Exsolution microstructures in minerals of rocks from orogenic belts played an important role in recognition of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphism in their host rocks by defining the subduction depth and improving our understanding of the dynamics during the subduction and exhumation of UHP rocks. However, it is a challenging scientific topic to distinguish the 'exsolution microstructures' from the 'non-exsolution microstructures' and decipher their geological implications. This paper describes the subtle differences between the 'exsolution microstructures' and the 'non-exsolution microstructures' and summarizes the progress in studies of exolution microstructures from UHP rocks and mantle rocks of ultra-deep origin. We emphasize distinguishing the 'exsolution microstructures' from the 'non-exsolution microstructures' based on their geometric topotaxy and chemistry. In order to decipher correctly the exsolution microstructures, it is crucial to understand the changes of chemistry and habits of host minerals with pressure and temperature. Therefore, it is important to combine observations of exsolution microstructure in natural rocks with experimental results at high pressure and temperature and results of micro-scale analyses. Such studies will improve our understanding of the UHP metamorphism and cast new lights on solid geoscience issues such as deep subduction of continental crusts and crust-mantle interactions.
LIU LiangYANG JiaXiZHANG JunFengCHEN DanLingWANG ChaoYANG WenQiang
We report here lattice preferred orientations （LPOs） and seismic properties of eclogites from the Sulu （苏鲁） UHP terrane. Our results show strong fabrics in omphacite and amphibole, and approximately random fabrics in garnet with or without strong shape preferred orientations （SPOs）. Dislocation creep is likely to be responsible for the observed omphacite fabrics that vary with geometry and orientation of finite strain ellipsoid. Weak garnet LPOs suggest that garnet did not accommodate plastic strain or was not deformed by dislocation creep with a dominant slip system. The calculated seismic properties of eclogites and their component minerals show a strong correlation with their LPOs. Seismic anisotropies are mostly induced by omphacite component in fresh eclogites and by amphibole component in retrograded eclogites, respectively. Retrogression of omphaeite to amphibole and quartz will increase seismic anisotropies but decreases seismic velocities of eclogite. Garnet component increases the seismic velocities but decreases seismic anisotropies of eciogite. Comparison of the calculated and the measured seismic properties of eclogites suggests that both methods resolve comparable results with some discrepancies. Compositional layering can play a very important role in determining the seismic properties of eclogites in addition to LPO.
