Ultramafic and Mafic Rocks Found in the Near Vicinity of Mariupolites within the Alkaline Oktiabrski Massif (SE Ukraine) – Preliminary Investigations

Abstract

AbstractThe preliminary results of the mineralogical and geochemical investigations of ultramafic (peridotite and pyroxenite) and mafic (olivine gabbro) rocks from the Mazurovski Field of the Oktiabrski Massif in South-eastern Ukraine are presented in this paper. Peridotite is mainly composed of olivine (forsterite), pyroxene (diallage), plagioclase (labradorite) and ore minerals such as magnetite, ilmenite and pyrite. Antigorite and talk are secondary components. Diallage with subordinate plagioclase, olivine and Fe compounds (oxides/sulphides) are found in pyroxenite. Gabro is made of two generations of plagioclase, diallage, olivine, biotite and amphiboles (hornblende and actinolite). Chlorite, talk and ore minerals (ilmenite, pyrite, Fe oxides/hydroxides) occur as its subordinate components. On the basis of their mineral composition peridotite was classified as wehrlite, pyroxenite as clinopyroxenite, whereas the mafic rocks are represented by olivine gabbro. The mafic rocks are most likely products orginating from calc-alkaline magma. Owing to the fact that chromite was not identified in periodite, it is very probable that this rock is loco-temperature differentation product of ultramorfic rocks. The ultrabasic rocks and enriched with Al2O3, CaO and Fe and complethy impoverished of REES and alkalis. Only one olivine gabbro shows some amounts of REEs (0.096 wt.% REEs with the distinct predominance of LREE over HREE) and alkalis (2.89–4.0 wt.% Na2O + K2O), which are surely genetically associated with alkaline rocks occurring in the near vicinity of the ultramafic and mafic rocks of the Oktiabrski Massif. The enrichment of gabbro in REEs and alkalis most probably proceeded post-magmatic activity.