Geochemistry and Geochronology of High-Grade Metamorphic Rocks

Dear Colleagues,

It is a common perception that high-grade metamorphism typifies rocks of early Precambrian ages. While many large granulite complexes are indeed Archean, there also exist many well-preserved upper amphibolite–granulite facies metamorphic rocks in the Phanerozoic orogens all around the world, e.g., the Central Asian orogenic belt, the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt, etc., implying a range in the spatio-temporal distribution of the high-grade metamorphism. At higher temperatures, rocks tend to melt, and dealing with silicate melts is the subject of igneous petrology. However, partial melting has always been both a metamorphic and an igneous aspect. Crustal rocks that are characteristically produced via partial melting, so-called migmatites, are made up of a residual metamorphic rock and an igneous rock component, which serves as a key for linking metamorphism and magmatism. Nevertheless, the melting temperatures of rocks define the high-temperature limit of metamorphism. Melting temperatures are strongly dependent on pressure, rock composition, and the amount of water present. Geochemistry (e.g., major minerals, trace elements, and multisotope studies) and geochronology (e.g., U–Pb dating of zircon, monazite, rutile, or titanite) of the high-grade metamorphic rocks in the middle and lower crust can reconstruct the scenery of structure and composition of the lower crust and crust–mantle interaction, let alone the benefits from deciphering high-temperature processes, including migmatite and granulite formation, crustal anatexis, melt extraction, and transfer. Hence, we are planning to publish a Special Issue, titled Geochemistry and Geochronology of High-Grade Metamorphic Rocks, which aims to present contributions related to high-grade metamorphic rocks, including but not limited to high-temperature processes of migmatites.

Dr. Zhuang Li
Dr. Zhanzhan Duan
Dr. Ting Liu
Dr. Hafiz U. Rehman
Guest Editors

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• high-grade metamorphism
• geochemistry
• geochronology
• granulite
• migmatite
• partial melting