Metamorphic dolomitic marble-hosted talc from the Mulvoj area in the Western Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan

Abstract

Abstract Talc is crystallized in the metamorphic dolomitic rocks of the southwest Pamir mountains in the Mulvoj area, Tajikistan. Field studies show that talc is restricted to metamorphic dolomitic marble layers in the garnet-mica schist and gneiss. The layers are parallel to the original sedimentary bedding and schistosity of the metamorphic rocks. Petrography and whole rock geochemistry reveal calcite, tremolite, quartz and dolomite as the main mineral phases in the talc-bearing metamorphosed dolomitic rocks, while calcite is absent in the samples without talc. XRD studies show that talc samples are almost pure, and geochemistry indicates very low Fe and Cr and very high Mg contents. Geochemical features along with field observations clearly shows that Mulvoj talc is not originated from peridotite. Based on phase relations studies in the CaO-MgO-SiO2-H2O-CO2 system, the reaction between dolomite, quartz, and water at pressure greater than 2 kbar and temperature up to ~460°C and XCO2 up to 0.6 was the main talc forming reaction. Talc and calcite consuming reaction produced tremolite, dolomite and binary (CO2-H2O) fluid.