Petrological and geochronological evidence for Paleoproterozoic granulite-facies metamorphism of the South Liaohe Group in the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt, North China Craton

To better understand the formation of high-temperature metamorphic rocks, we present a detailed petrological and geochronological study of recently discovered cordierite-bearing granulites of the South Liaohe Group in the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt, North China Craton. Petrographic observations indicate that four distinct mineral assemblages are present in the granulites: pre-peak amphibolite facies (M1), peak granulite facies (M2), post-peak decompression (M3), and late cooling retrogression (M4). M1 is preserved as fine-grained inclusions in the cores of garnet grains, represented by quartz + plagioclase + biotite + ilmenite. M2 is interpreted to have comprised garnet + sillimanite + plagioclase + quartz + biotite + ilmenite + melt. M3 was characterized by the formation of cordierite + sillimanite symplectites and cordierite + quartz coronas replacing garnet. M4 is indicated by the formation of staurolite, accompanied by the crystallization of melt. A combination of multi-equilibria geothermobarometers and pseudosection modeling constrains the P–T conditions of the M1, M2, M3, and M4 stages to P = 0.66–0.71 GPa and T = 620–650 °C, P = 0.96–1.10 GPa and T = 790–840 °C, P = 0.62–0.65 GPa and T = 725–785 °C, and P = 0.43–0.55 GPa and T = 595–625 °C, respectively. Zircon and monazite U–Pb dating yields three distinct and meaningful ages for the granulites: (1) 2200–2100 Ma for the granulite protoliths, (2) ca. 1945 Ma for the near-peak metamorphism, and (3) 1851–1839 Ma for the post-peak and late retrogressive metamorphism. Thus, a clockwise P–T–t path is determined for the cordierite-bearing granulites of the South Liaohe Group. Petrological and geochronological evidence from regional metamorphic rocks in the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt suggests that the belt experienced a continuous orogenesis from 1950 to 1800 Ma.