Chrome Spinels in Carbonate Veins of the Onguren Complex, Western Baikal Region

Abstract

Chrome spinels in carbonate veins of the Onguren Complex, East Siberia, Western Baikal region are predominantly ferrichromite and chrommagnetite (MgO ≤ 0.3 wt %, Mg# ≤ 0.04, Al2O3 ≤ 2.5 wt %; Cr# 0.91–1.00, Fe2+/Fe3+ 0.8–1.4) with a high ZnO content (0.9–4.6 wt %). In the calcite vein, titanian chrome-magnetite is transformed into Cr-bearing titanomagnetite, which decomposes into Ti-depleted magnetite and ilmenite at temperature of 970–1000°С and $${{f}_{{{{{\text{O}}}_{{\text{2}}}}}}}$$ approximately of +0.5…+0.7 QFM. In the dolomite vein, ferrichromite and chrome-magnetite grains contain relict cores of subferrialumochromite (Al2O3 10.6–14.4 wt %, Cr# 0.63–0.73, Fe2+/Fe3+ 4.1–5.2, MgO ≤ 0.52 wt %) with elevated ZnO (3.7–5.1 wt %), TiO2 (3.2–4.1 wt %), and MnO (0.6–1.1 wt %). Ferrichromite and chrome-magnetite are formed during the high-temperature (>600°C) metamorphism of the vein. Superimposed deformations under greenschist facies conditions lead to the formation of magnetite rims around chrome-magnetite grains.