Oriented quartz + calcic amphibole inclusions in omphacite from the Saualpe and Pohorje Mountain eclogites, Eastern Alps an assessment of possible formation mechanisms based on IR- and mineral chemical data and water storage in Eastern Alpine eclogites.

The composition of mineral phases and their modal proportions have been determined for three
representative Eoalpine eclogites from the Saualpe type locality/Eastern Austria (sample SKP31) and the
Pohorje Massif/Slovenia (CM31/03 and CM15/01) using electron microprobe, laser ICP-MS, IR spectroscopy
and modal analysis to evaluate possible mechanisms for the formation of composite oriented calcic
amphibole+quartz inclusions (COIs) in omphacite and to assess the relative importance of hydrous and
nominally anhydrous phases as H2O carriers in these eclogites.
For omphacites in CM31/03 with a zonal distribution of COIs, a comparison of water and trace element
concentrations of areas containing COIs and those free of COIs and a comparison with the trace element
concentration of calcic amphibole indicate that COIs have formed through an open-system alteration of
clinopyroxene and not through a closed system exsolution process. In sample SKP31, both textural and
mineral chemical evidence suggests that COIs did not form by exsolution involving a Ca-Eskola component in
clinopyroxene but formed by progressive growth under eclogite-facies P-T conditions and prior to the onset
of retrogressive symplectite formation analogous to the formation of poikiloblastic quartz-calcic amphibole
grains in the matrix.
Bulk H2O contents of the eclogites are between ca. 750 and 2150 ppm with 6-25% of the total water
contributed by nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs). Because of high modal amounts of 37-65%, omphacite
is the major nominally anhydrous water carrier, containing 145-580 ppm H2O with significant concentration
variations on a thin section scale. Due to their very low H2O concentrations of b5-10 ppm (garnet, kyanite) or
insignificant modal amounts <=3% (rutile) the remaining NAMs contribute less than 1.5% to the bulk eclogite
H2O content. Calcic amphibole forming part of COIs may be a major carrier of H2O as evidenced by CM31/03
containing both COIs and texturally primary calcic amphibole. In this sample calcic amphibole of the COIs
contributes 63% whereas primary calcic amphibole only accounts for 13% of the bulk water. The relative order
of H2O concentrations in NAMs is H2Orutile>H2Oomphacite>>H2Ogarnet for CM31/03 and CM15/01 and
H2Orutile?H2Oomphacite>>H2Ogarnet in SKP31.