Exhumation P-T path of

UHP Eclogites in the

Hong’an area

Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology

Andrea Belén Tonato
27th April, 2018
 Location

Imyuy, 2015
 Location

Imyuy, 2015
 B)
Geological Setting
A)

UH- UHP → Subduction → Collision → Exhumation

A) Zheng, 2008 , B) Grimmer et al., 2003
Metamorphic zones

Liu et al., 2004

Hong’an area metamorphism
• Eclogites
T increase (UHP - HP ) → Exhumation (HP – EA) trough isothermal
decompression → Cooling
• Coronas with different mineral assemblages
Prograde Metamorphism EA → Eclogite
• Eclogite occurs as lenses within
granitic gneiss
The Eclogite contains
• Garnet ( 45 – 50%)
• Omphacite (40 – 45%)
• Phengite ( 2%)
• Kyanite (1%)
• Epidote ( 3%)
• ± Coesite
Accesory minerals
• Zircon
• Apatite
Liu et al., 2004
 Exhumation
On the basis of the P–T
estimates
provided by these
retrograde assemblages,
we can construct a P–T
path for the exhumation
of these UHP
rocks

Liu et al., 2005

Mineral Assemblages
• Grt I → low Mg and high Ca
• Grt II → Mg-rich and Ca-poor
→ tiny inclusions of
amphibole, paragonite and
omphacite.
• Different hydrous minerals
occur in different domains of
the sample
• The mineral assemblages that
define the GS stage developed
along fractures.
X – ray Compositional Mapping
• To carefully study the UHP eclogite that contain atoll garnets, and to identify
multistage mineral assemblages.

HP – UHP stages
X – ray images

Liu et al., 2005

X – ray Compositional Mapping
• Phengite has not been identified in the EA assemblages.

EA stage
X – ray images

Liu et al., 2005

X – ray Compositional Mapping

GS stage
X – ray images
Liu et al., 2005
Compositional Profiles

Liu et al., 2005

P–T path of exhumation of UHP eclogite in the
Hong’an area

• UHP → 520 °C and 2.8 Gpa

• HP → 634±37 °C and 1.8 ±
0.06 Gpa
• EA → 500 to 640 °C and
pressure of 0.4 to 1 Gpa
• GS → 160 to 320 °C and 0.2
to 0.8 GPa

Liu et al., 2005

Conclusions
• X-ray mapping and textural observation identified four
generations of mineral assemblage formed at the UHP,
HP, EA and GS stages.
• P–T estimates demonstrate that UHP eclogite
experienced a temperature increase, then, isothermal
depression from the HP to EA stages, followed by
significant cooling from the EA to GS stages.
• In the process of exhumation, UHP eclogites
experienced a series of episodes of fluid–rock
interaction

Liu et al., 2005

References
• Grimmer, J. C., Ratschbacher, L., McWilliams, M., Franz, L., Gaitzsch, I.,
Tichomirowa, M., ... & Zhang, Y. (2003). When did the ultrahigh-pressure rocks
reach the surface? A 207Pb/206Pb zircon, 40Ar/39Ar white mica, Si-in-white
mica, single-grain provenance study of Dabie Shan synorogenic foreland
sediments. Chemical Geology, 197(1-4), 87-110.
• Liu, J., Ye, K., & Sun, M. (2006). Exhumation P–T path of UHP eclogites in the
Hong'an area, western Dabie Mountains, China. Lithos, 89(1-2), 154-173.
• Wu, Y. B., Gao, S., Zhang, H. F., Yang, S. H., Jiao, W. F., Liu, Y. S., & Yuan, H. L.
(2008). Timing of UHP metamorphism in the Hong’an area, western Dabie
Mountains, China: evidence from zircon U–Pb age, trace element and Hf isotope
composition. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 155(1), 123-133.
• Zheng, Y. (2008). A perspective view on ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism and
continental collision in the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt. Chinese Science
Bulletin, 53(20), 3081-3104.