Granulite facies metamorphism of metabasic and intermediate rocks in the Highland Series of Sri Lanka

Abstract

The island of Sri Lanka is located to the south-east of India and is formed predominantly of Precambrian rocks that occur in several major terrains: the granulite facies Highland Series in the central part of the island, from which several authors separated a South West Group (eg Cooray 1965; Katz 1971, 1972); and the West and East Vijayan, both of which are predominantly composed of migmatitic granitic gneisses of middle to upper amphibolite facies conditions (Cooray 1962, Katz 1971, Oliver 1985) and border the Highland Series (Fig. 10.1). Due to its variety of rock types, which include granitic to basic meta-igneous rocks and metasediments (quartzites, metapelites, calc-silicate rocks, marbles), and due to the juxtaposition of amphibolite and granulite facies terranes in a relatively small area, Sri Lanka has been and still is the subject of petrological …