Melt Evolution Research Articles

Evolution of melts and fluids during the crust and mantle formation in Neo-Archean—Paleo-Proterozoic. Stratigraphic effects

Evolution of melts and fluids during the crust and mantle formation in Neo-Archean—Paleo-Proterozoic. Stratigraphic effects

Variscan metagranitoids in the central Tauern Window (Eastern Alps, Austria) and their role in the formation of the Felbertal scheelite deposit

The W mineralised Early Carboniferous orthogneisses (K1 and K3 orthogneiss) in the Felbertal scheelite deposit represent a chemically evolved metagranitoid series. Some of its characteristics are high concentrations of F (<4438ppm), Nb (<86ppm), Ta (<13ppm), and U (<74ppm) and REE patterns with distinct negative Eu-anomalies (Eu/Eu*=0.24–0.48) and increasing HREE concentrations (LuN/HoN=1.93–2.81). The systematic chemical trends documented for a multitude of elements (e.g., SiO2, TiO2, P2O5, Ba, Nb, Ta) and their respective ratios (e.g., 1/TiO2, Nb/Ta, Zr/Hf) indicate that crystal-melt fractionation controlled the evolution of the granitic melts. The higher differentiated, peraluminous light-coloured K1-K3 variety (ASI=0.99–1.08, Nb/Ta=5–7, Zr/Hf=13–18) evolved from the less differentiated, metaluminous dark-coloured variety (ASI=0.93–1.03; Nb/Ta=6–10, Zr/Hf=18–24). Peraluminous holo-leucocratic aplite gneiss represents the most evolved member of the series (ASI=1.11–1.12, Nb/Ta=4, Zr/Hf=9–10). Modelling of magmatic differentiation assuming Rayleigh fractionation shows that c. 70–90% of the residual granitic magma had crystallised at the time of the emplacement of the aplites. When compared to barren metagranitoids in the central Tauern Window (“Zentralgneis”), the metaluminous dark-coloured K1-K3 orthogneiss shows some geochemical similarities with the peraluminous Felbertauern augengneiss, one of the regional orthogneisses exposed near the W deposit. Elevated concentrations of Nb (<36ppm), Ta (<5.3ppm) and U (<30ppm) distinguish it from other regional Zentralgneis types and illustrate its genetic relation with the K1-K3 orthogneiss. We propose that the Felbertauern augengneiss represents a peraluminous granitic melt, generated by melting of a source assemblage containing hydrous F-bearing minerals (i.e., biotite). Progressive dehydration melting of the same (or a similar source) at higher temperature involving a Ca-phase (i.e., hornblende) produced melt batches of metaluminous composition; i.e., dark-coloured K1-K3 orthogneiss. An alternative model for explaining the unusual chemical characteristics of the latter would be entrainment and separation of a peritectic and restitic accessory mineral assemblage co-existing with the granitic melt. Higher contents of fluxing elements such as F in the melt may have been responsible for lowering the solidus temperature of the granitic melts allowing concentration of W and other elements in the residual melts and later on in the exsolved magmatic hydrothermal fluids. These processes were a pre-requisite for the development of highly specialised W-rich granitic melts and formation of the world-class Felbertal scheelite deposit.

Zircon record of fractionation, hydrous partial melting and thermal gradients at different depths in oceanic crust (ODP Site 735B, South-West Indian Ocean)

Felsic veins (plagiogranites) are distributed throughout the whole oceanic crust section and offer insight into late-magmatic/high temperature hydrothermal processes within the oceanic crust. Despite constituting only 0.5% of the oceanic crust section drilled in IODP Site 735B, they carry a significant budget of incompatible elements, which they redistribute within the crust. Such melts are saturated in accessory minerals, such as zircon, titanite and apatite, and often zircon is the only remaining phase that preserves magmatic composition and records processes of felsic melt formation and evolution. In this study, we analysed zircon from four depths in IODP Site 735B; they come from the oxide gabbro (depth approximately 250 m below sea floor) and plagiogranite (depths c. 500, 860, 940 m below sea floor). All zircons have similar εHf composition of c. 15 units indicating an isotopically homogenous source for the mafic magmas forming IODP Site 735B gabbro. Zircons from oxide gabbro are scarce and variable in composition consistent with their crystallization from melts formed by both fractionation of mafic magmas and hydrous remelting of gabbro cumulate. On the other hand, zircon from plagiogranite is abundant and each sample is characterized by compositional trends consistent with crystallization of zircon in an evolving melt. However, the trends are different between the plagiogranite at 500 m bsf and the deeper sections, which are interpreted as the record of plagiogranite formation by two processes: remelting of gabbro cumulate at 500 m bsf and fractionation at deeper sections. Zircon from both oxide gabbro and plagiogranite has δ18O from 3.5 to 6.0‰. Values of δ18O are best explained by redistribution of δ18O in a thermal gradient and not by remelting of hydrothermally altered crust. Tentatively, it is suggested that fractionation could be an older episode contemporaneous with gabbro crystallization and remelting could be a younger one, triggered by deformation and uplift of the crustal pile.

Petrogenesis and provenance of ungrouped achondrite Northwest Africa 7325 from petrology, trace elements, oxygen, chromium and titanium isotopes, and mid-IR spectroscopy

Northwest Africa (NWA) 7325 is an ungrouped achondrite that has recently been recognized as a sample of ancient differentiated crust from either Mercury or a previously unknown asteroid. In this work we augment data from previous investigations on petrography and mineral compositions, mid-IR spectroscopy, and oxygen isotope compositions of NWA 7325, and add constraints from Cr and Ti isotope compositions on the provenance of its parent body. In addition, we identify and discuss notable similarities between NWA 7325 and clasts of a rare xenolithic lithology found in polymict ureilites.NWA 7325 has a medium grained, protogranular to poikilitic texture, and consists of 10–15vol.% Mg-rich olivine (Fo 98), 25–30vol.% diopside (Wo 45, Mg# 98), 55–60vol.% Ca-rich plagioclase (An 90), and trace Cr-rich sulfide and Fe,Ni metal. We interpret this meteorite to be a cumulate that crystallized at ⩾1200°C and very low oxygen fugacity (similar to the most reduced ureilites) from a refractory, incompatible element-depleted melt. Modeling of trace elements in plagioclase suggests that this melt formed by fractional melting or multi-stage igneous evolution. A subsequent event (likely impact) resulted in plagioclase being substantially remelted, reacting with a small amount of pyroxene, and recrystallizing with a distinctive texture.The bulk oxygen isotope composition of NWA 7325 plots in the range of ureilites on the CCAM line, and also on a mass-dependent fractionation line extended from acapulcoites. The ε54Cr and ε50Ti values of NWA 7325 exhibit deficits relative to terrestrial composition, as do ordinary chondrites and most achondrites. Its ε54Cr value is distinct from that of any analyzed ureilite, but is not resolved from that of acapulcoites (as represented by Acapulco).In terms of all these properties, NWA 7325 is unlike any known achondrite. However, a rare population of clasts found in polymict ureilites (“the magnesian anorthitic lithology”) are strikingly similar to NWA 7325 in mineralogy and mineral compositions, oxygen isotope compositions, and internal textures in plagioclase. These clasts are probably xenolithic in polymict ureilites, and could be pieces of NWA 7325-like meteorites.Using constraints from chromium, titanium and oxygen isotopes, we discuss two possible models for the provenance of the NWA 7325 parent body: (1) accretion in the inner solar system from a reservoir similar to that of acapulcoites in Δ17O, ε54Cr and ε50Ti; or (2) early (<1Ma after CAI formation) accretion in the outer solar system (beyond the snow line), before 54Cr and 50Ti anomalies were introduced to this region of the solar system. The mid-IR emission spectrum of NWA 7325 obtained in this work matches its modal mineralogy, and so can be compared with spectra of new meteorites or asteroids/planets to help identify similar materials and/or the parent body of NWA 7325.

A Preconditioner for the Ohta--Kawasaki Equation

We propose a new preconditioner for the Ohta--Kawasaki equation, a nonlocal Cahn--Hilliard equation that describes the evolution of diblock copolymer melts. We devise a computable approximation to the inverse of the Schur complement of the coupled second-order formulation via a matching strategy. The preconditioner achieves mesh independence: as the mesh is refined, the number of Krylov iterations required for its solution remains approximately constant. In addition, the preconditioner is robust with respect to the interfacial thickness parameter if a timestep criterion is satisfied. This enables the highly resolved finite element simulation of three-dimensional diblock copolymer melts with over 1 billion degrees of freedom.

Felsic magmas of the caldera-forming eruptions on the Iturup Island: the first results of studies of melt inclusions in phenocrysts from pumices of the Lvinaya Past and Vetrovoy Isthmus calderas

The paper reports the first results of the petrological studies of magmatic melts that formed siliceous pyroclastic deposits related to voluminous eruptions on Iturup Island. The caldera-forming eruptions of the Lvinaya Past and the Vetrovoy Isthmus, having similar features, resulted from the evolution of silicic melts that originated from partial melting of metabasalts. According to the mineral thermometry results, the melt was crystallized at ~800°C. The phenocrysts from the Vetrovoy Isthmus pumices were crystallized at <1 kbar, while those from the Lvinaya Past were formed at higher pressures. The pyroclastic rock compositions in both calderas correspond to moderately aluminous dacite and rhyolitic dacite of the normal series, whose melts likely did not undergo significant crystallization differentiation before the eruptions. The main volatile components of the magma include H2O, CO2, S, F, and Cl. Degassing with emission of water–carbon-dioxide fluid accompanied the early crystallization of plagioclase in the Vetrovoy Isthmus pumice. Evidence of pre-eruption melt degassing in the Lvinaya Past were not found. Water release from the melts may be related to both the early magma degassing and the eruptions. The lack of data evidencing the deep differentiation and mixing of contrasting melts implies a relatively small time period between the acid melt appearance and eruptions.

Apatite trace element and isotope applications to petrogenesis and provenance

Apatite is an excellent tracer of petrogenetic processes as it can incorporate a large range of elements that are sensitive to melt evolution (LREE-MREE, Sr, Pb, Mn, halogens, Nd isotopes). Recent advances in the understanding of trace element concentrations and isotope ratios in apatite provide a novel tool to investigate magmatic petrogenesis and sediment provenance. Recent experimental work has better characterized trace element partition coefficients for apatite which are sensitive to changes in magma composition (e.g. SiO2 and the Aluminium Saturation Index value). The chemistry of apatites from granitoids has been suggested to reflect the composition of the host magma and yield information about petrogenetic processes that are invisible at the whole rock scale (mixing, in-situ crystal fractionation, metasomatism). Nd isotopes in apatite can now be analysed by LA-MC-ICP-MS to constrain mantle and crustal contributions to the source(s) of the studied magma. These recent advances highlight exciting new horizons to understand igneous processes using accessory minerals. In this contribution, we use a compilation of recent data to show that apatite in the matrix and as inclusions within zircon and titanite is useful for providing insights into the nature and petrogenesis of the parental magma. Trace element modelling from in-situ analyses of apatite and titanite can reliably estimate the original magma composition, using appropriate partition coefficients and careful imaging. This provides a new way to look at magmatic petrogenesis that have been overprinted by metamorphic processes. It also provides the rationale for new investigations of sedimentary provenance using detrital accessory minerals, and could provide a powerful new window into early Earth processes if applied to Archean or Hadean samples.

Dynamics of unstable continental subduction: Insights from numerical modeling

Numerical experiments are used in this study to systematically investigate the effects of convergence rate, crustal rheological strength, and lithospheric thermal structure on the dynamics of continental collision. The study focuses on the types, conditions and processes of unstable continental subduction. Modelling results suggest that the development of unstable continental subduction can be promoted by conditions that tend to decrease rheological strength of the lithosphere, such as low crustal rheological strength, “hot” thermal structure of the lithosphere, or low convergence rate. Unstable subduction mode can be further categorized into three types: (1) multi-stage slab breakoff, (2) continuously “flowing” of fluid-like slab into the upper mantle, and (3) large-scale detachment of the thickened orogenic root. These three types of unstable continental subduction are respectively associated with (1) a low convergence rate, (2) “hot” thermal structure of the lithosphere with a high convergence rate, and (3) moderate-high crustal rheological strength with a low convergence rate. It is also revealed that the evolution of crustal melting is dominated by the deformation pattern of continental collision, which is mainly controlled by crustal rheological strength. The modelling results have important implications for understanding of continental subduction mode selection under specific geodynamic conditions.

The origin of nelsonite constrained by melting experiment and melt inclusions in apatite: The Damiao anorthosite complex, North China Craton

Models for the nelsonite formation are currently highly contentious, with liquid immiscibility and fractional crystallization as frequently proposed formation mechanisms. The nelsonites in the Damiao massif anorthosite complex in the North China Craton are revisited here together with experimental evidence for the existence of silica-free CaO-FeO-Fe2O3-TiO2-P2O5 immiscible nelsonitic liquids. Our results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and internally heated pressure vessel (IHPV) demonstrate that nelsonite with the composition of one-third apatite and two-thirds Fe-Ti oxides by weight 1) completely melts well above 1450°C at dry condition, which is in good agreement with numerous experimental studies of the CaO-P2O5-FexO system for metallurgical purposes; 2) does not melt at the temperature up to 1200°C with presence of considerable amount of volatiles, e.g., fluorine and water. Therefore, the composition of the nelsonite cannot be molten at temperatures relevant for crystallization of the Damiao magma. A review of experimental studies of liquid immiscibility and analyses of natural immiscible glasses show that all the liquids on the Fe- and P-rich side of the miscibility gap have at least 20wt.% of aluminosilicate components.Analyses of apatite-hosted melt inclusions from Damiao nelsonite provide further constraints on the nelsonite formation. The inclusions range from ~3 to 200μm in diameter. They are ubiquitous and meet all the morphological criteria of primary melt inclusions crystallized into assemblages of daughter minerals. Almost all assemblages contain vermiculite and/or chlorite, and some contain biotite, amphibole and Fe-Ti oxide. Melt compositions of individual inclusions has been estimated based on modal proportions and mineral compositions of daughter phases. The inclusions show large variations in SiO2 (20.8–50.2wt.%) and FeOt (13.4–32.8wt.%). With a few exceptions, the inclusions are very low in CaO (<1.5wt.%) and high in Al2O3 (10.0–21.2wt.%). The low total values indicate very hydrated nature of the melt inclusions. The melt inclusions were also re-heated at 1200°C by IHPV. Glasses from partly to fully homogenized melt inclusions show similar compositional characteristics as the bulk compositions from the crystallized melt inclusions but incorporated excessive melting of the host apatite. It appears that the cumulus apatite crystallized from hydrated late-stage immiscible Fe-rich melt formed by liquid immiscibility occurred in the relatively early stage, i.e. prior to the arrival of aqueous fluid phase. We propose that the inclusions at Damiao record a trend of late-stage melt evolution, which have been through silicate liquid immiscibility but most likely have been strongly affected by separation of a magmatic fluid phase and loss of alkali and Ca silicate components from the melt into the fluid.

Kimberlite age in the Arkhangelsk Province, Russia: Isotopic geochronologic Rb–Sr and 40Ar/39Ar and mineralogical data on phlogopite

The paper reports detailed data on phlogopite from kimberlite of three facies types in the Arkhangelsk Diamondiferous Province (ADP): (i) massive magmatic kimberlite (Ermakovskaya-7 Pipe), (ii) transitional type between massive volcaniclastic and magmatic kimberlite (Grib Pipe), and (iii) volcanic kimberlite (Karpinskii-1 and Karpinskii-2 pipes). Kimberlite from the Ermakovskaya-7 Pipe contains only groundmass phlogopite. Kimberlite from the Grib Pipe contains a number of phlogopite populations: megacrysts, macrocrysts, matrix phlogopite, and this mineral in xenoliths. Phlogopite macrocrysts and matrix phlogopite define a single compositional trend reflecting the evolution of the kimberlite melt. The composition points of phlogopite from the xenoliths lie on a single crystallization trend, i.e., the mineral also crystallized from kimberlite melt, which likely actively metasomatized the host rocks from which the xenoliths were captured. Phlogopite from volcaniclastic kimberlite from the Karpinskii-1 and Karpinskii-2 pipes does not show either any clearly distinct petrographic setting or compositional differentiation. The kimberlite was dated by the Rb–Sr technique on phlogopite and additionally by the 40Ar/39Ar method. Because it is highly probable that phlogopite from all pipes crystallized from kimberlite melt, the crystallization age of the kimberlite can be defined as 376 ± 3 Ma for the Grib Pipe, 380 ± 2 Ma for the Karpinskii-1 pipe, 375 ± 2 Ma for the Karpinskii-2 Pipe, and 377 ± 0.4 Ma for the Ermakovskaya-7 Pipe. The age of the pipes coincides within the error and suggests that the melts of the pipes were emplaced almost simultaneously. Our geochronologic data on kimberlite emplacement in ADP lie within the range of 380 ± 2 to 375 ± Ma and coincide with most age values for Devonian alkaline–ultramafic complexes in the Kola Province: 379 ± 5 Ma; Arzamastsev and Wu, 2014). These data indicate that the kimberlite was formed during the early evolution of the Kola Province, when alkaline–ultramafic complexes (including those with carbonatite) were emplaced.

Effect of melt composition on crustal carbonate assimilation: Implications for the transition from calcite consumption to skarnification and associated CO2 degassing

AbstractSkarns are residue of relatively low‐temperature magma‐induced decarbonation in the crust largely associated with silicic plutons. Mafic magmatic intrusions are also capable of releasing excess CO2 due to carbonate assimilation. However, the effect of mafic to silicic melt evolution on the decarbonation processes, in addition to temperature controls on carbonate‐intrusive magmatic systems, particularly at continental arcs, remains unclear. In this study, experiments performed in a piston cylinder apparatus at midcrustal depth (0.5 GPa) at supersolidus temperatures (900–1200°C) document calcite interaction with andesite and dacite melts at equilibrium under closed‐system conditions at calcite saturation in a 1:1 melt‐calcite ratio by weight. With increasing silica content in the starting melt, at similar melt fractions and identical pressure, assimilation decreases drastically (≤65% andesite‐calcite to ≤18% dacite‐calcite). In conjunction, the CaO/SiO2 ratio in melts resulting from calcite assimilation in andesitic starting material is &gt;1, but ≤0.3 in those formed from dacite‐calcite interaction. With increasing silica‐content in the starting melt skarn mineralogy, particularly wollastonite, increases in modal abundance while diopsidic clinopyroxene decreases slightly. More CO2 is released with andesite‐calcite reaction (≤2.9 × 1011 g/y) than with more skarn‐like dacite‐calcite interaction (≤8.1 × 1010 g/y, at one volcano assuming respective calcite‐free‐superliquidus conditions and a magma flux of 1012 g/y). Our experimental results thus suggest that calcite assimilation in more mafic magmas may have first degassed a significant amount of crustal carbon before the melt evolves to more silicic compositions, producing skarn. Crustal decarbonation in long‐lived magmatic systems may hence deliver significant albeit diminishing amounts of carbon to the atmosphere and contribute to long‐term climate change.

Geochemical characterization and petrogenesis of mafic granulites from the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ)

Abstract A mafic magmatic sequence of the Bhandara–Balaghat Granulite (BBG) Belt is represented by gabbroic rocks containing orthopyroxene (Opx)–clinopyroxene (Cpx)–plagioclase (Pl)–hornblende±quartz±garnet and showing tholeiitic affinity. These rocks are divided into two groups: (I) garnet-bearing; and (II) garnet-free. The garnet-bearing group is characterized by nearly flat REE patterns. In the multi-element plots, Sr, Zr and Ti show negative anomalies, indicating plagioclase, Ti-magnetite and apatite fractionation. The garnet-free rocks are geochemically subdivided into two subgroups: IIa and IIb. Subgroup IIa is marked by flat REE patterns; the LREE shows 20–30 times chondrite abundances and small positive Eu anomalies. Multi-element patterns show negative anomalies of Nb, P and Ti. Subgroup IIb is characterized by slightly enriched patterns; the LREE shows 10–60 times chondrite abundances. The REE patterns for the Subgroup IIb show moderately to highly fractionated LREE with flat HREE. Multi-element plots show negative anomalies in Nb, Ti and Zr. The Nd–Ce relationship suggests that mafic granulites of the BBGs are derived from higher degrees (Group I, c. 15–30%; Subgroup IIa, c. 20–40%; and Subgroup IIb, c. 18–35%) of partial melting of variably enriched mantle sources, followed by the evolution of the parental melt by fractional crystallization of Opx–Cpx–Pl. The geochemical signatures also suggest that the magma was further modified by crustal contamination during the course of its evolution. The Nd ( T DM ) model ages, which vary from 3.2 to 1.6 Ga, suggest a long-term evolution of the mafic granulites, possibly starting with overprinting of the isotope composition of their mantle source by crustal isotope signatures as a consequence of crustal recycling; evolving by emplacement and crystallization of the protolith at 2.7 Ga, as well as through later tectonotermal events up to granulite-facies metamorphism and exhumation of the BBG Belt during the collision of the Archaean Bundelkhand and Bastar cratons, and the formation of the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ) at 1.5 Ga.

Trace element composition of silicate inclusions in sub-lithospheric diamonds from the Juina-5 kimberlite: Evidence for diamond growth from slab melts

The trace element compositions of inclusions in sub-lithospheric diamonds from the Juina-5 kimberlite, Brazil, are presented. Literature data for mineral/melt partition coefficients were collated, refitted and employed to interpret inclusion compositions. As part of this process an updated empirical model for predicting the partitioning behaviour of trivalent cations for garnet–melt equilibrium calibrated using data from 73 garnet-melt pairs is presented. High levels of trace element enrichment in inclusions interpreted as former calcium silicate perovskite and majoritic garnet preclude their origin as fragments of an ambient deep mantle assemblage. Inclusions believed to represent former bridgmanite minerals also display a modest degree of enrichment relative to mantle phases. The trace element compositions of ‘NAL’ and ‘CF phase’ minerals are also reported. Negative Eu, Ce, and Y/Ho anomalies alongside depletions of Sr, Hf and Zr in many inclusions are suggestive of formation from a low-degree carbonatitic melt of subducted oceanic crust. Observed enrichments in garnet and ‘calcium perovskite’ inclusions limit depths of melting to less than ~600km, prior to calcium perovskite saturation in subducting assemblages. Less enriched inclusions in sub-lithospheric diamonds from other global localities may represent deeper diamond formation. Modelled source rock compositions that are capable of producing melts in equilibrium with Juina-5 ‘calcium perovskite’ and majorite inclusions are consistent with subducted MORB. Global majorite inclusion compositions suggest a common process is responsible for the formation of many superdeep diamonds, irrespective of geographic locality. Global transition zone inclusion compositions are reproduced by fractional crystallisation from a single parent melt, suggesting that they record the crystallisation sequence and melt evolution during this interaction of slab melts with ambient mantle. All observations are consistent with the previous hypothesis that many superdeep diamonds are created as slab-derived carbonatites interact with peridotitic mantle in the transition zone.

Conditions of crystallization of olivine shonkinites in the Inagli massif (Central Aldan)

The olivine shonkinites localized among dunites and alkali gabbroids in the northern part of the alkaline ultrabasic Inagli massif (northwestern part of Central Aldan) have been studied. The obtained data on the chemical and trace-element compositions of the rocks and minerals and the results of melt inclusion study showed that the olivine shonkinites crystallized from alkaline basanite melt enriched in Cl, S, CO2, and trace elements. Clinopyroxene crystallized at 1180-1200 °C from a homogeneous silicate-salt melt, which was probably separated into immiscible silicate and carbonate-salt fractions with temperature decreasing. The composition of the silicate fraction evolved from alkaline basanite to alkaline trachyte. The carbonate-salt fraction had an alkaline carbonate composition and was enriched in S and Cl. The same trend of evolution of clinopyroxene-hosted melts and the igneous rocks of the Inagli massif suggests that the alkali gabbroids, melanocratic alkali syenites, and pulaskites formed from the same magma, which had a near-alkaline basanite composition during its crystallization differentiation. The geochemical studies showed that the olivine shonkinites and glasses of homogenized melt inclusions in clinopyroxene grains have similar contents of trace elements, one or two orders of magnitude higher than those in the primitive mantle. The high contents of LILE (K, Rb, and Sr) and LREE in the olivine shoshonites and homogenized inclusions suggest the enriched mantle source, and the negative anomalies of HFSE and Ti are a specific feature of igneous rocks formed with the participation of crustal material. The slight depletion in HREE relative to LREE and the high (La/Yb)n ratios in the rocks and inclusion glasses (10.0-11.4 and 4.7-6.2, respectively) suggest the presence of garnet in the mantle source.

Petrographic and melt-inclusion constraints on the petrogenesis of a magmaclast from the Venetia kimberlite cluster, South Africa

Kimberlitic magmaclasts are discrete ovoid magmatic fragments that formed prior to emplacement from disrupted kimberlite magma. To provide new constraints on the origin and evolution of the kimberlite melts, we document the mineralogy and petrography of a magmaclast recovered from one of the ca. 520Ma Venetia kimberlites, South Africa. The sample (BI9883) has a sub-spherical shape and consists of a~10mm diameter central olivine macrocryst, surrounded by porphyritic kimberlite. The kimberlitic material consists of concentrically aligned, altered olivine phenocrysts, set in a crystalline groundmass of calcite, chromite, perovskite, phlogopite, apatite, ilmenite, titanite, sulphides, rutile and magnetite along with abundant alteration phases (i.e. serpentine, talc and secondary calcite). These features are typical of archetypal hypabyssal kimberlites.We examined primary fluid/melt inclusions in chromite, perovskite and apatite containing a diversity of daughter phases. Chromite and perovskite host polycrystalline inclusions containing abundant alkali-carbonates (i.e. enriched in K, Na, Ba, Sr), phosphates, Na-K chlorides, sulphides and equal to lesser quantities of olivine, phlogopite and pleonaste. In contrast, apatite hosts polycrystalline assemblages with abundant alkali-carbonates and Na-K chlorides and lesser amounts of olivine, monticellite and phlogopite. Numerous solid inclusions of shortite (Na2Ca2(CO3)3), Na-Sr-carbonates and apatite occur in groundmass calcite along with fluid inclusions containing daughter crystals of Na-carbonates and Na-chlorides. The primary inclusions in chromite, perovskite and apatite are considered to represent remnants of fluid(s)/melt(s) trapped during crystallisation of the host minerals, whereas the fluid inclusions in calcite are probably secondary in origin. The component proportions of these primary fluid/melt inclusions were estimated in an effort to constrain the composition of the evolving kimberlite melt. These estimates suggest melt evolution from a silicate-carbonate kimberlite melt that became increasingly enriched in carbonates, phosphates, alkalis and chlorides, in response to the fractional crystallisation of constituent minerals (i.e. olivine to apatite).The concentric alignment of crystals around the olivine kernel and ovoid shape of the magmaclast can be ascribed to the low viscosity of the kimberlite melt and rapid rotation whilst in a liquid or partial crystalline state, or to progressive layer-by-layer growth of the magmaclast. Although the mineralogy of our sample is similar to hypabyssal kimberlites worldwide, it differs from hypabyssal kimberlite units in the main Venetia pipes, which contain monticellite-phlogopite rich assemblages and segregationary matrix textures. Therefore magmaclast BI9883 probably originated from a batch of magma distinct from those that produced known hypabyssal units within the Venetia kimberlite cluster.

Characterization of mesostasis regions in lunar basalts: Understanding late‐stage melt evolution and its influence on apatite formation

AbstractRecent studies geared toward understanding the volatile abundances of the lunar interior have focused on the volatile‐bearing accessory mineral apatite. Translating measurements of volatile abundances in lunar apatite into the volatile inventory of the silicate melts from which they crystallized, and ultimately of the mantle source regions of lunar magmas, however, has proved more difficult than initially thought. In this contribution, we report a detailed characterization of mesostasis regions in four Apollo mare basalts (10044, 12064, 15058, and 70035) in order to ascertain the compositions of the melts from which apatite crystallized. The texture, modal mineralogy, and reconstructed bulk composition of these mesostasis regions vary greatly within and between samples. There is no clear relationship between bulk‐rock basaltic composition and that of bulk‐mesostasis regions, indicating that bulk‐rock composition may have little influence on mesostasis compositions. The development of individual melt pockets, combined with the occurrence of silicate liquid immiscibility, exerts greater control on the composition and texture of mesostasis regions. In general, the reconstructed late‐stage lunar melts have roughly andesitic to dacitic compositions with low alkali contents, displaying much higher SiO2 abundances than the bulk compositions of their host magmatic rocks. Relevant partition coefficients for apatite‐melt volatile partitioning under lunar conditions should, therefore, be derived from experiments conducted using intermediate compositions instead of compositions representing mare basalts.

The evolution of calcite-bearing kimberlites by melt-rock reaction: evidence from polymineralic inclusions within clinopyroxene and garnet megacrysts from Lac de Gras kimberlites, Canada

Megacrystic (>1 cm) clinopyroxene (Cr-diopside) and garnet (Cr-pyrope) xenocrysts within kimberlites from Lac de Gras (Northwest Territories, Canada) contain fully crystallized melt inclusions. These ‘polymineralic inclusions’ have previously been interpreted to form by necking down of melts at mantle depths. We present a detailed petrographical and geochemical investigation of polymineralic inclusions and their host crystals to better understand how they form and what they reveal about the evolution of kimberlite melt. Genetically, the megacrysts are mantle xenocrysts with peridotitic chemical signatures indicating an origin within the lithospheric mantle (for the Cr-diopsides studied here ~4.6 GPa, 1015 °C). Textural evidence for disequilibrium between the host crystals and their polymineralic inclusions (spongy rims in Cr-diopside, kelyphite in Cr-pyrope) is consistent with measured Sr isotopic disequilibrium. The preservation of disequilibrium establishes a temporal link to kimberlite eruption. In Cr-diopsides, polymineralic inclusions contain phlogopite, olivine, chromite, serpentine, and calcite. Abundant fluid inclusion trails surround the inclusions. In Cr-pyropes, the inclusions additionally contain Al-spinel, clinopyroxene, and dolomite. The major and trace element compositions of the inclusion phases are generally consistent with the early stages of kimberlite differentiation trends. Extensive chemical exchange between the host phases and the inclusions is indicated by enrichment of the inclusions in major components of the host crystals, such as Cr2O3 and Al2O3. This chemical evidence, along with phase equilibria constraints, supports the proposal that the inclusions within Cr-diopside record the decarbonation reaction: dolomitic melt + diopside → forsterite + calcite + CO2, yielding the observed inclusion mineralogy and producing associated (CO2-rich) fluid inclusions. Our study of polymineralic inclusions in megacrysts provides clear mineralogical and chemical evidence for an origin of kimberlite that involves the reaction of high-pressure dolomitic melt with diopside-bearing mantle assemblages producing a lower-pressure melt that crystallizes a calcite-dominated assemblage in the crust.

Immiscible iron- and silica-rich melts and magnetite geochemistry at the El Laco volcano (northern Chile): Evidence for a magmatic origin for the magnetite deposits

The Pliocene El Laco volcano (northern Chile) hosts a large iron oxide deposit that occurs as stratiform bodies with underlying feeder zones (dykes) hosted by hydrothermally altered andesite lava flows. Phenocrysts in the andesite hosting the mineralization have abundant melt inclusions displaying strong evidence for melt immiscibility. Most of the pyroxene and the plagioclase phenocrysts contain abundant Fe-rich melt inclusions with low-Ti magnetite, pyroxene, apatite, and minor anhydrite. The glassy groundmass of these melt inclusions is chemically similar to sub-alkaline rhyolitic rocks (e.g., >70% SiO2; Si-Al-K-Na-rich). Large resorbed plagioclase phenocrysts also host another group of melt inclusions with a similar silica-rich groundmass but hosting evenly distributed immiscible and complex Fe-rich spheroidal globules that are enriched in Ti, P, Mg, Ca, and S. These immiscible globules and the Ti-poor magnetite daughter crystals in the melt inclusions in pyroxene phenocrysts are thought to be the parental iron oxide-melt liquid, after which their coalescence leads to the formation of magnetite melts, from which the magnetite that formed the El Laco iron oxide deposits crystallized and were emplaced.The mineralogy and chemistry of these melt inclusions tracks the chemical evolution of the Fe-Ox melts and supports a magmatic origin for the El Laco magnetite. This is mainly recognized by the continuum of compositions between volcanic, separate immiscible Fe-oxide melts, and magnetite ores. The trace element composition of the Fe-rich melt inclusions and of the magnetite in the host andesite and the ore bodies reveals a systematic depletion in most of the elements that are compatible in magnetite. The Ti content of the magnetite also records the separation and crystallization of the iron-rich melt. Typically, the magnetite in the orebodies and the melt inclusions is Ti-poor compared with titanomagnetite found in the andesite groundmass and that hosted by the hydrothermally-altered andesite; that is interpreted as being attributed to its crystallization under oxidizing and sulfur-rich conditions. The cause of this unusual chemical behaviour is probably due to the mechanism(s) governing the crystallization of the iron-rich melt, including the temperature, changes in chemistry prior to eruption, and an increase in the redox conditions of the silicate melt. Magma oxidation facilitates the prevalence of ferric iron and formation of Ti-poor magnetite, preventing the incorporation of Ti in the exsolving iron-rich melt. The likely reason for the formation of these large Ti-poor magnetite deposits is likely the contamination of the parental andesitic magma by oxidized crustal rocks and concomitant crystallization of magnetite under oxidizing conditions, something that had a significant impact on the elemental distribution.

Melt evolution in felsic dikes inferred from the composition of gahnite in two new occurrences, Pala Chief and Elizabeth R composite dikes, California

We report the occurrence and composition of gahnite ([Zn,Fe,Mg,Mn]Al2O4) in aplites of the Pala Chief and Elizabeth R layered pegmatite-aplite dikes, Pala District, California, and the significance for felsic melt evolution. The aplite is characterized by alternating bands of white, fine-grained plagioclase + quartz + muscovite +/− black tourmaline and thin laminations defined by concentrations of reddish-brown garnet (“line rock”). Accessory gahnite occurs as extremely fine-grained (50–250 μm) green to bluish-green crystals. Gahnite compositions in both occurrences are similar and defined by end-member ranges Ghn83.5–90.9Hc8.7–15Spl0–1.4. Zinc contents in gahnite are high (36.7–39.5 wt.% ZnO for Pala Chief, 37.2–40.2 wt.% ZnO for Elizabeth R), the MgO and MnO contents are negligible (< 0.7 wt.%), and Fe is the main substitution present (< 6.9 wt.% FeO). Gahnite is chemically zoned and characterized by higher Zn (< 2 wt.% ZnO) and lower Fe, Mg, and Mn contents in rims compared to cores, which shows the substitution mechanism, and reflects fast growth during melt evolution via fractional crystallization followed by fast cooling. Compositional variations are greater within individual crystals than among crystals and between laminations, which indicate a homogeneous melt at the aplite scale. Compared with the composition of gahnite from pegmatites worldwide, the studied gahnite reflects a moderate degree of melt evolution. This study confirms the incompatible character of Zn in evolving pegmatite-aplite melts and shows the usefulness of gahnite as a petrogenetic indicator. Because gahnite is a resistant mineral, surficial findings of gahnite with very low Mg contents and Zn contents similar or higher than those measured here may indicate a source of granitic pegmatite-aplite.

Physicochemical conditions of crystallization of dunites of the Nizhnii Tagil Pt-bearing massif (Middle Urals)

Studies of primary multiphase silicate inclusions in accessory Cr-spinels from the fine-grained dunites of the Nizhnii Tagil Pt-bearing massif reveal their similarity to melt inclusions trapped by chromite during its growth. The analyzed Cr-spinels with multiphase silicate inclusions differ in composition from ore chromites of the same massif and from chromites (with melt inclusions) from ultramafic oceanic complexes but are similar to Cr-spinels in dunites from Pt-bearing alkaline ultramafic massifs (Konder and Inagli). According to petro- and geochemical data on heated multiphase silicate inclusions, the studied Cr-spinels crystallized with the participation of subalkalic picrobasaltic melts similar to the magmas of the Konder Pt-bearing massif and having almost the same chemical composition as tylaites. The differences between the compositions of olivines formed within the multiphase silicate inclusions and of the rock-forming minerals show that the studied Cr-spinels formed from an intercumulus liquid melt in the olivine crystal interstices during the cumulate crystallization of most of the Nizhnii Tagil massif dunites in the intrusive chamber. Numerical modeling based on the compositions of heated multiphase silicate inclusions in accessory Cr-spinels demonstrates that olivines and Cr-spinels from the studied dunites crystallized at 1430 to 1310 °C and then olivine formation continued to 1280 °C during the evolution of melts.