Metamorphic conditions in the Ashe Metamorphic Suite, North Carolina Blue Ridge

Taconian metamorphism of mafic rocks in the Ashe Metamorphic Suite can be characterized by reference to an isograd corresponding to the reaction bio + epi = hbl + gar, which separates rocks into two zones of low-variance assemblages. Temperatures and pressures estimated from mineral exchange geothermometers and a barometer suggest that this reaction occurred at approximately 600-650 °C and 7.5 kbar. Phase equilibria between biotite and hornblende, as well as the sharpness of the mapped isograd, indicate that the reaction is discontinuous. Inferred differences in metamorphic grade between Ashe amphibolites and mafic dikes in the underlying basement suggest that these units are in faulted contact. Isograd patterns in pelitic rocks suggest an elongated domal uplift that developed after metamorphism and thrusting, the core of which is exposed in the adjacent Grandfather Mountain window.