Mantle metasomatism induced by water-fluxed melting of subducted continental crust at ultrahigh pressures

Mantle metasomatism under ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) conditions is widely recognized in orogenic peridotites and pyroxenites from UHP terranes. However, the processes by which the deeply subducted continental crust reacts with the mantle remain obscure. To investigate the metasomatic regime under UHP conditions, we conducted layered reaction experiments between gneiss and peridotite at 5 GPa and 800−1100 °C, with free water added in some of the experiments. At temperatures below the gneiss solidus, the major metasomatic agent is aqueous fluid, with the main reaction products being orthopyroxene + phlogopite + K-richterite. At temperatures above the gneiss solidus, hydrous melt becomes the major metasomatic agent, and the major reaction products vary from orthopyroxene + phlogopite to orthopyroxene + garnet with increasing degree of melting. The transformation from phlogopite to garnet occurred between 1000 °C and 1100 °C for runs without water added and between 800 °C and 900 °C for runs with water added. Pyroxenites in UHP terranes are mainly characterized by the metasomatic growth of orthopyroxene and garnet at 4−6 GPa and 750−1000 °C. Only experiments with water added reproduced the metasomatic assemblage at similar pressure-temperature conditions, indicating that mantle metasomatism in UHP terranes is probably mainly induced by water-fluxed melting of the continental crust under UHP conditions.