Abstract
RECENT studies of metamorphic terranes document sharply contrasting 18O/16O systematics1. Some regions are isotopically homogeneous, but with decreased 18O/16O ratios (see, for example, refs 2–4), whereas others preserve steep gradients in oxygen isotope composition5–7. These results indicate that some terranes experience very large, pervasive fluid fluxes, whereas others may, at least locally, remain virtually fluid-absent. Here we report a very detailed oxygen isotope study of a high-grade metamorphic terrane, revealing striking systematic variations that are closely correlated with structural depth. In particular, metamorphic rocks that are low in 18O, first detected at deep structural levels in a preliminary study of the area8, are now shown to be restricted to a clearly defined zone several hundred metres thick and extending for at least 3 km laterally. The most striking feature is the existence of a very sharp oxygen isotope discontinuity marking the upper boundary of the low-18O zone and separating it from an isotopically heavier and more heterogeneous (although still high-grade) overlying region.
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Wickham, S., Peters, M. An oxygen isotope discontinuity in high-grade rocks of the East Humboldt Range, Nevada. Nature 345, 150–153 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/345150a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/345150a0
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