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The petrology of a complex sodic and sodic–calcic amphibole association and its implications for the metasomatic processes in the jadeitite area in northwestern Myanmar, formerly Burma

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Abstract

In the Myanmar jadeitite area of Pharkan, amphibole felses occur between jadeitites and serpentinized dunites. These so-called amphibole fels boundary zones were studied optically and by electron microprobe, and found to include the six amphibole species magnesiokatophorite (Mg-kat), nyböite (Nyb), eckermannite (Eck), glaucophane (Gln), richterite (Rich) and winchite (Win). In most samples, the two main amphibole species Mg-kat and Eck coexist with amphiboles containing variable amounts of components of the remaining four species, as well as with the clinopyroxenes jadeite (Jd), omphacite (Omp) and kosmochlor (Ko). However, Mg-kat, Nyb and Eck are also present as separate phases as well as in zoned porphyroblasts with Mg-kat in the core, Nyb in the inner rims, and Eck in the outer rims. The analytical data on such zoned amphiboles reveal that the chemistry changes from core to inner rim by virtue of the substitution NaAlCa−1Mg−1 (glaucophane vector), and from the inner to the outer rim along MgSiAl−1Al−1 (tschermak vector). The overall substitution from core to outer rim is, therefore, along NaSiCa−1Al−1 (plagioclase vector). Based on the Si content, three groups can be distinguished within Eck: Eck coexisting with Nyb has low Si contents of <7.6 a.p.f.u., Eck rimming Nyb has higher Si contents of 7.6–8.0 a.p.f.u., and fine-grained Eck in the matrix has Si contents of 7.9–8.0 a.p.f.u. Plotting the amphibole analyses in a compositional volume with the axes (Na+K) in A, Na in M(4), and tetrahedral Si shows that three groups of amphibole compositions can be distinguished, one being subdivided into three subsets. Group A contains Rich and Mg-kat, B comprises of Win and Gln, whereas the subsets C can be defined as follows: C1: high-Na amphiboles with low tetrahedral Si; these are mainly amphiboles from the Eck field but overlap with the two fields of Gln and Win; C2: high-Na and low-Si Ecks overlapping to high-Si Nybs; this group is midway between Eck and Nyb end members; C3: high-Na Mg-kats. Textural observations indicate three stages of sodic and sodic–calcic amphibole growth: stage 1 are amphiboles of group A (Mg-kat+Rich), stage 2 are amphiboles of group C2 (Nyb+Eck with Si<7.6 a.p.f.u.), and stage 3 are amphiboles of groups C1 and B (Eck with Si>7.6 a.p.f.u., +Gln+Win). Based on the subdivision into the compositional groups A–C, the only hint to a miscibility gap is provided by the large gap in the (Na+K) content on the A site which may point to a possible solvus in the system Eck–Win. Overall, the amphiboles investigated here show discontinuities in their growth compositions, rather than miscibility gaps. Textural observations suggest amphibole formation during fluid infiltration in the contact zone between the jadeitite bodies and the surrounding peridotite under high-pressure conditions (>1.0 GPa) and rather low temperatures of about 250–370 °C. Based on compositional trends within the amphiboles as well as phase-equilibrium constraints between amphibole and coexisting pyroxene solid solutions, the chemical composition of zoned amphibole porphyroblasts indicates two growth episodes—increasing pressures from stage 1 to stage 2 lead to the formation of Nyb from Mg-kat, and subsequently decreasing pressures lead to the formation of stage 3 Eck from Rich.

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Acknowledgements

This paper has substantially benefited from the support of R.L. Zhang, X.L. Han, K.Q. Chen, B. Xu and R.X. Zhu during the fieldtrip and the subsequent research on these rocks. A few electron microprobe analyses on sample C were contributed by H.J. Bernhardt of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany. O. Medenbach at Bochum provided X-ray data on the AlSi phase. The authors wish to thank G.E. Harlow and P. Robinson for their very constructive, thorough reviews and encouragements which considerably helped to clear many issues concerning jadeitites and complex amphibole assemblages. In addition we would like to thank J. Konzett, W.V. Maresch, H.J. Wang and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive and thoughtful reviews which considerably improved an earlier version of the manuscript. The careful editorial handling, suggestions and comments of the journal editor Werner Schreyer were very helpful and are also gratefully appreciated. This research was supported by the CAS Foundation (KZCX2-104) and the Chinese Dr. Foundation (20010001017).

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  1. Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing, China

    Guang-Hai Shi

  2. School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China

    Guang-Hai Shi, Wen-Yuan Cui, Chang-Qiu Wang, Gui-Ming Shu & Haixa Yu

  3. Institut für Mineralogie und Petrographie, Universität Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Peter Tropper

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  1. Guang-Hai Shi
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Correspondence to Peter Tropper.

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Shi, GH., Cui, WY., Tropper, P. et al. The petrology of a complex sodic and sodic–calcic amphibole association and its implications for the metasomatic processes in the jadeitite area in northwestern Myanmar, formerly Burma. Contrib Mineral Petrol 145, 355–376 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-003-0457-y

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