Kinetics of decompressional reactions in eclogitic rocks - Formation of plagioclase coronas around kyanite

This paper describes a kinetic study on reaction textures in eclogitic rocks from the Sulu region, eastern China. Some of the eclogitic rocks display a decompressional reaction texture, whereby kyanite grains are surrounded by plagioclase coronas and are never in contact with quartz. The change in mineral parageneses with progress of the reaction was predicted by constructing chemical potential diagrams in a model system. The chemical potential diagrams indicated that the chemical potential of 2Na₂O+CaO (2μ_Na2O+μ_CaO) in intergranular regions between kyanite and quartz should decrease with decreasing pressure, whereas 2μ_Na2O+μ_CaO in intergranular regions between garnet and omphacite should increase with decreasing pressure. Thus, upon decompression, an inequality in chemical potential arises in the rock. To reduce this inequality, garnet and omphacite react to produce amphibole and plagioclase and release Na₂O and CaO. Then, the released Na₂O and CaO components diffuse into the regions between kyanite and quartz grains and react to produce plagioclase between them. This model also indicates that the chemical potential of SiO₂ should decrease around kyanite grains during the progress of the decompressional reaction, and Si-undersaturated conditions should have formed around kyanite grains in spite of the presence of quartz in these eclogitic rocks. Thus, spinel or corundum that are not stable in the system with excess quartz can form as a metastable phase, as observed in eclogitic rocks from the study areas. Phase diagrams in the system with excess quartz should be carefully applied for analysis of such reaction textures.