Partially Melted Kyanite Eclogite from Roberts Victor Mine, South Africa

Abstract

Three specimens have been studied of the rare kyanite eclogite nodules in kimberlite from the Roberts Victor mine, South Africa. All are essentially the same with the primary assemblage: kyanite, omphacite, garnet, diamond (in one sample), chrome diopside, and rutile. There is also present a fine-grained secondary assemblage that appears in two forms: (1) primary omphacite altered to a mixture of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, and possibly glass; and (2) thin layers along omphacite, kyanite, and garnet grain boundaries. These layers have a clear-cut igneous texture and consist of plagioclase microlites with glass or devitrified glass, or plagioclase microlites and subhedral augite, with or without glass. Hornblende, spinel, and calcite are accessories, and analcite fills vesicles. Corundum and mullite occur at the margins of kyanite grains. The glass in the secondary assemblage has a composition roughly equivalent to what one might expect if it was derived by incongruent melting of omphacite, followed by partial crystallization. Omphacite at one atmosphere pressure begins to melt at about 1030? C and melting is complete at about 1260? C. At 30 kilobars (O'Hara and Yoder, 1967) melting begins at about 1570? C and is complete at 1600? C. Thus, sudden pressure release of an eclogite at high temperature could cause partial melting of omphacite. These kyanite eclogites clearly contained an interstitial melt that has been rapidly cooled. Evidence points to this melt having been generated mainly by partial melting of primary omphacite rather than by introduction of an externally derived melt. The partial melting may have occurred in response to one of the following three processes or some combination of them: The third process seems to offer the most reasonable explanation for the partial melting.