Retrogression of Orthopyroxene-bearing Gneiss of Iboropa Akoko, Southwestern Nigeria

In this article, we report the mineral chemistry and petrographic features of charnockitic exposure of Iboropa within Precambrian Basement Complex of Nigeria. The mineral assemblages are pyroxene, plagioclase, biotite, hornblende, alkali feldspars, microperthite, quartz and ilmenite, with apatite occurring as accessory mineral. Apatite occurs in abundance as euhedral crystals. Orthopyroxene observed is strongly pleochroic and has numerous microfractures, and it is hypersthene (En₄₅Fs₅₄Wo₁) with low TiO₂ and MnO, having extremely low percentage of CaO. Hypersthene is mantled by a complex corona of amphibole, and the amphibole is hornblende with a chemical formula: (K,Na)(Ca,Fe)₂ (Fe,Mg,Al,Ti)₅(Al,Si)₈O₂₂(OH)₂. Plagioclase occurs as inclusions in both pyroxene and biotite. Biotite has high concentration of TiO₂ and extremely low CaO. The opaque mineral observed is ilmenite and it is concentrated around hypersthene and amphibole. Rare earth element (REE) displays negative Eu anomaly with enrichment of light REE over heavy REE. Amphiboles surrounding orthopyroxene are evidences of retrograde reactions and are formed at the expense of orthopyroxene reacting with plagioclase and quartz in the presence of fluid. The relationship between the mineral assemblages suggests the retrogression of the gneiss that might be as a result of rehydration process, and it is a transition from granulite facies to amphibolite facies during a retrogressive form of metamorphism.