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Metamorphic, deformation, fluids and geological significance of low-temperature retrograde mylonites of Diancangshan metamorphic massif along Ailaoshan-Red River strike-slip fault zone, Yunnan, China

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Abstract

Diancangshan metamorphic massif is one of the four metamorphic massifs developed along the Ailaoshan-Red River strike-slip fault zone, Yunnan, China. It has experienced multi-stage metamorphism and deformation, especially since the late Oligocene it widely suffered high-temperature ductile shear deformation and exhumation of the metamorphic rocks from the deep crust to the shallow surface. Based on the previous research and geological field work, this paper presents a detailed study on deformation and metamorphism, and exhumation of deep metamorphic rocks within the Diancangshan metamorphic massif, especially focusing on the low-temperature overprinted retrogression metamorphism and deformation of mylonitic rocks. With the combinated experimental techniques of optical microscope, electron backscatter diffraction attachmented on field-emission scanning electron microscopy and cathodoluminescence, our contribution reports the microstructure, lattice preferred orientations of the deformed minerals, and the changes of mineral composition phases of the superposition low-temperature retrograde mylonites. All these results indicate that: (1) Diancangshan deep metamorphic rock has experienced early high-temperature left-lateral shear deformation and late extension with rapid exhumation, the low-temperature retrogression metamorphism and deformation overprinted the high-temperature metamorphism, and the high-temperature microstructure and texture are in part or entirely altered by subsequent low-temperature shearing; (2) the superposition of low-temperature deformation-metamorphism occurs at the ductile-brittle transition; and (3) the fluid is quite active during the syn-tectonic shearing overprinted low-temperature deformation and metamorphism. The dynamic recrystallization and/or fractures to micro-fractures result in the strongly fine-grained of the main minerals, and present strain localization in micro-domians, such as micro-shear zones in the mylonites. It is often accompanied by the decrease of rock strength and finally influences the rheology of the whole rock during further deformation and exhumation of the Diancangshan massif.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the reviewers for their valuable comments, which have greatly improved the quality of this paper. This work was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (Grant No. 2017YFC0602401), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41472188) and the Excellent Youth Fund of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41722207).

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Xuemei Cheng, Shuyun Cao, Junyu Li, Zunpu Yu, Yanlong Dong & Meixia Lv

  2. State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Junlai Liu

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  1. Xuemei Cheng
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Cheng, X., Cao, S., Li, J. et al. Metamorphic, deformation, fluids and geological significance of low-temperature retrograde mylonites of Diancangshan metamorphic massif along Ailaoshan-Red River strike-slip fault zone, Yunnan, China. Sci. China Earth Sci. 61, 1023–1041 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-017-9194-4

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