Kozlovskii, V. M., Travin, V. V., Savatenkov, V. M., Terent'eva, L. B., Sal'nikova, E. B., and Kurdyukov, E. B.
Geological-structural and petrological data acquired by the authors on the most widely spread metamorphic associations of the Belomorian Mobile Belt in northern Karelia, Russia, indicate that the rocks belong to five age groups (0–IV), which were produced by metamorphism of protoliths of different composition and genesis. The Paleoproterozoic metamorphic associations were formed by three successive metamorphic episodes, which corresponded to discrete evolutionary episodes of the Lapland–Karelian Orogen. The first episode of Paleoproterozoic metamorphism was high-pressure transformations that produced steep zones of ductile flow of submeridional and northeastern trend. The second episode was high-temperature metamorphism at intermediate and high pressure, which was triggered by the development of gently sloped ductile flow zones and tectonic mélange of roughly latitudinal trend. The third metamorphic episode involved amphibolization of the rocks during high-temperature decompression cooling and was likely related to the development of randomly oriented fractures when the rocks of the Belomorian Mobile Belt were brought to middle and upper crustal levels. Each of the episodes was characterized by different P–T parameters of metamorphism, which are recorded in the compositions of the rock-forming minerals. The former two episodes corresponded to the prograde metamorphic evolution, and the third one was a retrograde evolution. The beginning of the first episode was responsible for the origin of amphibolites at Т = 560–640°C and Р = 6.7–9.5 kbar, with the metamorphic peak producing eclogites at Т = 600–690°C and Р = 11.3–12.9 kbar and eclogite-like rocks at higher temperatures of Т = 650–780°C and Р = 10.3–13.0 kbar. The peak of the second metamorphic episode corresponded to the origin of abundant plagiomigmatite leucosomes, which were formed within a broad temperature range (640–840°C) and a narrow pressure range (9.0–11.9 kbar). The widespread amphibolization of the metabasites of all types occurred only during the third metamorphic episode, whose P–T parameters broadly varied: 590–740°C and Р = 7.5–10.8 kbar. All dike varieties of the complex of eclogitized garnet metagabbro were formed at the metamorphic peak at the same P–T parameters as the host metamorphic rocks in the corresponding structures: metagabbro I was formed in steep ductile flow zones, and metagabbro II was produced in the gently sloped zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]