Diverse mineral compositions, textures, and metamorphic P–T conditions of the glaucophane-bearing rocks in the Tamayen mélange, Yuli belt, eastern Taiwan

This paper presents new petrologic data for high-pressure, low-temperature (HP–LT) metamorphic rocks at Juisui. We reinterpret the so-called “Tamayen block” (Yang and Wang, 1985) or “Juisui block” (Liou, 1981 and Beyssac et al., 2008) as a tectonic mélange. It is not a coherent sheet but rather a mixture dominated by greenschist and pelitic schist with pods of serpentinite, epidote amphibolite, and rare blueschist. Four types of glaucophane-bearing rocks are newly recognized in this mélange. Type I is in contact with greenschist lacking glaucophane and garnet. Glaucophane is present only as rare inclusions within pargasite. This type records metamorphic evolution from epidote blueschists-, epidote amphibolite-, to greenschist-facies. Type II contains characteristic zoned amphiboles from barroisite core to Mg-katophorite mantle and glaucophane rim, implying an epidote amphibolite-facies stage overprinted by an epidote blueschists-facies one. Type III includes winchite and indicates P–T conditions of about 6–8 kbar, approaching 400 °C. Type IV contains paragonite but lacks garnet; amphibole shows a Na–Ca core surrounded by a glaucophane rim. This type shows a high-pressure (?) epidote amphibolite-facies stage overprinted by an epidote blueschists-facies one. Amphibole zoning trends and mineral assemblages imply contradictory P–T paths for the four types of glaucophane-bearing rocks—consistent with the nature of a tectonic mélange. The new P–T constraints and petrologic findings differ from previous studies ( Liou et al., 1975 and Beyssac et al., 2008).

► This study provides new characterization of constituent minerals in Tamayen.
► We identified four types of glaucophane-bearing rocks.
► The amphiboles show diverse textures and complex zoning trends.
► The studied rocks were subjected to at least two different P–T paths.
► We reinterpret the so-called Tamayen “block” as a tectonic mélange.