Alteration and breakdown of xenotime-(Y) and monazite-(Ce) in granitic rocks of the Western Carpathians, Slovakia

Abstract

In the granitic rocks of the Western Carpathians, xenotime-(Y) occurs both as a late-stage magmatic mineral, and as a secondary post-magmatic phase. Magmatic xenotime occurs with monazite and displays minor compositional zonation involving Si, Th and U. The source of elements for the formation of secondary xenotime-(Y) in the granitic rocks results from leaching of P and (Y+REE), mainly from zircon and apatite. Both xenotime-(Y) and monazite-(Ce) are unstable during fluid-activated overprinting. Low temperature alteration of monazite in S-type granites leads to the formation of apatite enriched in the britholite component, but low to medium grades of metamorphism result in the formation of apatite and LREE enriched epidote (partly allanite) as a corona enclosing the monazite-(Ce) core. Xenotime-(Y) shows a similar alteration pattern, but with different REE distributions within the products. At greenschist/amphibolite facies, rims of secondary Y-rich apatite and Y-rich epidote form around xenotime-(Y). In low-Ca granites however, apatite is missing from this alteration assemblage as xenotime-(Y) breaks down directly to Y-enriched epidote. The relative mobilities of the heavy and light REE are different during breakdown of monazite and xenotime. The fluid responsible for the breakdown of monazite and xenotime contains elements released from alteration of anorthite (Ca) and biotite (Si, Al and F).