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Erzgebirge ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) garnet peridotite includes scarce layers of garnet pyroxenite, nodules of garnetite and, very rarely, of eclogite. Peridotite‐hosted eclogite shows the same subalkali‐basaltic bulk rock composition, mineral assemblage and peak conditions as gneiss‐hosted eclogite present in the same UHP unit. Garnetite has considerably more Mg, moderately enhanced Ca and Fe and significantly lower contents of Na, Ti, P, K and Si than eclogite, whereas Al is very similar. In addition, the compatible trace elements (Ni, Co, Cr, V) are elevated and most incompatible elements (Zr, Hf, Y, Sr, Rb and rare Earth elements [REE]) are depleted in garnetite relative to eclogite. In contrast to other large ion lithophile elements (LILEs), Pb (+121%) and Ba (+83%) are strongly enriched. The REE patterns of garnetite are characterized by depletion of light and heavy REE and a medium REE hump indicative of metasomatism, features being absent in eclogite. An exceptional garnetite sample shows an REE distribution similar to that of eclogite. Garnetite is interpreted to have formed from the same, but metasomatically altered, igneous protolith as eclogite. Except for Ba and Pb, the chemical signature of garnetite is explained best by metasomatic changes of its basaltic protolith caused by serpentinization of the host peridotite. Garnetite is chemically similar to basaltic rodingite/metarodingite. Although rodingite is commonly more enriched in Ca, there are also examples with moderately enhanced Ca matching the composition of Erzgebirge garnetite. Limited Ca metasomatism is attributed to the preservation of Ca in peridotite during hydrous alteration. This can be explained by incomplete serpentinization favouring metastable survival of the original clinopyroxene. In this case, most Ca is retained in peridotite and not available for infiltration and metasomatism of the garnetite protolith. This inescapable consequence is supported by the fact that clinopyroxene is part of the garnet peridotite UHP assemblage, which would not be the case if Ca had been removed from the protolith prior to high‐pressure metamorphism. The enrichment of compatible elements in garnetite is attributed to decomposition of peridotitic olivine (Ni, Co) and spinel (Cr, V) during serpentinization. Enrichment of Ba and Pb contrasts the behaviour of other LILEs and is ascribed to dehydration of the serpentinized peridotite (deserpentinization). This requires two separate stages of metasomatism: (1) intense chemical alteration of the basaltic garnetite precursor, together with serpentinization of peridotite at the ocean floor or during incipient subduction; and (2) prograde metamorphism and dehydration of serpentinite during continued subduction, thereby releasing Pb–Ba‐rich fluids that reacted with associated metabasalt. Finally, subduction to >100 km and UHP metamorphism of all lithologies led to formation of garnetite, eclogite and garnet pyroxenite hosted by co‐facial garnet peridotite as observed in the Erzgebirge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Darken's quadratic formalism (DQF) expresses the thermodynamic behavior of amphiboles by mixing real and fictive end-members. DQF is used in modeling the activity-composition relationships of calcic amphibole, sodic amphibole, cummingtonite and orthoamphibole solid solutions. Comparison of a-x relationships with P-T-x conditions indicates the applicability of DQF in determining a-x relationships in multicomponnent amphiboles.

The Taba metamorphic belt (TMB) is one of four Pan-African metamorphic belts of the Sinai Peninsula forming the northernmost extension of the East African Orogen. The TMB underwent two main phases of ductile deformation accompanied by a single metamorphic event. Critical metamorphic mineral assemblages in the metapelitic rocks testify to regional metamorphism under amphibolite-facies conditions and form a zonal pattern (all assemblages + quartz + plagioclase + ilmenite):(i)garnet–biotite ± muscovite,(ii)staurolite–garnet–biotite ± muscovite,(iii)sillimanite/andalusite–staurolite–garnet–biotite,(iv)cordierite (pinitized)–staurolite–garnet–biotite ± muscovite ± andalusite.A P–T pseudosection calculated for a garnet–staurolite–sillimanite schist constrains the peak metamorphic assemblage garnet–staurolite–biotite–sillimanite–quartz to a narrow field extending from ≈590 to 640 °C and 5 to 6 kbar. The observed retrograde assemblage garnet–staurolite–sillimanite–chlorite–muscovite–quartz is stable at 560–590 °C and 4.5–5 kbar. This indicates a near isobaric cooling path segment during retrogression. Temperatures and pressures of 550–590 °C and 4 ± 1 kbar were also estimated with conventional geothermobarometry. The data suggest that the Taba metamorphic rocks underwent a high-T/low-P metamorphic evolution, with a peak metamorphic gradient of ≈50–60 °C/km. The results support the interpretation that the Sinai basement formed at a magmatic arc during the collision between East and West Gondwana. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]