11.

6 Granulite facies
11.6.1 Low- and high-temperature subfacies of the granulitefacies

11.6.1.1 Progressive mineralogical changes from the amphibolite to the

granulitefacies. If the temperature of metamorphism becomes higher than that of
the amphibolite facies, the hornblende of amphibolites begins to decompose,
with the resultant formation of coexisting ortho- and Ca-clinopyroxenes in the
prescncc of quartz and plagioclase. This produces a mineral assemblage
characteristic of the granulitc facies. The decomposition reaction proceeds
continuously over a considerable temperature range. Transitional metabasites,
which still contain hornblende together with coexisting pyroxenes, occur in some
high- temperature metamorphic areas of Phanerozoic orogenic belts and in
extensive high-grade gneiss regions of the Precambrian. Complete disappearance
of hornblende occurs in some cases, resulting in the formation of anhydrous
mineral assemblages, such as orthopyroxene + Ca-clinopyroxene + garnet +
plagio- clase + quartz, The common occurrence of garnet of the almandine-pyrope
scries distinguishes the granulite facies from the pyroxene-hornfcls facies, in which
two pyroxenes occur but garnet of the above type is virtually absent.
In associated metapelites, muscovite decreases and then disappears with
increasing temperature. Biotite also decreases. Complete disappearance of biotite
occurs in quartz-bearing metapelites only in thc highest-grade areas with the
resultant formation of completely or virtually completely anhydrous mineral
assemblages, such as sillimanitc + cordierite + garnet + K-feldspar + plagioclase +
quartz. Progressive changes of paragenetic relations in metapelites havc already
been shown in Figures 10.3 and 10.5.
A gradual transition of this kind from an amphibolitc-facies to a granulitefacies
area has been described in detail, for example, from Langöy, Norway (Heier
1960), southwestern Finland (Schreurs 1984, Schreurs & Westra 1986),
southeastern Finland (Korsman 1977), southern India (Condie et al. 1982, Jan
ardhan et al. 1982, Raase et al. 1986), Broken Hill, Australia (Phillips 1980), west
Greenland (Wells 1979b), the Adirondack Mountains, New York (Engel & Engel
1962, Edwards & Essene 1988), and the northern Appalachians (Chamberlain &
Lyons 1983).
 11.6.1.2 Subdivisions of the granulite facies based on temperature.

boundary between the amphibolite and granulite facies is defined in this book as
the P-T condition under which ortho- and Ca-clinopyroxenes begin to coexist
with hornblende in some quartz-bearing metabasites with ordinary basaltic
compositions. Even when only quartz-bearing metabasitcs are considered, the
tempcrature range of the progressive decomposition reactions of hornblende
into pyroxene-bearing assemblages varies greatly with the mineral assemblage
(including the compositions of feldspars) and the bulk-rock FeO/MgO ratio.
For this reason, usually in a transitional zone from the amphibolite to the
granulite facies, amphibolites with only one pyroxenc and pyroxene-free
amphibolites occur closely mixed with two-pyroxene-bearing metabasites
because of their differences in bulk-rock chemical composition.
Metabasitcs containing only one pyroxene (either clino- or orthopyroxene)
are not diagnostic of the granulite facies. Diopsidic pyroxene occurs commonly
in amphibolite-facies amphibolitcs relatively high in CaO content. In
cummingtonite-bearing amphibolites, the decomposition of cummingtonite
into orthopyroxene probably begins at a somewhat Iowcr temperature than that
of hornblende, with the resultant formation Of orthopyroxene-bearing
amphibolites under the P-T conditions of the higher amphibolite facies.
Eskola (1939) defined his granulite facies as being characterized by
completeIy anhydrous mineral assemblages that form by the complete
disappearance of amphiboles and micas in quartz-bearing rocks. However,
areas of completely anhydrous granulite facies of this type are very rare and
small. There are much wider regions of transitional states where, although
many rocks show the twopyroxene assemblage, all or most of them still contain
hornblende and biotite, For this reason, it has become a custom in rcccnt ycars
to include all the transitional states in the granulite facies. The custom is
accepted in this book. Thus, the granulite facies is divided into two: a low-
temperature and a high-temperature subfacies, which correspond respectively
to the transitional state and typical, virtually anhydrous granulite facies.

11.6.1.3 Temperature of, and melting in, the granulite facies. The determination
of thcrmal-peak temperatures of granulite facies rocks is plagued by intrinsic
difficulties caused by retrograde reactions as discussed later. The gar net-biotite
Fe-Mg exchange, orthopyroxenc—clinopyroxene and other geothermometers
usually give temperatures in a range of 700-850 0 C for most rocks of the
granulite facies. Some granulite facies regions show exceptionally high
temperatures of 900-10000C (e.g. Ellis 1980, Ellis et al. 1980, Sandiford et al.
1987, Bohlen 1991).
At such high tcmpcratures, many rocks undergo partial or complete melting
(Fig. 1.1). 'lhe temperature of melting, however, varies greatly with the
amount

and state of 1120. So the amount and activity of H20 is discussed in the next
section, followed by the problem of melting in the granulite facies.

11.6.2 Low activity of H20 and flow of C02-rich fluid

11.6.2.1 Observations suggesting low activity ofH20. Sincc thc mincralogical

changes from the amphibolite to the granulite facies are caused by dehydration
reactions, they atv promoted not only by temperature increase, but also by
decrease of the chemical potential or activity of 1120 in the environment.
Indeed, many authors, including Wells (1979a), Phillips (1980), Bhattacharya
& Sen (1986) and Lamb & Valley (1988), have estimated the 1120 activity
roughly to be in thc range 0.1-0.5 from their phaseæquilibrium studies in
granulile-racies regions in Grenland, Australia, India and the Adirondacks
(New York), rcspectively.
It is known that fluid inclusions in granulite facies rocks commonly contain
a large portion of C02 (54.2). An increase of C02 content in intergranular fluid
must cause a dccrease of the proportion and activity of H20 (Newton 1986a,
1989). However, fluid inclusions preserved in metamorphic rocks now exposed
on the surface were generally trapped al stages after the thermal peak (}4.2).
So C02-rich fluids in inclusions may differ in composition from the fluid that
was present at the thermal peak (Lamb et al. 1991).
Granulite-facies metamorphism takes placc at tcmpcratures above about
6500C. At these temperatures, if an aqueous fluid is present between mineral
grains, partial melting must be intensive in many or most of the
quart7Dfeldspathic rocks. However, although pattial melting probably occurs,
it does not appear to bc very intensive in granulite-facies regions. This tends to
support the idea that granulite-facies metamorphism occurs usually either in
the absence Of a fluid phase or in the presence of an H20-poor fluid.

11.6.2.2 Possible origins Of the low activity ofH20. For the origin Of the low
activity of H'), three main possibilities have bccn suggcsted by many authors.
Each of the three may apply to some areas.

First, partial melting of pelitic and psammitic rocks probably usually begins
in the high-temperature part of the amphibolite facies. The resultant melts can
dissolve a largc amount of 1-120 but not C02, possibly leading Lo the
formationm of H20-poor, C02-rich fluid (e.g. Phillips 1980, Waters & Whales
1985, Bhat-o tacharya & Sen 1986).
Secondly, low activities of 1120 may be realized in fluid-absent metamorph
ism. If rocks that have previously been dehydrated by high-temperature
metamorphism are subjcctcd to a second metamorphic event, there may be no
fluid