High-pressure granulites in the Sanggan area, North China craton:: metamorphic evolution, P-T paths and geotectonic significance

High-pressure basic granulites are widely distributed as enclaves and sheet-like blocks in the Huaian TTG gneiss terrane in the Sanggan area of the Central Zone of the North China craton. Four stages of the metamorphic history have been recognised in mineral assemblages based on inclusion, exsolution and reaction textures integrated with garnet zonation patterns as revealed by compositional maps and compositional profiles. The P-T conditions for each metamorphic stage were obtained using thermodynamically and experimentally calibrated geothermobarometers. The low-Ca core of growth-zoned garnet, along with inclusion minerals, defines a prograde assemblage (M1) of garnet + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + quartz, yielding 700 degreesC and 10 kbar. The peak of metamorphism at about 750-870 degreesC and 11-14.5 kbar (M2) is defined by high-Ca domains in garnet interiors and inclusion minerals of clinopyroxene, plagioclase and quartz. Kelyphites or coronas of orthopyroxene + plagioclase +/- magnetite around garnet porphyroblasts indicate garnet breakdown reactions (M3) at conditions around 770-830 degreesC and 8.5-10.5 kbar. Garnet exsolution lamellae in clinopyroxene and kelyphites of amphibole + plagioclase around garnet formed during the cooling process at about 500-650 degreesC and 5.5-8 kbar (M4). These results help de ne a sequential P-T path containing prograde, near-isothermal decompression (ITD) and near-isobaric cooling (IBC) stages. The clockwise hybrid ITD and IBC P-T paths of the HP granulites in the Sanggan area imply a model of thickening followed by extension in a collisional environment. Furthermore, the relatively high-pressures (6-14.5 kbar) of the four metamorphic stages and the geometry of the P-T paths suggest that the HP granulites, together with their host Huaian TTG gneisses, represent the lower plate in a crust thickened during collision. The corresponding upper-plate might be the tectonically overlying Khondalite series, which was subjected to medium- to low-pressure (MP/LP: 7-4 kbar) granulite facies metamorphism with a clockwise P-T path including an ITD segment. Both the HP and the MP/LP granulite facies events occurred contemporaneously at c. 1.90-1.85 Ga in a collisional environment created by the assembly process of the North China craton.