Gernet-sillimanite gneisses from the Lutzow-Holm Bay region East Antarctica

• Main Authors: Yoichi Motoyoshi, Satoshi Matsubara, Hiroharu Matsueda, Yukio Matsumoto
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Faculty of Science, HokkaidoUniversity/National Science Museum/Institute of Mining College,Akita University/Department of Mineralogical Sciences and Geology, Faculty of Science, Yamaguchi University 1985
• Subjects: East Antarctica; Prince Olav Coast; Antarc*; Antarctica; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=1786; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00001786/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=1786&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

This paper presents the regional distribution and petrographical features of garnet-sillimanite gneisses in the Lutzow-Holm Bay region, East Antarctica. In addition to sillimanite, such aluminous silicate and oxide minerals as kyanite, staurolite, sapphirine and spinel occur in the gneisses. Among them, sapphirine is the first report in a pelitic rock from the region. From their microscopic textures, it is inferred that the rocks in the region suffered the prograde metamorphism of kyanite-sillimanite type as those in the Prince Olav Coast did. Thus, it is clarified that the rocks in the present region and the Prince Olav Coast have the same metamorphic history and possibly belong to the same geological unit. The metamorphic grade is expected to increase progressively towards the southern part of the Lutzow-Holm Bay region.