Geochemistry of carbonatite–silicate pairs in nature: A case history from Central Italy

Abstract

At Oricola (Aquila-Abruzzo, Italy) carbonatite is associated with phonolitic foidite tuff. The Oricola carbonatite contains fresh silicate glass of kamafugitic foidite composition which, compared with carbonate, shows similar trace element patterns but lower concentrations. As a whole, the mineralogy of the Oricola rocks matches that of the neighbouring Grotta del Cervo kamafugitic foidite and carbonatitic foidite and is in the range of the Intramountain Ultralkaline Province (IUP) of melilitites and carbonatites of Italy. The IUP carbonatites and kamafugitic foidites definitely form intra-outcrop conjugate pairs. All these co-eruptive rocks have parallel trace element patterns, namely REE, which implies a dilution–concentration relationship among them but always with higher contents in primary calcite. Based on current textural and compositional criteria, as well as comparable experimental data, we attribute this feature to liquid immiscibility dominant over crystal fractionation at crustal pressure. This relatively late immiscibility phenomenon is superimposed on co-magmatic features shown by inter-outcrop conjugate rock couples. In fact if we consider San Venanzo kamafugite and Polino Ca-carbonatite, or Grotta del Gervo kamafugite and Oricola Ca-carbonatite, we note couple by couple that they are chemical heteromorphs erupted in isolation in different place. The REE distribution is another distinctive feature of these couples and shows a marked crossover at MREE level. A fact we interpret as produced by near mantle-solidus immiscibility. After this early phenomenon the two members of the couple can erupt in a near primary state carrying mantle xenoliths or undergo some evolution including settling out mantle xenoliths and crystals and fractionation and finally exsolve a carbonatitic residuum by immiscibility.