TEXTURAL EVOLUTION OF SYNTHETIC FLUID INCLUSIONS IN QUARTZ DURING REEQUILIBRATION, WITH APPLICATIONS TO TECTONIC RECONSTRUCTION

Experimental reequilibration of synthetic 10 wt% NaCl-H2O inclusions in natural quartz reveals that reequilibration textures show distinct differences depending upon the P-T path followed by the inclusion after formation. These differences combined with other geological information may be used to determine whether the sample (rock) followed a dominantly isothermal or isobaric P-T path following entrapment. The intensity and style of inclusion reequilibration features is related to the direction and magnitude of the departure of the P-T path from the original isochore for the inclusion. Thus, fluid inclusion reequilibration textures not only permit inclusionists to determine whether the rocks followed an isothermal or isobaric retrograde P-T path, but also the magnitude of departure of this path from one that is isochoric.