Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Proterozoic Metamorphism Of The Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana, John T. Cheney, John B. Brady, Kara A. Tierney, Kathleen A. Degraff, Heidi K. Mohlman, Jessica D. Frisch, Christine E. Hatch, Michael L. Steiner, Sarah K. Carmichael, Robin G.M. Fisher, Carrie B. Tuit, Kurt J. Steffen, Pamela Cady, Josh Lowell, Leandra L. Archuleta, Jillian Hirst, Karl W. Wegmann, Brian Monteleone

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Textures and mineral assemblages of metamorphic rocks of the Tobacco Root Mountains are consistent with metamorphism of all rocks during the Big Sky orogeny (1.77 Ga) at relatively high pressure (P >1.0 GPa) followed by differential reequilibration on a clockwise P-T path at lower pressures (0.6–0.8 GPa). The highest pressures are documented by coarse-grained kyanite and orthopyroxene in aluminous orthoamphibolites, which require P ≥ 1.0 GPa. Other higher-pressure mineral assemblages of note include kyanite + orthoamphibole and kyanite + K-feldspar. Abundant textural evidence for partial melting in pelitic and basaltic rocks includes leucosomes, very large (several cm across) porphyroblasts of …