Fluid–rock interaction during subsolidus microtextural development of alkali granite as exemplified by the Saertielieke pluton, Ulungur of the northern Xinjiang, China

Abstract

Three lithological Groups I (medium-grained, with magmatogenic arfvedsonite), II (medium-grained, with secondary arfvedsonite) and III (fine-grained, with magmatogenic arfvedsonite) are identified in the Saertielieke alkali granite pluton, Ulungur of the northern Xinjiang, China. A weak negative correlation between the δ 18O values of alkali feldspar and quartz separates from each group, and the distinctly lower δ 18O values of alkali feldspar separates from Groups I and II than those from Group III are interpreted in terms of superimposed closed-system and open-system isotope exchange. A small amount of locally exsolved magmatic fluid is involved in the development of the perthitic texture in alkali feldspar at ∼400 °C that results in a volume increase and, hence, causes quartz deformation. The microtextural changes promote the closed-system oxygen isotope exchange between quartz and alkali feldspar that causes a dispersion in the quartz δ 18O values. However, the distinctly lower δ 18O values of alkali feldspar and secondary arfvedsonite coupled with their microtextural characteristics indicate that meteoric-derived water plays an important role in the further development of alkali feldspar exsolution texture at T<400 °C and directly causes secondary arfvedsonite formation. The estimated relative exchange rates k Quartz/ k Feldspar/ k Arfvedsonite of ∼10/100/1 for Groups I and III, and ∼10/100/100 for Group II suggest that alkali feldspar, quartz, and secondary arfvedsonite have exchanged with meteoric-derived water mainly via dissolution–reprecipitation, whereas magmatogenic arfvedsonite has exchanged via diffusion.