Preliminary Statistics of Temperatures and Pressures for Formation of Eclogites, Granulites and Peridotites in China

The rock forming temperatures and pressures represent the p-T points of the local regions in the lithosphere at a certain age, providing some important information on rock formation. Based on the preliminary statistics on the temperatures and pressures for the formation of eclogites, granulites and peridotites in China, the variant ranges are given, in this paper, of temperatures, pressures and linear geothermal gradients of eclogites, granulites and peridotites. In addition, since the eclogite is different from granulite and peridotite in the p-T diagram, these three rocks can be classified into two groups: the first group includes eclogites and the second group granulites and peridotites. Then, the p-T correlation functions of these two groups of rocks are provided. Finally, the two groups of rocks have different geothermal gradients at the same pressure gradient or have different pressure gradients at the same geothermal gradient. The temperatures and pressures for the formation of the rocks can be calculated from the mineral chemical compositions, but the depths (H) for the rock formation can be calculated only under the hypotheses of given p-H (or T-H) correlation functions. The explanations for the ultrahigh pressure metamorphism vary obviously with different hypotheses.