Progressive sequence of reactions of the Ryoke metamorphism in the Yanai district, southwest Japan: the formation of cordierite

The compositions of biotite and muscovite were examined in terms of the paragenesis and the metamorphic grade in low‐ to medium‐grade pelitic rocks of the Ryoke metamorphism in the Yanai district, southwest Japan. The biotite and muscovite that coexist with K‐feldspar have a higher K component in an A′KF diagram than those in rocks lacking K‐feldspar. This fact reflects an increase in the K 2 O content in muscovite, but in biotite it reflects an increase of not only the K 2 O content but also of the octahedral vacancy. At higher metamorphic grade beyond the cordierite isograd, where cordierite coexists with neither chlorite nor K‐feldspar, the biotite shows an increase in illite, K Aliv □xii−1 Si−1, and Tschermak components, Alvi Aliv R+−1 Si−1, where □xii and R+ denote the interlayer vacancy and (Fe+Mg+Mn), respectively. A reaction to define the cordierite isograd is proposed by treating this chemical change as being responsible for the first appearance of cordierite, i.e. K,Al‐poor biotite+phengitic muscovite=K,Al‐rich biotite+cordierite+quartz+water .By treating this as a key reaction in medium‐grade metamorphism, a set of reaction in a progressive metamorphism is established for the Ryoke metamorphism, a typical low‐pressure type metamorphism. Some textures in one of the high‐grade areas, the K‐feldspar‐cordierite zone, suggest that a further two prograde reactions have taken place, i.e. andalusite+biotite+quartz=cordierite+K‐feldspar+water and andalusite=sillimanite.quartz=cordierite+K‐feldspar+water This implies that this zone probably has a P–T path involving isobaric heating.