Mineral Chemistry of Low-Temperature Phyllosilicates in Early Paleozoic Metaclastic Rocks, Eastern Tauride Belt, Türkiye

Abstract

The mineral chemistry of illite/mica and chlorites, together with the evaluation of textural data of low-temperature metaclastic rocks, plays an important role in determining their origin and metamorphic grade. This study aimed to investigate the chemical properties of phyllosilicates in early Paleozoic metaclastic rocks in the Eastern Tauride Belt, Türkiye. The textural (electron microscopy) and chemical (mineral chemistry analysis) analyses were performed on the samples representing different grades of metamorphism. The illites/micas and chlorites are observed as detrital (chlorite–mica stacks) and neoformation origin. Trioctahedral chlorites (chamosite) exhibit different chemistry for detrital and neoformed origin as well as the metamorphic grade. Tetrahedral Al and octahedral Fe + Mg increase, whereas octahedral Al decreases together with the increasing grade of metamorphism. The detrital chlorites have higher tetrahedral Al and Fe contents than their neoformed counterparts. Chlorite geothermometry data (detrital: 241–≥350 °C; neoformed: 201–268 °C) are compatible with the texture and illite Kübler index data. Illite/white-mica compositions display muscovite and Na-K mica. Tetrahedral Al and interlayer K + Na contents of illites/micas increase with metamorphic grade. Na-K mica and paragonite are observed as replacement-type developments within the detrital CMS. The obtained data indicate that phyllosilicate chemistry can be used effectively for determining the geological evolution of low-grade metamorphic sequences.