Coronitic textures in the ferrogabbroids of the Elet’ozero intrusive complex (northern Karelia, Russia) as evidence for the existence of Fe-rich melt. 1. Types of coronas

Abstract

Fe–Ti oxides (magnetite, Ti-magnetite, ilmenite, and associated high-Al spinel) in the ferrogabbroids of the Middle Paleoproterozoic Elet’ozero syenite–gabbro intrusion are intercumulus minerals usually surrounded by coronitic rims of two types. The first type usually represents multilayer amphibole–biotite ± olivine coronas along contacts of Fe–Ti oxides with cumulus moderate-Ca plagioclase and more rarely, clinopyroxene. Two-layer rim is developed in contact with high-Ca plagioclase; the inner rim consists of pargasite and spinel, while the outer rim is made up of sadanagaite and spinel. The second type is represented by two-stage coronitic textures developed along boundaries of olivine and Fe–Ti oxide clusters with plagioclase. Initially, the olivine was surrounded by orthopyroxene rim, while Fe–Ti oxides were rimmed by pargasite with thin ingrowths of high-Al spinel (hercynite). At the next stage, the entire cluster was fringed by a common symplectite reaction rim, the composition of which also depended on the composition of plagioclase matrix: the spinel–sadanagaite rim was formed in contact with high-Ca plagioclase, while pargasite–muscovite–scapolite rim was formed in contact with moderate-Ca plagioclase. The formation of the outer rims occurred after hydration of the inner parts of coronas around olivine and oxides within the clusters. It is suggested that the Fe–Ti oxides and surrounding coronitic rims were microsystems formed by crystallization of drops of residual hydrous Fe-rich liquid.