The chemistry and mineralogy of the Kinkell tholeiite, Stirlingshire

Abstract

The tholeiite of Kinkell (11 km. north of Glasgow G.P.O.) was described by the first author (Walker, 1930) and an analysis of its residual glass was given in a later publication (Walker, 1935). Since unaltered and separable residual glasses of basaltic rocks are rare, the Kinkell example has been referred to frequently in petrological literature. E. A. Vincent (1950) has made a detailed comparison between the Kinkell glass and a similar one from a tholeiite from Kap Daussy, east Greenland. In view of this and of the important part played by such glasses in discussions on basaltic differentiation, all the major constituents of the Kinkell rock have been isolated and analysed chemically and spectrographically. They are described below together with a fuller account of the field relations of the rock and some comments upon the significance of the new data.