Buoyancy-driven exhumation of lawsonite-bearing eclogites and
blueschists in the Lanling area, central Qiangtang Terrane, Tibetan
Plateau
Abstract
The exhumation mechanism of the low-temperature/high-pressure (LT/HP)
rocks, is critical for understanding the formation of the central
Qiangtang metamorphic belt (CQMB), Tibetan Plateau, but it is still
hotly debated. Here, we report field, petrological, phase-equilibria and
petro-physical modelling data on the newly discovered lawsonite-bearing
eclogites, epidote eclogite and lawsonite-bearing blueschists from the
Lanling area in the CQMB. The mineral characteristics and phase
equilibria modeling reveal that the LT/HP rocks record peak P-T
conditions from peak pressure (Pmax) of 22.5–23.5 kbar
at 460–480 °C to peak temperature (Tmax) of 530–550 °C
at 20–22.5 kbar. Combined with previous documented geochronological
data, a clockwise P-T-t path for these LT/HP rocks is obtained, which is
characterized by pronounced heating decompression
(~223–221 Ma), subsequent isothermal decompression
(~221–219 Ma), and final cooling decompression
(~219–212 Ma). Modeled densities and net buoyancies
(defined as the density difference between Preliminary Reference Earth
Model and LT/HP rocks) show that all LT/HP samples are buoyant at
Pmax, but gradually become denser during heating
decompression and evolve to neutrally or negatively buoyant around
Tmax. Later mixing with lower-density garnet-phengite
schists at Tmax, help the density of the exhuming LT/HP
unit reduce to lower than that of the surrounding mantle again during
continued isothermal decompression. We concluded that exhumation of
eclogites and blueschists is short-lived (~10 Ma) and
multi-stage buoyancy-driven characterized by early self-exhumation via
diapiric rise and post-Tmax carried-exhumation along
subduction channel.