The Origin of Garnets in Anatectic Rocks from the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis, Southeastern Tibet: Constraints from Major and Trace Element Zoning and Phase Equilibrium Relationships

Abstract Amphibolite- and granulite-facies metamorphic rocks are common in the eastern Himalayan syntaxis of southeastern Tibet. These rocks are composed mainly of gneiss, amphibolite and schist that underwent various degrees of migmatization to produce leucogranites, pegmatites and felsic veins. Zircon U–Pb dating of biotite gneiss, leucocratic vein and vein granite from the syntaxis yields consistent ages of ∼49 Ma, indicating crustal anatexis during continental collision between India and Asia. Garnets in these rocks are categorized into peritecitc and anatectic varieties based on their mode of occurrence, mineral inclusions and major- and trace-element zoning. The peritectic garnets mainly occur in the biotite gneiss (mesosome layer) and leucocratic veins. They are anhedral and contain abundant mineral inclusions such as high-Ti biotites and quartz, and show almost homogeneous major-element compositions (except Ca) and decreasing HREE contents from core to rim, indicating growth during the P- and T-increasing anatexis. Peak anatectic conditions at 760–800°C and 9–10·5 kbar are well constrained by phase equilibrium calculations, mineral assemblages, and garnet isopleths. In contrast, anatectic garnets only occur in the vein granite. They are round or subhedral, contain quartz inclusions, and exhibit increasing spessartine and trace-element contents from core to rim. The garnet–biotite geothermometry and the garnet–biotite–plagioclase–quartz geobarometry suggest that the anatectic garnets crystallized at ∼620–650°C and 4–5 kbar. Some garnet grains show two-stage zoning in major and trace elements, with the core similar to the peritectic garnet but the rim similar to the anatectic garnet. Mineralogy, whole-rock major- and trace-element compositions and zircon O isotopes indicate that the two types of leucosomes were produced by hydration (water-present) melting and dehydration (water-absent) melting, respectively. The leucocratic veins contain peritectic garnet but no K-feldspar, have lower whole-rock K2O contents and Rb/Sr ratios, higher whole-rock CaO contents and Sr/Ba ratios, and show homogeneous δ18O values that are lower than those of relict zircons, indicating that such veins were produced by the hydration melting. In contrast, the vein granite contains peritectic garnet and K-feldspar, has higher whole-rock K2O contents and Rb/Sr ratios, lower whole-rock CaO contents and Sr/Ba ratios, and shows comparable δ18O values with those of relict zircons, suggesting that this granite were generated by the dehydration melting. Accordingly, both hydration and dehydration melting mechanisms have occurred in the eastern Himalayan syntaxis.