In the Tsukuba district the strata of metasediments can be classified into the Hirasawa, Tojoji and Yuki-iri Formations in the ascending order of stratigraphic succession based on sedimentary structures. The Hirasawa Formation, over 1500m in thickness, consists largely of a very thin alternation of mudstone and siltstone or sandstone (from 0.3 to 1cm thick). The Tojoji Formation, from 300 to 600m in thickness, is mainly composed of an alternation of relatively thick mudstone and siltstone or sandstone (from 10 to 50cm thick) together with subordinate massive sandstone beds. The Yuki-iri Formation, over 600m in thickness, consists mostly of a thin alternation of mudstone and siltstone or sandstone (from 1 to 3cm thick), though it contains some massive mudstone layers.
The metamorphic terrane is divided into three zones, A, B and C, in the order of increasing metamorphic grade on the basis of mineral parageneses in pelites and psammites. The characteristic mineral assemblages of the three zones as follows.
Zone A: Muscovite+plagioclase ± orthoclase ± andalusite.
Zone B: Fibrolite+muscovite+orthoclase+plagioclase+±cordierite.
Zone C: Fibrolite+orthoclase+plagioclase+cordierite ± pyralspite. Biotite, quartz and graphite are always present in any of these assemblages.
The geological and petrological facts indicate that the thermal structure of this district is discordant with stratigraphic horizon. The distribution of metamorphic temperature, however, seems to be dependent on the shape of biotite granite mass. It can be explained by the idea that these metamorphites were subjected to contact metamorphism in the amphibolite facies by the biotite granite intrusion. The results of K-Ar dating (Shiba et al., 1979) support this explanation.
The tectonic movement in this district might have begun after later Jurassic and continued to early Tertiary time.
View full abstract