Peritectic minerals record partial melting of the deeply subducted continental crust in the Sulu orogen

The deeply subducted continental crust commonly undergoes partial melting during its exhumation from mantle to crustal depths. Peritectic minerals are commonly produced during decompressional melting, providing an important record of the timing, P-T conditions, and mechanisms of crustal anatexis in continental subduction zones. A combined study of petrography, mineral inclusions, mineral major and trace element compositions, phase equilibrium modelling, zircon and titanite U-Pb dating, and zircon Hf-O isotopes was carried out to characterize peritectic minerals in ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic gneisses from the Sulu orogen, China. Field and petrographic observations reveal that the crustal anatexis was extensive and is recorded by folded leucosomes, corroded phengite relicts, cuspate K-feldspar and quartz, pseudomorphs of melt films along grain boundaries, and multiphase crystal inclusions in zircon, garnet, and phengite. The multiphase crystal inclusions represent the crystallized product of anatectic melt droplets trapped in the peritectic zircon and garnet as well as the residual UHP phengite. The peritectic origin of both zircon and garnet is identified by their compositional characteristics, and the peritectic origin of garnet is further supported by phase equilibrium modelling which shows an increase in garnet contents as partial melting proceeds. The modelled phase diagrams also indicate that the two peritectic minerals were produced through two episodes of phengite dehydration melting. The first occurred at 237 +/- 3 Ma under P-T conditions of >= 2.6 GPa and 810-880 degrees C, corresponding to thermobaric ratios of similar to 312-338celcius/GPa. The second took place at 222 +/- 2 Ma under P-T conditions of 1.5-2.1 GPa and 730-760celcius, corresponding to thermobaric ratios of 362-487celcius/GPa. In comparison to peak UHP metamorphic P-T conditions of 2.8-4.0 GPa and 720-870celcius for thermobaric ratios of 218-257celcius/GPa, it appears that the decompressional melting is associated with an increase in thermal gradients during the exhumation in the different stages. Whereas the first is caused by decompression during initial exhumation of the deeply subducted continental crust, the second is caused by decompression during relamination of the UHP slices into the collision-thickened orogenic lower crust. Peritectic amphibole and titanite were also recognized by comparing their petrographic textures with natural samples and experimental products. They were produced through water-fluxed melting at 217 +/- 3 Ma under lower P-T conditions, suggesting the liberation of aqueous fluids from the underlying exhuming UHP rocks. All of the peritectic minerals generally show compositional inheritance from their precursor minerals. Nevertheless, they commonly underwent dissolution when anatectic P-T conditions deviate significantly from those of peritectic reactions. This is indicated by the dissolution of peritectic zircon and garnet and by the occurrence of anhedral and embayed peritectic amphibole. As a consequence, the behaviour of peritectic minerals provides a snapshot of crustal anatexis for geochemical differentiation in collisional orogens.