Petrologic implications of trace element variation in clinopyroxene megacrysts from the Nógrád volcanic province, north Hungary: a study by laser ablation microprobe-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Clinopyroxene megacrysts in alkali basalts are an important source of information about the evolution of magmatic systems at depth. In this study, we have undertaken a detailed examination of the trace element contents in a suite of megacrysts from 2.5 Ma old alkali basalts in the Nógrád volcanic province of Hungary and Slovakia. The megacrysts range in composition from Mg-rich and in equilibrium with their host magmas, to those that are Fe-rich and must have evolved in more fractionated magmas. The conditions of crystallization of these megacrysts, as calculated from the Al^VI/Al^IV ratios, suggests they all formed at about 30 km, or the crust–mantle boundary in this area. Using the most magnesian megacrysts and compositions of the host lavas, we have calculated the partition coefficients for a range of trace elements. However, the trace element contents in the megacrysts show a systematic variation with major element composition. Moreover, the rate of increase or change in the trace element concentrations is not consistent with models involving constant or steady state partition coefficients. Using a series of assumptions and models, we hypothesize that the partition coefficients between clinopyroxene and melt change substantially during the magmatic evolution of the system. This change is not constant for each element group, with the high field strength elements showing the most substantial increases. Electrostatic charge balance may have been the most important factor in controlling the mineral/melt partitioning.     

苏鲁皖新生代玄武岩中巨晶组合的稀土元素特征

我国东部苏鲁皖地区新生代碱性玄武岩中,除了含有大量地幔橄榄岩类捕虏体以外,尚含有一定数量的石榴石、普通辉石和歪长石巨晶。这些巨晶是在地幔不同深度上从玄武岩中晶出的。巨晶组合的分离结晶作用对熔体稀土元素含量有很大影响。赋存巨晶的碱性玄武岩所具有的LREE富集、HREE亏损的稀土元素分配型式是由地幔橄榄岩类部分熔融程度、石榴石巨晶和普通辉石巨晶的早期高压熔离和玄武岩的结晶分异作用等综合因素造成的。     

中国东部碱性玄武质岩石中的辉石和角闪石巨晶

在中国东部,北起黑龙江、南到海南岛,广泛地分布着新生代碱性玄武质岩石,例如碱性橄榄玄武岩、碧玄岩、霞石玄武岩等。它们含有丰富的超镁铁岩包体和各种巨晶。已发现的有辉石、角闪石、石榴石、歪长石、钛铁矿和云母等巨晶。Harte(1978)把巨晶定义为大的单矿物单个晶体,它比超镁铁岩团块中的矿物粗得多(2—20cm)。然而有的地质学家把巨晶的粒度下限定在1cm(Eggler 等,1979)。笔者遵循这一定义和采纳后一界线,在此基础上着重对中国东部部分地区的辉石和角闪石巨晶进行研究,研究情况见表1。     

Amphibole megacrysts as a probe into the deep plumbing system of Merapi volcano,Central Java,Indonesia

Amphibole has been discussed to potentially represent an important phase during early chemical evolution of arc magmas, but is not commonly observed in eruptive arc rocks. Here, we present an in-depth study of metastable calcic amphibole megacrysts in basaltic andesites of Merapi volcano, Indonesia. Radiogenic Sr and Nd isotope compositions of the amphibole megacrysts overlap with the host rock range, indicating that they represent antecrysts to the host magmas rather than xenocrysts. Amphibole-based barometry suggests that the megacrysts crystallised at pressures of >500 MPa, i.e., in the mid- to lower crust beneath Merapi. Rare-earth element concentrations, in turn, require the absence of magmatic garnet in the Merapi feeding system and, therefore, place an uppermost limit for the pressure of amphibole crystallisation at ca. 800 MPa. The host magmas of the megacrysts seem to have fractionated significant amounts of amphibole and/or clinopyroxene, because of their low Dy/Yb ratios relative to the estimated compositions of the parent magmas to the megacrysts. The megacrysts’ parent magmas at depth may thus have evolved by amphibole fractionation, in line with apparently coupled variations of trace element ratios in the megacrysts, such as e.g., decreasing Zr/Hf with Dy/Yb. Moreover, the Th/U ratios of the amphibole megacrysts decrease with increasing Dy/Yb and are lower than Th/U ratios in the basaltic andesite host rocks. Uranium in the megacrysts’ parent magmas, therefore, may have occurred predominantly in the tetravalent state, suggesting that magmatic fO₂ in the Merapi plumbing system increased from below the FMQ buffer in the mid-to-lower crust to 0.6–2.2 log units above it in the near surface environment. In addition, some of the amphibole megacrysts experienced dehydrogenation (H₂ loss) and/or dehydration (H₂O loss), as recorded by their variable H₂O contents and D/H and Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ ratios, and the release of these volatile species into the shallow plumbing system may facilitate Merapi’s often erratic eruptive behaviour.     

REE Abundaces in Megacrysts and Host Basalts：REE Behavior of Magma at High Pressures

Based on REE abundances in megacrysts and host basalts and their equilibrium conditions,it has proved that megacrysts may have been produced from the magma derived from the host rocks or of more basic composition.The REE ratios of megacrysts to host rocks may be taken as partition coefficients when both are equilibrium with each other.The crystal fractionation of megacrysts has caused the evolution of REE in the magma.It is obvious that some host basalts are the product of magma evolution after crystal fractionation.According to REE abundances in the host rocks and the partition coefficients between crystal and liquid,the history of crystal fractionation of magma can be traced.     

Strontium isotope geochemistry of megacrysts and host basalts from southeastern Australia

Strontium isotopic data for megacrysts and lavas from six eruptive centers within the Newer Basalts province of southeastern Australia show that megacrysts of clinopyroxene are in isotopic equilibrium with associated basalts, but that megacrysts of kaersutite, ferrokaersutite, orthopyroxene and anorthoclase may exhibit slight disequilibrium with their host basalts. Furthermore, the anorthoclase megacrysts may be either more or less radiogenic than their hosts. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios for 14 basalts from throughout the province vary from 0.7035 to 0.7045 and it is proposed that anorthoclase, amphibole and orthopyroxene megacrysts which crystallized in isotopic equilibrium with one magma may have been caught up in a pulse of a later magma of a different isotopic composition. The variations in the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios for the basalts are attributed to variations in the isotopic composition of their source regions. Such isotopic heterogeneity is supported by published data for ultramafic xenoliths which occur in the Newer Basalts lavas.     

Trace element partitioning in the granulite facies

Analyses of trace elements in the mineral phases of granulites provide important information about the trace element distribution in the lower crust. Since granulites are often considered residues of partial melting processes, trace element characteristics of their mineral phases may record mineral/melt equilibria thus giving an opportunity to understand the nature and composition of melts in the lower continental crust. This study provides an extensive set of mineral trace element data obtained by LA-ICP-MS analyses of mafic and intermediate granulites from Central Finland. Mass balance calculations using the analytical data indicate a pronounced contribution of the accessory minerals apatite for the REE and ilmenite for the HFSE. Coherent mineral/mineral ratios between samples point to a close approach to equilibrium except for minerals intergrown with garnet porphyroblasts. Mineral trace element data were used for the formulation of a set of D ^mineral/melt partition coefficients that is applicable for trace element modelling under lower crustal conditions. D ^mineral/melt were derived by the application of predictive models and using observed constant mineral/mineral ratios. The comparison of the calculated D ^mineral/melt with experimental data as well as the relationship between mineral trace element contents and a leucosome with a composition close to an equilibrium melt provides additional constraints on mineral/melt partitioning. The D values derived in this study are broadly similar to magmatic partition coefficients for intermediate melt compositions. They provide a first coherent set of D values for Sc, V, Cr and Ni between clinopyroxene, amphibole, garnet, orthopyroxene, ilmenite and melt. In addition, they emphasize the strong impact that ilmenite exerts on the distribution of Nb and Ta.     

Fluorine in basalts from Iceland

The fluorine content of Icelandic tholeiitic and alkaline basalts matches values found in similar rocks from other areas. Covariation between fluorine and incompatible minor elements such as potassium or phosphorus is found in evolved tholeiites and alkali basalts. Lack of such covariation in primitive olivine tholeiites indicates that fluorine and other incompatible minor and trace elements are not controlled by minerals such as amphibole, mica or apatite in the mantle residue, and that the covariation between these elements in the evolved basalts cannot be inherited from the mantle. Model calculations on rocks from the Langjökull area show that olivine tholeiite suites are, if derived by simple fractional crystallization, enriched in incompatible elements much in excess of the increase due to crystal removal. These observations are taken to indicate that the well documented covariation between fluorine and other incompatible elements is not established until evolution of the basaltic magma has started in crustal holding chambers. The constancy of element ratios and enrichment in excess of what can be accounted for by crystal fractionation or incremental addition of new batches of primitive magmas does indicate (1) mineral control involving amphibole, mica or apatite and (2) addition of fluorine, potassium and phosphorous from an external source. It is argued that this source is the crustal envelope of the holding chamber.     

Origin of anorthoclase megacrysts in alkali basalts

Anorthoclase megacrysts commonly occur with low pressure cumulate nodules (olivine + clinopyroxene + kaersutite ± oligoclase) in alkali basalts and their differentiates. The absence of anorthoclase from the cumulate nodules indicates that anorthoclase remained suspended in the magma while the other minerals sank, forming the cumulates, assuming a congeneric origin for megacrysts and nodules. On this basis, density calculations indicate that anorthoclase crystallised from a magma of approximately trachyandesitic composition, while the anorthoclase megacrysts usually occur in magmas more basic than trachybasalt. Thus, the anorthoclase megacrysts and the associated cumulate nodules did not crystallise from the host magma, but were picked up from a high-level partly crystallised magma pool containing a more evolved alkali basaltic differentiate by a later surge of more basic liquid which then carried both anorthoclase megacrysts and fragmented cumulates to the surface.     

TTG岩系Nb-Ta-La分馏特征的地球化学模拟:对太古宙板块俯冲与大陆地壳生长机制的约束

TTG的Nb/Ta比值以及Nb、Ta相对于La(代表LILE)的亏损取决于部分熔融体系中金红石、角闪石作为残留相矿物存在与否.本研究采用金红石和低Mg#角闪石的微量元素分配系数模拟部分熔融过程中Nb-Ta-La的分馏.模拟结果表明:如果与TTG熔体平衡的残留相是不含金红石的石榴角闪岩,熔体Nb/Ta比值低于源岩但Ta含...     

Trace elements in minerals as indicators of the evolution of alkaline ultrabasic dike series: LA-ICP-MS data for the magmatic provinces of northeastern Fennoscandia and Germany

In this paper we report the results of the analysis of rare earth (REE), large-ion lithophile (LILE), and high field strength (HFSE) elements in minerals from the alkaline lamprophyre dikes of the Kola region and the Kaiserstuhl province by the local method of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The contents of Y, Li, Rb, Ba, Th, U, Ta, Nb, Sr, Hf, Zr, Pb, Be, Sc, V, Cr, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Ga, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu were measured in olivine, melilite, clinopyroxene, amphibole, phlogopite, nepheline, apatite, perovskite, and the host fine-grained groundmass. The obtained data on trace element partitioning among the mineral phases of the alkaline ultrabasic rocks of the dike series indicate that the main mineral hosts for the HFSEs and REEs in alkaline picrites, olivine melanephelinites, and melilitites are perovskite and apatite comprising more than 90% of these elements. Among major rock-forming minerals, melilite, clinopyroxene, and highly magnesian amphibole make a significant contribution to the balance of REEs during the evolution of melanephelinite melts. The partition coefficients of Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Sc, V, Cr, Ga, Y, Li, Rb, Ba, Th, U, Ta, Nb, Sr, Hf, Zr, Pb, Be, and all of the REEs were calculated for olivine, clinopyroxene, amphibole, phlogopite, nepheline, perovskite, and apatite on the basis of mineral/groundmass ratios. Variations in the composition of complex zoned clinopyroxene phenocrysts reflect the conditions of polybaric crystallization of melanephelinite melt, which began when the magmas arrived at the base of the lower crust and continued during the whole period of their ascent to the surface. The formation of green cores in clinopyroxene is an indicator of mixing between primary melanephelinite melts and phonolite magmas under upper mantle conditions. The estimation of the composition of primary melts for the rocks of the alkaline ultrabasic series of the Kola province indicated a single primary magma for the whole series. This magma produced pyroxene cumulates and complementary melilitolites, foidolites, and nepheline syenites.     

Petrology and petrogenesis of a tertiary bimodal dolerite-peralkaline/subalkaline trachyte/rhyolite dyke association from Lundy,Bristol Channel,UK

The island of Lundy forms the southernmost igneous complex of the British Tertiary Volcanic Province (BTVP) and consists of granite (≈ 90%) emplaced into deformed Devonian sedimentary rocks (Pilton Shale) and associated with a swarm of dykes of dolerite/basalt, minor trachyte and rhyolite composition. The dolerites are of varied olivine basalt composition and are associated with peralkaline trachyte and subalkaline/peralkaline rhyolite with alkali feldspar and quartz ± alkali amphibole ± pyroxene mineralogy. The dyke swarm is therefore an anorogenic bimodal dolerite/basalt–trachyte/rhyolite BTVP association. Although the dyke association is bimodal in major element terms between dolerite/basalt and minor trachyte/rhyolite, the mineralogy and trace element geochemistry indicate that the dykes may be regarded as a cogenetic dolerite—peralkaline trachyte/rhyolite association with minor subalkaline rhyolites. Sr and Nd isotope data indicate derivation of these magmas from a similar BTVP mantle source (with or without minor contamination by Pilton Shale, or possibly Lundy granite). The petrogenesis of the Lundy dyke association is therefore interpreted in terms of extensive fractional crystallization of basaltic magma in a magma chamber of complex geometry below the (exposed) Lundy granite. Fractional crystallization of a representative dolerite magma (olivine ± clinopyroxene ± plagioclase) yields trachyte magma from which the crystallization of alkali feldspar (anorthoclase) ± plagioclase (oligoclase) + Fe–Ti oxide + apatite results in peralkaline rhyolite. Rarer subalkaline rhyolites result from fractionation from a similar dolerite source which did not achieve a peralkaline composition so allowing the crystallization and fractionation of zircon. The basalt–(minor trachyte)/rhyolite bimodality reflects rapid crystallization of basalt magma to trachyte (and rhyolite) over a relatively small temperature interval (mass fraction of melt, F = ≈ 0.15). The rapid high level emplacement of basalt, trachyte and rhyolite dyke magmas is likely to have been associated with the development of a substantial composite bimodal basalt–(minor trachytel)/rhyolite volcano above the BTVP Lundy granite in the Bristol Channel.     

Important role of hornblende fractionation in generating the adakitic magmas in Tongling,Eastern China: evidence from amphibole megacryst and cumulate xenoliths and host gabbros

ABSTRACT

Tongling, in eastern China, is an area well-known for intra-plate adakites. Here, we present the mineral chemistry and zircon U–Pb ages for amphibole cumulate xenoliths, the mineral chemistry of amphibole megacrysts, and the whole–rock chemistry, zircon U–Pb age and Sr–Nd isotopic compositions of host gabbros from Tongling. Zircon U–Pb dating yields a crystallization age of 120.6 ± 1.2 Ma (MSWD = 4.2) for the host gabbros, which are characteristically depleted in high field strength elements (Nb, Ta, and Ti) and enriched in large ion lithophile elements (Ba and Sr), with εNd (t) of ?3.00 to ?4.52 and initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 0.7068–0.7072, suggesting an enriched mantle source. Parental melts, as estimated from average amphibole megacryst and cumulate compositions, have Mg# values of 26–33, are enriched in Ba, Th, U, and Nd, and depleted in Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, and Ti, similar to 136 Ma mafic magmas in Tongling. Zircon U–Pb dating yields a crystallization age of 135.4 ± 1.0 Ma (MSWD = 1.6) for the amphibole cumulates. It is concluded that the Tongling adakitic rocks were formed by polybaric crystallization involving early high-pressure intracrustal fractional crystallization of cumulates comprising hornblende and clinopyroxene, and late low-pressure fractional crystallization of hornblende and plagioclase phenocrysts. The flat subduction of Pacific plate and its subsequent foundering during the Cretaceous may have triggered the generation of extensive adakitic magmas and lithospheric thinning in the Lower Yangtze Region.     

华北晚中生代和新生代玄武岩中单斜辉石巨晶来源及其对寄主岩岩浆过程的制约:以莒南和鹤壁为例

本文对华北克拉通晚中生代和新生代碱性玄武质岩石中的单斜辉石巨晶进行了主、微量元素和Sr-Nd同位素的综合研究,发现晚中生代和新生代单斜辉石巨晶存在明显的主、微量元素和同位素组成上的差异。新生代单斜辉石巨晶有Al-普通辉石和次透辉石两类;而中生代单斜辉石巨晶只有Al-普通辉石。新生代单斜辉石SiO_2含量高、REE配分型式为上凸型、LILE和放射性元素含量高,并具有比寄主碱性玄武岩更亏损的Sr和Nd同位素组成;而中生代单斜辉石SiO_2含量低、REE配分型式为LREE富集型、LILE和部分HFSE以及放射性元素含量低,并具有比寄主碱性玄武岩稍富集的Sr和Nd同位素组成;巨晶的结构、矿物成分和地球化学特征,以及Mg-Fe在熔体与单斜辉石间的分配状况皆说明,新生代碱性玄武岩中单斜辉石巨晶是碱性玄武岩浆在高压下结晶的,因此二者是同源的;而中生代单斜辉石巨晶是被寄主岩浆偶然捕获的捕虏晶,是不同源的。华北新生代单斜辉石巨晶存在于碱性玄武岩和拉斑玄武岩中,它们具有比寄主碱性玄武岩更亏损的Sr和Nd同位素组成,说明即使是碱性玄武岩也不能完全代表软流圈来源的原始岩浆,其在上升过程中或多或少存在同位素组成富集的物质的混入。同时,拉斑玄武岩不是碱性玄武质岩浆直接结晶分异的产物,亦不是完全由部分熔融程度的不同造成的。拉斑玄武岩中存在岩石圈地幔物质的贡献或是岩浆房内碱性玄武质岩浆受地壳混染作用的结果。     

The influence of amphibole fractionation on the evolution of calc-alkaline andesite and dacite tephra from the central Aleutians,Alaska

Petrologic studies of tephra from Kanaga, Adak, and Great Sitkin Islands indicate that amphibole fractionation and magma mixing are important processes controlling the composition of calc-alkaline andesite and dacite magmas in the central Aleutians. Amphibole is ubiquitous in tephra from Kanaga and Adak Islands, whereas it is present only in a basaltic-andesite pumice from Great Sitkin. Dacitic tephra from Great Sitkin do not contain amphibole. Hornblende dacite tephra contain HB+PLAG+OX±OPX±CPX phenocrysts with simple zoning patterns, suggesting that the dacites evolved in isolated magma chambers. Andesitic tephra from Adak contain two pyroxene and hornbelende populations, and reversely zoned plagioclase, indicating a more complex history involving mixing and fractional crystallization. Mass balance calculations suggest that the andesitic tephra may represent the complements of amphibole-bearing cumulate xenoliths, both formed during the evolution of high-Al basalts. The presence of amphibole in andesitic and dacitic tephra implies that Aleutian cale-alkaline magmas evolve in the mid to lower crust under hydrous (>4 wt.% H₂O) and oxidizing (Ni–NiO) conditions. Amphibole-bearing andesites and pyroxene-bearing dacites from Great Sitkin indicates fractionation at several levels within the arc crust. Despite its absence in many calc-alkaline andesite and dacite lavas, open system behavior involving amphibole fractionation can explain the trace element characteristies of lavas found on Adak Island. Neither open nor closed system fractionation involving a pyroxene-bearing assemblage is capable of explaining the trace element concentrations or ratios found in the Adak suite. We envision a scenario where amphibole was initially a liquidus phase in many calc-alkaline magmas, but was later replaced by pyroxenes as the magmas rose to shallow levels within the crust. The mineral assemblage in these evolved lavas reflects shallow level equilibration of the magma, whereas the trace element chemistry provides evidence for a earlier, amphibole-bearing, mineral assemblage.     

Alkali feldspar megacryst growth: Geochemical modelling

Summary Alkali feldspar megacrysts from the porphyritic Karkonosze granite (Western Sudetes, Poland) were formed during magma mixing. Barium concentrations in zoned crystals, a sensitive indicator of feldspar migration between coeval magmas, serve to reconstruct the crystallization path of the megacrysts. Based on geochemical data, a double mixing model for the formation of the porphyritic granite and for megacryst growth is constructed. The feldspar growth model supports megacryst nucleation and early crystallization in a hybridized crustal magma of granodioritic composition. The growth model gives credibility of the choice of partition coefficients used in the modelling. Insights gained from mixing models based on whole rock composition and mineral zonation allow the recognition of various hybridization events that are reflected in a variety of megacryst crystallization paths within the pluton.     

Metasomatism and the crystallization of zircon megacrysts in Archaean peridotites from the Lewisian complex,NW Scotland

Zircon megacrysts are locally abundant in 1–40 cm-thick orthopyroxenite veins within peridotite host rocks in the Archaean Lewisian gneiss complex from NW Scotland. The veins formed by metasomatic interaction between the ultramafic host and Si-rich melts are derived from partial melting of the adjacent granulite-facies orthogneisses. The interaction produced abundant orthopyroxene and, within the thicker veins, phlogopite, pargasite and feldspathic bearing assemblages. Two generations of zircon are present with up to 1 cm megacrystic zircon and a later smaller equant population located around the megacryst margins. Patterns of zoning, rare earth element abundance and oxygen isotopic compositions indicate that the megacrysts crystallized from crustal melts, whereas the equant zircon represents new neocryst growth and partial replacement of the megacryst zircon within the ultramafic host. Both zircon types have U–Pb ages of ca. 2464 Ma, broadly contemporaneous with granulite-facies events in the adjacent gneisses. Zircon megacrysts locally form?>?10% of the assemblage and may be associated to zones of localized nucleation or physically concentrated during movement of the siliceous melts. Their unusual size is linked to the suppression of zircon nucleation and increased Zr solubility in the Si-undersaturated melts. The metasomatism between crustal melts and peridotite may represent an analog for processes in the mantle wedge above subducting slabs. As such, the crystallization of abundant zircon in ultramafic host rocks has implications for geochemistry of melts generated in the mantle and the widely reported depletion of high field strength elements in arc magmas.     

Microchemical and Sr Isotopic Investigation of Zoned K-feldspar Megacrysts: Insights into the Petrogenesis of a Granitic System and Disequilibrium Crystal Growth

K-feldspar megacrysts (Kfm) are used to investigate the magmaticevolution of the 7 Ma Monte Capanne (MC) monzogranite (Elba,Italy). Dissolution and regrowth of Kfm during magma mixingor mingling events produce indented resorption surfaces associatedwith high Ba contents. Diffusion calculations demonstrate thatKfm chemical zoning is primary. Core-to-rim variations in Ba,Rb, Sr, Li and P support magma mixing (i.e. high Ba and P andlow Rb/Sr at rims), but more complex variations require othermechanisms. In particular, we show that disequilibrium growth(related to variations in diffusion rates in the melt) may haveoccurred as a result of thermal disturbance following influxof mafic magma in the magma chamber. Initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios(I_Sr) (obtained by microdrilling) decrease from core to rim.Inner core analyses define a mixing trend extending towardsa high I_Sr–Rb/Sr melt component, whereas the outer coresand rims display a more restricted range of I_Sr, but a largerrange of Rb/Sr. Lower I_Sr at the rim of one megacryst suggestsmixing with high-K calc-alkaline mantle-derived volcanics ofsimilar age on Capraia. Trace element and isotopic profilessuggest (1) early megacryst growth in magmas contaminated bycrust and refreshed by high I_Sr silicic melts (as seen in theinner cores) and (2) later recharge with mafic magmas (as seenin the outer cores) followed by (3) crystal fractionation, withpossible interaction with hydrothermal fluids (as seen in therim). The model is compatible with the field occurrence of maficenclaves and xenoliths. KEY WORDS: Elba; monzogranite; K-feldspar megacrysts; zoning; magma mixing; trace element; Sr isotopes; petrogenesis     

Identifying Accessory Mineral Saturation during Differentiation in Granitoid Magmas: an Integrated Approach

Numerical reconstructions of processes that may have operatedduring igneous petrogenesis often model the behaviour of importanttrace elements. The geochemistry of these trace elements maybe controlled by accessory mineral saturation and fractionation.Determination of the saturation point of accessory mineralsin granitoid rocks is ambiguous because assumptions about crystalmorphology and melt compositions do not always hold. An integratedapproach to identifying accessory mineral saturation involvingpetrography, whole-rock geochemical trends, saturation calculationsand mineral chemistry changes is demonstrated here for a compositionallyzoned pluton. Within and between whole-rock samples of the BoggyPlain zoned pluton, eastern Australia, the rare earth element(REE)-enriched accessory minerals zircon, apatite and titaniteexhibit compositional variations that are related to saturationin the bulk magma, localized saturation in intercumulus meltpools and fractionation of other mineral phases. Apatite isidentified as having been an early crystallizing phase overnearly the whole duration of magma cooling, with zircon (andallanite) only saturating in more felsic zones. Titanite andmonazite did not saturate in the bulk magma at any stage ofdifferentiation. Although some trace elements (P, Ca, Sc, Nb,Hf, Ta) in zircon exhibit compositional variation progressingfrom mafic to more felsic whole-rock samples, normalized REEpatterns and abundances (except Ce) do not vary with progressivedifferentiation. This is interpreted to be a result of limitationsto both simple ‘xenotime’ and complex xenotime-typecoupled substitutions. Our data indicate that zircon REE characteristicsare not as useful as those of other REE-rich accessory mineralsas a petrogenetic indicator. KEY WORDS: saturation; zircon; apatite; titanite; magma differentiation; trace elements; REE patterns