diffusion

New paper alert: Mechanisms and durations of metamorphic garnet crystallization in the lower nappes of the Caledonian Kalak Nappe Complex, Arctic Norway

Congratulations to Thereza who just published the first chapter of her PhD thesis!

This paper outlines the results of detailed microstructural and compositional investigations of garnet populations, and how this information can be used to estimate the durations of metamorphic events:

Yogi* MTAG, Gaidies F, Heldwein* OKA, Rice AHN. Mechanisms and durations of metamorphic garnet crystallization in the lower nappes of the Caledonian Kalak Nappe Complex, Arctic Norway. Journal of Metamorphic Geology doi:10.1111/jmg.12766.

Microstructural analysis of a garnet population. See Yogi et al. (2024) for details.

Compositional analysis of a garnet population. Details in Yogi et al. (2024).

Polymetamorphism during the Grenvillian Orogeny in SE Ontario: Results from trace element mapping, in-situ geochronology, and diffusion geospeedometry

Our latest research unlocks the fascinating history of metamorphic rocks from the Grenville Province of SE Ontario. Using a variety of techniques, including high-resolution XR-µCT, LA-ICP-MS, and in-situ Lu-Hf geochronology, we are able to provide evidence for repeated metamorphic events during the Grenvillian Orogeny. Garnet crystals, which formed during these events, developed spectacular compositional and microstructural properties, and, once again, acted as the geological time capsules needed to gain insight into our planet’s past.

Read the preprint here, and the published version here:

Gaidies F, McCarron T, Simpson A, Easton RM, Glorie S, Putlitz B, Trebus K (2023) Polymetamorphism during the Grenvillian Orogeny in SE Ontario: Results from trace element mapping, in-situ geochronology, and diffusion geospeedometry. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, DOI: 10.1111/jmg.12745

New THERIA_G version!

The influence of pressure on the energy barrier of multi-component diffusion in garnet when using the Chakraborty and Ganguly (1992) dataset has been slightly underestimated in previous versions of THERIA_G. The updated version (available for MacOS here; PC version will be added soon) rectifies this. Thanks to Hugo Dominguez (PhD student @unibern with @PierreLanari) for pointing this out!

#opensource #Theria_G

Modelling diffusion in garnet

Interested to model diffusion in garnet using a simple MATLAB script? The full multi-component case in 3D is available here. Please don’t judge: it’s the very first code I had written many years ago. But maybe it’s still useful for you?

diffuseo9.m is a MATLAB script designed to simulate multi-component diffusion (Mn, Fe, Mg, Ca) in garnet at a constant pressure, temperature, and fO2 assuming that the rim composition of garnet is fixed during the diffusion (open system). The kinetic data are those of Chakraborty and Ganguly (1992) with the option to modify fO2; by default, equilibration with graphite is assumed. Input is a compositional profile (core to rim), with the distance data (in cm) contained in vector Xnodecm, and the corresponding compositional data in the vectors Xmn, Xfe, and Xmg. Output from Theria_G (e.g., garnet_gen001.txt) can be used as input (and is included as example). However, other input can also be used if the script is adjusted.

Run the script and enter the required information into the Command Window (temperature, pressure, fO2, duration of diffusion). Also, when requested by the script, specify in the Command Window the spacing between isochrones to be plotted, as well as the size of the time step for the simulation. Ideally, the size of the time step should not exceed the number given. However, it is advisable to start the modelling with larger time steps to obtain first estimates quickly, and to decrease these time steps to the size given for final results.

This MATLAB script creates the files spss_profiles.mat, alm_profiles.mat, grs_profiles.mat, and py_profiles.mat which can be edited with text editors and spreadsheet software. These files contain the calculated compositional profiles after diffusion, with the first column containing the duration of diffusion (in years) and the first row containing the radius (in cm). The files will be replaced during each run of this script.

This model is part of Theria_G (Gaidies et al., 2008), so please refer to it if this script turns out to be useful for you. Happy modelling!

Update (June 2022):

Some people have expressed an interest to use this multi-component diffusion script in their teaching, so I updated it a little (diffuse_oMC.m). I also added a script to model the 1-component case (diffuse_o1C.m). Both scripts can be found here: diffuse_o.zip. The 1C model allows to quickly account for the influence of pre-exponential constant and activation energy, which may be useful when testing proposed Y,REE diffusion data. As always: feedback and questions are welcome.

Conditions, timing and rates of metamorphism of the Snowcap assemblage, west‐central Yukon

Happy to announce our new JMG paper on the conditions, timing and rates of metamorphism of the Snowcap assemblage. With former student Yannick Morneau, and an awesome team from the @GSC_CGC, including @dpettsy, Simon Jackson, Alex Zagorevski, and Jim Ryan!

LA_ICP_MS copy.png

Online workshop of the Geochemical Society on the PTt trajectories of metamorphic processes

Interested in the PTt trajectories of metamorphic processes? Want to know how to quantify them? Check out this @geochemsoc Online Workshop organized by Shah Wali Faryad (Prague), Sumit Chakraborty (Bochum) and myself! https://geochemsoc.org/events/online-workshops/ptt-trajectory-metamorphic-processes

#Perple_X #Theriak-Domino #Theria_G