Metamorphic evolution of a subduction complex, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

A subduction complex composed of ocean floor material mixed with arc-derived metasediments crops out in the Elephant Island group and at Smith Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, with metamorphic ages of 120-80 Ma and 58-47 Ma? respectively. Seven metamorphic zones (I-VII) mapped on Elephant Island delineate a gradual increase in metamorphic grade from the pumpellyite-actinolite facies, through the crossite-epidote blueschist facies, to the lower amphibolite facies. Geothermometry in garnet-amphibole and garnet-biotite pairs yields temperatures of about 350 degrees C in zone III to about 525 degrees C in zone VII. Pressures were estimated on the basis of Si content in white mica, Al2O3 content in alkali amphibole, Na-M4/Al-IV in sodic-calcic and calcic amphibole, Al-VI/Si in calcic amphibole, and jadeite content in clinopyroxene. Mean values vary from about 6-7.5 kbar in zone II to about 5 kbar in zone VII. Results from the other islands of the Elephant Island group are comparable to those from the main island; Smith Island yielded slightly higher pressures, up to 8 kbar, with temperatures estimated between 300 and 350 degrees C. Zoned minerals and other textural indications locally enable inference of P-T-t trajectories, all with a clockwise evolution. A reconstruction in space and time of these P-T-t paths allows an estimate of the thermal structure in the upper crust during the two ductile deformation phases (D-1 & D-2) that affected the area. This thermal structure is in good agreement with the one expected for a subduction zone. The arrival and collision of thickened oceanic crust may have caused the accretion and preservation of the subduction complex. In this model, D-1 represents the subduction movements expressed by the first vector of the clockwise P-T-t path, D-2 reflects the collision corresponding to the second vector with increasing temperature and decreasing pressure, and D-3 corresponds to isostatic uplift accompanied by erosion, under circumstances of decreasing temperature and pressure.

Parâmetros físicos pré-eruptivos do magmatismo ácido da província magmática do Paraná: Resultados preliminares

A set of 12 samples of acid rock types Palmas (ATP) and Chapecó (ATC) was used to determine the chemical composition of plagioclase and pyroxene by electron microprobe, with the purpose to get information about the pressure and temperature of crystallization of these rocks. The results show that the pyroxene of ATP rocks (3,2 ± 1,2 kbar, max = 5,1 kbar and 1028 ± 38°C) were formed under pressure conditions higher than those ATC (1,8 ± 0,9 kbar, max = 3,4 kbar and 995 ± 26oC). However, the pressures obtained from plagioclase showed higher pressures for ATC (3.2 ± 1 kbar, max = 6,4 kbar and 1033 ± 12°C) than ATP (1,9 ± 1 kbar, max = 4,8 kbar and 1043 ± 5°C), suggesting that the crystallization of rocktype ATP began with the formation of pyroxene and plagioclase almost simultaneously at a depth of around 17 km while the ATC, began with the crystallization of plagioclase at a depth of about 21 km (assuming a gradient of 3,3 kbar/km). The geothermometry of plagioclase allow us to calculate the concentration of water from about 1 ± 0,3% H2O for both acid rock types. Additional calculations allow us to get the depth of water exsolution of magmatic liquid at 30m below the surface. Although the data are still preliminary and insufficient to model the extrusion of these rocks, they point out to an effusion mechanism of a partially fluidized magma by volatile, which would spread to large areas with small friction with the surface that would increased with the increase of viscosity caused by the loss of volatile and decreasing of temperature, developing coherent structures as lava flows.

Evolução metamórfica P-T-t da porção norte do complexo Guaxupé na região de Arceburgo - Santa Cruz da Prata, MG

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)