Amphibolitic rocks from the Precambrian of Grand Canyon: mineral chemistry and phase petrology

Summary The amphibolites and mafic schists that occur in the Precambrian metamorphic rocks of the Grand Canyon are divided into five major groups: anthophyllite and cordierite-anthophyllite rocks, early amphibolites, Granite Park mafic complex, hornblende-beating dykes, and tremolite-bearing dykes. Many types of amphibole occur in these rocks. Microprobe analyses identify gedrite, anthophyllite, cummingtonite, and grunerite, as well as three groups of calcic amphiboles. These last range in composition from colourless tremo-litic or actinolitic amphiboles, through pale-green horn-blende, to strongly pleochroic green-brown hornblende, which contains a significant proportion of the tscherma-kite and pargasite endmembers. Phase relationships between the coexisting amphiboles and other minerals are presented for two regional metamorphic events. Assem-blages containing chlorite, garnet, and hornblende were formed during the first event; from the absence of staurolite, but the presence of almandine garnet and oligoclase-andesine, it is concluded that the metamorphic grade was between the upper greenschist and the lower amphibolite facies. The second period of metamorphism produced rocks of the staurolite and sillimanite zones, within which three main ‘subfacies’ can be distinguished on the basis of phase relationships in the mafic schists.