Garnet shapes within Kimberlite xenoliths record the tectonic evolution of a cratonic root

Interfacial tension and differential stress affect the shape of a mineral grain included within a crystalline host. On this basis, we present a simple numerical model that successfully predicts the progressive change in aspect ratio (L) of garnet inclusions with respect to grain size (R) within peridotite xenoliths, Kimberley, South Africa, over a period of more than 1 billion years. We focused on coarse (>5 mm) granular type peridotite. Five large samples of garnet harzburgite xenoliths were selected for analysis from 35 samples because of the large grain size, and several thin sections were prepared from each sample in each of three orthogonal planes (e.g., parallel to the foliation and lineation, etc.) The calculated equilibrium temperature and pressure are similar among all five samples (~1000 degree C and ~40 kbar). Olivine fabrics are characterized by a point maximum of [010] and girdle distributions of [100] and [001]. Orthopyroxene fabrics are characterized by a point maximum of [001] and girdle distributions of [100] and [001]. Garnet within the five samples varies in both size and shape. Coarser garnet grains (R>=2mm) tend to be more spherical, whereas smaller grains (R<2mm) tend to be spherical and ellipsoidal. Three deformation mechanisms are considered to explain the shape of garnet in the numerical model following to Okamoto and Michibayashi (2005): dislocation creep, interface diffusion creep, and rounding by interface diffusion. The model reveals that the dominant deformation mechanism changes from diffusion creep to dislocation creep with increasing grain size and a two-stage deformation, with a period of high differential stress followed by low differential stress, best explains the observed shapes and grain sizes of garnet. The duration of stage 1 is calculated to have been 10 million years, assuming a temperature of 1000 degree C and a differential stress of 0.1 MPa which was related to the size independency of dislocation creep. The garnet data are then fitted to theoretical curves in the L-R space under conditions of 1000 degree C and for a period of 1 billion years with various differential stresses of less than 0.005 MPa. Okamoto, A. and Michibayashi, K., 2005. Progressive shape evolution of a mineral inclusion under differential stress at high temperature: example of garnet inclusions within a granulite facies from the Lutow-Holm complex, East Antarctica. Journal of Geophysical Research, 110, B11203, doi:10.1029/2004JB003526.