Abstract:
The paper describes the petrology,mineralogy and mineral composition of jadeite-bearing rocks at South Shitoushan,Hoh Xil Mountains ,northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The protolith of jadeite-bear-ing rocks is gabbro,with Permo-Carboniferous country rocks.As metamorphism did not proceed thor-oughly,the mineral assemblage of the protolith have been preserved.The typical high-pressure metamor-phic mineral assemblage is albite+jadeite+aegirine+glaucophane+epi dote+chlorite.Jadeite has lower SiO 2 and FeO contents and notably higher Al 2 O 3 and Na 2 O contents.The metamorphic mineral assemblage consists dominantly of Na-rich minerals and lacks quartz,which is different from the protolith composition and metamorphic mineral assemblage of jadeite-bearing rocks in China and other countries.So it is considered to be a new type of high-pressure and low-temperature jadeite rock.The Shitoushan high-pressure meta-morphic belt extends westward to Rola Kangri and Dahengshan and parallels the Xijinwulan-Jinsha suture zone(west segment )to the north.Thus it is inferred that the North Qiangtang-Qamdo plate on the southern side of the suture zone has been subducted northward beneath the Bayan Har plate.