The nature and origin of lamprophyres: an overview

Abstract

Summary Lamprophyres are ‘alkaline rocks’ because they carry high alkalis at a given percentage of SiO 2 , together with one or more of normative ne, lc or ac , modal foids, and Na-K-Ti-rich amphiboles or pyroxenes. They reach higher whole-rock H 2 O, CO 2 , Sr and Ba contents than other silicate igneous rocks. Contents of related element subsets in amphiboles (Ti, Ba), K-feldspars (Ba, Fe 3 ), phlogopites (Ti, Ba, Fe 3 ) and pyroxenes (Ti, Al, Fe 3 ) include among the highest values known in nature for these minerals. ‘Primitive’ minerals (diopside, forsterite) commonly coexist with ‘evolved’ minerals (albite + orthoclase, quartz). Four well-defined ‘branches’ of the lamprophyre ‘clan’ have distinctive compositions: calc-alkaline (shoshonitic) lamprophyres (minettes etc.), alone among lamprophyres, have mixed alkaline-calc-alkaline affinities; alkaline lamprophyres (camptonites etc.) are basanitic to nephelinitic and, alone among lamprophyres, usually have Na < K; ultramafic lamprophyres (alnöites etc.) are the most Si poor and Ca rich of silicate igneous rocks, and grade into carbonatites; lamproites (orendites etc.) are uniquely rich in K, Rb, Ba, Th, Mg, Cr and Ni at mainly ‘andesitic’ SiO 2 contents, and carry a suite of diagnostic minerals (wadeite etc.). Each branch comprises at least four rock types which resemble each other much more than rock types of other branches; however, some rock types can be grouped into slightly distinct ‘families’ within one branch (e.g. phlogopitic and madupitic lamproites). A case can be made for including kimberlites as a fifth branch of the lamprophyre clan. Synoptic plots and tables, based on some 5000 major, trace-element and mineral analyses, are presented, to aid identification and classification. Lamprophyres are far more common than generally stated, occurring worldwide in more tectonic settings than many other alkaline rocks and throughout the geological record. They may approximate intratelluric magma compositions. Nearly all represent primitive magmas, and many represent primary magmas. Some represent parental magmas to a wide range of hydrous alkaline intrusive suites: calc-alkaline lamprophyres to potassic pyroxenite-diorite-shonkinite-syenite-granite plutons (Cortlandt); alkaline lamprophyres to hornblendic gabbro-syenite plutons (Monteregian Hills); and ultramafic lamprophyres to ijolite-carbonatite complexes (Fen).