Mineralogy, texture and retrograde P-T evolutions of the granulites during cooling and exhumation, NE of Takht-e-Soleyman metamorphic complex (NW Iran)

The Takht-e-Soleyman metamorphic complex is located at NE of Takab town, West Azerbaijan province. This complex having Precambrian-Cambrian age has been formed from low to high metamorphic rock types. The retrograde granulites are subject of this project. The retrograde metamorphic assemblages of the granulites are including of Amp᪻繊饾㪖ꪹ phases. Amphibole overprinted primary mafic phases of clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene highly. Spinel at the klyphitic texture around garnet porphyroblast forms the main feature for retrograde metamorphism of granulites. Rutile occur as inclusion within amphibole. The compositional profile of garnet indicates chemical variations from the core to the rim. Compositional variations from the core to the mid is characterized with a minor increase in XMg but decrease in XCa and XMn. This characteristic of garnet is indicative of pressure decompression with small increasing of temperature. Due to complete overprinting of high temperature phases by the retrograde phases as well as lack of preserved pick metamorphic minerals it is indeterminate pick metamorphic P-T estimations for M1 stage. On the basis of chemical compositions of porphyroblasts, retrograde evolutions of investigated granulites have been estimated at two stages: (1) pressure decompression (M2-a) and (2) cooling and exhumation (M2-b). The retrograde P-T conditions are obtained as T=810±10°C at P=10.5±0.7kbar for the first and second retrograde stages, respectively. Relatively coarse grained size of phases at the klyphitic margin are indicative of low cooling rate during uplifting of rocks from lower to upper levels. Highly overprinting of high temperature phases by amphiboles support this idea. Time of pick and retrograde metamorphism for the investigated granulites are not clear accurately. It seems reasonable to attribute pick metamorphic and granulite formation time to Oligocene-Miocene related to crustal thickening due to collision between the Central Iran microcontinent and the Arabia plate. The granulites have been metamorphosed under retrograde conditions in relation with thrusting and post collisional extensions which caused to uplifting, crustal thinning and exhumation of rocks. However more conclusions on tectonometomorphic evolutions need to precise studies.