Petrogenesis of carbonate-bearing nepheline syenites and carbonatites from Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica: origin of carbon and the effects of calcite-graphite equilibrium

Abstract

Chemically-evolved carbonate-bearing nepheline syenites are intruded into basement metasediments of the Koettlitz Group on Dismal and Radian Ridges in the Pipecleaner Glacier region of Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Whole rock XRF data from the Dismal Nepheline Syenite defines a broad trend which is consistent with the removal of a cumulate fraction of approximate composition 70% hedenbergite, 15% nepheline, 10% titanite and 5% apatite. Stable isotope, major and trace element and mineralogical characteristics of the syenites are very similar to those of cross-cutting calcite-rich dykes indicating derivation from closely-related source magmas. The general association of carbonatites and nepheline syenites with extensional environments, suggests that the Dismal and Radian Ridge nepheline syenites and carbonatite dykes indicate a period of early Paleozoic (531 Ma) rifting or intrusion into localised tensional structures in an overall compressional regime. Assimilation of marble by the syenite magmas is evidenced by abundant rafts and xenoliths within the Dismal Nepheline Syenite, however, carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios from syenite and carbonatite calcites are distinctly lighter than values from the marble country rock indicating a magmatic source. Graphite and calcite commonly occur as aggregates in the Dismal Nepheline Syenite suggesting equilibrium between these two carbon-bearing phases. Isotopic fractionation between calcite and graphite, via the equilibrium: C + O 2 = CO 2 has resulted in enrichment of the 13C isotope in calcites from the Dismal Nepheline Syenite.