Petrology of ijolite series rocks from the Prairie Lake (Canada) and Fen (Norway) alkaline rock-carbonatite complexes

Abstract

This study reports the mineralogy and petrology, together with the major and trace element composition of pyroxenes, garnets and apatite from ijolite series rocks occurring at the Prairie Lake carbonatite complex, northwestern Ontario, with comparative data for ijolites from the Fen complex, Norway. The ijolites and calcite ijolites (hollaites) of Prairie Lake record the effects of magma mixing, crystal settling, solid-state re-equilibration and deuteric alteration. The Prairie Lake complex was formed by at least three stages of intrusion. The initial stage was predominantly biotite pyroxenite and associated coarse carbonatite veins. The second stage is represented primarily by members of the ijolite series together with meta-ijolites created by solid state re-equilibration of previously crystallized rocks. Differentiation of the magmas which formed the ijolite suite resulted in the formation of calcite ijolites (hollaites) and malignites (potassic nepheline syenites). The final stage was the intrusion of the heterogeneous carbonatites derived from different batches of carbonatite related magmas. These rocks contain xenoliths of ijolite suite rocks, pyroxene apatitite, wollastonite apatitite, and phoscorite.Pyroxene compositions show an evolutionary trend from diopside in biotite pyroxenites through Fe-enriched diopside-augite in ijolites to aegirine in malignites. Clinopyroxene major and trace element data show that the cores of clinopyroxene in biotite pyroxenites formed as antecrysts at depth and were emplaced as part of a later event. Trace element data from pyroxenes, garnets and apatite from Prairie Lake and Fen are similar to each other and those found in carbonatite complexes worldwide. It is proposed that a continuously-filled fractionating magma chamber was not present at Prairie Lake and that the ijolite–malignite members of the complex formed as result of small intrusions of nephelinitic magma into pre-existing ijolites. Similar styles of magmatic evolution by fractional crystallization are indicated for the Prairie Lake, Fen, and Belaya Zima ijolite‑carbonatite complexes and there is no evidence that liquid immiscibility played any role in their petrogenesis.