Augite Phenocrysts Research Articles

Investigating the igneous petrogenesis of Martian volcanic rocks using augite quantitative textural analysis of the Yamato nakhlites

AbstractTo better understand volcanism on planetary bodies other than the Earth, the quantification of physical processes is needed. Here, the petrogenesis of the achondrite Martian Yamato (Y) nakhlites (Y 000593, Y 000749, and Y 000802) is reinvestigated via quantitative analysis of augite (high‐Ca clinopyroxene) phenocrysts: crystal size distribution (CSD), spatial distribution patterns (SDP), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Results from CSD and EBSD quantitative data sets show augite to have continuous uninterrupted growth resulting in calculated minimum magma chamber residence times of either 88–117 ± 6 yr or 9–12 yr. All samples exhibit low‐intensity S‐LS type crystallographic preferred orientation. Directional strain is observed across all samples with intracrystalline misorientation patterns indicative of (100)[001]:(001)[100] (Y 000593 and Y 000802) and {110}<001>or {110}1/2<110> (Y 000749) slip systems. SDP results indicate phenocryst‐bearing crystal‐clustered rock signatures. Combined findings from this work show that the Yamato nakhlites formed on Mars as individual low‐viscosity lava flows or sills. This study shows that through combining these different quantitative techniques over multiple samples, one can more effectively compare and interpret resulting data to gain a more robust, geologically contextualized petrogenetic understanding of the rock suite being studied. The techniques used in this study should be equally applicable to igneous achondrites from other parent bodies.

Constraints on the Emplacement of Martian Nakhlite Igneous Rocks and Their Source Volcano From Advanced Micro‐Petrofabric Analysis

AbstractThe Martian nakhlite meteorites, which represent multiple events that belong to a single magma source region represent a key opportunity to study the evolution of Martian petrogenesis. Here 16 of the 26 identified nakhlite specimens are studied using coupled electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and emplacement end‐member calculations. EBSD was used to determine shape preferred orientation of contained augite (high Ca‐clinopyroxene) phenocrysts by considering their crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO). Parameters derived from EBSD, and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy spectra were used in basic emplacement models to assess their dominant mechanism against three end‐member scenarios: thermal diffusion, crystal settling, and crystal convection. Results from CPO analyses indicate low intensity weak‐moderate CPO. In all samples, a consistent foliation within the <001> axes of augite are observed typically coupled with a weaker lineation CPO in one of the other crystallographic axes. These CPO results agree best with crystal settling being the dominant emplacement mechanism for the nakhlites. Modeled crystal settling results identify two distinguishable groups outside of the model's resolution indicating the presence of secondary emplacement mechanisms. Comparison of the two identified groups against CPO, geochemical, and age parameters indicate random variability between individual meteorites. Therefore, coupled CPO and emplacement modeling results identify an overarching characteristic of a dominant crystal settling emplacement mechanism for the nakhlite source volcano despite exhibiting random variation with each discharge through time.

Intra-continental boninite-series volcanic rocks from the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone, Central Tibet

The boninitic volcanic rocks from Rutog, western Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone (BNSZ), are characterized by high MgO, SiO2 but low TiO2 contents and interpreted as the products of intra-oceanic subduction in earlier studies. Recently, we discovered new breccia-like boninitic volcanic rocks (mainly trachyandesite and trachyte) that overlie the Rutog ophiolitic peridotites in BNSZ. These volcanic rocks not only show typical boninitic petrographical features of porphyritic texture in which euhedral augite phenocrysts (ca. 5 vol%) are embedded in fine-grained groundmass composed of pyroxene, plagioclase, quartz and minor glass, but also display strong boninitic geochemical affinities with high Mg# (61.59–67.90), Al2O3/TiO2 (40.31–55.97) ratios and low TiO2 (0.26–0.35 wt%) contents. In addition, their rare earth elemental patterns show a slight right-dip pattern with (La/Gd)N values of ~1.28 and (Gd/Yb)N values of ~1.31. Given the evolutionary trend from magnesium-rich intermediate to acid series, the boninite-series are therefore used to describe the vlocanic rocks. Zircon U-Pb isotopic dating on these boninite-series volcanic rocks yielded an age of ca. 79.3 ± 2.0 Ma, after the closure of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethyan Ocean (BNTO) that occurred before 96 Ma. The newly recognized boninite-series volcanic rocks probably formed more than 20 Ma after the latest regional magmatism related to subduction process and thus the subduction setting is not suitable for these boninite-series volcanic rocks. The enrichment in compatible elements and depletion in high field elements indicate the Rutog boninite-series originated from a severely depleted mantle while several lines of evidence (e.g., the enrichment in light rare earth elements, large iron lithophile elements) imply that the mantle source has been modified by continental crust. Given the widespread Cretaceous high Sr/Y magmatic rocks within BNSZ, the Rutog boninite-series rocks may provide an example of the crust-mantle interaction as a result of the delamination in a partially thickened and cratonized convergent margin during the late Cretaceous within BNSZ, central Tibetan Plateau.

Petrographic and mineral-glass chemical dataset of igneous rock clasts from Early Oligocene Aveto-Petrignacola Formation (Northern Italy).

This dataset article contains petrographic and mineral-glass chemical data of igneous rock clasts from Early Oligocene Aveto-Petrignacola Formation (APF; Northern Italy). Methods for obtaining the dataset include optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis. The APF volcanic rocks are basalts, basaltic andesites, andesites, dacites and rhyolites. Rare gabbroic cumulate nodules complete the dataset. Basalts are porphyritic, with calcic plagioclase (An72–92Ab7–27Or0–1), ferroan enstatite (En59–68Fs29–37Wo3–4) and augite (En38–39Fs18–20Wo41–44) phenocrysts, in a hypocrystalline groundmass made up of bytownite (An71–85Ab14–28Or1), augite (En37–38Fs19Wo43–44), ferroan enstatite (En62–68Fs30–35Wo1–4) and rare pigeonite (En46–50Fs37–42Wo7–17). The basaltic andesites are porphyritic to glomeroporphyritic with phenocrysts of zoned plagioclase (An44–67Ab32–55Or1), orthopyroxene, Mg-rich augite (En38–42Fs15–17Wo43–45), rare pargasite to edenite amphibole (Mg# 69–59) and very rare biotite in a hypocrystalline to holohyaline groundmass. Andesites are highly porphyritic with phenocrysts of plagioclase (An47–79Ab20–52Or0–1), pargasite to magnesio-hornblende (Mg# 72–67), Mg-rich augite (En43–46Fs12–17Wo41–43), subordinate ferroan enstatite (En68–74Fs23–29Wo3–4), biotite (Mg# 53) and Ti-magnetite (Usp29–41). Dacites (massive lavas and ignimbrites) are porphyritic, with phenocrysts and phenoclasts of plagioclase (An33–79Ab20–62Or0–4), calcic amphibole (Ti-pargasite, Mg-hornblende and edenite; Mg# 81–46), biotite (Mg# 67–56), very rare Mg-rich augite (En41–42Fs16–18Wo40–43) and resorbed quartz in hypohyaline to holohyaline groundmass with a dense mat of anhedral quartz, labradorite-andesine (An36–66Ab33–61Or1–4) and rare anorthoclase (An22Ab66Or12). Rhyolitic compositions have been found both as volcanic clasts (massive lava and ignimbrites) with andesine to oligoclase phenoclasts (An25–38Ab61–71Or1–4), quartz, biotite (Mg# 55–53) and Ti-magnetite (Usp18–77), and as interstitial glasses (residual melt drops) in other APF volcanic rocks. The cumulate nodules are olivine-gabbro and amphibole-gabbro/gabbronorite with a mineral paragenesis dominated by plagioclase (An41–73Ab26–57Or1–3), olivine (Fo68–72), Mg-rich augite to ferroan diopside (En41–45Fs12–15Wo42–45; Mg# 79–74), ferroan enstatite (En65–74Fs24–33Wo2–3; Mg# 76–68), magnetite (Usp15–28) and titanian pargasite (Mg# 67–65). The main cumulus phases are plagioclase, olivine and pyroxene, while intercumulus/postcumulus phases are titanian pargasite and magnetite. The dataset can be used to compare petrographic features and chemical compositions of calc-alkaline rocks emplaced in other subduction-related settings. Above all, it can represent a useful contribution in solving the problem linked to the identification of a hidden Early-Oligocene source of the thick volcaniclastic APF succession in the Alpine-Apennine belt geodynamic evolution.

PETROLOGY AND PETROGENESIS OF SIAH KOOH VOLCANIC ROCKS IN THE EASTERN ALBORZ

Siah Kooh area is northeast of Shahroud city and is located in eastern Alborz. The lithologic composition of the volcanic rocks in the area consists of andesite, basalt, trachyandesite and quartztrachite. Plagioclase, olivine, and augite phenocrysts as the main minerals and apatite and magnetite, sericite, chlorite and apacite minerals are sub-minerals of volcanic rocks that are located in the glass slabs. Quartz is also found in fine-grained rock pulp and sometimes in phenocrysts. The dominant texture in these rocks are porphyritic, amygdaloidal and microlithic. According to geochemical studies of basaltic magmatic volcanic rocks, calc-alkaline potassium is high and negative Nb anomaly, Ce / Pb ratio and enrichment of rocks of light rare earth elements (LRRE) and high LREE / HREE ratio indicate contamination. The crust is an indicator of the presence of the garnet phase in the mantle source. On the other hand, the similarity of their trace elements to Oceanic Basalts (OIB) is a clear evidence of their relevance to this environment. Early basaltic magma originated from a mantle with a garnet-lherzolite composition with a partial melting rate of 15–12%. FeOtotal values in basalts and other structural evidence indicate the formation of these rocks in the early stages of intra-continental rifting which can be attributed to the pressure drop caused by intra-continental tidal phases associated with deep faults during the orogenic phases. Alpine attributed to Eocene time.

Island-Arc Augite–Bytownite–Labradorite Dacites of the Kara-Dag Massif, Crimea

Island-arc calc-alkaline dacites (66.7% SiO2, 3.4% Na2O, 1.9% K2O) form a subvolcanic body hosted within andesitic and trachyandesitic tuffs on the east of the Kara-Dag Volcanic Massif of the Crimean Mountains. These dacites characteristically contain many phenocrysts of plagioclase (bytownite Ca75–72Na24–27K0.5–1 confined to the cores and labradorite Ca67–52Na32–47K1 to the inner and outer rims) and low-Ti augite (augite Ca44Mg45Fe11 with 4.5% Al2O3 confined to the cores and augite Ca43–41Mg41–38Fe16–21 with 1–2% Al2O3 to the inner and outer rims). Titanomagnetite, ilmenite, and apatite are intergrown with augite. Low-Mg titanomagnetite is enriched in manganese (up to 4.5 wt % MnO) and zinc (up to 1.6% ZnO) and contains the ulvospinel endmember ranging between 39 and 28%. Low-Mn ilmenite contains 10 to 25 mol % of the hematite endmember, suggesting crystallization at elevated $${{f}_{{{{{\text{O}}}_{2}}}}}$$, that is, under water-saturated melt conditions. The Sr, Ce, and S contents in the apatite are low. The fluorine trend shows an increase in the F content from chlorine-hydroxyl-fluorapatite to fluorapatite. The groundmass of rhyolitic dacites (77.3% SiO2, 3.3% Na2O, and 2.5% K2O) consists of labradorite microlites Ca52–50Na46–48K2–3 with quartz, minor andesine Ca49–46Na49–52K2–3, oligoclase Ca27Na68K5, and anorthoclase in the interstitial spaces. An extremely high anorthite content of plagioclase that is typical of island-arc volcanic rocks is characteristic of these dacites. The crystallization temperature for augite is ~1050–950°C. Early crystallization of the coexisting titanomagnetite and ilmenite occurs at ~900°С with $${{f}_{{{{{\text{O}}}_{2}}}}}$$ 1 log unit higher than the QFM buffer. Their late crystallization occurs at ~880°С with $${{f}_{{{{{\text{O}}}_{2}}}}}$$ 2 log units higher than the QFM buffer.

Understanding the emplacement of Martian volcanic rocks using petrofabrics of the nakhlite meteorites

In order to validate calculated ages of the Martian crust we require precise radiometric dates from igneous rocks where their provenance on the Martian surface is known. Martian meteorites have been dated precisely and quantitatively, but the launch sites are currently unknown. Inferring the formation environment of a correlated suite of Martian meteorites can constrain the nature and complexity of the volcanic system they formed from. The nakhlite meteorites are such a suite of augite-rich rocks that sample the basaltic crust of Mars, and as such can provide unique insights into its volcanic processes. Using electron backscatter diffraction we have determined the shape-preferred and crystallographic-preferred orientation petrofabrics of four nakhlites (Governador Valadares, Lafayette, Miller Range 03346 and Nakhla) in order to understand the conditions under which their parent rocks formed. In all samples, there is a clear link between the shape-preferred orientation (SPO) and crystallographic-preferred orientation (CPO) of augite phenocrysts. This relationship reveals the three-dimensional shape of the augite crystals using CPO as a proxy for 3D SPO, and also enables a quantitative 3-dimensional petrofabric analysis. All four nakhlites exhibit a foliation defined by the CPO of the augite <c> axis in a plane, although individual meteorites show subtle textural variations. Nakhla and Governador Valadares display a weak CPO lineation within their <c> axis foliation that is interpreted to have developed in a combined pure shear/simple shear flow regime, indicative of emplacement of their parent rock as a subaerial hyperbolic lava flow. By contrast, the foliation dominated CPO petrofabrics of Lafayette and Miller Range 03346 suggest formation in a pure shear dominated regime with little influence of hyperbolic flow. These CPO petrofabrics are indicative of crystal settling in the stagnant portion of cooling magma bodies, or the flattening area of spreading lava flows. The CPO foliation of Lafayette's is substantially weaker than Miller Range 03346, probably due to its higher phenocryst density causing grain-grain interactions that hindered fabric development. The CPO petrofabrics identified can also be used to determine the approximate plane of the Martian surface and the line of magma flow to within ∼20°. Our results suggest that the nakhlite launch crater sampled a complex volcanic edifice that was supplied by at least three distinct magmatic systems limiting the possible locations these rocks could have originated from on Mars.

Role of viscous folding in magma mixing

Magma mixing is a complex phenomenon and occurs through the interplay of a number of processes. Recent developments in microfluidics and chaotic mixing experiments have enabled us to better understand the complex processes associated with magma mixing from the hybrid rocks of the Ghansura Rhyolite Dome (GRD) of Proterozoic Chotanagpur Granite Gneiss Complex (CGGC), Eastern India. The hybrid rocks of GRD have preserved amphibole-rich microzones (ARM) and microfolded mineral veins resulting from the mixing of felsic (rhyolitic) and mafic (basaltic) melts. Based on textural features and mineral chemical data interpretations, we infer that viscous folding can be an important mechanism to obtain chemical equilibrium in a magma mixing scenario. Magma mixing is a chaotic process brought about by the interplay of advection (i.e. stretching and folding) and diffusion. In our scenario, stretching and folding of the mineral veins or filaments were achieved through viscous folding, followed by chemical diffusion between the contrasting magmas to enhance magma mixing. Our findings reveal that when mafic magma carrying phenocrysts of augite came in contact with the felsic magma, there was diffusion of heat from the hotter mafic phase to the colder felsic phase followed by diffusion of elemental components. Diffusion of elements like H+, Al3+ and other cations from the felsic phase to the mafic phase converted clinopyroxene phenocrysts in the mafic system into aggregates of small amphibole crystals. The formation of abundant amphibole microcrysts greatly increased the viscosity of the mafic system, allowing the amphibole-rich magma to venture into the surrounding felsic melt as veins and undergo viscous folding to facilitate mixing.

Petrochemical and Petrotectonic Characterisation of Ophiolitic Volcanics from Great Nicobar Island Andaman-Sumatra Belt

ABSTRACT In Great Nicobar island ophiolite is restricted to the eastern coast of the island and occur as small isolated out crops in the terrain of Oligocene sediments. The ophiolitic rocks are represented by pillowed basalt, massive andesite and pyroclastic andesite. These volcanics represent dismembered members of the upper part of the ophiolite. Basalt is porphyritic in nature where phenocrysts of augite and plagioclase laths are set in a fine grained glassy to chloritic matrix. Andesites consists of phenocrysts of augite, altered feldspar and minor quartz which are set in ground mass of epidote-chlorite glass. Trace element and REE pattern suggests more fertile mantle source for andesite than that of basalt. Trace element characteristics indicate that the andesites and basalts were possibly derived from the same melt where andesite represents the more fractionated product. In Andaman Islands dismembered ophiolite with complete ophiolite stratigraphy are found only within the Eocene sediments. But the field disposition suggests that in Great Nicobar emplacement of the ophiolite continued even after the Oligocene sedimentation. The characters of the ophiolitic rocks in Great Nicobar island are similar to that of the Sunda outer arc ridge.

Northwest Africa 5790: A previously unsampled portion of the upper part of the nakhlite pile

AbstractWe present a geochemical study of recently discovered Martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 5790 and use our results to constrain its origin and relationship with the other nakhlites. This nakhlite is a clinopyroxene cumulate composed of phenocrysts of augite, olivine, and rare oxides surrounded by a mesostasis composed of vitrophyric glass, feldspars, oxides, phosphates, and fine‐grained olivines and augite. Petrography, and major and trace element compositions of the phases present are consistent with derivation of NWA 5790 from a parental magma common to all the nakhlites. Olivine cores grew from a distinct, incompatible‐element enriched magma and are surrounded by rims containing augite inclusions that grew from the nakhlite parental liquid, supporting previous arguments for xenocrystic olivine cores in nakhlites. Rare earth element microdistributions suggest derivation of NWA 5790 augites from an evolved, relatively oxidized magma, produced by augite fractionation from the common nakhlite parental liquid. Augite grain shapes and CSD patterns are consistent with rapid cooling and derivation near the top of the nakhlite cumulate pile, but patterns are distinct from other nakhlites thought to have formed near the stratigraphic top. The high mesostasis abundance (~44 vol%) indicates solidification near the top of the nakhlite pile close to locations suggested for nakhlites NWA 817 and Miller Range (MIL) 03346. However, the geochemical and petrographic characteristics of these three samples do not permit their placement in a simple stratigraphic order as would occur in a single lava flow. This lack of simple ordering suggests that the nakhlite lava flow split into multiple sections as would occur during breakouts from a single lava flow. Finally we note that NWA 5790 is unique among currently available nakhlites in having phenocryst abundances low enough to allow it to flow.

Contrasting records from mantle to surface of Holocene lavas of two nearby arc volcanic complexes: Caburgua-Huelemolle Small Eruptive Centers and Villarrica Volcano, Southern Chile

Most of the small eruptive centers of the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone are built over the Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault Zone (LOFZ), a NS strike-slip (>1000km length) major structure, and close to large stratovolcanoes. This contribution compares textural features, compositional parameters, and pre- and syn-eruptive P,T conditions, between basaltic lavas of the Caburgua-Huelemolle Small Eruptive Centers (CHSEC) and the 1971 basaltic andesite lava of the Villarrica Volcano located 10km south of the CHSEC. Olivines and clinopyroxenes occur as phenocrysts and forming crystal clots of the studied lavas. They do not markedly show compositional differences, except for the more scattered composition of the CHSEC clinopyroxenes. Plagioclase in CHSEC lavas mainly occur as phenocrysts or as microlites in a glass-free matrix. Two groups of plagioclase phenocrysts were identified in the 1971 Villarrica lava based on crystal size, disequilibrium features and zonation patterns. Most of the CHSEC samples exhibit higher LaN/YbN and more scattered Sr–Nd values than 1971 Villarrica lava samples, which are clustered at higher 143Nd/144Nd values. Pre-eruptive temperatures of the CHSEC-type reservoir between 1162 and 1165±6°C and pressures between 10.8 and 11.4±1.7kb consistent with a deep-seated reservoir were obtained from olivine–augite phenocrysts. Conversely, olivine–augite phenocrysts of 1971 Villarrica lava samples record pre-eruptive conditions of two stages or pauses in the magma ascent to the surface: 1208±6°C and 6.3–8.1kb±1.7kb (deep-seated reservoir) and 1164–1175±6°C and ≤1.4kb (shallow reservoir). At shallow reservoir conditions a magma heating prior to the 1971 Villarrica eruption is recorded in plagioclase phenocrysts. Syn-eruptive temperatures of 1081–1133±6°C and 1123–1148±6°C were obtained in CHSEC and 1971 Villarrica lava, respectively using equilibrium olivine–augite microlite pairs. The LOFZ could facilitate a direct transport to the surface of the CHSEC magmas and explain the observed differences with the pre-eruptive conditions of the 1971 Villarrica lava.

The Northwest Africa (NWA) 5790 meteorite: A mesostasis‐rich nakhlite with little or no Martian aqueous alteration

AbstractNorthwest Africa (NWA) 5790 is the most recently discovered member of the nakhlite group. Its mineralogy differs from the other nakhlites with a high abundance mesostasis (38.1 ± 3.6 vol%) and scarcity of olivine (4.0 ± 2.2 vol%). Furthermore, zoning of augite phenocrysts, and other petrographic and chemical characteristics suggest that NWA 5790 samples the chilled margin of its parent lava flow/sill. NWA 5790 contains calcite and rare clay minerals that are evidence for its exposure to liquid water. The calcite forms a cement to coatings of dust on the outer surface of the find and extends into the interior of the meteorite within veins. The presence of microbial remains within the coating confirms that the dust and its carbonate cement are terrestrial in origin, consistent with the carbon and oxygen isotope composition of the calcite. The clay minerals are finely crystalline and comprise ~0.003 vol% of the meteorite. δD values of the clay minerals range from −212 ± 109‰ to −96 ± 132‰, and cannot be used to distinguish between a terrestrial or Martian origin. As petrographic results are also not definitive, we conclude that secondary minerals produced by Martian groundwaters are at best very rare within NWA 5790. The meteorite has therefore sampled a region of the lava flow/sill with little or no exposure to the aqueous solutions that altered other nakhlites. This isolation could relate to the scarcity of olivine in NWA 5790 because dissolution of olivine in other nakhlites by Martian groundwaters enhanced their porosity and permeability, and provided solutes for secondary minerals.

The Highwood Mountains potassic igneous province, Montana: mineral fractionation trends and magmatic processes revisited

AbstractPotassium-rich mafic dykes and lavas from the Highwood Mountains Igneous Province, USA were studied by electron-microprobe and bulk-rock analysis. For the mafic phonolites, compositional trends for olivine and augite phenocrysts and groundmass biotite, alkali feldspar and titanomagnetites are presented and substitution mechanisms discussed. Phenocrysts of biotite and augite in the minettes are also characterized, together with groundmass alkali feldspar and titanomagnetite. The alkali feldspars and biotites are commonly enriched in Ba. Olivine, clinopyroxene and biotite phenocrysts are generally quite magnesium-rich, which is consistent with the primitive natures of the least evolved rocks.Bulk-rock major-element compositions are combined with modal and microprobe data for the principal phenocrysts to calculate model residual liquid compositions for mafic phonolites, minettes and a syenitic rock. On the basis of phase-equilibria, it is suggested that the main controls of differentiation are polybaric involving crystallization during transport of primary magmas from the mantle for the minettes, and low-pressure differentiation for the mafic phonolites. Whereas magma mixing might have contributed to petrogenesis, many of the disequilibrium features exhibited by clinopyroxene and biotite phenocrysts can also be attributed to pre-existing phenocrysts undergoing decompression melting during magma uprise from its mantle source, followed by rapid crystal growth and episodic volatile loss in sub-volcanic magma chambers.

Petrology of the mafic sill of Narshingpur-Lakhnadon section, Eastern Deccan volcanic province

Deccan volcanism with a tremendous burst of volcanic activity marks a unique episode in Indian geological history and covers nearly two third of Peninsular India. Occurrences of mafic sill in the continental basalts are rather rare throughout the flood basalt provinces and only few sporadic reports have been described from different Continental Flood Basalts of the world. In the present article, petrology of mafic sill from the Narshingpur-Lakhnadon section of Eastern Deccan province of India has been presented. The mafic sill in the field is found to occur in a relatively deep valley amidst Gondwana rocks, which occur as the basement of the extrusion. The sill is spatially associated with three initial flows viz. flow I, II and III of adjacent Narshingpur-Harrai-Amarwara section. The sill in its central part is a medium grained rock and petrographically corresponds to dolerite containing augite, plagioclase and rare olivine grains; the chilled facies of the sill is characterized by phenocrysts of olivine, plagioclase and augite that are set in groundmass consisting predominantly of plagioclase, olivine and glass. Mineral chemistry indicates that olivine phenocrystal phase is magnesian (Fo61). Plagioclase phenocrystal composition ranges from An 51 to An 71 whereas the same variation of the groundmass plagioclase composition corresponds to An 31 to An 62. The overlap in the compositions for groundmass and phenocrystal plagioclase may be explained due to fluctuating PH2O condition. The pyroxene compositions (both groundmass and phenocryst) in majority of the cases are clubbed well within the augite field, however, in a few cases, groundmass compositions are found to fall in the sub-calcic augite and pigeonite field. Some zoned pyroxene phenocrysts, characteristically display different types of zoning patterns. Opaque minerals in the mafic sill are found to be magnetite and ilmenite and this coexisting iron-oxide composition helps to constrain the prevalent fO2 condition in the parent magma. The geochemistry of the mafic sill and associated basaltic lava flows indicates close genetic link amongst them. Critical consideration of trace elements indicates a distinct enriched mantle source (EM-I/EM-II/HIMU) for the parental magma. Trace element modeling indicates that equilibrium batch-melting of plume source followed by fractionation of olivine, clinopyroxene and plagioclase and subsequent heterogeneous mixing of melt and settled crystals can very well explain the genesis of the mafic sill and the associated basaltic flows.

Geochemical and petrological constraints on rear-arc magma genesis processes in Ecuador: The Puyo cones and Mera lavas volcanic formations

The Puyo scoria cones and the Mera lava flows, two newly recognized volcanic formations dated between Late Pliocene to Middle Pleistocene, extend the limits of the Ecuadorian rear-arc volcanic province some 100 km to the south. The Puyo scoria cones have erupted K-rich absarokites containing olivine, diopside and phlogopite, whereas the Mera lava flows display a basic andesite composition, with olivine and minor augite phenocrysts. In addition to high contents in LILE, LREE and HFSE, the Puyo absarokites exhibit many characteristics of primitive melts, namely high Cr (590–310 ppm) and Ni (330–154 ppm) contents, high Mg# (64–70) and they contain forsteritic olivine (Fo 82–89). The composition of the most primary Puyo absarokite was used in petrogenetic models, in order to constrain the genesis of these high-K magmas. Major and trace elements models, as well as isotopic data, indicate that the source of Puyo magmas is a hydrated phlogopite- and garnet-bearing lherzolite. Phlogopite crystallization in the mantle wedge is triggered by the metasomatism by 3–5% of a SiO 2-, H 2O-rich liquid generated by slab melting. Partial melting of the subducted oceanic crust beneath Ecuador is allowed by the subduction of the young and warm Carnegie Ridge, which modifies the thermal regime of the Benioff zone. A low degree (1–4%) of partial melting of the metasomatized mantle wedge, leaving a variable garnet (4–7%) ± phlogopite (0–4%) lherzolitic residual assemblage, leads to the compositions of the entire Puyo absarokite series and is consistent with previous petrogenetic models developed for the Ecuadorian volcanic arc. Indeed, the homogeneity of isotopic data across the arc suggests a similar source for the whole Ecuadorian magmas.

Cl-amphibole in the nakhlite MIL 03346: Evidence for sediment contamination in a Martian meteorite

The Pathfinder, Spirit and Opportunity missions revealed that Martian soils and rocks are enriched in chlorine (up to 0.6 wt.% Cl). Significant piles of evaporitic sedimentary rocks have also been observed at Meridiani Planum. The SNC meteorites, inferred to come from Mars, hardly ever contain Cl-rich minerals except in secondary alteration products such as clay-rich veinlets and massive halite trapped within olivine from Nakhla. Here we describe the first extra-terrestrial Cl-rich amphibole, in the newly found nakhlite MIL 03346. It is a chloro-potassichastingsite (up to 8% Cl wt.%) that crystallized exclusively as a daughter mineral in some of the melt patches sequestered inside augite phenocryst clusters. It is never found as fracture-filling material nor as discrete grains in the mesostasis. This Cl-rich amphibole crystallized from the evolved residual liquid at some intermediate magmatic stage. This heterogeneous contamination at a magmatic stage provides the first evidence for contamination of a nakhlite parent magma by Cl-rich particles of evaporitic sediments. Such a contamination appears to be very limited to melt patches present in a small number of augite crystals. Because of dilution and devolatilization effects, this contamination remains cryptic in the mesostasis.

Geology and geochemistry of the Mendejin plutonicrocks, Mianeh, Iran

The Mendejin pluton is located in the Mianeh area, NW Iran, 550 km from Tehran. This pluton is probably of Oligo-Miocene age and is the result of extensive magmatism which occurred during and after the Alpine Orogeny. Similar plutons are common in the Alborz–Azarbaijan structural zone of Iran, and it is likely that there are concealed plutons related to this extensive Cenozoic magmatism, but due to their youth and low rates of erosion they have not yet been exposed. The Mendejin pluton is a composite body made up of four types of plutonic rocks: pink tonalite, grey tonalite, diorite and aplite. The pink tonalite is porphyritic and contains phenocrysts of plagioclase, K-feldspar and hornblende in a groundmass consisting of quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, hornblende, zircon, monazite, leucoxene, apatite and hematite. The grey porphyritic tonalite has more biotite, pyroxene and pyrite and less accessory phases compared with the pink tonalite. The diorite has a microporphyritic texture with phenocrysts of plagioclase, hornblende and augite. This rock also occurs as xenoliths in the Mendejin pluton. The aplitic dykes are the youngest magmatic products at Mendejin. The Mendejin tonalite contains more Cl, As, S, Cu, Ni and Zn than the global granite. These rocks are of I-type, peraluminous and calc-alkaline, with medium to high potassium, and were formed as part of a volcanic arc. The Mendejin pluton contains up to 8 ppb gold and could potentially have been the source of an economic gold deposit by leaching of Au from wall rocks and deposition in extensive hydrothermally altered marginal zones.

Petrology of the Yamato nakhlites

Abstract— The Yamato nakhlites, Y-000593, Y-000749, and Y-000802, were recovered in 2000 from the bare icefield around the Yamato mountains in Antarctica, consisting of three independent specimens with black fusion crusts. They are paired cumulate clinopyroxenites. We obtained the intercumulus melt composition of the Yamato nakhlites and here call it the Yamato intercumulus melt (YIM). The YIM crystallized to form the augite rims, the olivine rims and the mesostasis phases in the cumulates. The augite rims consist of two layers: inner and outer. The crystallization of the inner rim drove the interstitial melt into the plagioclase liquidus field. Subsequently, the residual melt crystallized pigeonites and plagioclase to form the outer rims and the mesostasis. Three types of inclusions were identified in olivine phenocrysts: rounded vitrophyric, angular vitrophyric, and monomineralic augite inclusions. The monomineralic augite inclusions are common and may have been captured by growing olivine phenocrysts. The rounded vitrophyric inclusions are rare and may represent the composition of middle-stage melts, whereas the angular vitrophyric inclusions seem to have been derived from fractionated late-stage melts. Glass inclusions occur in close association with titanomagnetite and ferroan augite halo in phenocryst core augites and the assemblages may be magmatic inclusions in augites. We compared the YIM with compositions of magmatic inclusions in olivine and augite. The composition of magmatic inclusions in augite is similar to the YIM. Phenocrystic olivines contain exsolution lamellae, augite-magnetite aggregates, and symplectites in the cores. The symplectites often occur at the boundaries between olivine and augite grains. The aggregates, symplectite and lamellae formed by exsolution from the host olivine at magmatic temperatures. We present a formational scenario for nakhlites as follows: (1) accumulation of augite, olivine, and titanomagnetite phenocrysts took place on the floor of a magma chamber; (2) olivine exsolved augite and magnetite as augite-magnetite aggregates, symplectites and lamellae; (3) the overgrowth on olivine phenocrysts formed their rims, and the inner rims crystallized on augite phenocryst cores; and finally, (4) the outer rim formed surrounding the inner rims of augite phenocrysts, and plagioclase and minor minerals crystallized to form mesostasis under a rapid cooling condition, probably in a lava flow or a sill.

Eocene shoshonitic mafic dykes intruding the Monashee Complex, British Columbia: a petrogenetic relationship with the Kamloops Group volcanic sequence?

The newly named Three Valley Suite (TVS) kersantite lamprophyre to shoshonitic mafic dykes of the Monashee Complex are inferred to be hypabyssal feeder dykes to an alkaline to calc-alkaline volcanic suite related to the Kamloops Group. These dykes were emplaced in a subvertical north-trending orientation coincident with inferred Eocene crustal extension (~50.0 Ma), based on the flat 40Ar/39Ar step-heating plateau of contact-metamorphic muscovite on the margin of a TVS dyke. These weakly altered mafic dykes are fine grained with phenocrysts (0.5–2.0 mm) of phlogopite, augite, amphibole, and olivine (pseudomorphed by clays), rare labradorite, and both primary and secondary carbonates set in a fine-grained groundmass of similar mineralogy consistent with their classification as plagioclase-bearing potassic diorite to kersantite lamprophyre. The dykes are weakly silica-undersaturated and alkalic (2.8 wt.% K2O, 7.7 wt.% MgO), with high large ion lithophile element contents (~300 times primitive mantle) and elevated high-field-strength element contents, with a prominent negative Nb (Ta) anomaly, and have radiogenic Nd and Sr isotopic signatures; these geochemical attributes are consistent with a calc-alkaline shoshonitic affinity. Therefore, it is inferred that the subducting oceanic plate influenced subcrustal mantle wedge metasomatism in the region. Decompression partial melting of this metasomatised lithospheric mantle was initiated by coupled rapid unroofing, regional trans pression, slab rollback, and slab window development to the south. The TVS is similar to the mafic volcanic rocks within the nearby Eocene volcanic rocks, suggesting that these dykes represent the feeder system to a volcanic field that is now eroded, i.e., a broad-terrane association.

The petrology of a large intra-oceanic silicic eruption: the Sandy Bay Tephra, Kermadec Arc, Southwest Pacific

The pumiceous pyroclastic deposits known as the Sandy Bay Tuff on Macauley Island in the Kermadec Group represent a medium-scale silicic eruption in an oceanic subduction setting. The Sandy Bay eruption occurred about 6310 yr BP, forming a large submarine caldera in the summit of the mainly submarine and essentially basaltic Macauley Volcano. The Sandy Bay magma contained <1 vol% phenocrysts of plagioclase, augite, hypersthene and accessory oxides together with crystals and fragments of basaltic origin and lithic fragments representing an earlier silicic eruptive episode. Although prolonged fractionation of basaltic magma to produce silicic daughter is a generic paradigm, it fails in detail to completely explain the observed compositions of the silicic rocks, the variety of compositions, the distribution of rock types, their aphyric nature or their volumes. It also encounters difficulties as a general explanation for silicic magmatism in the Kermadec Arc. An alternative, that silicic magmas represent anatexis of underplated basaltic arc crust, explains more of these details and can be modelled as the logical consequence of the thermal evolution of an oceanic arc. In addition, this model can provide an explanation for the onset of silicic magmatism at the current stage in the evolution of the arc. A precondition for anatectic melting in an oceanic arc is the development of a suitable source at the base of the arc crust; this takes of the order of 10 6 years. The onset of silicic magmatism creates an infertile residue and complementary silicic magmas. Separation of silicic magma from its source and its rise into the upper crust removes heat from the system. Continuation of silicic magmatism depends on replenishment of fertile arc material. An alternative is that generation of silicic magmas is limited to a window of opportunity at an adolescent stage in the evolution of an oceanic arc.