high-grade metamorphism

Read:
I White & Powell, 2002, JMG 20, 621–632
low- to medium grade metamorphic conditions
I involve fluid-bearing rocks (subsolidus)
I moderate amounts of H2 O tied up in minerals
I e.g. greenschist, blueschist, lower–mid amphibolite, low-T
eclogite facies
high-grade rocks comprise the upper amphibolite and granulite
facies
I metamorphic conditions are sufficient to produce silicate melt
(suprasolidus)
I most minerals are anhydrous
high-grade metamorphism

I at ≈ 650 ◦ C
H2 O-saturated
metapelitic and felsic
rocks begin to melt 60

eclogite
I melt is a new phase in the not realised
on Earth 50

rock and forms via 40

Depth (km)
reactions melt
blueschist
present

lite
ph e-
30

am pidot
ibo
like fluid, it is potentially

e
I

olit
e

hib
pre granulite 20

p
also a mobile phase pu hnite green-

am
mp -
elly
ite schist
10
I metabasic rocks begin zeolite

melting at higher T (<

700 ◦ C)
I initial melting reaction is
called the solidus
what is silicate melt?

melt fulfils a similar role and behaves in a similar way as fluid does
in subsolidus rocks, but it is a bit more interesting
I both are mobile fluid phases (although melt is much more
viscous than fluid)
I fluid is mix of H2 O–CO2 –CH4 –SO2
I melt is complex hydrous silicate polymer solution
I contains many other elements, notably the alkalis (K, Na, Ca)
I is hydrophilic - needs H2 O under metamorphic conditions
I both are the liquid product of reactions involving solid
minerals
I dehydration reactions break down hydrous minerals to release
H2 O
I melting reactions break down hydrous minerals to produce melt
melting reactions
solidus melting reactions
I consume solid minerals and free fluid to make melt
I or A + B + C. . . + H2 O = liq + D
I will stop when one of the reactants runs out
I H2 O is proportionally small → will generally run out first
I little H2 O = little melt produced (< 5 %)
I rock becomes fluid-absent

dehydration melting reactions

I consume solid minerals, some of which are hydrous, to
produce melt
I A + B + Chyd . . . = liq + D. . .
I will also stop when one of the reactants runs out
I in different rocks, different minerals will run out first
I but more H2 O in minerals than in porosity → can produce
lots of melt
I melt production is proportional to the amount of hydrous
minerals consumed
melting in a simple system

I simple halpogranitic NKASH

10
system NKASH ab
mu sill
q liq
I this system can show ab
H2O
8
melting relationships in mu
ksp liq

P (kbar)
q ab
mu ksp
simplified granitic H2O q sill
liq
6 mu
compositions q ksp
liq sill
H2O
I can see both solidus muab
liq sillksp
4 H2O
and dehydration ab
ksp liq
melting reactions ab
mu ksp sill
q
q sill
2 H2O H2O
I the solid mineral
products of melting
0
reactions are called 600 650 700 750 800 850
T (°C)
peritectic minerals
dehydration melting

I because most H2 O in a rock is tied up in hydrous minerals,

melting reactions that involve the breakdown of hydrous
minerals are the most efficient at producing melt
I muscovite & biotite breakdown in metapelites
I amphibole breakdown in metabasic rocks
I these melting reactions also produce the solid minerals that
typify the granulite facies
I most characteristic granulite facies minerals are peritectic
products of melting reactions
I ksp, garnet, cordierite, opx in pelitic rocks; opx, diopside &
garnet in mafic rocks
melting & metamorphism

g bi H2O
KFMASH (+q) sill opx liq
12
O O
i H 2 liq px H2
lb sill o cd
sil x cd g

bi liq
g sill 2O
op

liq
mu H
I the reactions that produce melt

x ksp
[sp ksp mu]

g bi
si l

liq
sill op
lo db

x c ill bi
10

sp
g
also produce high-grade

px i
c

dk
liq

s
i liq

opx cd 2O
liq
2O

op
mu
g c H2O ksp b
xH

g bi H
assemblages ky
op cd
g
[sp mu H2O]

g
sill
cd opx li 2O
ill H

q
ky l
I three main melting reactions in 8 g s d sp

d li
gk q
sil

bi
sp
bi c

sill
px
lo p

q
sil d ks
metapelites: x liq

li
sill op

ksp bi mu H2O

ksp
gc [bi mcd sp ksp

cd i
gb
uH
2O]

g liq

opx
I mu → g + ksp + bi + liq 6
ill li
g s ksp
sp
q

cd

liq
ks i
cd ill b
bi + sill → g + cd + liq

p
I

g s
I g + bi → opx + cd + ksp + ill
gs p
s
opx

x s sp
4

q
liq

op cd k
p li
g
I many other high-grade reactions
2
produce little new melt — why? [sill sp mu]

700 800 900 1000 1100

melt production

NCKFMASH (+q)
Just like fluid production in 12 g
iq
ksp l
sp
yk

q
bi
subsolidus rocks, melting

mu li
gk

s
g mu

g ksp e solidu
g pl liq
g sill ksp liq

pl bi
pl
does not occur 10
bi

solidus
bi

tiv
mu

P(kbar)

effec
mu liq
continuously, but focuses at H2O

the major melting reactions 8 <0.03

0.2
g sill pl bi
I pseudosections ky
l mu liq 0.1
g sill
ksp bi
0.3
g sill liq

sil g sill cd ksp liq

liq
contoured for melt 6 sill pl
g sill
ksp g cd ksp liq 0.4
bi mu g cd liq
pl bi
content allows us to sill pl
bi mu
liq sill liq
ksp pl g cd ksp 0.5 liq
assess the melt H2O bi liq bi liq x cd
g opx cd g op
4

g cd i liq
ksp liq

pl b
productivity of 0.6

ksp
cd ksp pl
different reactions bi liq

liq
p
2 opx cd liq

ks
cd ksp

d
xc
I also compare melt pl bi H2O

op
cd liq
productivity of opx cd ksp pl H2O
650 700 750 800 850 900
different rocks T(°C)
 melt productivity
NCKFMASHTO (+ilm +mt +ksp) NCKFMASHTO (+ilm +mt +pl +q)
5 5
g cd
25 30
q sill ksp g cd ksp liq
liq g cd ksp
sill q 20 bi mu liq sill ksp bi liq
16
4.5 pl bi liq g cd 4.5 bi liq
sp liq sill ksp 8 g opx cd ksp liq
4
sill pl bi g cd pl g cd bi mu 10 14
mu q 8 g cd q liq liq
4 4
sill pl pl bi sill cd
q liq sill ksp
sill pl bi bi q 4 cd sill ksp bi bi liq ksp bi liq
sill cd g cd
mu q liq liq sp mu H2O H2 O
3.5 pl bi pl liq 3.5
H2O 6 liq g opx cd
q liq ksp bi liq
x cd
P (kbar)

P (kbar)
sill pl bi g op
15 sill ksp
mu q H2O liq
3 pl q 3 bi H2O 6
cd pl bi q liq
opx cd sill
si d

cd ksp bi liq opx cd ksp liq

si d
opx cd
ll
an

ll
an
sill pl bi pl q cd ksp 8 10 ksp bi liq
2.5 q H 2O sill liq 2.5 bi H2O
cd pl 20
and pl cd pl bi q and ksp 24 28 32
bi mu bi q H2O bi mu
liq H2O
opx cd
2 2
opx cd pl pl liq cd liq
and cd and cd cd ksp bi H2O
bi q liq cd pl
pl bi cd pl bi ksp bi cd ksp bi 12 14 16 18
liq cd ksp bi opx cd
mu q H2O mu liq H2O
1.5 q mu opx cd 1.5 mu H2O liq
cd pl bi q H2O cd liq
pl bi liq cd ksp bi mu
(-ksp)
cd pl bi q mu
1 1
550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900
T (O C) T (O C)

both rocks experience the bi + sill → cd + liq and bi → opx + liq

melting reactions, but they have different mineral proportions
I 10 % sill and 15 % bi I 3 % sill and 15 % bi
I 10 % melt at bi + sill I little melt at bi + sill
I little melt at bi → opx I 12 % melt at bi → opx
an additional melting regime
if melt is mainly produced at various melting reactions, why does
the amount of melt also slowly and continuously increase between
these reactions?
NCKFMASHTO (+ilm +mt +pl +q)
5
sill ksp g cd ksp liq
g cd ksp
bi mu liq sill ksp 16
bi liq
4.5 bi liq
sill ksp 8 g opx cd ksp liq
4
bi mu 10 14

4
sill ksp sill cd
sill ksp bi bi liq ksp bi liq
3.5 mu H2O H2 O
g opx cd
ksp bi liq
P (kbar)

sill ksp
3 bi H2O 6

sill cd ksp bi liq opx cd ksp liq

si d

opx cd
ll
an

cd ksp 8 10 ksp bi liq

2.5 bi H2O
and ksp 24 28 32
bi mu
2
and cd cd ksp bi H2O
ksp bi cd ksp bi 12 14 16 18
mu cd ksp bi liq H2O opx cd
1.5 mu H2O liq
cd ksp bi mu

1
900 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900

T (O C)
melt composition

I like fluid, the mode of melt

does not increase linearly
with T
I unlike fluid, melt composition
can change a lot with T
I different melting reactions
produce melt of different
compositions
I melt becomes less hydrous
with increasing T
I the composition of melt (e.g.
K, Na, Si) also changes
 melting in mafic rocks
12 12
1 Garnet amphibolite
11 Melt-bearing garnet granulite
L g hb L g hb L g hb aug pl ru ep-amphibolite
L hb aug L hb
11 aug pl ru q 10
pl bi ep aug pl ep aug pl sph q
sph

+ bio
sph q 9
q

tite
ru
10 x aug pl
L g hb op
L hb 8
2

SOLI
L hb Melt-bearing
aug pl ru q opx aug

DUS
9 Lh 7 amphibolite Hornblende-
3 pl ru bearing
9

b
L hb

L hb 6 granulite

op
xa
aug pl

Amp
aug

ug
4 sph q
pl bi

pl il
8 L hb

hibo
Pressure (kbar)

4
10 opx aug pl

m ru
sph

lite
ilm q Hornblende-free
5

3
hb aug granulite
q

10

7 pl bi

25

30
2
sph q L hb 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 950 1000 1050
H2O 8 aug pl 16 CaO
SOLID

20

35
6 ilm q L hb Foid
5 kbar
14 10 kbar
opx aug pl
US

syenite

40
ilm 1050 ˚C
12
5

50
50 Granite
7 Syenite/quartz-

45
10 monzonite
15

hb pl bi

Na2O+K2O
Solidus
Monzo-
sph q H2O nite
4 8 Solidus

50
L hb Na2O K2O

50
Foid
aug pl ilm 6 gabbro Monzo-
Lh L gabbro
b opx 1050 ˚C 900 ˚C 800 ˚C
3 hb pl bi sph
au
gp 4
l il L hb opx aug pl ilm H2O aug pl Gabbro Gabbroic
Diorite Granodiorite
ilm q H2O m
5 ilm Peridot- diorite
6 H 2
2O gabbro
2
600 650 700 750 800 850 900 950 1000 1050 0
37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77
SiO2
Temperature (°C)
physical processes associated with melting

I melt has the ability to move

I melt may segregate to form pools and veins
I melt may migrate long distances (crustal-scale)
rocks that preserve evidence of melt presence are called
migmatites
I migmatites consist of leucosome and melanosome

melanosome
leucosome
I dark-coloured
I light-coloured
I contains granulite facies
I usually ksp + q-rich
minerals
I segregated partial melt
I residuum left after melt
and peritectic phases
extraction
migmatites

melanosome

leucosome
melt formation and leucosomes

I melt in leucosomes may represent the physical migration of

melt or the localised formation of melt in a rock

physical migration localised formation

I melt forms throughout I melt formation is focussed
the rock and migrates to around the leucosomes
the leucosomes I melt distribution reflects the
I melt distribution reflects chemical process of localised
the physical process of melt formation
melt accumulation
I more fertile compositions
I melting around particular
reactant or product of the
reaction

I both these processes may operate simultaneously in a rock

physical melt migration
localised formation: more fertile compositions
localised melting around reactant
localised melting around product