Compositional evolution and substitutions in disseminated and nodular tourmaline from leucocratic granites: Examples from the Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic

Abstract

Two distinct textural types of tourmaline have been distinguished in leucocratic granites of the Bohemian Massif (Moldanubicum, Saxothuringicum): (i) commonly euhedral disseminated tourmaline (DT) crystallized during relatively early stage of the granite consolidation, and (ii) typically interstitial nodular tourmaline (NT) formed during the stage transitional from late solidus to early subsolidus crystallization. The following substitutions (exchange vectors) participated in tourmaline from the studied granites: (1) X□ YAl XNa − 1 YR 2+ − 1 in the DT granites from the Moldanubicum; (2) X□ YAl 3 WO 2 XNa − 1 YR 2+ − 3 W(OH) − 2 and (6) XNa YR 2+WF X□ − 1 YAl − 1 WOH − 1 in the DT and NT granites from the Saxothuringicum. Tourmaline in the NT granites from the Moldanubicum yielded a complicated pattern indicating participation of several substitutions such as (1), (2) and (3) X□ YAl 2 WO XNa − 1 YR 2+ − 2 W(OH) − 1 . Very similar chemical compositions and similar fractionation trends in both DT and NT tourmaline types indicate crystallization in a quasi-closed system from early solidus to early subsolidus stage of granite consolidation. Substitutions in tourmaline from NT granites in the Moldanubicum are more similar to substitutions in tourmaline from Li-poor granitic pegmatites in the same region relative to tourmaline from DT granites. Plotting up EMP analyses of tourmaline indicates that a combination of two ternary diagrams Al–Fe–Mg and Na–Ca– X-site vacancy, coupled with simple plots involving single cations (elements) such as Na/Al, F/Na, Fe/Mg, characterizes both their chemical composition as well as the probable substitution mechanisms. Complex diagrams such as R1 + R2 versus R3 do not enable a proper investigation of the compositional evolution in the X-site and W-site and oversimplify the real substitutions. As a consequence the use of specific diagrams for specific tourmaline compositions (e.g., Ca-rich, Li-rich) is recommended.