Jadeitites, albitites, eclogites, metabasites and related rocks, particularly from Guatemala and Myanmar

Dr. Harlow and colleagues Virginia Sisson, Hans Avé-Lallemant, Sorena Sorensen, Charles Mandeville, Sidney Hemming, Hannes Brueckner, and Kyla Simons are investigating the origin of high-pressure/low-temperature rocks, including jadeitites, eclogites and blueschists, hosted in serpentinite adjacent to the Motagua fault zone in Guatemala — the boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates. Jadeitites are very rare (only ~10 occurrences world-wide) and their formation is related to processes occurring in collision(s) of oceanic and continental plates, and exhumation exposes them at Earth's surface. The project expects to resolve many questions about the tectonic history preserved along the Motagua Fault Zone, high-pressure rock formation and metasomatism, and exhumation processes. Comparisons with jadeitites from Myanmar, Japan, Kazakhstan, etc. will attempt to place their formation in the context of the tectonics and petrogenesis of their various sources. This research is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0309320.

For students of all ages visit the Museum's JadeOlogy website for more information on jade and Harlow's studies.

Recent papers and abstracts:

Johnson, C.A., and Harlow, G.E. (1999) Guatemala jadeitites and albitites were formed by deuterium-rich serpentinizing fluids deep within a subduction-channel. Geology 27, 629-632.

Seitz, R., Harlow, G.E., Sisson, V.B., and Taube, K.A. (2001) Formative jades and expanded jade sources in Guatemala. Antiquity 87, 687-88. (PDF)

Giuseppe Giunta, Luigi Beccaluva, Massimo Coltorti, Daniela Cutrupia, Carlos Dengo, George E. Harlow, Byron Mota, Elisa Padoa, Joshua Rosenfeld and Franca Siena (2002) The Motagua suture zone in Guatemala — A Fieldtrip Guidebook. Ofioliti 27 (1), 47-72.

Harlow, G.E., Sisson, V.B., Avé-Lallemant, H.G., Sorensen, S.S. and R. Seitz (2003) High-pressure metasomatic rocks along the Motagua Fault Zone, Guatemala. Ofioliti 28, 115-120. (PrePrint)

Harlow, G.E., Hemming, S.R., Avé-Lallemant, H.G., Sisson, V.B., and Sorensen, S.S. (2004) Two high-pressure—low-temperature serpentine-matrix mélange belts, Motagua fault zone, Guatemala: A record of Aptian and Maastrichtian collisions. Geology 32, 17-20.

Harlow, G.E., Quinn, E.P., Rossman, G.R., and Rohtert, W.R. (2004) Blue omphacite from Guatemala. Gem News International section, Gems and Gemology 40, 68-70. (PrePrint)

Harlow, G.E. (2004) L’Origine de jade jadéite. Revue de Gemmologie A.F.G. 150, 7-11.(Sommaire)

Taube, K.A., Sisson, V.B., Seitz, R., and Harlow, G.E. (2004) The sourcing of Mesoamerican jade: Expanded geological reconaissance in the Motagua Region, Guatemala. In: Olmec Art and Dumbarton Oaks. Karl A. Taube, Pre-Columbian Art at Dumbarton Oaks, No. 2, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, 246p; 203-228.

Harlow, G.E. and Sorensen, S.S. (2005) Jade (nephrite and jadeitite) and serpentinite: Metasomatic connections. International Geology Review 47, 113-146.

Harlow, G.E,. Murphy, A.R., Hozjan, D.J., de Mille, C.N. and Levinson, A.A. (in press) Pre-Columbian jadeite axes from Antigua, West Indies: Description and possible sources. Canadian Mineralogist (PrePrint).

 ABSTRACTS:

Avé Lallemant, H.G., Harlow, G.E., Sorensen, S.S., Sisson, V.B., Kane, R. E., Han Htun, Myint Soe (2000) The Nansibon Jade Mines, Myanmar: Structure and Tectonics. EOS Transactions AGU 81(48), F1108, Abstract T61B-05. http://www.agu.org/meetings/waisfm00.html + "T61B-05"

Sorensen, S.S., Harlow, G.E., and Rumble, D. III (2003) SIMS oxygen isotope analyses of jadeitite: Trace element correlations, fluid compositions, and temperature estimates. 2003 Annual Meeting, Geol. Soc. Amer., Abstracts with Programs, 35(6), 225 (CD-ROM, 90-7) (PDF)

Sisson, V.B., Harlow, G.E., Sorensen, S.S., Brueckner, H.K., Sahm, E., Hemming, S., and Avé-Lallemant, H.G., (2003) Lawsonite eclogite and other high-pressure assemblages in the southern Motagua Fault zone, Guatemala: Implications for Chortís Collision and Subduction Zones. Abstracts with Programs, 2003 Annual Meeting, Geological Society of Amererica 35(7), 639. (PDF)

Harlow, G.E., Price, N., and Sahm, E. (2004) Jadeitites from the paired high-pressure belts of the Motagua Fault Zone, Guatemala: Implications for different P-T conditions. Abstracts with Programs, 2004 Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America 36(5), 454 (Abstract 79345, CD-ROM 195-9). (HTM)

Simons, K.K., Langmuir, C.H., and Harlow, G.E. (2004) Lithium isotopic variability of Guatemalan HP-LT rocks. Eos Trans. AGU Fall 85(47), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract V11C-04. (PDF)

Sisson, V.B., Harlow, G.E., Sorensen, S.S. (2005) Jadeitite: a record of metasomatism at various depths in Guatemalan subduction zones. Goldschmidt 2005, Abstracts, A785. (PDF)

Avé Lallemant, H.G., Francis, A.H., Sisson V.B., Hemming, S.R., Roden,-Tice, M., Breuckner, H.K., Harlow, G.E., and Chiquin, M. (2005) Two Jadeitite Belts in the Motagua Valley Fault Zone, Guatemala: Two Subduction Events or One Subduction Event with Retrogression? Abstracts with Programs, Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America 37(7), 67. (PDF)

Sorensen, S.S., Sisson V.B., Harlow, G.E., Avé Lallemant, H.G. (2005) Geochemistry of a Jadeitite-Serpentinite Contact, Guatemala. Abstracts with Programs, Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America 37(7), 125. (PDF)

Harlow, G.E,. Murphy, A.R., Hozjan, D.J., de Mille, C.N. and Levinson, A.A. (2005) Pre-Columbian jadeite axes from Antigua, West Indies: Description and Possible Sources. Abstracts with Programs, Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America 37(7), 278.

Tsujimori, T., Sisson, V.B., Liou, J.G., Harlow, G.E., Sorensen, S.S. (2005) Petrologic characterization on Guatemalan lawsonite eclogite: Eclogitization of subducted oceanic crust in a cold subduction zone. Abstracts with Programs, Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America 37(7), 89.

Brueckner, H.K., Hemming, S., Sorensen, S., Harlow, G.E., (2005) Synchronous Sm-Nd mineral ages from HP Terranes on both sides of the Motagua Fault of Guatemala: convergent suture and strike slip fault? Eos Trans. AGU Fall 86(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract T23D-04. (PDF)

Simons, K., Sorensen, S., Harlow, G., Hemming, N.G., Breuckner, H.K., Langmuir, C.H., Hemming, S., Goldstein, S. (2006) Composition of the Subduction Component Fluid Estimated from Lithium Isotopes in Guatemalan HP-LT Rocks. Eos Trans. AGU 87(36) Joint Assembly Suppl., Abstract V33A-04. (PDF)

Harlow, G.E., Sorensen, S.S., Sisson V.B., Cleary, J. (2006) Jadeite jade from Guatemala: Distinctions among multiple deposits. GIA Gemological Research Confernece, Aug. 26-27, San Diego, CA; Abstracts. (PDF)

Harlow, G.E., Price, N.A., Tsujimori, T. (2006) Serpentinites of the Motagua fault zone, Guatemala: A mineralogical assessment. Program with Abstracts, 19th General Meeting of the International Mineralogical Association, 23-28July 2006, Kobe, Japan. (PDF)