MONAZITE BEGETS MONAZITE: EVIDENCE FOR DISSOLUTION OF DETRITAL MONAZITE AND REPRECIPITATION OF SYNTECTONIC MONAZITE DURING LOW-GRADE REGIONAL METAMORPHISM

Abstract

Back-scattered electron (BSE) imaging and X-ray element mapping of monazite in low-grade metasedimentary rocks from the Paleoproterozoic Stirling Range Formation, southwestern Australia, reveal the presence of distinct, high-Th cores surrounded by low-Th, inclusion-rich rims. Previous geochronology has shown that the monazite cores are older than 1.9 Ga and overlap with the ages of detrital zircon grains (~3.5–2.0 Ga), consistent with a detrital origin. Many cores have scalloped and embayed surfaces indicating partial dissolution of former detrital grains. Textural evidence links the growth of the monazite rims (~1.2 Ga) to deformation and regional metamorphism during the Mesoproterozoic Albany-Fraser orogeny. These results indicate that high-Th detrital monazite is unstable under low-grade metamorphic conditions (<400°C) and was partially or completely dissolved. Dissolution was followed by near-instantaneous reprecipitation and the formation of low-Th monazite and ThSiO4. This reaction is likely to operate in other low-grade metasedimentary rocks, resulting in the progressive replacement of detrital monazite by metamorphic monazite during regional prograde metamorphism.