Fluid flow on centimeter-scale in deep paleosubduction zones in western Tianshan, China: Evidence from high-pressure veins

Abstract

High-pressure(HP) veins were extensively developed in western Tianshan high-pressure(HP) metamorphic belt. The HP vein and host-rocks were analyzed by electronic microprobe to trace the origin of vein-forming fluids. Analytical data show that the immediately adjacent host-rocks of the studied HP vein are eclogites and gradually turned into blueschist as the distance from the veins increases, which indicates that the vein-forming fluid was derived from adjacent host-rocks; the boundaries between the vein and the host-rocks are sharp, which indicates that the fracture of the host-rocks is brittle during the vein-forming process. It is suggested that this type of HP veins is precipitated from the liquid formed by the dehydration of the host-rocks during the prograde metamorphism from blueschist to eclogite facies, which results in hydrofracturing of the rocks and provides the space for the vein to precipitate. The width of the eclogite-facies host-rocks is usually 1–2 cm, which provides the direct evidence that the fluid flow is on centimeter-scale.

Keywords

subduction zone / high-pressure vein / scale of fluid flow / western Tianshan