Tracking the multi-stage metamorphism and exhumation history of felsic gneisses in the South Altyn ultra-high pressure metamorphic belt, Western China

Felsic gneisses are usually the dominant rock types in most high-pressure (HP) and ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) terranes, although their peak metamorphic conditions and complete P-T paths are rarely known. This lack of knowledge is attributed to the high variance of mineral assemblages at HP/UHP conditions of the felsic gneisses, or to the effects of retrograde-related overprinting. Thus, it is difficult to distinguish whether felsic gneisses underwent HP/UHP metamorphism. In this paper, we focus on the felsic gneiss that has been previously documented as having formed under HP granulite-facies metamorphism with peak P-T of > 1.15 GPa and > 860 degrees C from the Danshuiquan locality in the South Altyn HP-UHP belt. The Danshuiquan felsic gneiss is strongly deformed and is spatially associated with weakly deformed garnet-rich felsic gneiss. On the basis of detailed microstructure observations on mineral assemblages and phase equilibria modelling, three stages of metamorphic evolution for the weakly deformed garnet-rich felsic gneiss are identified. The first stage is represented by garnet cores, revealing a prograde P-T path from 1.5 GPa/750 degrees C to 2.1 GPa/900 degrees C. The second stage is characterized by garnet mantles with multiphase inclusions, defining HP eclogite-facies metamorphic conditions of 2.2-2.6 GPa/950-1100 degrees C. The third stage is represented by the composition of garnet rims, biotite, and plagioclase, suggesting an HP granulite to amphibolite facies decompression cooling process to 1.1-1.3 GPa/710-770 degrees C. In contrast, the strongly deformed felsic gneiss just records a deformation-related decompression process from 1.1 to 1.2 GPa/750-760 degrees C to 0.87-0.98 GPa/760-770 degrees C, and finally to 0.83 GPa/740 degrees C. Zircon U-Pb dating yields c. 920 Ma protolith ages, c. 500 Ma eclogite-facies ages, and c. 480 Ma granulite to amphibolite facies retrograde ages for the Danshuiquan felsic gneisses. Our results show that the Danshuiquan felsic gneisses underwent a similar metamorphic evolution process to that of Yinggelisayi HP-UHP rocks in the eastern segment of the South Altyn Tagh. Most HP mineralogical records tend to be eliminated by the strong deformation at crustal depths (similar to 30 km), meaning that the peak metamorphic conditions of the studied felsic rocks in UHP metamorphic terranes are previously underestimated.