Mass transfer and REE mobility during fenitization at Aln�, Sweden

Abstract

The Precambrian migmatitic gneisses at Alno have been altered to fenite by fluids emanating from alkaline and carbonatitic magmas intruded during early to middle Cambrian times. Fenitization, related to carbonatitic sources, was promoted by peralkaline, carbonate-rich fluids, in which the main chemical components and REE were mobile. Composition-volume relationships of progressively fenitized protolith suggest mainly isovolumetric equilibration, but a modest decrease of volume (6%) did occur in the highest grade of the process. The fenitizing fluids introduced essentially CaO, CO2, Na2O, and K2O while removing SiO2 and Al2O3. Different trends of fenitization, defined as sodic, potassic and intermediate, show differing REE distribution and abundance patterns. The sodic carbonate-rich fluid introduced all the REE, but the La/Lu ratio was high. The extreme REE enrichments of high-grade fenites are associated with the widespread formation of calcite, apatite and possibly titanite. The potassic carbonaterich fluid introduced essentially light REE, but produced also the redistribution of heavy REE in the high-grade fenites. REE distribution patterns of intermediate fenites suggest the re-equilibration of fenite with a highly oxidizing alkaline fluorine-rich fluid, possibly in a later post-magmatic episode.