A Morphological and Size-Based Study of the Changes of Iron Sulfides in the Caples and Torlesse Terranes (Otago Schist, New Zealand) during Prograde Metamorphic Evolution

Abstract

It is widely accepted that metamorphism induces a remobilization of iron sulfides, sweeping away original ones while creating new ones. This paper analyzes size distributions of iron sulfides in several samples from the Caples and Torlesse terranes from the Otago Schist (New Zealand) using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography, which allows all iron sulfides larger than the resolution at which X-ray scans were performed to be characterized. Framboids and clusters of framboids are common in unmetamorphosed samples, but disappear in greenschist/amphibolite facies samples, where iron sulfides have anhedral habits. By contrast, the size and standard deviation of the new iron sulfides both remain within the same range. The results illuminate the evolution of iron sulfides throughout metamorphism, proposing boundaries for the metamorphic processes based on the shape of these iron sulfides.