The Upper Mustang region of west-central Nepal contains exposures of metamorphosed Tethyan Sedimentary Sequence rocks that have been interpreted to reflect either contact metamorphism related to the nearby Mugu pluton or regional metamorphism associated with the North Himalayan domes. New monazite geochronology results show that the Mugu leucogranite crystallized at c. 21.3 Ma, while the dominant monazite age peaks from the surrounding garnet ± staurolite ± sillimanite schists range between c. 21.7 and 19.4 Ma, generally decreasing in age away from the pluton. Metamorphic temperature estimates based on Ti-in-biotite and garnet–biotite thermometry are highest in the specimens closest to the pluton (648 ± 24°C and 615 ± 25°C, respectively) and lowest in those furthest away (578 ± 24°C and 563 ± 25°C, respectively), while pressure estimates are all within uncertainty of one another, averaging 5.0 ± 0.5 kbar. These results are interpreted to be consistent with contact metamorphism of the rocks in proximity to the Mugu pluton, which was emplaced at c. 18 ± 2 km depth after local movement across the South Tibetan detachment system had ceased. While this new dataset helps to characterize the metamorphic rocks of the Tethyan Sedimentary Sequence and provides new constraints on the thickness of the upper crust, it also emphasizes the importance of careful integration of metamorphic conditions and inferred processes that may affect interpretation of currently proposed Himalayan models.

The 590±2 Ma Ben Vuirich Granite was intruded into late Proterozoic Dalradian rocks prior to the Grampian orogeny, during which it was affected by upper amphibolite facies regional metamorphism. Spotted cordierite and andalusite (chiastolite) hornfelses at the granite margin were altered to kyanite-and garnet-bearing assemblages during regional metamorphism. From the inferred mineralogy of the hornfels, together with the normative Qz–Ab–Or values of the granite and the application of a simple cooling model, we conclude that the country rocks immediately adjacent to the granite were hornfelsed at T = ∼600°C and P ≤ 2 kbar.

The hornfelsed rocks were subsequently metamorphosed during the regional D2 event to form an equilibrium mineral assemblage of muscovite + biotite + garnet + plagioclase + quartz + kyanite (after chiastolite). Garnet which grew during this event shows unusual reversed chemical zoning, with Ca increasing systematically from core to rim as Fe, Mg and Mn decrease. A study of element partitioning between coexisting phases in equilibrium (including zoned garnets), and use of an internally consistent thermodynamic dataset, suggest that isothermal (T = 577±42°C) compression (from P = 6.2±1.6 kbar to 9.0±1.9 kbar) occurred during crustal thickening. K-feldspar-plagioclase-quartz veinlets found in the hornfels close the granite contact are demonstrated to be of igneous origin.

The Penouta deposit is associated with a small Hercynian apogranite stock that intrudes Precambrian-Cambrian gneisses of the Ollo de Sapo Formation. Tin ore occurs as disseminations of cassiterite in the apogranite and as greisenized zones and quartz veins which traverse both the alkaline leucogranite and the surrounding metamorphic country rocks.

A fluid-inclusion study, utilizing microthermometric, crushing tests and Raman spectroscopic techniques on quartz from an intragranitic vein and a greisen of the host rock, indicates that the evolution of fluids was similar in both samples and occurred in the three main stages: The first stage is characterized by complex CO2 (CO2-N2-CH4-H2S) and complex CO2 aqueous (H2O-NaCl-CO2-N2-CH4-H2S) fluids of low salinity (Tm ice > −6°C), homogenization temperatures between 250 and 410°C homogenization pressures below 900 bars, and thermobarometric trapping conditions with temperatures below 700°C and pressures below 3250 bars. These fluids were probably responsible for the greisenization of the apogranite and wall rocks, and the precipitation of cassiterite. The second stage is represented by low-salinity aqueous solutions (H2O-NaCl) with Tm ice ⩾ −4.5°C, trapped at homogenization temperatures between 110 and 300 °C and homogenization pressures below 100 bars. This stage can be correlated with kaolinization. The third stage is characterized by higher salinity aqueous fluids (Tm ice ⩾ −16.5°C) containing Na+ and other cations, trapped at homogenization temperatures between 100 and 130°C and homogenization pressures below 5 bars. These fluids can be associated with the epigenetic or supergene phases of the orebody.

Metamorphic petrology, and in particular quantitative thermobarometry, offer the possibility of identifying faults in metamorphic terrains by the metamorphic and/or thermobarometric breaks that occur across them. Furthermore, the sense of the thermobarometric break (e.g. warmer, deeper rocks on top of colder, shallower ones) and its magnitude could be useful tools for determining the sense and magnitude of the fault. The sensitivity of thermobarometry to tectonic variables such as fault throw and uplift rate, has been tested by a series of one-dimensional numerical re-equilibration models for both thrust and normal faults. In each of these models, the post-tectonic re-equilibration of a model garnet-biotite geothermometer is simulated by coupling one-dimensional numerical thermal and garnet diffusion models. After cooling and uplift, a thermobarometric temperature was calculated by using a near-rim garnet composition (5–10 µm from the rim) calculated by the re-equilibration model and biotite from the model matrix. The models varied the thermal structure of the model orogen prior to faulting, the depth of the fault, the structural throw of the fault, and the uplift rate following faulting.

All models produced zoned garnet porphyroblasts that recorded P-T conditions that were different from those at the time of fault motion. Most of the models produced thermobarometric breaks that were in the same sense as the temperature break at the time of fault motion. Normal faults produced a normal thermobarometric gradient with higher temperatures recorded below the fault than above it. Many, but not all of the thrust models produced a thermobarometric inversion near the fault, with higher temperatures locally recorded above the fault than below it. However, the magnitude of thermobarometric break correlated poorly with the fault throw. Most models developed thermobarometric breaks that were much smaller than the breaks that existed at the time of fault motion. The size of the thermobarometric break was commonly of the same magnitude as would be generated from microprobe analytical error. The models suggest that for metamorphic rocks whose thermal peak does not exceed a narrowly defined closure temperature, thermobarometry faithfully recorded the P-T conditions of the metamorphic peak. The closure temperature increases slightly with increasing uplift rate, but overall is rather insensitive to the uplift rate or other tectonic variables. For rocks whose thermal peaks is above the closure temperature, however, the model thermobarometer recorded a temperature that was very close to the closure temperature.

The proton microprobe has been used to determine contents of Ca, Ti, Ni, Mn and Zn in the olivine of 54 spinel lherzolite xenoliths from Australian and Chinese basalts. These data are compared with proton-probe data for Ni, Mn and Zn in the olivine of 180 garnet peridotite xenoliths from African and Siberian kimberlites. Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn contents are well-correlated; because the spinel lherzolite olivines have higher mean Fe contents than garnet peridotite olivines (average Fo89.6vs. Fo90–92) they also have lower Ni and higher Mn contents. Zn and Fe are well-correlated in garnet peridotite olivine, but in spinel peridotites this relationship is perturbed by partitioning of Zn into spinel. None of these elements shows significant correlation with temperature. Consistent differences in trace-element contents of olivines in the two suites is interpreted as reflecting the greater degree of depletion of Archean garnet peridotites as compared to Phanerozoic spinel lherzolites. Ca and Ti contents of spinel-peridotite olivine are well correlated with one another, and with temperature as determined by several types of geothermometer. However, Ca contents are poorly correlated with pressure as determined by the Ca-in-olivine barometer of Köhler and Brey (1990). This reflects the strong T-dependence of this barometer: the uncertainty in pressure (calculated by this method) which is produced by the ±50°C uncertainty expected of any geothermometer is ca ± 8 kbar, corresponding to the entire width of the spinel-lherzolite field at 900–1200°C.

The Poshtuk metapelitic rocks in northwestern Iran underwent two main phases of regional and contact metamorphism. Microstructures, textural features and field relations indicate that these rocks underwent a polymetamorphic history. The dominant metamorphic assemblage of the metapelites is garnet, staurolite, chloritoid, chlorite, muscovite and quartz, which grew mainly syntectonically during the later contact metamorphic event. Peak metamorphic conditions of this event took place at 580 °C and ~3–4 kbar, indicating that this event occurred under high-temperature and low-pressure conditions (HT/LP metamorphism), which reflects the high heat flow in this part of the crust. This event is mainly controlled by advective heat input through magmatic intrusions into all levels of the crust. These extensive Eocene metamorphic and magmatic activities can be associated with the early Alpine Orogeny, which resulted in this area from the convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian plates, and the Cenozoic closure of the Tethys oceanic tract(s).