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Fe-Mg cordierite stability in high-grade pelitic rocks based on experimental, theoretical, and natural observations

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Abstract

Stability relations of Fe-Mg cordierite with K feldspar have been determined for conditions of muscovite-quartz instability, applicable to highgrade metamorphism of pelitic rocks. Fe cordierite, K feldspar, and water break down to Fe biotite, sillimanite, and quartz at pressures above a line through 640 ° C, 2kbar and 710 ° C, 2.7 kbar. A P-X diagram for the Fe-Mg analogue of this reaction at 675 ° C is consistent with a naturally occuring cordierite-biotite K D value of 0.53 if Al content of biotite and cordierite water of hydration are taken into account.

At higher temperatures Fe cordierite breaks down alone to almandine, sillimanite, quartz and water at pressures above a line through 650 ° C, 3.41 kbar and 760 ° C, 2.9 kbar. For the Fe-Mg reaction, P-X data up to 4 kbar may be extrapolated with use of natural K D values increasing toward one with increasing temperatures.

Lines of constant cordierite composition for the two reactions intersect in an Fe-Mg univariant reaction of sillimanite-biotite-quartz to cordieritealmandine-K feldspar-water which is metastable relative to melt at \(P_{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O}}} \) = P tot Reduced water pressure and impurities in the garnet and K feldspar greatly reduce the temperature of this reaction so that it becomes a reasonable reaction for upper amphibolite and granulite facies conditions.

The results demonstrate that (1) cordierite may be used as a geobarometer if temperature and approximate \(X_{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O}}} \) can be estimated, (2) almandine low in Mn and Ca does not participate in cordierite reactions where muscovite is present, and (3) the reaction which forms cordierite, almandine, and K feldspar is a possible melt-forming reaction which, under reduced \(P_{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O}}} \), occurs about 50 ° C above the muscovite melting reaction.

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  1. Sang Man Lee

    Present address: Department of Geology, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, 75275, Dallas, Texas, USA

    M. J. Holdaway & Sang Man Lee

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Holdaway, M.J., Lee, S.M. Fe-Mg cordierite stability in high-grade pelitic rocks based on experimental, theoretical, and natural observations. Contrib. Mineral. and Petrol. 63, 175–198 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00398778

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