La, Ce, Nd, and Sr behavior in minette magmas during crystallization of apatite-clinopyroxene-mica paragenesis at upper-mantle conditions

Abstract

Mafic microgranular enclaves produced by co-mingling between minette and syenite magmas are found in the Piquiri Syenite, southern Brazil. These enclaves were crystallized under upper mantle conditions. K-clinopyroxene and pyrope are among the early-crystallized phases, suggesting an initial pressure around 5GPa. The mineralogy of minettes comprises phenocrysts of magnesium biotite and diopside, occasionally apatite, in a groundmass formed by these minerals plus alkali feldspar. Two types of apatites are observed: (i) euhedral grains, as inclusions or groundmass constituents, and (ii) aciculate crystals formed during undercooling of mafic magma. Substitutional schemes suggested for these apatites are Si ⇆ P in the tetrahedral site, and Sr and LREE replacing Ca. La, Ce, Nd, and Sr concentrations reveal that these elements are extremely enriched in apatite. Partition coefficients between early-crystallized apatites and estimated melt compositions are D La (11.8–30.6), D Ce (16.1–33), D Nd (12–31) and D Sr (5.1–8.2). Apatite concentrates the LREE up to 200 times compared to clinopyroxene, even higher values were determined for ap/mica partitioning. The ap/cpx and ap/mica partition coefficients for undercooled minerals are close to the values determined for the near- liquidus phases, which indicates constant behavior of LREE and Sr between apatite-clinopyroxene-mica parageneses and minette liquids. Furthermore, these partitioning data preclude any chemical diffusion of these elements between minette and syenite magmas during co-mingling.