Decoupling of U–Pb ages and compositional zoning of garnet in a high–pressure marble from the eastern Iratsu body, Sanbagawa metamorphic terrane, Japan

Abstract

Here we first report the in situ U–Pb dating of metamorphic grossular garnet (Grs) with distinction between internal zonation textures. The studied Grs occurs in an eclogite–facies marble collected from the eastern Iratsu body of the Sanbagawa metamorphic terrane, Japan. The Grs has a patchy texture, predominantly with pure Grs cores and andradite (Adr)–rich rims formed during eclogite–facies and exhumation stages, respectively. The U–Pb ages for the Grs core and Adr–rich rim were 97 ± 10 and 106 ± 16 Ma (95% confidence level), respectively. Despite the compositional zoning formed under different P–T conditions, the U–Pb ages of the core and rim were in similar values within analytical uncertainties. This decoupling of chemical zonation and U–Pb ages implies that the U–Pb chronological signatures of rims were inherited from cores owing to the redistribution of radiogenic Pb in cores during the rim formation through fluid–mediated dissolution and reprecipitation. The Grs U–Pb age (97 ± 10 Ma) thus directly corresponds to previously reported P–T conditions of the core formation during the eclogite–facies metamorphism. This advantage of Grt petrochronology as the combination of radiometric ages obtained by in situ analysis and P–T conditions deduced from paragenesis can contribute to reconstruct reliable metamorphic histories.