| Ultra-deep subduction of continental crust represents an outstanding problem in the Earth Sciences. The ultra-high pressure metamorphic belt of central China extends from Sulu in the east to Altyn Tagh in western China and forms the largest of its kind on Earth. Whereas much of the belt shows Early Palaeozoic (ca. 450-500 Ma) metamorphic ages, rocks exposed in the east (eastern Dabie and Sulu) predominantly, and some people contend exclusively, recorded Triassic (220-240 Ma) metamorphism. We propose to study the isotope systematics of metamorphic minerals -applying our novel garnet stepwise crushing technique, complemented by Lu-Hf and U-Pb techniques to garnets and their mineral inclusions and supported by extensive careful petrology- to unravel the complex history of these rocks. |
