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New petrographic and microanalytical studies of mineral inclusions in the Purang ophiolitic chromitites (SW Tibet) are used to scrutinize the evolution of the associated Cretaceous sub-oceanic lithospheric mantle section. Silicate inclusions in the chromite grains include composite and single-phase orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, amphibole, and uvarovite. Most inclusions are sub-rounded or globular, whereas a few inclusions exhibit cubic/octahedral crystal morphologies. The latter are randomly distributed in the large chromite grains, though discrete aggregates are consistently confined to the grain centers. Abundant micrometer-scale, clinopyroxene inclusions are topotaxially aligned along crystallographic planes. Less-abundant sulfide, wüstite, apatite, and uvarovite inclusions are observed in some samples. The trace element geochemistry of the Purang chromitite evoke parental MORB- and boninitelike melts, consistent with the supra-subduction zone setting. The δ26Mg values of the high-Cr and high-Al chromitites range from –0.25 to –0.29‰ and –0.05 to –0.32‰, respectively. The associated harzburgite has nearly overlapping δ26Mg values of –0.13 to –0.37‰, but pyroxenite sills show distinct δ26Mg values (–0.61 to –0.67‰). The variable Mg isotope signatures, combined with abundant exotic, ultrahigh-pressure and super reduced (UHP-SuR) mineral inclusions in the chromite grains, suggest that recycling and recrystallization under different mantle conditions played an important role in the genesis and evolution of these rocks. Furthermore, discrete silicate, sulfide, and metal alloy inclusions in the Purang chromitites are comparable to those reported in other Tethyan ophiolites, and collectively suggest a common geodynamic evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to characterize the [micro]m-to-nm structures related to operation of pressure solution on phase boundaries in naturally deformed rocks, we have performed a detailed focused ion beam/transmission electron microscopy study in ultramylonite samples from South Armorican Shear Zone (France) that focused on grain boundary scale. We have studied phase boundaries between quartz, K-feldspar and white mica in both 2D and 3D and compare our evidences with theoretical dissolution precipitation models in the current literature. The dissolution (re)precipitation processes lead to the development of different features at different phase boundaries. In both quartz-white mica and quartz-K-feldspar phase boundaries, voids were ubiquitously observed. These voids have different shapes, and the development of some of them is crystallographically controlled. In addition, part of these voids might be filled with vermiculite. Amorphous leached layers with kaolinite composition were observed at the boundaries of K-feldspar-quartz and K-feldspar-white mica. The development of different features along the phase boundaries is mainly controlled by the crystallography of the phases sharing a common interface, together with the presence of fluids that either leaches or directly dissolve the mineral phases. In addition, the local dislocation density in quartz may play an important role during pressure solution. We suggest that the nanoscale observations of the quartz-white mica phase boundaries show direct evidence for operation of island-and-channel model as described in Wassmann and Stockhert (Tectonophysics 608:1-29, 2013 (See CR35)), while K-feldspar-quartz phase boundaries represents amorphous layers formed via interface-coupled dissolution reprecipitation as described by Hellmann et al. (Chem Geol 294-295:203-216, 2012 (See CR13)). Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00410-015-1186-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users., Author(s): Zita Bukovska[sup.1] [sup.2] , Richard Wirth[sup.3] , Luiz F. G. Morales[sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) Faculty of Science, Institute of Petrology and Structural Geology, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, [...]

The transition zone of the Earth's upper mantle is characterized by three discontinuities in seismic wave velocity profiles. One of these at about a depth of 520 km is assigned to the transformation of wadsleyite (β-) to ringwoodite [γ-(Mg, Fe).sub.2SiO.sub.4] (e.g., Shearer in J Geophys Res 101:3053-3066, 1996 (See CR32)). The exact location, width, and other properties of that discontinuity are affected by a multitude of parameters. The present study specifically focuses on the effect of water, iron content, and redox environment on the depth of the phase transition. We performed high-pressure experiments in a multi-anvil apparatus at 1200 °C with variation in Mg-Fe compositions (0.10 < x.sub.Fe < 0.24), water contents (0 < [Formula omitted] < 2 wt%), and the redox environment [using different buffers: Fe/FeO (reducing), Re/ReO.sub.2 (oxidizing)]. Run products were investigated using electron microprobe and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to obtain the composition including the hydroxyl concentration of coexisting phases. Mossbauer (MB) spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction were applied to gain insight into the Fe.sup.3+ content and incorporation mechanisms. Under hydrous and reducing conditions, the wadsleyite-ringwoodite boundary shifts by 0.5 GPa to higher pressures accompanied by a broadening of the region of coexisting wadsleyite and ringwoodite. In contrast, under hydrous and oxidizing conditions, the two-phase field gets narrower and the shift of the two-phase field to higher pressure is amplified. Thus, the stability field of wadsleyite is extended to higher pressure, most likely due to the higher water and Fe.sup.3+ content in the wadsleyite structure compared to ringwoodite. Based on results from MB spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, we infer that Fe.sup.3+ in wadsleyite is incorporated as a spinelloid component and stabilizes wadsleyite to higher pressures. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00410-015-1163-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users., Author(s): Maria Mrosko[sup.1] , Monika Koch-Müller[sup.1] , Catherine McCammon[sup.2] , Dieter Rhede[sup.3] , Joseph R. Smyth[sup.4] , Richard Wirth[sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) Sektion 3.3, Chemie und Physik der Geomaterialien, Deutsches [...]