Hornblende in ultramafic-mafic rocks of the Khudolaz Complex of the Southern Urals: Crystallization conditions and petrological implications

Abstract

Subject research. Morphology and chemical composition of amphiboles from ultramafic-mafic rocks of the Khudolaz complex. Methods. Morphological studies were carried out using optical (Carl Zeiss Axioskop 40A) and electron (Tescan Vega Compact) microscopes. The chemical composition of minerals was determined using CAMECA SX 100 and JEOL JXA-8230 electron probe microanalyzers. Results. The rocks under study are dominated by xenomorphic brown titanium hornblende crystals, formed mainly due to the reaction of clinopyroxene with a residual water-saturated melt at 920–1040°C. Euhedral brown hornblende, which crystallized directly from the residual water-saturated melt in the same temperature range, was found in small amounts. Green hornblende originated along the edges and cracks in brown hornblende crystals during the late magmatic stage and early hydrothermal stage (670–830°C) at the subsolidus transformation. At the hydrothermal stage (620–650°C and below), brown and green hornblende were partially replaced by actinolite and cummingtonite. Conclusions. The nature of changes in the composition of brown hornblende indicates similar petrogenesis conditions at the late magmatic stage in all intrusions of the Khudolaz complex. The process of transition from brown hornblende to green hornblende occurred with a gradual increase in oxygen fugacity (ΔNNO from –0.2…+0.4 to +0.9…+2.5), and was accompanied by decrease of Ti, Fe2+, Na and the increase of Si, AlVI, Mg, and K in the mineral structure. The low concentrations of F and Cl in hornblende crystals indicate their formation after migration of halogens from the melt.