Chromite Compositions Research Articles

Platinum-Group Element and Trace Element Contents of Chromite Grains from the Alexo Komatiite Flows Compared with Chromites from Other Volcanic Rocks: Implications for the Use of Chromite Compositions in Petrogenesis

Platinum-Group Element and Trace Element Contents of Chromite Grains from the Alexo Komatiite Flows Compared with Chromites from Other Volcanic Rocks: Implications for the Use of Chromite Compositions in Petrogenesis

Characterization and origin of high-Al chromitites: A case study of chromite deposit in the Kudi ophiolite in the NW Tibetan Plateau

Chromitite occurrences in ophiolites are commonly classified into high-Cr (Cr# > 60) and high-Al (Cr# < 60) varieties. High-Cr chromitites have been extensively studied, whereas the origin of high-Al chromitites remains enigmatic mainly due to strong alteration of the relevant rocks. This study undertook a comprehensive examination of alteration-free high-Al chromitites and their hosting peridotites from the Kudi ophiolite in the NW Tibetan Plateau, complemented by a synthesis of global data of high-Al and high-Cr chromite deposits. Our results reveal that harzburgites, hosting both types of chromite deposits, exhibit similar major oxide compositions in their constituent minerals. In contrast, the constituent minerals in the dunite envelopes and chromitites display distinct major and trace element compositions, which are probably controlled by the compositions of infiltrating melts. For both chromite deposits, the forsterite (Fo) contents of olivine increase from harzburgite (90.0–91.6) to dunite (89.9–94.6) and chromitite (90.0–97.2). Mineral compositions of olivine show significant variabilities at the contact boundaries between densely disseminated and sparsely disseminated chromitites. These features suggest that fluid immiscibility plays an important role in the formation of high-Al chromitite. A continuous spectrum of major oxide compositions of chromite from high-Al to high-Cr chromitites suggests a progressive shift in the parental magma compositions from mid-ocean ridge basalt-like to boninitic melts, implying a rapid tectonic transition during subduction initiation.

Symplectite formation in ultramafic achondrites by impact percolation of a sulfide melt

The ungrouped dunitic achondrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 12217 contains symplectic spinel-pyroxene veins that are mineralogically identical to symplectites in other ultramafic planetary materials. The morphology and amount of chromite present in these features relative to the Cr in their olivine hosts suggest an exogenous origin. Petrological experiments show that a Cr laden sulfide liquid reacts with olivine to produce pyroxene by scavenging Mg and Fe from olivine to crystallize chromite. The liquid infiltrates cracks and grain boundaries within the olivine and produces a vein-like symplectic chromite-pyroxene mineralogy similar to that observed in NWA 12217. This process is likely responsible for forming the symplectites in the related ultramafic achondrites NWA 12319, 12562, and 13954, along with many other achondrites. The nucleosynthetic Cr isotopic composition of chromites appears to be in disequilibrium with that of silicates in NWA 12217, suggesting that the liquids responsible for the symplectite forming reaction are at least partially sourced from a different parent body and result from an impact.

Platinum-group-element minerals (‘osmiridium’) from Waratah Bay, Victoria, Australia, and a review of other reported Victorian occurrences

Minerals consisting of the platinum-group elements iridium, osmium and ruthenium (IPGE) are widely dispersed in alluvial deposits derived from ultramafic igneous complexes originating in ophiolite belts. Rock types, such as cumulate dunite–pyroxenite–harzburgite, and their serpentinite derivatives are especially fertile sources of IPGE minerals, which are colloquially termed ‘osmiridium’. IPGE minerals have been recorded from five localities in Victoria—beach sands at Waratah Bay, and stream concentrates from Turtons Creek, Stockyard Creek and Horseshoe Creek in South Gippsland. A grain of IPGE was recently found in a gully near the Dolodrook River further north. These occurrences are all poorly documented by comparison with the northwest Tasmanian deposits, and only Waratah Bay has provided enough material to enable full characterisation. Microprobe data show that all four minerals currently defined in the Os–Ru–Ir system occur at Waratah Bay, including rutheniridosmine. Gold and chromite are also present in the alluvial samples from Waratah Bay and Turtons Creek. Attempts to correlate compositions of alluvial chromite with those from likely proximal serpentinite source rocks proved to be inconclusive due mainly to inadequate representative sampling. However, the chromite compositions are broadly characteristic of those found in the early Paleozoic ultramafic ophiolite complexes in northwestern Tasmania, in which IPGE minerals and chromite are abundant. Regional aeromagnetic trends across Bass Strait suggest that the Victorian IPGE occurrences represent disaggregated and metamorphosed extensions of the Tasmanian sequences.

Alteration of chromite during serpentinization of peridotites

Trace element (Zn, Co, Mn, Ni, Ga, V, Ti, and Sc) compositions of chromite in mafic-ultramafic rocks are widely used for addressing their petrogenesis and discriminating tectonic environments, but they can be altered by subsolidus re-equilibration and hydrothermal alteration, and the detailed dynamic processes are not clear. The Jinchang ophiolite in SW China is part of the Tethyan ophiolite, and consists mainly of harzburgite with minor lherzolite. These peridotites are strongly serpentinized, and contain variably modified chromite and magnetite. Two types of chromite are identified in harzburgite, including magmatic and altered chromite. The magmatic chromite occurs as granular or amoeboid minerals, or as cores surrounded by the altered chromite, and they have homogeneous major elemental compositions (Mg0.65Fe0.35(Cr0.46Al0.54)2O4), but their trace elements, such as Ni, Ga, V, Zn, Co, and Mn, are variably changed during subsolidus re-equilibration. The altered chromite consists of ferrous chromite (Mg0.15Fe0.85(Cr0.46Al0.11Fe0.43)2O4) and chromian magnetite (Fe(Cr0.15Fe0.85)2O4), which were formed by two stages of hydrothermal alteration. They are depleted in Ga and Sc, and enriched in Zn, Co and Mn during the alteration, but their Ti, Ni and V are increased and decreased in the first and second stage, respectively. Thermodynamic modeling reveals that: (1) Reaction between magmatic chromite and olivine at the first stage of alteration produces ferrous chromite and chlorite under high temperature (610–470 °C) and increasing oxygen fugacity (ΔFMQ increasing from −1 to 3) and water-rich conditions; (2) Chromian magnetite is generated by further alteration of the ferrous chromite in the second stage alteration under low temperature (< 470 °C) and decreasing oxygen fugacity conditions (ΔFMQ decreasing from 3 to −4). In addition, the first stage alteration significantly changed trace-element compositions of the magmatic chromite compared with the second stage alteration that slightly modified the ferrous chromite. This study clarifies trace element migration of chromite in the silicate mineral-hydrothermal fluid system, indicating that chromite microstructures and trace elemental compositions can record the detailed serpentinization processes.

Geochemistry of extremely modified chromites from the chrysotile asbestos-bearing Zvishavane Ultramafic Complex, south central Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT The Zvishavane Ultramafic Complex (ZUC) is a metamorphosed ultramafic-mafic body exposed within the Zvishavane gneiss complex in south central Zimbabwe. The complex hosts Africa's largest mine and reserves of high-grade chrysotile asbestos. Rock types of the ZUC range from serpentinites, metadunites, and metagabbros. Accessory chromites, which are altered to ferrian chromites, are hosted in metadunites and serpentinites. Chromium number, Cr# (100*Cr/(Cr + Al)), is extremely high, and ranges from 90.6 to 99.5. Low magnesium number, Mg# 100*Mg/(Mg + Fe2+), ranges from 5.1 to 8.4. Most ZUC ferrian chromites occur as inclusions or marking the outlines of relict olivine crystals, and in veinlets traversing the serpentinites. On 100*Fe3+/(Al + Fe3+) versus 100*Fe2+/(Mg + Fe2+) diagram, the chromites all plot in the magnesioferrite field, and in the ferrian chromite field on a Fe3+-Cr-Al ternary diagram. On wt% Al2O3 versus wt% Cr2O3 and 100*Cr/(Cr + Al) versus 100*Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) plots, chromites all plot in the modified trend fields. The bulk of the chromites were metamorphosed at temperatures of ≤500°C, and no samples experienced temperatures exceeding 550°C. A plot of Fe3+/(Fe3++ Fe2+) versus wt% MnO is indicative of hydrous metamorphism of ZUC chromites. It is interpreted that extensive modification of the ZUC chromites occurred during hydrothermal alteration, under conditions more oxidising than quartz-fayalite-magnetite but less than magnetite-hematite, which accompanied the formation of high-grade chrysotile asbestos for which the ZUC is famous. Four granitic plutons exposed within 50km of ZUC were likely the source of hydrothermal fluids responsible for extensive hydrothermal alteration, which likely led to the formation of high-grade chrysotile asbestos, and almost completely modifying the chromites in the process. Compositions of accessory chromites in chrysotile asbestos meta-ultramafic bodies elsewhere are likely to be extremely modified.

Quantitative 3D characterization of chromite ore particles

The main techniques used to characterize raw materials are currently bulk or 2D. This is a consequence of the current lack of standardized and automated methods to characterize particulate materials in 3D. Here, we apply a workflow to characterize a crushed chromite ore with nine particle size classes below 1 mm using X-ray computed tomography. All data processing of all samples follows the same sequence of steps, which means that the analysis can be automated with limited user input as opposed to traditional 3D image processing methods that require user input specific to each particle size fraction. Results of chromite composition, particle size distribution and chromite liberation are obtained for individual particles and compared with the results from x-ray diffraction and 2D-based automated mineralogy. The results shows a consistent accuracy across all size classes down to 75 μm. For the larger particle sizes (>600 μm) the chromite liberation curves are more consistent than those obtained from 2D-based automated mineralogy, possibly due to the stereological bias of 2D sections. The particle size distributions is the property for which the 2D bias causes a larger divergence from 3D results across all particle sizes. In conclusion, the workflow is more automatable (thus, faster and cheaper) and less bias (thus, more accurate and standardisable) than other 3D image analysis methods. Additionally, it stands as complementary to established techniques for particle-based characterization, especially to measure particle properties that 2D-based methods may not measure representatively for larger particle sizes and when sampling is limited. Further testing of the workflow in progressively more complex materials is necessary, but its potential to transform the way mineral particulate materials are characterized is demonstrated.

Isothermal oxidation kinetics of industrial South African chromite concentrates in air

The oxidation of chromite pellets prior to smelting in a submerged arc furnace is key to ensuring that maximum benefit can be derived in the subsequent smelting step. Oxidized pellet feed material reduces operating costs by increasing energy and reductant efficiency, as well as increasing chrome recoveries.There is significant compositional variance in chromites used in South African chromite smelting operations due to the different seams from which the materials are mined. The impact of these variances on the extent and rate of oxidation of chromite ores has not been studied before, and it was the impetus for this study.A detailed kinetic study was carried out on three different types of chromite ores, originating from different commercially mined seams in South Africa, specifically the UG2, LG6 and MG seams. Thermogravimetric analysis was performed on these samples in air at temperatures ranging from 873 to 1473 K, which was used as input to the kinetic analysis. The proposed mechanism of chromite oxidation was found to occur in two stages: initially by random nucleation and growth of a sesquioxide phase, followed by a three-dimensional diffusion-controlled mechanism. The activation energy for oxidation was found to be similar for UG2 and LG6 ore, but higher for MG at all tested temperatures.The effect of chromite composition, temperature, and time on the extent of oxidation (α) was further quantified and captured in a single regression equation, confirming that time and temperature increase the extent and rate of oxidation. The Ti content was found to be directly correlated with higher values of α for a given time and temperature. The regression equation partially resembles the functional form of the diffusivity equation for cations in chromite found in the literature. It was also found that the distribution between Cr and Al impedes oxidation, with higher Cr content resulting in lower values of α for a given time and temperature.

Derivation of Lamproites and Kimberlites from a Common Evolving Source in the Convective Mantle: the Case for Southern African ‘Transitional Kimberlites’

Abstract ‘Transitional kimberlite’ is a collective term previously used to classify rocks occurring in southern Africa that show bulk rock geochemical and Sr–Nd isotope features intermediate between (cratonic) lamproites and kimberlites. However, it is now well established that detailed petrographic and mineral chemical criteria represent a more robust approach towards the classification of kimberlites, lamproites and related rocks. Here, we re-assess the classification of southern African ‘transitional kimberlites’ by combining new petrographic observations and mineral compositional results for samples from six localities (Leicester, Frank Smith, Wimbledon, Melton Wold, Droogfontein, and Silvery Home) straddling the southwestern margin of the Kaapvaal Craton. These new data indicate that Leicester and Frank Smith are archetypal kimberlites, whereas Wimbledon, Melton Wold, Droogfontein, and Silvery Home represent bona fide olivine lamproites. We combine the mineral chemical results with new (Wimbledon) and existing bulk rock trace element and Nd–Hf isotope compositions, and emplacement ages, to assess whether the previously documented trends in Nd–Hf isotope vs time for these ‘transitional kimberlites’ constrain their petrological evolution. Modal groundmass mineralogy, bulk rock K/La and chromite compositions, the latter being a proxy for primitive melt composition, are linearly correlated with emplacement age and initial Nd–Hf isotope compositions. These observations suggest derivation of both older lamproites (181–115 Ma) and younger kimberlites (114–93 Ma), from a common evolving source. The temporal evolution of Nd–Hf isotope compositions in these rocks converge to values typical of archetypal Cretaceous kimberlites elsewhere in the Kaapvaal Craton, but are clearly different from the isotopic compositions of on-craton Kaapvaal lamproites (previously known as orangeites). This observation distinguishes the petrogenesis of the Wimbledon, Melton Wold, Droogfontein, and Silvery Home lamproites from those of ‘typical’ Kaapvaal lamproites. We hypothesize that progressive consumption of enriched and hence fertile K-bearing components in a common sub-lithospheric (i.e. convective mantle) source beneath the southwestern margin of the Kaapvaal Craton might represent a plausible scenario to explain the temporal evolution of petrographic and geochemical traits of the examined lamproites and kimberlites. A source in the lithospheric mantle is considered at odds with the contrasting location of the current localities as they occur both off- and on-craton. Migration of the African plate between 180 and 90 Ma over a relatively stationary convective mantle (plume?) source is not compatible with the spatial–temporal distribution of ‘transitional kimberlites’. Instead, we invoke viscous coupling between an upper asthenospheric source and the lithosphere to reconcile a single evolving source with the geographic and age distribution of these rocks. This work supports the hypothesis that olivine lamproites occurring in intra-continental settings share similar genetic features with kimberlites.

Origin of Alteration Patterns in Accessory Chromites from the Kudada Metaperidotites, East Singhbhum District (Jharkhand, India)

Abstract The metamorphosed ultramafic-mafic bodies of the Kudada area are located close to the Singhbhum Shear Zone (SSZ) in eastern India, where the major rock types are talc-magnesite schist and serpentinite with accessory chromite and magnetite veins. The ultramafic bodies and associated metavolcanic rocks are part of the northern extension of the Early Archean Gorumahisani greenstone belt and belong to the Iron Ore Group (IOG) supracrustal sequence. This study reveals intense compositional variability in accessory chromites of serpentinite with core composition of chromites are characterized by the variable Cr# [Cr/(Cr+Al)] = 0.53 - 0.82 and Mg# [Mg/(Mg+Fe2+)] = 0.01 - 0.17. Compositional variability on the scale of a single chromite grain occurs in the form of multi-stage zoning. To identify the patterns of compositional zoning, chromites of serpentinite are subdivided into four types depending on their grain size, reflectivity of different rims, intensity of fracture, and porosity, and supported by in-situ mineral chemistry. The type-I chromites are less fractured and non-porous variety showing the outermost chrome magnetite rim envelops the inner ferritchromit rim. Porosity is mainly developed in the type-II grains where the inner ferritchromit is formed surrounding the pore spaces. The type-III chromites are small clustered grains having ferritchromit core and chrome magnetite rim while the type-IV grains are completely altered to chrome magnetite. Textural relations and mineral chemistry indicate that metamorphism and activities of H2O and CO2-rich hydrothermal fluids during tectonic evolution of the Singhbhum Shear Zone (SSZ) might have caused these zoning patterns and compositional variabilities in accessory chromites of the Kudada area. Cation exchange between chromite and silicate minerals along with intra-grain cation diffusion within different Cr-spinel zones further intensified these processes.

Fingerprinting stealth metasomatism in ophiolitic peridotites

Mantle wedge peridotites are characterized by extraordinarily depleted compositions and their genesis is still controversial. In this study, we present microstructural observations and mineral chemical analyses of mantle harzburgites in the Lycian ophiolite of SW Turkey that reveal their formation in a suprasubduction zone mantle wedge. The textures of clinopyroxene in the harzburgites, particularly chromite-clinopyroxene symplectites and grains containing mineral inclusions, do not support a partial melting origin. Zoning textures and the presence of additional phases within the orthopyroxene porphyroclasts indicate that they underwent melt/fluid infiltration. Olivine crystals and interstitial grains are enclosed in orthopyroxene porphyroclasts, implying that the orthopyroxene grains crystallized by consuming olivine. Chromite grains in the harzburgites not only have zoned, but also contain a variety of mineral inclusions. Amphibole grains in some of the harzburgites also have compositions similar to those in the chromitites. Therefore, all mineral phases in the Lycian harzburgites have well-preserved metasomatic signatures that overprinted their partial melting features. The enrichment of fluid-mobile elements, such as Cs, Rb, U, and Pb in clinopyroxene and amphibole, coupled with their high Mg# values (92.8–95.6 and 93.7–96.4, respectively), suggest formation by Cr- and Mg-rich, hydrous metasomatic melts/fluids. The consistent compositions of clinopyroxene and chromite in the harzburgites and chromitites, together with the decreasing intensity of alteration and crystallization temperature of amphibole in the chromitite pods through dunites to harzburgites, imply that the hydrous melts/fluids were partially released from chromite surfaces during chromitite formation and/or from dehydration of the metamorphic sole, which likely attributed to metasomatism at different depths. Moreover, chromite-hosted inclusions in the harzburgites may reflect the reaction before solidification of an inclusion-rich zone possibly signifying a rapid increase of chromite-oversaturated melt. Positive correlations between Cr and Al in pyroxenes of ophiolites are widely preserved in metasomatic mantle peridotites from different tectonic settings and thus they provide a robust chemical proxy for the metasomatism. • Direct evidence of stealth metasomatism for harzburgites in the mantle section of the Lycian ophiolite; • The depleted Cr and Mg-rich hydrous melts/fluids are released from chromite surfaces or heating dehydration of the metamorphic sole; • The positive Cr and Al correlation of pyroxene suggest that metasomatism in the lithospheric mantle is widespread

Mineralogy of the Marepalli lamproite dyke from the Nalgonda district, Telangana, Southern India

AbstractThe Marepalli dyke of the Vattikod cluster of the Ramadugu Lamproite Field, Nalgonda district, Telangana, India consists of pseudomorphed leucite, phlogopite (Al-poor, Ti-rich zoned phlogopite micas), pseudomorphed olivine, fluorapatite and Al-poor diopside embedded in groundmass consisting mainly of poikilitic Fe-rich titanian phlogopite and potassic amphibole. Other groundmass minerals are Al-Na-poor diopside, Al-poor spinels (titanian magnesian chromites to titanian chromites), Sr-rich fluorapatite and late-stage interstitial anhedral crystals of titanite and K-feldspar. The late-stage deuteric minerals present are REE-rich allanite, pyrite, magnetite, chalcopyrite, galena, hydro-zircon, carbonates (calcite, witherite and strontianite), baryte and cryptocrystalline SiO2. Apatite is an early crystallising phase and is present as inclusions in phlogopite and pyroxene. Phlogopite and amphibole occur as inclusions in titanite and K-feldspar. The compositional trends of phlogopite are of almost constant Al2O3 content with FeOT and TiO2 enrichment, and are typical of lamproitic micas. The FeOT enrichment is accompanied additionally by MgO depletion (reflecting VIFe2+ enrichment) from core to rim together with a slight increase in the tetraferric iron component. Diopside is characterised by &lt;0.4 wt.% alumina and &lt;0.6 wt.% sodium contents and exhibits typical lamproitic affinity. The spinels are alumina-poor with un-evolved titanian magnesian chromite to titanian chromite compositions. The presence of K-richterite, as an abundant amphibole, indicates a lamproite affinity, and on the basis of the typomorphic mineralogy, this rock is classified as a ‘pseudoleucite-amphibole-phlogopite lamproite’. The Marepalli lamproite shows significant difference in compositional ranges of phlogopite, amphibole, pyroxene and spinel in comparison to those reported from the Vattikod, Gundrapalli, Ramadugu, Somavarigudem and Yacharam lamproites of Ramadugu Lamproite Field. These lamproites are considered to form from a common parent magma under reducing conditions as evidenced from: (1) low tetraferric iron content in phlogopite; (2) low Fe3+# and Ti# in spinels; and (3) high F content in phlogopite and apatite.

Mineralogical, Textural and Chemical Characteristics of Ophiolitic Chromitite and Platinum Group Minerals from Kabaena Island (Indonesia): Their Petrogenetic Nature and Geodynamic Setting

This contribution presents the first systematic mineralogical study of chromite composition, silicates and PGM (platinum group minerals) by electron microprobes in the podiform chromitite of Kabaena Island (Indonesia) mined in the past. The main target of this study is to understand the petrogenetic nature of the parental melt from which the chromitites of Kabaena Island precipitated and, indirectly, define the geodynamic tectonic setting of their emplacement. The evolution of PGM, from the magmatic stage to low-temperature processes, is also discussed. The variation of the Cr# = Cr/(Cr + Al), being comprised between 0.65 and 0.75, is similar to the podiform-type chromitite and indicates the absence of Al-rich chromitite. The calculated composition of the parental melt varies from arc to MORB (mid-ocean ridge basalts). Several grains of olivine and clinopyroxene have been found in the silicate matrix or included in fresh chromite. Olivine shows a composition typical of a hosted mantle, and clinopyroxene is similar to those analyzed in the forearc of an SSZ (supra-subduction zone). Small PGM, varying in size from 1 to 10 μm, occur in the chromitites. The most abundant PGM is laurite, which has been found included in fresh chromite or in contact with ferrian chromite along the cracks in the chromite. Laurite forms polygonal crystals, and it occurs as a single phase or in association with clinopyroxene and amphibole. Tiny blebs of Ir-Os alloy (less than 2 μm across) have been found associated with grains of awaruite in the serpentine gangue of the chromitites. The composition of the investigated chromitites suggests that they formed in the mantle of a forearc ophiolite. All the discovered grains of laurite are considered to be magmatic in origin, i.e., entrapped as solid phases during the crystallization of chromite at temperatures above 1000 °C and a sulfur fugacity below sulfur saturation. Iridium–osmium alloys are secondary in origin and represent a low-temperature, around 400 °C, exsolution product.

Chromite Composition and Platinum-Group Element Distribution in the Proterozoic Chimalpahad Anorthosite Complex, South India: Implications for Magmatic Processes and Discrimination of Tectonic Setting

Abstract The Proterozoic Chimalpahad Anorthosite Complex (CAC) is a deformed and dismembered complex in South India comprising of anorthosite-leucogabbro-gabbro-ultramafic rocks. It is located in the Nellore-Khammam Schist Belt (NKSB) within the contact zone between the Eastern Dharwar Craton (EDC) and the Eastern Ghats Belt (EGB). The chromitites occur as small dismembered lensoidal bodies within the ultramafic rocks. Presence of micrometric inclusions of iridium-like platinum-group minerals (IPGM), such as laurite (RuS2), erlichmanite (OsS2), irarsite (IrAsS), and Ir-Os-Ru alloys, is reported for the first time in the CAC chromites. The chromite cumulates preserve magmatic character (Cr#: 0.61 to 0.77; Mg#: 0.29 to 0.55), while disseminated chromites and rims of some grains (Cr#: 0.59 to 0.89; Mg#: 0.10 to 0.25) show postmagmatic modifications. The chromites are characterised by higher Cr and Al contents and lower Fe and Ti contents. The mineral chemistry of chromites such as Cr# and Mg# contents of Al2O3 (10.05–20.07 wt.%) and TiO2 (0.1 to 0.25 wt.%) typically suggests that the CAC chromitites and their ultramafic hosts were generated from the S-undersaturated boninite melt in a magmatic arc in suprasubduction tectonic setting. A general negative slope of bulk-rock PGE distribution with upward convex pattern is observed for the CAC chromitites in the chondrite-normalized plot. These geochemical and mineral chemical characters in addition to location of the chromitites and the CAC in the tectonic zone between Eastern Dharwar Craton and Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt point towards ophiolitic affinity of the CAC chromitites. Laurite (RuS2) grains are trapped close to the cores of chromites, whereas erlichmanites (OsS2) are trapped away from the cores. Textural relations indicate primary orthomagmatic nature of laurite and Or-Ir-Ru alloys and their precipitation prior to or concomitant with chromite from an S-undersaturated melt at ~1200–1300°C and log fS2 varying between −2 and −1.3. Ru-Os disulfide and erlichmanite crystallized subsequently with a gradual decrease in temperature in the differentiating ultramafic magma. Precipitation of irarsite and base-metal sulfides can be attributed to local and rapid fluctuations of temperature, fS2, and fAs during the formation of the chromitites due to influx of fresh batch of melts or crystallization in an open magmatic system. The compositional variations of laurite-erlichmanite record heterogeneous physicochemical environment during their crystallization. In addition to zoning, preservation of IPGMs in the CAC chromites points towards fast cooling of the magma possibly associated with rapid exhumation of the chromitites and their ultramafic hosts from the roots of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) towards their final emplacement into the crust. Occurrence of the CAC along a linear extension with the Kondapalli Ultramafic Complex and deformed remnants of ophiolites (Kandra and Kanigiri complexes) along the eastern margin of the Eastern Dharwar Craton (EDC) bordering the Eastern Ghats Belt (EGB) indicates this zone to be a Proterozoic convergent margin.

Morphology, composition and dissolution of chromite in the Goro lateritic nickel deposit, New Caledonia: Insight into ophiolite and laterite genesis

The morphological and chemical composition of chromite in the partially-serpentinized harzburgite and oxide zone of two laterite profiles at the Goro lateritic nickel deposit, New Caledonia, were investigated to: (1) establish the melt conditions at the mantle-crust boundary during ophiolite formation, and (2) characterize the weathering of chromite and its role in the goethite maturation model in formation of the oxide zone at the Goro Ni-deposit. Chromite in the Goro harzburgite, despite being highly fractured, is relatively fresh. Dendritic branching of skeletal outgrowths from poikiloblastic chromite, encapsulate partially serpentinised harzburgite and is indicative of a parent melt under changing cooling conditions, varying from supersaturated to undersaturated with localised melt mixing. Compositionally, the refractory nature (Cr#>0.6) of chromite, low (predominantly < 0.05 wt%) TiO2 content and high logFe2+:Fe3+ ratio values of 14–16 indicate a highly depleted and reduced peridotite melt with boninite-type affinity of suprasubduction provenance. Furthermore, the high Cr# of Goro chromite may define a compositional end-member along a continuum of Al2O3-Cr2O3 exchange with a relatively consistent (i.e., 25–35 wt%) FeO content, from the Goro deposit (Cr > Al) in the south-east through to high-Al chromite (Cr < Al) at Poum in the north-west of New Caledonia. In the oxide horizon, extensive surface etching and development of solution channels throughout chromite grains, supports both their abiotic and biogenically mediated dissolution. Abiotic dissolution is evidenced by the tessellation of surface etching features and epitactic oxidation of chromite to Cr-substituted hematite. Extensive development of meandering dissolution channels through the grain interior and the precipitation of locally elevated Mn (to 3–4 wt%) that juxtapose areas depleted in Cr but elevated in Al, Mg and Fe support the inferred role of Mn-oxidizing bacteria in the preferential dissolution of Cr from chromite. Preferential leaching of Cr from chromite, whether by abiotic and/or biogenic means, feeds into the mineralogical evolution of the oxide zone at Goro and supports an alternative crystallisation model via a ‘green-rust-like’ precursor for the formation of poly-metallic-substituted goethite.

Differences in composition of chromites from low-Ti and high-Ti picrites of the Emeishan Large Igneous Province and comparison with chromites of the UG-2 platinum-deposit of the Bushveld complex

Chromite is among the first minerals to crystallize from mantle derived magmas and one of the last to be consumed during partial melting of the mantle. Chromite is also an important mineral in major ore deposits of Cr and Pt. The composition of chromite could, therefore be of use in interpreting the petrogenetic conditions during partial melting of the mantle, crystallization of primitive magmas and formation of Pt and Cr ore deposits. However, most mafic rocks contain very little chromite and post-crystallization processes such as re-equilibration during cooling, metamorphism and weathering could change the composition. The composition of chromites from high- and low-Ti picrites from the Emeishan large igneous province have been determined to assess the degree to which the chromite compositions reflect the melt compositions. Aluminium, Sc, Ti, Ga, Nb, Sn, Hf and Ta concentrations in the chromites do appear to reflect the melt compositions in that they correlate with the whole rock compositions and have empirical partition coefficients similar to those determined in experiments. The V contents of both types of picrite are similar, but concentrations of chromites from high-Ti picrites are higher than those of low-Ti picrites. This can be explained if, in the high-Ti picrite more of the V was in the V3+ state (which can more readily substitute into chromite than V4+ or V5+) than in the low-Ti picrite. This implies that fO2 was lower for high-Ti picrites than low-Ti picrites. Concentrations of elements with a 2+ charge, Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Zn are different in chromites included in olivine and chromites in the matrix and appear to have re-equilbrated. The compositions of the UG-2 chromites from the World's largest Pt deposit show some similarities with the chromites from the high-Ti picrite, but are depleted in Sc and Ti and enriched in Ga and Al.

Mechanism of formation of podiform chromitite: Insights from the oxidation states of podiform chromitites and host peridotites from the Luobusa ophiolite, southern Tibet

Although the mechanism of formation of podiform chromitite is debated, oxygen fugacity (fO2) is likely one of the controlling factors, although the detailed mechanisms are poorly understood. To provide insight into this issue, we determine the Fe3+/∑Fe ratio of chromite via Mӧssbauer spectrometry, and from this calculate the fO2 of chromitites, dunite envelopes, dunite lenses, and their host peridotites in the Luobusa ophiolite in southern Tibet. The fO2 (−1.49 to −0.52 log units relative to the fayalite–magnetite–quartz buffer) and mineral chemistry of the host peridotites are similar to those of both abyssal and forearc peridotites. Higher fO2 values of the dunites and chromitites (−0.65 to −0.33, 0.69 to 1.13, and −0.46 to 0.64 log units for the dunite lenses, dunite envelopes, and chromitites, respectively) relative to those of host peridotites must have been inherited from their parental magmas. Both chromite compositions and the fO2 of the dunites and chromitites are similar to those in boninite-like rocks. Importantly, there is a previously unrecognized but marked decrease in fO2 from the dunite envelopes to the chromitites. This decrease is intimately related to the chromitite-forming processes and preferably explained as the result of the exsolution of oxidized fluids from high-fO2 magmas during subduction initiation.

Melilite-olivine neрhelinites of Mt. Tabaat (Makhtesh Ramon, Israel): Geological, petrographic and geochemical characteristics and conditions of genesis

Research subject. The melilite-olivine nephelinite subvolcanic body Tabaat, which includes melilite rocks found for the first time on the territory of Levant.Materials and methods. The chemical composition of minerals (about 400 analyzes) was determined out on a CAMECA SX-100 microanalyzer equipped with five wave spectrometers with crystal analyzers TAP, LPET and LLIF. The elemental composition was measured at an accelerating voltage of 15 kV, an electron beam current of 40 nA. The oxygen concentration was calculated from the condition of stoichiometric composition of silicate minerals and chromite. In addition, the results of earlier studies of minerals (150 analyses) and data on melt inclusions were used.Results. The Tabaat subvolcanic body, which is part of the Early Cretaceous olivine-basalt-basanite-nephelinite association Makhtesh Ramona (Negev, Israel), has a complex concentrically-zonal structure, with olivine melanephelinites in the peripheral zone, melilite-olivine melanephelinites in the central and connecting zones normative and, less often, melilite-containing melanephelinites. Prismatic separation is widely manifested in the rocks. The fold-like bending and concave-curved edges of the prisms are a reflection of the plastic state of the cooling body and its ability to compress and accommodate a high fluid pressure, which develops during the formation of melilite nephelinites.Conclusion. All mineral diversity of rocks of the Mt. Tabaat is a derivative of a single portion of magmatic melt under conditions of its adiabatic cooling at the place of stabilization. A special role in the course of crystallization of the massif belongs to minerals with a high water content – analcime, zeolites, iddingsites, bowlingites and saponite-celadonites, which indicate the deuteric stage of its development. The study of melt inclusions in olivine and clinopyroxene showed the continuity of their composition with the composition of host melilite nephelinites and the importance of incongruent melting during the formation of melilite, which is a product of the reaction of nepheline with olivine or clinopyroxene.

Platinum and gold placer from Tugidak Island, Alaska: Platinum-group minerals and their inclusions, gold, and chromite mineralogy

ABSTRACT Black sand beach placers from Kodiak, Sitkinak, and Tugidak Islands, Alaska, have been mined intermittently for gold and minor platinum-group alloys for more than 100 years. High-grade platinum-rich magnetic separate and accompanying black sand from the southern beach placer of Tugidak Island were studied using electron microprobe WDS and scanning electron microscope EDS; mineral classification and identification were based on these techniques. The major platinum mineral is isoferroplatinum, followed by minor tetraferroplatinum and tulameenite, and rare ferronickelplatinum. Two types of alteration were identified in about 3–4% of the alloy grains: rim formation involving Pt loss and increased Fe, Ni, and/or Cu, and fracturing and vein filling by Cu-rich alloy. Ruthenium-Ir-Os-Pt alloys occur as inclusions and veins as well as form part of composite grains. Ten percent of the alloy grains contain a large variety of platinum-group minerals (PGM). Inclusions of cuprorhodsite, malanite, cuproiridsite, laurite, erlichmanite, cooperite, braggite, bowieite, kashinite, miassite, hollingworthite, irarsite, sperrylite, stillwaterite, genkinite, stibiopalladinite, keithconnite, zvyagintsevite, and probable palladodymite and vincentite were identified. Two unidentified inclusion phases also occur. Most of the PGM inclusions are primary and were trapped by a growing crystal from a melt; some inclusions exhibit textures that suggest trapping of an As,Te,S-rich immiscible melt. Secondary inclusions and evidence of deformation were observed in a few alloy grains. Associated with PGM inclusions or as separate inclusions are various base-metal sulfides. Two silicate-melt inclusions in one isoferroplatinum grain have an andesite–shoshonite composition. Minor gold and Ag-rich gold in the high-grade magnetic separate contain magnetite, pyrrhotite, and chromite inclusions. The gold composition suggests that their sources are the numerous quartz veins and apophyses related to granitoids on Kodiak Island. The composition of the placer chromite is similar to chromite from the Border Ranges mélange fault system and suggests that the Uyak Complex ultramafic and mafic rocks are part of a supra-subduction-zone ophiolite and are the source of the platinum-group minerals.

Testing Trace-Element Distribution and the Zr-Based Thermometry of Accessory Rutile from Chromitite

Trace element distribution and Zr-in-rutile temperature have been investigated in accessory rutile from stratiform (UG2, Merensky Reef, Jacurici), podiform (Loma Peguera), and metamorphic chromitites in cratonic shields (Cedrolina, Nuasahi). Rutile from chromitite has typical finger-print of Cr-V-Nb-W-Zr, whose relative abundance distinguishes magmatic from metamorphic chromitite. In magmatic deposits, rutile precipitates as an intercumulus phase, or forms by exsolution from chromite, between 870 °C and 540 °C. The Cr-V in rutile reflects the composition of chromite, both Nb and Zr are moderately enriched, and W is depleted, except for in Jacurici, where moderate W excess was a result of crustal contamination of the mafic magma. In metamorphic deposits, rutile forms by removal of Ti-Cr-V from chromite during metamorphism between 650 °C and 400 °C, consistent with greenschist-amphibolite facies, and displays variable Cr-Nb, low V-Zr, and anomalous enrichment in W caused by reaction with felsic fluids emanating from granitoid intrusions. All deposits, except Cedrolina, contain Rutile+PGM composite grains (&lt;10 µm) locked in chromite, possibly representing relics of orthomagmatic assemblages. The high Cr-V content and the distinctive W-Nb-Zr signature that typifies accessory rutile in chromitite provide a new pathfinder to trace the provenance of detrital rutile in placer deposits.