, lying at depth, are inferred to be the sources of the Cu and Au in the overlying host stocks. In this model, the batholiths are assumed to have crystallised and produced the mineralising aqueous fluids, Cu and Au. However, in many porphyry deposits, the concept of metal and fluid supply from deeper batholiths is problematic. Neither Cu nor Au is strongly enriched during the crystallisation of silicate magmas, and although hypersaline fluids are a characteristic of Cu–Au porphyry deposits globally, the source of the Cl remains unconstrained. There is little evidence that silicate magmas can release such Cl-rich fluids, and it remains unexplained how elevated levels of Cl may be achieved in a silicate magma. Therefore, the starting assumption that these deposits formed predominantly from magmatic sources and processes is questioned. This study has selectively focused on the roles of rheology, rock mechanics, vein control, metal-enrichment processes and the sources of Cl. Non-magmatic processes may be enough to facilitate strong partitioning of Cu and Au into high-temperature, oxidising, high-salinity, hydrothermal fluids to form Cu–Au porphyry deposits. Mineralised quartz veins were introduced in fluids during hydraulic fracturing of their host intrusions when these stocks were brittle and had cooled significantly below their solidus temperatures. The porphyry intrusions hosting Cu–Au (copper–gold) mineralisation were not the direct sources of either the fluids or the metals. The sources of Cu and Au included large volumes of surrounding and underlying rocks up to kilometres from the sites of deposition. Cu and Au do not become strongly concentrated during crystal fractionation in evolving silicate magmas. Unaltered igneous rocks have relatively low Cl contents, and experiments suggest low Cl solubilities in granitic to granodioritic magmas. It is highly unlikely that all the Cl required for metal complexing and transport was available from within silicate magmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the interplay between bulk composition and metamorphic grade underpins our interpretations of metamorphism in orogenic belts. The focus of this study is the regional garnet–staurolite–kyanite–sillimanite metamorphic sequence of the Whetstone Lake area, southeastern Ontario. In the kyanite and lower sillimanite zones of this area, there is exceptional diversity in metapelitic mineral assemblages that cannot be accounted for by differences in metamorphic grade. We present a data set of petrographic observations, phase proportions, whole-rock geochemical compositions, and mineral compositions, from thirty-two samples that encapsulate the range of assemblages found in these zones. Differences in bulk composition are the primary control on mineral assemblage development. Whole-rock XMg = molar MgO/(MgO + FeO) and |${\textrm{X}}_{\textrm{Fe}^{3+}}=\kern0.5em \textrm{molar}\ 2\times{\textrm{Fe}}_2{\textrm{O}}_3/\left(2\times{\textrm{Fe}}_2{\textrm{O}}_3+\textrm{FeO}\right)$| exert the greatest control on the observed mineral assemblages, whilst variation in MnO, K2O, and Al2O3 have a secondary influence. We use a set of quality factors (Duesterhoeft & Lanari, 2020) to test the ability of thermodynamic models to reproduce the observed mineral assemblages, modal abundances, and mineral compositions in the diverse bulk compositions at Whetstone Lake. Eight samples were selected for phase equilibrium modelling, for which two bulk compositions were calculated for each sample: (1) a whole-rock bulk composition based on an X-ray fluorescence analysis and (2) a carefully considered local bulk composition based on combining mineral proportions with representative mineral compositions, as obtained from a single thin section. Our modelling uses thermodynamic data set 6.2 (Holland & Powell, 2011) and the solution models of White et al. (2014a , 2014b) that incorporate several Fe3+ end members needed to model the natural data. Modelling in both types of bulk composition broadly predicted mineral assemblages that match those observed. In addition, predicted mineral assemblage fields overlap within uncertainty between 620°C and 675°C and between 6.5 and 7.5 kbar, consistent with the limited range of grade represented by the natural rocks. Predicted modal abundances better match those observed when phase diagrams are constructed using local bulk compositions compared to whole-rock bulk compositions. Despite the acceptable agreement between predicted and observed mineral assemblages, consistent discrepancies are found between predicted and observed mineral compositions. These include overestimation of |${\textrm{X}}_{\textrm{Mg}}^{\ast }$| in garnet, staurolite, and cordierite, overestimation of Ti in staurolite and biotite, underestimation of Si in biotite, and overestimation of Al and underestimation of Fe3+, Fe2+, and Mg in muscovite. The Whetstone Lake suite of this study will be useful to test the predictive capability of future thermodynamic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating specific pressure–temperature–time–deformation–fluid (P–T–t–d–f) events is a major petrological issue, particularly for polymetamorphic assemblages. In order to better assess such events using mica populations, this study uses a combined in situ Rb–Sr and Ar–Ar dating approach coupled with chemical mapping, with application to an exhumed subduction complex (Schistes Lustrés, Western Alps). Geochronological investigation of the most Si-rich (Tschermak substitution) mica population allows us to investigate the (near-)peak burial ages of the various tectonometamorphic units of this high-pressure/low-temperature subduction complex. In the blueschist-facies units, a wide range of ages between ∼36 (younger than previously obtained peak ages) and ~ 52 Ma suggests a diachronous slicing of units with different initial paleogeography and/or a long residence time at near-peak conditions. The combined use of Ar–Ar and Rb–Sr isochron ages reveals the existence of some excess argon in the studied metamorphic rocks, interpreted as the result of (i) heterogeneous contamination from an argon-rich fluid in the higher grade eclogite-facies units and (ii) partial removal, during pseudomorphic recrystallization, of argon inherited from earlier stages of metamorphism in the lower grade blueschist-facies units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on new trace element analyses of enstatite chondrites (ECs) to clarify their behavior during the metamorphism. During the transition from a type 3 to a type 5 or higher, silicates lose a large portion of their trace elements to sulfides. Our procedure allows us to obtain trace element abundances of the silicate fraction of an EC quite easily. The element patterns of these fractions (especially REE patterns) are quite different for EH and EL chondrites, and are furthermore dependent on the metamorphic grade. This procedure can be usefull to classify meteorites, in particular when the sulfides are altered. Applied to anomalous ECs, it allows direct recognition of the EH affinity of QUE 94204, and suggests that Zakłodzie, NWA 4301, and NWA 4799 derive from the same EH-like body of previously unsampled composition. We have used the concentrations obtained on the silicate fractions of the most metamorphosed chondrites to discuss the chemical characteristics of the primitive mantles of reduced bodies of EH or EL affinity (i.e., after core segregation). Our data indicate that these mantles are very depleted in refractory lithophile elements (RLEs), particularly in rare earth elements (REEs), and notably show significant positive anomalies in Sr, Zr, Hf, and Ti. These estimates imply that the cores contain most of the REEs, U and Th of these bodies. Interestingly, the inferred primitive mantles of these reduced bodies contrast with that of the Earth. If the Earth accreted essentially from ECs, one would expect similar signatures to be preserved, which is not the case. This mismatch can be explained either by a later homogenization of the bulk silicate Earth, or alternatively, that the materials that were accreted were isotopically similar to ECs, but mineralogically different (i.e., oldhamite-free). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Laser ablation Lu-Hf effectively reveals polymetamorphic histories. • Spatial resolution of the laser method allows to deconstruct core-rim relationships. • Obtained results agree with published conventional garnet dates for NW Scotland. Recent advances in laser ablation reaction-cell mass spectrometry have opened the possibility for rapid and efficient Lu-Hf age dating of a variety of minerals. Of particular interest is the important metamorphic mineral, garnet, which is traditionally dated using solution-based Lu-Hf or Sm-Nd methods that are time consuming and often lack micron scale spatial resolution. In this study, we analyse garnets from samples from the 'Moine Supergroup' Scotland with the novel laser ablation inductively coupled quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-Q-MS/MS) Lu-Hf dating method, aiming to reveal terrane scale geochronological information in polymetamorphic rocks. We demonstrate that laser ablation Lu-Hf dating of garnet can accurately reveal the timing of different metamorphic events within single multi-growth garnets with precision typically as low as ∼1.5% (2σ, including systematic uncertainties). Garnets analysed from our samples produced dates including 957 ± 33 Ma, corresponding to the Renlandian Orogeny, 808 ± 14 Ma, corresponding to the Knoydartian Orogeny, and 471 ± 8 Ma, corresponding to the Caledonian Orogeny; all events which have previously been recorded from this rock suite. Furthermore, laser ablation Lu-Hf dating of garnet can provide insight into micron-scale processes such as Lu diffusion and garnet recrystallization. We recommend a series of sequential protocols, from sample selection through to laser ablation analysis, which should be used to maximize the likelihood of producing well constrained garnet Lu-Hf dates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract Measurements of surface heat flux from boreholes of the NIED Hi‐net network of seismometers are used to determine temperature and shear stress on the plate interface beneath northern Honshu. At the maximum depth of thrust‐faulting earthquakes, about 60 km, the temperature is 660 ± 240°C and the average shear stress during slip on the interface is 100 ± 45 MPa. The equivalent quantities from the oceanic setting of the Kermadec trench are 630 ± 140°C and 115 ± 25 MPa. The shear stresses are substantially higher than commonly assumed in models of convergent plate interfaces, but are consistent with measurements made above other convergent plate interfaces where heat flux data are more sparse. They are also consistent with the level of shear stress required to explain measurements of pressure and temperature from high‐pressure‐low‐temperature terrains that experienced metamorphism on subduction interfaces, in particular those from the Cretaceous Sanbagawa belt of SW Japan.

Late Cretaceous metamorphic events are known in Crete and the Cyclades from klippen above the External Hellenides. This work extends their occurrence to the North Aegean area within the tectonic units of the Internal Hellenides. New 40Ar/39Ar white mica ages from garnet-bearing micaschists of the Upper Metamorphic Unit of Skyros Island, cropping out in the Skyrian Olympus Mountain, document a Late Cretaceous tectono-metamorphic evolution. Several mica generations have been distinguished using electron probe microanalyses and were dated using the 40Ar/39Ar method: a relict mica older than 96 Ma, followed by a foliation-forming mica of about 88–84 Ma and alteration phases ≤ 68 Ma were recognized. This Cretaceous tectono-metamorphic evolution falls between the closure of the internal Axios/Vardar oceanic basin in the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous, and the closure of the external Pindos–Cyclades oceanic basin in the Early Cenozoic. The position of the Upper Metamorphic Unit of Skyros was probably within the evolving Hellenic volcanic/magmatic arc during the continuous subduction of the African plate beneath the European plate. The present tectonic position of the units bearing the Late Cretaceous metamorphic event is the result of the Cenozoic tectonic emplacement onto the more external units across the Hellenides from the Pelagonian to the Pindos–Cyclades domain.

This contribution presents a review exploring some aspects and issues surrounding the links between metamorphism and deformation at different scales. I first discuss the quantification methods of thermodynamics and the parameters able to overcome the kinetic barriers for metamorphic reactions. On the basis of some world’s type iconic examples I discuss how metamorphism is likely to portray the thermo-mechanical evolution of lithosphere active zones, thus large-scale tectonic processes. Finally, I present the multiple interactions between metamorphism and deformation at rock and outcrop scales.

The separation attitude of air-to-air missile to fighter should be adjusted adaptively in wide range to meet the missile-aircraft separation requirements under different flight states, but current ejection separation mechanism with fixed separation attitude could not meet the requirements. To solve this problem, a metamorphic ejection separation mechanism is proposed. Metamorphic PR-R kinematic pair is used to replace traditional hinge kinematic pair in the key hinge of ejection separation mechanism, the ejection forces of the front and rear push arm to missile are changed in real time, then missile ejection separation attitude could be adjusted adaptively in wide range. Multi-body dynamics model of metamorphic ejection separation mechanism is established, and the dynamics simulation analysis is carried out. Simulation results shows that the proposed metamorphic ejection separation mechanism could adjust separation attitude in wide range, which lays a foundation for the further realization of real-time intelligent control of the airborne missile ejection mechanism.

Metamorphic transformations in felsic and mafic rocks in a zone of intense tectonic movements were compared. The object of study is the exhumed part of damage zone of Primorsky fault—main collision suture, which connects the Siberian Craton and the Olkhon Terrane. The studied area is located near the Khorga River. Collected metamorphic rock samples are represented by both "felsic" (plagiogranite-gneiss) and more "mafic" (amphibole–biotite plagiogneiss) rocks. The samples present two different parent rocks contacting each other but differ in chemical composition. The formation of identical metamorphic minerals of the garnet and epidote groups, associated with the processes of high-pressure regional metamorphism and, possibly, later collisional events, is detected in both rock types. The study of the chemical composition of rock-forming minerals provided estimates of the P–T conditions of metamorphism of these rocks by the method of multimineral thermobarometry. It was established that conditions of early metamorphism retain in amphibole-biotite plagiogneiss. Early metamorphism is characterized by high-pressure amphibolite facies of medium temperature next to eclogite facies. The parameters of later metamorphism are recorded in plagiogranite-gneiss, which occurred at higher pressure, but at a lower temperature, within the paragonite–kyanite–zoisite subfacies of the eclogitic facies, bordering on the greenschist facies. Associations of early metamorphism are poorly preserved in plagiogneiss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rocks of the lunar granulite suite are the product of high‐temperature metamorphism within the Moon's crust. However, to date, their formation conditions have few constraints. Here, we combine Ti‐in‐pyroxene element diffusion modeling and two‐pyroxene thermometry with thermal modeling of the lunar crust in order to assess potential heat sources that could generate granulite metamorphism within the lunar highland crust. For the samples investigated in this study, the pyroxene crystals experienced peak metamorphic temperatures between ∼1,027 and 1,091°C over timescales ranging from ∼153 years to ∼15.1 Kyrs. To best satisfy these temperature and timescale constraints, hot (∼2,300°C) impact melt sheets with thickness ranging from 350 m to 3.35 km—equating to impact crater diameters between ∼60 and 280 km—have the potential to heat the underlying anorthositic crust. Deep (>20 km) igneous bodies, such as the large (>10 km thick) sills observed by the GRAIL mission near the base of the lunar crust, also have the potential to generate the required peak metamorphic temperatures; however, the thermal equilibration timescales in this scenario are modeled to be much larger (>100 Kyrs) than was witnessed by the granulites investigated. Our modeling highlights that while lunar granulites are only a minor component within the Apollo and meteorite collection, they are likely an important and ubiquitous lithology within the lunar highland crust. Plain Language Summary: Granulites are a suite of metamorphic rocks that are the result of high‐temperature recrystallization within the crust. Conditions within the crust that result in this style of metamorphism are generally well understood on Earth, but this is not the case for the Moon. The chemistry of minerals that make up granulites reflects the pressure and temperature regime they have experienced over geological time. Mineral chemistry can be used to estimate the highest crustal temperatures that the host rock experienced (interpreted to reflect the temperature at which metamorphism occurred) and how long minerals were held as these temperatures. Granulites investigated here were formed at temperatures between ∼1,027 and 1,091°C over timescales ranging from ∼153 years to ∼15.1 Kyrs. Using these parameters, we can constrain the potential heat sources that resulted in metamorphism. For the samples investigated here, impact melt‐sheets associated with craters >60 km in diameter best satisfy the thermal regime indicated by the mineral chemistry. Igneous bodies such as sills/dykes at the base of the lunar crust can also create the thermal conditions needed to form granulites; however, the surrounding crustal rocks would be held at higher temperatures for much longer that indicated by the granulites investigated here. Key Points: Granulites experienced peak metamorphic temperatures of ∼1,027–1,091°C, equilibrating on timescales ranging from ∼0.15 to ∼15.1 KyrsImpact melt sheets within impact craters >60 km can heat the surrounding crust to best satisfy these temperature and timescale constraintsGranulites can form next to igneous bodies in the lower crust, but would undergo longer equilibration times than those recorded by our granulite samples [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hindu Raj region of northern Pakistan is situated between the Karakoram to the east and the Hindu Kush to the west. Both the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush are better studied and have well-documented, distinct geological histories. Investigation of the Hindu Raj region has been mainly limited to reconnaissance exploration and as such little is known about its tectonometamorphic history and whether that history is similar to its neighbouring areas. Analysis of new specimens collected along the Yasin Valley within the Hindu Raj region outline mid-to-Late Cretaceous pluton emplacement (ca. 105 and 95 Ma). Some of those plutonic rocks were metamorphosed to ∼750 ± 30 °C and 0.65 ± 0.05 GPa during the ca. 80–75 Ma docking of the Kohistan arc. A record of this collisional event is well-preserved to the west in the Hindu Kush and variably so to the east in the Hunza Karakoram. A subsequent, ca. 61 Ma, thermal event is partially preserved in Rb–Sr geochronology from the Hindu Raj, which overlaps with sillimanite-grade metamorphism in the Hunza portion of the Karakoram region to the east. Finally, apatite U–Pb and in situ Rb–Sr both record a late Eocene thermal/fluid event likely related to the India-Asia collision. These new data outline a complex geological history within the Hindu Raj, one that shares similarities with both adjacent regions. The information about the tectonometamorphic development of the Hindu Raj is important to gaining a detailed view of the geological characteristics of the southern Asian margin prior to the India-Asia collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt (JLJB) is the most representative Paleoproterozoic orogenic belt in the North China Craton (NCC). The sedimentation, metamorphism and magmatism of the Ji'an Group and associated granites provide significant insights into the tectonic evolution of the JLJB. In this study, we have synthesized published geochemistry and geochronology data on metasedimentary, metavolcanic and igneous rocks. According to the available data, the protoliths of the metasedimentary rocks are sets of shale, wacke, arkose, quartz sandstone and carbonate, while the protoliths of the metavolcanic rocks are calc-alkaline basalt, basaltic andesite, andesite, dacite and rhyolite. The rock assemblages indicate a transformation of the tectonic environment from a passive margin to an active continental margin following the onset of plate convergence and subduction. The A2-type gneissic granite (Qianzhuogou pluton) is formed in a subsequent back-arc basin extension setting at 2.20–2.14 Ga. The Ji'an Group was finally deposited in an active continental margin during the closure of a back-arc basin at 2.14–2.0 Ga. Then, the sediments were involved in a continent–arc–continent collision between the Longgang and Nangrim blocks at ~1.95 Ga. This process was accompanied by HP granulite-facies metamorphism at ~1.90 Ga. The subsequent exhumation and regional extension resulted in decompression melting during 1.90–1.86 Ga, producing metamorphism with an isothermal decompression clockwise P–T path. The resulting metapelites are characterized by perthite + sillimanite, and mafic granulites are characterized by orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene. The S-type porphyritic granite (Shuangcha pluton) is formed during the crustal anatexis. Meanwhile, extensive anatexis produced significant heating and triggered prograde to peak metamorphism with an anticlockwise P–T path. Cordierite-bearing symplectites around the garnet in the metapelites indicate a superposed isobaric cooling metamorphism. The ages of monazites and anatectic zircons suggest that the post-exhumation cooling occurred at 1.86–1.80 Ga. The Paleoproterozoic magmatism, sedimentation and metamorphism suggest a process of subduction back-arc basin extension and closure, collision and exhumation for the tectonic evolution of the JLJB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the quality characteristics, chemical, mineral and isotope composition of nephrite, diopsidite and rodingite of the Nyrdvomenshor nephrite deposit in the Polar Urals. We applied visual petrographic and mineralogical studies, X-ray spectral fluorescence, ICP-MS analysis, and a scanning electron microscope with a dispersive microanalysis system, to measure the oxygen isotope composition. According to its quality characteristics, the nephrite was substandard. Here, uvarovite, which forms idiomorphic grains, sometimes sheath-like and less often xenomorphic elongated, and substituting the chromite, was commonly encountered. The nephrite was formed due to both metamorphic and metasomatic processes. The serpentinite was replaced by diopsidite, which was then replaced by nephrite. The metamorphism intensified the metasomatism of the serpentinite melange and provided the cryptocrystalline tangled-fibrous structure of the nephrite. Then, metamorphism and metasomatism led to the formation of omphacite and the cracking of the nephrite, which reduced its quality. As these processes progressed, the contribution of the crustal fluid increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of the lower continental crust, as well as its formation, growth, and evolution, remains a fundamental subject to be understood. In this study, we carry out a comparative and integrative analysis of seismic tomographic models, teleseismic receiver function results, and Airy isostasy in order to investigate the properties of the lower continental crust in eastern North America. We extract the depths for Vs of 4.0 km/s, 4.2 km/s, and 4.5 km/s from three selected tomographic models and calculate the differences between the Vs depth contours and the Moho depth defined by receiver functions. We then calculate the Airy isostatic Moho depth and its misfit with the receiver‐function‐defined Moho. Our analysis reveals three key features: (a) the deepening of the Vs depth contours and the strong negative Airy misfit within the U.S. Grenville Province; (b) a seismically faster‐than‐average and compositionally denser‐than‐average lowermost crust in the eastern North American Craton and the Grenville Province; and (c) the thickest, seismically fastest, and densest lowermost crust beneath the southern Grenville Front, the southern Grenville‐Appalachian boundary, and the U.S.‐Canada national border. We suggest that the lower crust of the craton and the Grenville Province has densified through garnet‐forming metamorphic reactions during and after orogenesis, contributing to the widely distributed fast‐velocity layer. The lower crust beneath the tectonic boundaries could have experienced more extensive garnet growth during orogenesis and emplacement of mafic magma. This study provides new constraints on the seismic and compositional properties of the lower crust in eastern North America. Plain Language Summary: The continental crust provides important clues about the formation and evolution of the Earth. However, the dominant composition of the lower part of the continental crust remains enigmatic, especially in the regions where the seismic velocities are significantly faster than the global average. In this paper, we investigate the properties of the lower continental crust in eastern North America by comparatively analyzing two types of data sets: (a) the variations of seismic velocity within the crust and (b) the variations of the crustal thickness. Our comparative and quantitative analysis reveals that the lower crust of the eastern North American Craton and the Grenville Province is seismically faster and compositionally denser than the global average. The thickest, seismically fastest, and compositionally densest lower crust is roughly along the orogenic fronts and the U.S.‐Canada national border. We suggest that garnet growth within the lower crust is a viable mechanism for forming the widely distributed fast‐velocity layer in eastern North America. The lower crust may have been further densified through extensive garnet growth and emplacement of mafic magma at a regional scale. Key Points: A high‐velocity lower continental crust distributes widely in eastern North AmericaThe seismically fastest and densest lower crust is roughly along the orogenic frontsThe lower crust densifies through the metamorphic growth of dense minerals [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of kinetics and pulses of zircon growth in migmatites formed at middle to lower crustal depths beneath a volcanic arc. Migmatites in high‐T metamorphic complexes at active continental margins, such as in the Ryoke Complex of southwest Japan, are thought to have been produced beneath volcanic arcs. Thermal models suggest that melt advection supplies the heat to form such high‐T complexes. We found that zircons in the migmatites of the Ryoke Complex grew in multiple discrete stages by rapid diffusion‐controlled growth. The individual growth pulses can be distinguished using a Gaussian mixture model when the duration of each growth pulse is shorter than 1σ of the analytical error of the zircon age dating, and where the interval between each growth pulse is larger than 2σ of them. This method allows extraction of the growth pulses even when the zircon exhibits incomplete textural evidence for multiple stages of growth. Application of the method to the Ryoke Complex revealed three and four pulses of zircon growth with 3–10 Myr intervals for two migmatite samples respectively in the Mikawa area and three pulses with 2–4 Myr intervals from one migmatite sample in the Yanai area. The detected zircon growth pulses are consistent with previously reported pulses of plutonic activity in the two areas, with the exception of the oldest growth pulse in the Mikawa area. Therefore, the growth pulses are interpreted to be the result of thermal pulses because of melt flux events at lower to middle crustal levels. The inferred intervals of pulsed melt fluxes are similar to those of individual caldera formation in coeval caldera clusters at the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance of the study is caused by the study and involvement of quartz-vein formations of various genetic types in the technological redistribution. Purpose: to determine the content of impurity elements in quartz of different genetic types and the degree of its suitability for obtaining high-purity quartz concentrates. Objects: quartz-vein objects of hydrothermal-metamorphogenic-metasomatic type (Berkutinskaya vein, Bolotnaya vein) and hydrothermal-metamorphogenic type (Peschanoe occurrence, Tolstikha vein, Novotroitskoe deposit). Methods: LA-ICP-MS spectroscopy of impurity elements, microscopic studies of quartz, estimation of P-T parameters of mineral formation. Results. It was found that veins of hydrothermal-metamorphogenic-metasomatic type are composed of multi-grained granular transparent, translucent, icy, sugar-like quartz, while quartz-vein objects of hydrothermal-metamorphogenic type are veins of execution and consist mainly of milky-white quartz. Quartz-vein formations of two genetic types differ in geological localization conditions, mineral formation temperatures, granulometric characteristics, the presence and location of mineral and fluid inclusions, as well as the content of the main petrogenetically informative elements-impurities (Li, Na, Mg, Al, K, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn). It is shown that hydrothermal-metamorphogenic quartz is characterized by lower (288–410 °C) formation temperatures compared to hydrothermal-metamorphogenic-metasomatic quartz (415–519 °C), at close pressure values (2–4 kbar) and higher content of impurity elements (up to 535 g/t). The purity of quartz grains of hydrothermal-metamorphogenic-metasomatic genesis is associated with repeated exposure to the processes of metamorphism and metasomatosis, in which mineral and fluid inclusions were displaced from quartz grains into the intergranular space. The minimum values of the element content according to LA-ICP-MS spectroscopy are close to the values for the content of elements in the structural form and do not exceed 5–12 g/t for all types of quartz, with the exception of milky-white quartz of Peschanoe occurrence (up to 25 g/t). The minimum values for the content of elements-impurities in quartz show the limit of its enrichment and allow using a multi-stage enrichment system to obtain quartz concentrates of high purity.

To study the snow microstructure at various metamorphism times and extract the snow neck area, a constant density (200 kg/m3) snow metamorphism experiment was conducted. The findings show that the neck region is mostly influenced by temperature, sun radiation, snow density and specific humidity, with wind speed having little effect. Additionally, we developed a multiple linear regression equation for the neck area under atmospheric forcing: “S = 288T + 2E + 189ρ + 12,194V − 20,443RH − 42,729”. This equation accounts for solar radiation (E), temperature (T), snow density (ρ), specific humidity (RH) and wind speed (V). Notably, the above five factors can account for 84% of the factors affecting the neck area, making it a crucial factor. The relationship between snow hardness and neck area is correlated at 71%, and in later stages of metamorphism, the correlation may increase to 91%. Based on the neck area, the following hardness value prediction is made: “H = 0.002764S + 67.922837”. This study documents the growth variations in the neck region of the metamorphic snow cover and elucidates the process by which outside factors impact the microstructure and macroscopic physical characteristics of the snow cover.

Subduction mélange, with its distinctive block-in-matrix structure, is documented in exhumed fossil subduction zones worldwide. Rocks from these terranes preserve features that record tectonic processes from the time that the rocks were at the subduction interface. Careful study of these features allows for connections to be made with tectonic processes occurring in active subduction zones. The Catalina Schist mélange has served as an exhumed analog in such studies as it records abundant evidence for tectonic processes occurring at the subduction interface. Focusing of fluids in mélange matrix at the subduction interface is documented, and this fluid-rich environment may have contributed to seismic activity. Deformation and tectonic mixing juxtaposed disparate materials (mafic, ultramafic, and sedimentary rocks) over length-scales of 10s of km along the interface, occurring in concert with metasomatism and mass transport by fluids to create mineralogically, chemically, and rheologically distinct compositions. These processes may have impacted seismic behavior and plate geodynamics along with influencing the chemistry of arc magmas that form above the subduction interface. Evidence suggests that the duration of tectonic formation of mélange may be variable from one locality to another, with relatively small differences in peak ages of blocks of