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Metabasite amphiboles of the Scottish Dalradian

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Abstract

Blue-green hornblendes are observed in metabasite assemblages throughout the chlorite, biotite and garnet zones of the southwest Scottish Highlands. Actinolites are common in more Mg-rich metabasites in these zones.

At low grade, hornblendes are relatively edenite-rich, and may sometimes occur together with a more Mg-rich, Al-poor actinolite. Within the garnet zone, hornblendes are pargasitic, showing extensive tschermakite substitution.

Textural and chemical evidence do not indicate the presence of any miscibility gap between hornblende and actinolite within the chlorite to garnet zones in the southwest Highlands.

The occurrence of hornblende-actinolite pairs in metabasites of the Scottish Dalradian, and perhaps also in other metamorphic terrains, is considered to reflect the incomplete chemical equilibration of lower grade actinolitic amphibole during prograde metamorphism, rather than a miscibility gap.

The paucity of amphibole compositions intermediate between hornblende and actinolite in many metamorphic terrains is thought to reflect the rapid but continuous change of stable amphibole compositions in metabasites over a small range of increased metamorphic grade.

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  1. Department of Geology, University of California, 90024, Los Angeles, California

    Colin M. Graham

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  1. Colin M. Graham
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Graham, C.M. Metabasite amphiboles of the Scottish Dalradian. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 47, 165–185 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371537

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