Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T00:10:54.306Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chlorite crystallinity as an indicator of metamorphic grade of low-temperature meta-igneous rocks: a case study from the Bükk Mountains, Northeast Hungary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

P. Árkai
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Geochemical Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1112 Budapest, Budaörsi út 45, Hungary
D. Sadek Ghabrial
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Geochemical Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1112 Budapest, Budaörsi út 45, Hungary

Abstract

X-ray diffraction chlorite crystallinity (ChC) indices and major element chemical compositions of chlorites and bulk rocks were determined and correlated in meta-igneous rocks from different Mesozoic formations in various tectonic units of the Bükk Mountains, NE Hungary. The rocks, of basic to acidic compositions, range from ocean-floor metamorphic prehnite-pumpellyite facies (diagenetic zone) through regional metamorphic prehnite-pumpellyite facies (anchizone) up to the regional metamorphic pumpellyite-actinolite and greenschist facies (epizone). As in the case of meta-sedimentary rocks, chlorite crystallinity can be applied as an empirical, complementary petrogenetic tool to determine relative differences in grades of low-temperature meta-igneous rocks. Electron microprobe and XRD data show that ChC is controlled mainly by the decreasing amounts of contaminants (mixed-layered components or discrete, intergrown phases of mostly smectitic composition) in chlorite with advancing metamorphic grade, up to the epizone. The apparent increase in calculated Aliv content of chlorite with increasing temperature is related to the decrease of these contaminants, as stated earlier by Jiang et al. (1994). On the basis of the significant correlations found between ChC and temperatures, derived by the chlorite-Aliv geothermometer of Cathelineau (1988), both methods may be used for estimating the approximate temperatures of metamorphism, in spite of the contrasting interpretation of chemical data from chlorites obtained by electron microprobe analyses. After determining the effects of changing bulk chemistry on chlorite composition and ChC, the chlorite crystallinity method may complement the correlation of the illite crystallinity-based zonal classification of meta-sediments and the mineral facies classification of meta-igneous rocks.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aagard, P. & Jahren, J.S. (1992) Diagenetic illite-chlorite assemblages in arenites. II. Thermodynamic relations. Clays Clay Miner. 40, 547554.Google Scholar
Árkai, P. (1983) Very low- and low-grade Alpine regional metamorphism of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic formations of the Bükkium, NE-Hungary. Acta Geol. Hungarica, 26, 83–101.Google Scholar
Árkai, P. (1991) Chlorite crystallinity: an empirical approach and correlation with illite crystallinity, coal rank and mineral facies as exemplified by Palaeozoic and Mesozoic rocks of northeast Hungary. J. Met. Geol. 9, 723734.Google Scholar
Árkai, P. & Tóth, M. (1990) Illite and chlorite “crystallinity” indices, I: an attempted mineralogical interpretation. Abstract. Conf “Phyllosilicates as indicators of very low-grade metamorphism and diagenesis” (IGCP 294), Manchester. Google Scholar
Árkai, P., Balogh Kad. & Dunkl, I. (1995a) Timing of low-temperature metamorphism and cooling of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic formations of the Bükkium, innermost Western Carpathians, Hungary. Geologische Rundschau, 84, 334–344.Google Scholar
Árkai, P., Sassi, F.P. & Sassi, R. (1995b) Simultaneous measurements of chlorite and illite crystallinity: a more reliable geothermometric tool for monitoring low- to very low-grade metamorphisms in metapelites. A case study from the Southern Alps (NE Italy). Eur. J. Mineral. 7, 11151128.Google Scholar
Bence, A.E. & Albee, A. (1968) Empirical correction factors for electron microanalysis of silicates and oxides. J. Geol. 76, 382403.Google Scholar
Bettison, L.A. & Schiffman, P. (1988) Compositional and structural variations of phyllosilicates from the Point Sal ophiolite, California. Am. Miner. 73, 62–76.Google Scholar
Bettison-Varga, L., Mackinnon, I.D.R. & Schiffman, P. (1991) Integrated TEM, XRD and electron microprobe investigation of mixed-layer chlorite-smectite from the Point Sal ophiolite, California. J. Met. Geol. 9, 697710.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bevins, R.E., Rowbotham, G. & Robinson, D. (1991) Zeolite to prehnite-pumpellyite facies metamorphism of the late Proterozoic Zig-Zag Dal Basalt Formation, eastern North Greenland. Lithos, 27, 155165.Google Scholar
Cathelineau, M. (1988) Cation site occupancy in chlorites and illites as a function of temperature. Clay Miner. 23, 471485.Google Scholar
Cathelineau, M. & Nieva, D. (1985) A chlorite solid solution geothermometer. The Los Azufres geothermal system (Mexico). Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 91, 235244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Csontos, L. (1988) Étude géologique d'une portion des Carpathes internes: la masif du Bükk (NE de la Hongrie) (Stratigraphie, structures, métamorphisme et géodynamique). Thèse de doctorat Univ. Sci. Techn. Lille Flandres-Artois, Lille, France.Google Scholar
De Caritat, P., Hutcheon, I. & Walshe, J. L. (1993) Chlorite geothermometry: a review. Clays Clay Miner. 41, 219239.Google Scholar
Downes, H., Pantó, Gy., Arkai, P. & Thirlwall, M.F. (1990) Petrology and geochemistry of Mesozoic igneous rocks, Bfikk Mountains, Hungary. Lithos, 24, 201-215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frey, M. (1986) Very low-grade metamorphism of the Alps: an introduction. Schweiz. Mineral. Petrograph. Mitt. 66, 1327.Google Scholar
Frey, M. (1987) Very low-grade metamorphism of clastic sedimentary rocks. Pp. 9–58 in: Low Temperature Metamorphism, (Frey, M., editor). Blackie & Son, Glasgow & London, UK.Google Scholar
Hillier, S. (1993) Origin, diagenesis and mineralogy of chlorite minerals in Devonian lacustrine mudrocks, Orcadian Basin, Scotland. Clays Clay Miner. 41, 240259.Google Scholar
Hillier, S. & Velde, B. (1991) Octahedral occupancy and the chemical composition of diagenetic (low temperature) chlorites. Clay Miner. 26, 149168.Google Scholar
Inoue, A. & Utada, M. (1991) Smectite-to-chlorite transformation in thermally metamorphosed volcanoclastic rocks in the Kamikita area, northern Honshu, Japan. Am. Miner. 76, 628–640.Google Scholar
Jahren, J.S. (1991) Evidence for Ostwald ripening related recrystallization of chlorites from reservoir rocks offshore Norway. Clay Miner. 26, 169178.Google Scholar
Jahren, J.S. & Aagard, P. (1992) Diagenetic illite-chlorite assemblages in arenites. I. Chemical evolution. Clays Clay Miner. 40, 540546.Google Scholar
Jiang, W. & Peacor, D.R. (1990) Parallel diagenesis/ metamorphism of dioctahedral illite and trioctahedral chloritic minerals in pelitic rocks of the Gasp6 Peninsula, Quebec. Geol. Soc. Am., Abstracts 22, A258-A259.Google Scholar
Jiang, W. & Peacor, D.R. (1994) Prograde transitions of corrensite and chlorite in low-grade pelitic rocks from the Gasp6 Peninsula, Quebec. Clays Clay Miner. 42, 497517.Google Scholar
Jiang, W.-T., Peacor, D.R. & Buseck, P.R. (1994) Chlorite geothermometry? – contamination and apparent octahedral vacancies. Clays Clay Miner. 42, 593605. Jowett, E.C. (1991) Fitting iron and magnesium into the hydrothermal chlorite geothermometer. GAC/MAC/ SEG Joint Annual Meeting, Toronto, 1991. Program with Abstracts, 16, A62.Google Scholar
Kázmér, M. & Kovàcs, S. (1989) Triassic and Jurassic oceanic/paraoceanic belts in the Carpathian-Pannonian region and its surroundings. Pp. 93-108 in: Tectonic Evolution of the Tethyan Region (Sengor, A.M.C., editor). Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.Google Scholar
Kisch, H.J. (1983) Mineralogy and petrology of burial diagenesis (burial metamorphism) and incipient metamorphism in clastic rocks. Pp. 289–493 and 513–541 in: Diagenesis in Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks (Larsen, G. & Chilingar, G. V., editors). Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Kisch, H.J. (1987) Correlation between indicators of very low-grade metamorphism. Pp. 227–300 in: Low Temperature Metamorphism, (Frey, M., editor). Blackie & Son, Glasgow & London, UK.Google Scholar
Kisch, H.J. (1990) Calibration of the anchizone: a critical comparison of illite ‘crystallinity’ scales used for definition. J. Met. Geol. 8, 3146.Google Scholar
Kovàics, S. (1989) Major events of the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the North Hungarian Paleo- Mesozoic: history of the northwestern termination of the Late Paleozoic - Early Mesozoic Tethys. Pp. 93 – 108 in: Tectonic Evolution of the Tethyan Region (Sengor, A.M.C., editor). Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.Google Scholar
Kranidiotis, P. & MacLean, W.H. (1987) Systematics of chlorite alteration at the Phelps Dodge massive sulfide deposit, Matagami, Quebec. Econ. Geol. 82, 18981911.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kretz, R. (1983) Symbols for rock-forming minerals. Am. Miner. 68, 277279.Google Scholar
Kübler, B. (1967) La cristallinité de l'illite et les zones tout a fait superieures du métamorphisme. Pp. 105 – 121 in: Etages Tectoniques, Colloque de Neuchgttel 1966. A La Baconniere, Neuchétel.Google Scholar
Kübler, B. (1968) Evaluation quantitative du metamorphisme par la cristallinité de l'illite. Bulletin du Centre de Recherches de Pau - S.N.P.A. 2, 385397.Google Scholar
Kübler, B. (1990) “Cristallinité” de l'illite et mixedlayers: breve révision. Schweiz. Mineral. Petrogr. Mitt. 70, 8993.Google Scholar
Liou, J.G., Maruyama, S. & Cho, M. (1987) Very lowgrade metamorphism of volcanic and volcanoclastic rocks – mineral assemblages and mineral facies. Pp. 59–113 in: Low Temperature Metamorphism (Frey, M., editor), Blackie & Son, Glasgow & London, UK.Google Scholar
McDowell, S.D. & Elders, W.A. (1980) Authigenic layer silicate minerals in borehole Elmore 1, Salton Sea geothermal field, California, U.S.A. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 74, 293310.Google Scholar
Robinson, D. & Bevins, R.E. (1992) Mafic phyllosilicates in the transition from basalt to metabasalt: corrensitic or chlorite/smectite minerals? Abstracts, 1GCP No. 294 Conf. “The Transition from Basalt to Metabasalt: Environments, Processes, and Petrogenesis” Davis, CA. Google Scholar
Robinson, D., Bevins, R.E. & Rowbotham, G. (1993) The characterization of mafic phyllosilicates in lowgrade metabasalts from eastern North Greenland. Am. Miner. 78, 377390.Google Scholar
Sadek Ghabrial, D., Arkai, P. & Nagy, G. (1994) Magmatic features and metamorphism of plagiogranite associated with a Jurassic MORB-like basicultrabasic complex, Bükk Mountains, Hungary. Acta Miner. Petr. Szeged. 35, 4169.Google Scholar
Sadek Ghabrial, D., Arkai, P. & Nagy, G. (1996) Metamorphism of the Jurassic MORB-like basic ultrabasic complex of Szarvasko, Bükk Mountains, NE-Hungary. Acta Miner. Petr. Szeged (in press).Google Scholar
Schiffman, P. & Fridleifsson, G.O. (1991) The smectitechlorite transition in drillhole NJ-15, Nesjavellir geothermal field, Iceland: XRD, BSE and electron microprobe investigations. J. Met. Geol. 9, 679–696.Google Scholar
Schiffman, P. & Staudigel, H. (1995) The smectite to chlorite transition in a fossil seamount hydrothermal system: the Basement Complex of La Palma, Canary Islands. J. Met. Geol. 13, 487498.Google Scholar
Shau, Y.-H., Peacor, D.R. & Essene, E.J. (1990) Corrensite and mixed-layer chlorite/corrensite in metabasalt from northern Taiwan: TEM/AEM, EMPA, XRD, and optical studies. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 105, 123142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Velde, B. & Medhioub, M. (1988) Approach to chemical equilibrium in diagenetic chlorites. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol, 98, 122127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Velde, B., El Moutaouakkil, N. & Iijima, A. (1991) Compositional homogeneity in low-temperature chlorites. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 107, 2126.Google Scholar
Winkler, H.G.F. (1979) Petrogenesis of Metamorphic Rocks. 5th edition. Springer, New York.Google Scholar
Yang, C. & Hesse, R. (1991) Clay minerals as indicators of diagenetic and anchimetamorphic grade in an overthrust belt, External Domain of southern Canadian Appalachians. Clay Miner. 26, 211–231.Google Scholar