Magmatic immiscibility and fluid phase evolution in the Mount Genis granite (southeastern Sardinia, Italy)

Abstract

The Mount Genis granite is one of the post-tectonic intrusives emplaced late in the magmatic history of the Hercynian batholith in Sardinia. Devitrified silicate melt inclusions are present in some (magmatic) rock-forming and miarolitic quartz. These magmatic remnants show initial melting at 680– 720°C. High-temperature observations (700–800°C) revealed the presence in some of the inclusions of mixed hydrosaline melt (L1) and silicate melt (L2), with extremely variable L1 L2 ratios. Electron microprobe analyses indicate L1 to be K-Na dominated chlorides. Inclusions of mixed silicate and hydrosaline melts are interpreted to have been formed by heterogeneous trapping of two immiscible fluid phases (silicate-hydrosaline) after second boiling, most likely during the final crystallization stage. Magma-derived brines (63 eq wt% NaCl) circulated at subsolidus conditions from ≈600°C and were retained in the miarolitic cavities down to about 400°C. Fluid unmixing occurred locally in the miarolitic cavities from 550° to 412°C. At temperatures of ≈400° to 100°C the microgranite was invaded by diluted waters (≈4–5 eq wt% NaCl). A possible model for fluid evolution begins with a hydrosaline melt exsolving from the magma at the late-magmatic stage. The absence of boiling within the volatile (hydrosaline) system shows that brines can occur by direct magmatic immiscibility. The comprehensive hydrothermal evolution suggests a nearly isobaric cooling path, with local boiling episodes in the miaroles, probably in coincidence with invasion of external waters.