Melt–fluid infiltration along detachment shear zones in oceanic core complexes: Insights from amphiboles in gabbro mylonites from the Godzilla Megamullion, Parece Vela Basin, the Philippine Sea

Multiple generations of amphibole may form in the lower crust due to magmatism and metamorphism during the development of oceanic core complexes. We investigated the occurrence and chemical compositions of amphibole in gabbro mylonites from the medial area of the Godzilla Megamullion along the Parece Vela Rift in the Philippine Sea. The samples contain brown and green amphiboles with a variety of different textures that may have different origins. The brown amphibole occurs mainly as blebs in clinopyroxene porphyroclasts (Bleb amphibole), the rims around clinopyroxene porphyroclasts (Coronitic amphibole), and as porphyroclasts and fine-grained amphibole within the matrix (Matrix amphibole). The trace element and Cl contents of the bleb and green amphiboles indicate magmatic and metamoprhic origins, respectively. The bleb amphibole is interpreted to have crystallized from a hydrous silicate melt derived from an oxide gabbro-forming melt prior to retrograde metamorphism. In contrast, the compositions of the coronitic amphibole and matrix amphibole vary between those of typical magmatic and metamorphic amphiboles, suggesting that the amphibole-forming reactions were continuously retrogressive. Retrograde metamorphism is generally interpreted to have involved seawater-derived fluids, but the trace element contents of the coronitic and matrix amphiboles do not differ significantly from those of the original minerals (i.e., clinopyroxene and plagioclase). One sample of gabbro mylonite (KH07–02-D18–1) contains amphiboles with high concentrations of light rare earth elements, indicating a large influx of externally derived LREE-enriched fluids. These fluids are interpreted to have formed from an interaction between hydrous silicate melt with LREE-enriched composition and seawater-derived fluid. Our results suggest that multiple phases of melt–fluid infiltration occurred during the development of the detachment fault at the Godzilla Megamullion.