scholarly journals Pan-African extension and near-isothermal exhumation of a granulite facies terrain, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (6) ◽  
pp. 649-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. ENGVIK ◽  
S. ELVEVOLD
Keyword(s):  
Shear Bands ◽  
Shear Zones ◽  
Granulite Facies ◽  
Magmatic Fluid ◽  
Pan African ◽  
Dronning Maud Land ◽  
Isothermal Decompression ◽  
Late Neoproterozoic ◽  
Tectonic Exhumation ◽  
Later Phase

The Mühlig-Hofmann- and Filchnerfjella in central Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, consist of series of granitoid igneous rocks emplaced in granulite and upper amphibolite facies metamorphic rocks. The area has experienced high-temperature metamorphism followed by near-isothermal decompression, partial crustal melting, voluminous magmatism and extensional exhumation during the later phase of the late Neoproterozoic to Cambrian Pan-African event. Remnants of kyanite–garnet–ferritschermakite–rutile assemblages indicate an early higher-pressure metamorphism and crustal overthickening. The gneisses experienced peak granulite facies temperatures of 800–900 °C at intermediate pressures. Breakdown of garnet + sillimanite + spinel-bearing assemblages to cordierite shows subsequent re-equilibration to lower pressures. An E–W foliation dominating the gneisses illustrates transposition of migmatites and leucocratic melts which evolved during the near-isothermal decompression. Occurrence of extensional shear bands and shear zones evolving from the ductile partial melting stage through semiductile towards brittle conditions, shows that the uplift persisted towards brittle crustal conditions under tectonic W/SW-vergent extension. Late-orogenic Pan-African quartz syenites intruded after formation of the main gneiss fabric contain narrow semiductile to brittle shear zones, illustrating that the extensional exhumation continued also after their emplacement. The latest record of the Pan-African event is late-magmatic fluid infiltration around 350–400 °C and 2 kbar. At this stage the Pan-African crust had undergone 15–20 km exhumation from the peak granulite facies conditions. We conclude that the later phase of the Pan-African event in central Dronning Maud Land is characterized by a near-isothermal decompression P–T path and extensional structures indicating tectonic exhumation, which is most likely related to a late-orogenic collapsing phase of the Pan-African orogen.

scholarly journals Decratonization by rifting enables orogenic reworking and transcurrent dispersal of old terranes in NE Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos E. Ganade ◽  
Roberto F. Weinberg ◽  
Fabricio A. Caxito ◽  
Leonardo B. L. Lopes ◽  
Lucas R. Tesser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shear Zones ◽  
Boundary Region ◽  
The North ◽  
Pan African ◽  
Juvenile Material ◽  
Oceanic Basin ◽  
Borborema Province ◽  
Isotopic Model ◽  
Late Neoproterozoic

AbstractDispersion and deformation of cratonic fragments within orogens require weakening of the craton margins in a process of decratonization. The orogenic Borborema Province, in NE Brazil, is one of several Brasiliano/Pan-African late Neoproterozoic orogens that led to the amalgamation of Gondwana. A common feature of these orogens is that a period of extension and opening of narrow oceans preceded inversion and collision. For the case of the Borborema Province, the São Francisco Craton was pulled away from its other half, the Benino-Nigerian Shield, during an intermittent extension event between 1.0–0.92 and 0.9–0.82 Ga. This was followed by inversion of an embryonic and confined oceanic basin at ca. 0.60 Ga and transpressional orogeny from ca. 0.59 Ga onwards. Here we investigate the boundary region between the north São Francisco Craton and the Borborema Province and demonstrate how cratonic blocks became physically involved in the orogeny. We combine these results with a wide compilation of U–Pb and Nd-isotopic model ages to show that the Borborema Province consists of up to 65% of strongly sheared ancient rocks affiliated with the São Francisco/Benino-Nigerian Craton, separated by major transcurrent shear zones, with only ≈ 15% addition of juvenile material during the Neoproterozoic orogeny. This evolution is repeated across a number of Brasiliano/Pan-African orogens, with significant local variations, and indicate that extension weakened cratonic regions in a process of decratonization that prepared them for involvement in the orogenies, that led to the amalgamation of Gondwana.

A Pan-African zincian staurolite imprint on Namaqua quartz–gahnite–sillimanite assemblages

1989 ◽  
Vol 53 (369) ◽  
pp. 63-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Moore ◽  
A. M. Reid
Keyword(s):  
Shear Zones ◽  
Granulite Facies ◽  
Hydration Reaction ◽  
Metamorphic Complex ◽  
Compositional Zoning ◽  
South West ◽  
Pan African ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Facies Zone ◽  
Retrograde Reaction

AbstractQuartz-gahnite-sillimanite asssemblages are described from a supracrustal enclave at Kraaifontein, 45 km south-west of Springbok in the Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex, South Africa. The assemblage formed by prograde reaction in the granulite facies zone during the 1100 Ma Namaqua event, possibly as the result of desulphidation of sphalerite. Subsequent lower-amphibolite-facies retrogression occurred in close proximity to shear zones during an early Pan-African metamorphic event at 700 Ma. Zincian staurolite formed as overgrowths on gahnite in a hydration reaction involving the consumption of gahnite, quartz, and sillimanite. Compositional zoning to more zinc-rich rims in gahnite at Kraaifontein is unrelated to the retrograde reaction, but is interpreted as a result of changing conditions during the prograde Namaqua event.

scholarly journals Insights on high-grade deformation in quartzo-feldspathic gneisses during the early Variscan exhumation of the Cabo Ortegal nappe, NW Iberia

Solid Earth ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 579-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco José Fernández ◽  
Sergio Llana-Fúnez ◽  
Pablo Valverde-Vaquero ◽  
Alberto Marcos ◽  
Pedro Castiñeiras
Keyword(s):  
Subduction Zones ◽  
Shear Bands ◽  
Shear Zones ◽  
Ductile Deformation ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Nw Iberia ◽  
Planar Shear ◽  
Lower Crustal ◽  
Grade Rock ◽  
Tectonic Exhumation

Abstract. High-grade, highly deformed gneisses crop out continuously along the Masanteo peninsula and constitute the upper part of the lower crustal section in the Cabo Ortegal nappe (NW Spain). The rock sequence formed by migmatitic quartzo-feldspathic (qz-fsp) gneisses and mafic rocks records the early Ordovician (ca. 480–488 Ma) injection of felsic dioritic/granodioritic dykes at the base of the qz-fsp gneisses, and Devonian eclogitization (ca. 390.4 ± 1.2 Ma), prior to its exhumation. A SE-vergent ductile thrust constitutes the base of quartzo-feldspathic gneissic unit, incorporating mafic eclogite blocks within migmatitic gneisses. A NW-vergent detachment displaced metasedimentary qz-fsp gneisses over the migmatites. A difference in metamorphic pressure of ca. 0.5 GPa is estimated between both gneissic units. The tectono-metamorphic relationships of the basal ductile thrust and the normal detachment bounding the top of the migmatites indicate that both discrete mechanical contacts were active before the recumbent folding affecting the sequence of gneisses during their final emplacement. The progressive tectonic exhumation from eclogite to greenschist facies conditions occurred over ca. 10 Ma and involved bulk thinning of the high-grade rock sequence in the high pressure and high temperature (HP–HT) Cabo Ortegal nappe. The necessary strain was accommodated by the development of a widespread main foliation, dominated by flattening, that subsequently localized to a network of anastomosing shear bands that evolved to planar shear zones. Qz-fsp gneisses and neighbouring mafic granulites were exhumed at > 3 mm yr−1, and the exhumation path involved a cooling of  ∼  20 °C/100 MPa, These figures are comparable to currently active subduction zones, although exhumation P–T trajectory and ascent rates are at the hotter and slower end in comparison with currently active similar settings, suggesting an extremely ductile deformation environment during the exhumation of qz-fsp gneisses within a coherent Cabo Ortegal nappe.

Timing and rate of isothermal decompression in Pan-African granulites from Rundvågshetta, East Antarctica

2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Fraser ◽  
I. McDougall ◽  
D. J. Ellis ◽  
I. S. Williams
Keyword(s):  
East Antarctica ◽  
Pan African ◽  
Isothermal Decompression

scholarly journals Outline of the Nagssugtoqidian mobile belt of East Greenland

1979 ◽  
Vol 89 ◽  
pp. 9-18
Author(s):  
D Bridgwater ◽  
J.S Myers
Keyword(s):  
Shear Zones ◽  
Granulite Facies ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Mobile Belt ◽  
East Greenland ◽  
The North ◽  
Marginal Areas ◽  
High Level ◽  
North And South ◽  
Wide Zone

The Nagssugtoqidian mobile belt is a 240 km wide zone of deformation and plutonic activity which cuts across the Archaean craton of East Greenland. The belt was established 2600 m.y. ago by the formation of vertical E-W shear zones and the syntectonic intrusion of basic dykes. Tectonic activity along the E-W shear zones was followed by the emplacement of tonalitic intrusions, the Blokken gneisses, 2350 m.y. ago in the central parts of the mobile belt. The emplacement of the Blokken gneisses was accompanied and followed by further emplacement of basic dykes. These are synplutonic in the centre of the mobile belt but are emplaced into more rigid crust in the marginal areas of the belt and in the Archaean craton to the north and south. During a second major tectonic and thermal episode circa 1900 m.y. ago, the region was deformed by thrusting from the north. In the southem part of the mobile belt the earlier steep shear zones are cut by shear zones dipping gently northwards in which rocks are downgraded to greenschist facies. The grade of metamorphism increases northwards and shear zones are replaced by open folds with axial surfaces which dip gently northwards. The increasing ductility in the centre of and northem part of the belt is associated with the intrusion of charnockitic plutons and their granulite facies aureoles. Regional uplift occurred before the intrusion of high level post-tectonic plutons of diorite and granite 1550 m.y. ago.

Ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism and decompression history of sapphirine granulites from Rajapalaiyam, southern India: implications for the formation of hot orogens during Gondwana assembly

2009 ◽  
Vol 147 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. TSUNOGAE ◽  
M. SANTOSH
Keyword(s):  
Southern India ◽  
Stability Field ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
History Of ◽  
Peak Metamorphism ◽  
Gondwana Supercontinent ◽  
Isothermal Decompression ◽  
Ultrahigh Temperature ◽  
Late Neoproterozoic ◽  
Uht Metamorphism

AbstractSapphirine-bearing Mg–Al granulites from Rajapalaiyam in the southern part of the Madurai Block provide critical evidence for Late Neoproterozoic–Cambrian ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) metamorphism in southern India. Poikiloblastic garnet in quartzo-feldspathic and pelitic granulites contain inclusions of fine-grained subidioblastic to xenoblastic sapphirine associated with quartz, suggesting that the rocks underwent T > 1000°C peak metamorphism. Quartz inclusions in spinel within garnet are also regarded as clear evidence for a UHT condition. Inclusions of orthopyroxene within porphyroblastic garnet in the sapphirine-bearing rocks show the highest Al2O3 content of up to 10.3 wt%, suggesting T = 1050–1070°C and P = 8.5–9.5 kbar. Temperatures estimated from ternary feldspar and other geothermometers (T = 950–1000°C) further support extreme thermal metamorphism in this region. Xenoblastic spinel inclusions in sapphirine coexisting with quartz suggest that the spinel + quartz assemblage pre-dates the sapphirine + quartz assemblage, probably implying a cooling from T ~ 1050°C or an anticlockwise P–T path. The FMAS reaction sapphirine + quartz + garnet → orthopyroxene + sillimanite indicates a cooling from the sapphirine + quartz stability field after the peak metamorphism. Corona textures of orthopyroxene + cordierite (± sapphirine), orthopyroxene + sapphirine + cordierite, and cordierite + spinel around garnet suggest subsequent near-isothermal decompression followed by decompressional cooling toward T = 650–750°C and P = 4.5–5.5 kbar. The sapphirine–quartz association and related textures described in this study have an important bearing on the UHT metamorphism and exhumation history of the Madurai Block, as well as on the tectonic evolution of the continental deep crust in southern India. Our study provides a typical example for extreme metamorphism associated with collisional tectonics during the Late Neoproterozoic–Cambrian assembly of the Gondwana supercontinent.

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