Fluid--Rock Interaction during Low-Pressure Polymetamorphism of the Reynolds Range Group, Central Australia

Marbles and metapelites from the Reynolds Range Group (centralAustralia) were regionally metamorphosed at low pressure duringM₂ at 1.6 Ga, M₂ ranged in grade from greenschist to granulitefacies along the length of the Reynolds Range, and overprinted1.78 Ga granites and their contact aureoles in the ReynoldsRange Group metasediments. At all M₂ grades the marbles andmetapelites have highly variable oxygen isotope ratios [marbles:¹⁸O(carb) 14–20%; metapelites: ¹⁸O 6–14%). Similarly, 1.78 Ga granites have highly variable oxygen isotope ratios(¹⁸O 5–13%), with the lowest values occurring at thegranite margins. In all rock types, the lowest oxygen isotopevalues are consistent with the infiltration of channelled magmaticand/or meteoric fluids. The variable lowering of oxygen isotopevalues resulted from pre-M₂ contact metamorphism and fluid—rockinteraction around the 1.78 Ga granites. In contrast, mineralassemblages in the marbles define a trend of increasing X_CO2with increasing grade from <0.05 (greenschist facies) to0.7–1.0 (granulite facies). This, together with the lackof regionally systematic resetting of oxygen isotope ratios,implies that there was little fluid—rock interaction duringprograde regional metamorphism. KEY WORDS: low pressure; polymetamorphism; fluids; stable isotopes; petrology ^*Corresponding author Fax: 61–3–94791272. e-mail: geoisb{at}lure.latrobe.edu.au     

Reaction Textures in a Suite of Spinel Granulites from the Eastern Ghats Belt, India: Evidence for Polymetamorphism, a Partial Petrogenetic Grid in the System KFMASH and the Roles of ZnO and Fe2O3

Spinel granulites, with or without sapphirine, occur as lensesin garnetiferous quartzofeldspathic gneisses (leptynites) nearGokavaram in the Eastern Ghats Belt, India. Spinel granulitesare mineralogically heterogeneous and six mineral associationsoccur in closely spaced domains. These are (I) spinel–quartz–cordierite,(II) spinel–quartz–cordierite–garnet–orthopyroxene–sillimanite,(III) spinel–cordierite–orthopyroxene–sillimanite,(IV) spinel–quartz–sapphirine–sillimanite–garnet,(V) spinel–quartz-sapphirine–garnet and (IV) rhombohedral(Fe–Ti) oxide–cordierite–orthopyroxene–sillimanite.Common to all the associations are a porphyroblastic garnet(containing an internal schistosify defined by biotite, sillimaniteand quartz), perthite and plagioclase. Spinel contains variableamounts of exsolved magnetite and is distinctly Zn rich in thesapphirine-absent associations. X_Mg in the coexisting phasesdecreases in the order cordierite–biotite–sapphirine–orthopyroxene–spinel–garnet–(Fe–Ti)oxides. Textural criteria and compositional characteristicsof the phases document several retrograde mineral reactionswhich occurred subsequent to prograde dehydration melting reactionsinvolving biotite, sillimanite, quartz, plagioclase and spinel.The following retrograde mineral reactions are deduced: (1)spinel + quartz cordierite, (2) spinel + quartz garnet + sillimanite,(3) garnet + quartz cordierite + orthopyroxene, (4) garnet+ quartz + sillimanite cordierite, (5) spinel + cordierite orthopyroxene + sillimanite, (6) spinel + sillimanite + quartz sapphirine, (7) spinel + sapphirine + quartz garnet + sillimanite,and (8) spinel + quartz sapphirine + garnet. A partial petrogeneticgrid for the system FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–K₂O–H₂Oat high fo₂, has been constructed and the effects of ZnO andFe₂O₃ on this grid have been explored Combining available experimentaland natural occurrence data, the high fo₂ invariant points inthe partial grid have been located in P–T space. Geothermobarometricdata and consideration of the deduced mineral reactions in thepetrogenetic grid show that the spinel granulites evolved throughan anticlockwise P–T trajectory reaching peak metamorphicconditions >9 kbar and 950C, followed by near-isobaric cooling(dT/dP = 150C/kbar). This was superimposed by an event of near-isothermaldecompression (dT/dP = 15C/kbar). The studied spinel granulites,therefore, preserve relic prograde mineral associations andreaction textures despite being metamorphosed at very high temperatures,and bear evidence of polymetamorphism. KEY WORDS: spinel granulite; Eastern Ghats; India; polymetamorphism; geothermometry; geobarometry Corresponding author     

A New Interpretation of Centimetre-scale Variations in the Progress of Infiltration-driven Metamorphic Reactions: Case Study of Carbonated Metaperidotite, Val d'Efra, Central Alps, Switzerland

Progress () of the infiltration-driven reaction, 4olivine +5CO₂ + H₂O = talc + 5magnesite, that occurred during Barrovianregional metamorphism, varies at the cm-scale by a factor of3·5 within an 3 m³ volume of rock. Mineral and stableisotope compositions record that X_CO2, ¹⁸O_fluid, and ¹³C_fluidwere uniform within error of measurement in the same rock volume.The conventional interpretation of small-scale variations in in terms of channelized fluid flow cannot explain the uniformityin fluid composition. Small-scale variations in resulted insteadbecause (a) reactant olivine was a solid solution, (b) initiallythere were small-scale variations in the amount and compositionof olivine, and (c) fluid composition was completely homogenizedover the same scale by diffusion–dispersion during infiltrationand subsequent reaction. Assuming isochemical reaction, spatialvariations in image variations in the (Mg + Fe)/Si of the parentrock rather than the geometry of metamorphic fluid flow. Ifinfiltration-driven reactions involve minerals fixed in composition,on the other hand, spatial variations in do directly imagefluid flow paths. The geometry of fluid flow can never be determinedfrom geochemical tracers over a distance smaller than the oneover which fluid composition is completely homogenized by diffusion–dispersion. KEY WORDS: Alpine Barrovian metamorphism; diffusion; metamorphic fluid composition; metamorphic fluid flow; reaction progress     

Oxygen Isotope Evidence for Chemical Interaction of Ki lauea Historical Magmas with Basement Rocks

Klauea historical summit lavas have a wide range in matrix ¹⁸O_VSMOWvalues (4·9–5·6) with lower values in rockserupted following a major summit collapse or eruptive hiatus.In contrast, ¹⁸O values for olivines in most of these lavasare nearly constant (5·1 ± 0·1). The disequilibriumbetween matrix and olivine ¹⁸O values in many samples indicatesthat the lower matrix values were acquired by the magma afterolivine growth, probably just before or during eruption. BothMauna Loa and Klauea basement rocks are the likely sources ofthe contamination, based on O, Pb and Sr isotope data. However,the extent of crustal contamination of Klauea historical magmasis probably minor (< 12%, depending on the assumed contaminant)and it is superimposed on a longer-term, cyclic geochemicalvariation that reflects source heterogeneity. Klauea's heterogeneoussource, which is well represented by the historical summit lavas,probably has magma ¹⁸O values within the normal mid-ocean ridgebasalt mantle range (5·4–5·8) based on thenew olivine ¹⁸O values. KEY WORDS: Hawaii; Klauea; basalt; oxygen isotopes; crustal contamination     

Fluid Flow During Contact Metamorphism at Mary Kathleen, Queensland, Australia

Corella marbles in the Mary Kathleen Fold Belt were infiltratedby fluids during low-pressure (200-MPa) contact metamorphismassociated with the intrusion of the Burstall granite at 1730–1740Ma. Fluids emanating from the granite [whole-rock (WR) ¹⁸O=8.1–8.6%]produced Fe-rich massive and banded garnet—clinopyroxeneskarns [¹⁸O(WR)=9.1–11.9%]. Outside the skarn zones, marblemineralogies define an increase in temperature (500 to >575C) and XCO₂ (0.05 to >0.12) towards the granite, andmost marbles contain isobarically univariant or invariant assemblagesin the end-member CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O–CO₂system. Marbles have calcite (Cc) ¹⁸O and ¹³C values of 12.3–24.6%and –1.0 to –3.9%, respectively. A lack of down-temperaturemineral reactions in the marbles suggests that pervasive fluidinfiltration did not continue after the thermal peak of contactmetamorphism. The timing of fluid flow probably correspondsto a period of high fluid production and high intrinsic permeabilitiesduring prograde contact metamorphism. The petrology and stableisotope geochemistry of the marbles suggest that these rockswere infiltrated by water-rich fluids. If fluid flow occurredup to the peak of contact metamorphism, the mineralogical andisotopic resetting is best explained by fluids flowing up-temperaturetoward the Burstall granite. However, if fluid flow ceased beforthe peak of regional metamorphism, the fluid flow directioncannot be unambiguously determined. At individual outcrops,marble ¹⁸O(Cc) values vary by several permil over a few squaremetres, suggesting that fluid fluxes varied by at least an orderof magnitude on the metre to tens-of-metre scale. Fluids werefocused across lithological layering; however, mesoscopic fracturesare not recognized. The focusing of fluids was possibly viamicrofractures, and the variation in the degree of resettingmay reflect variations in microcrack density and fracture permeability.The marble—skarn contacts represent a sharp discontinuityin both major element geochemistry and ¹⁸O values, suggestingthat, at least locally, little fluid flow occurred across thesecontacts.     

Stable Isotopic Evidence for Fluid-Rock Interactions in the Ivrea Zone, Italy

Stable isotope compositions of Ivrea Zone marbles and associatedlithologies are in general heterogeneous. The oxygen isotopecomposition of quartz in pelites ranges from ¹⁸O +9 to + 17(SMOW) and does not vary systematically with metamorphic grade.Peridotites retain oxygen isotope signatures close to mantlevalues. Marble calcites vary in isotopic composition from ¹³C + 2(PDB),¹⁸0 +24(SMOW)to ¹³C –6(PDB), ¹⁸O + 13 (SMOW).Depletions in ¹⁸O and ¹³C may be explained dominantly by interactionwith fluids derived from within the observed metasedimentarysequence during prograde metamorphism. ¹⁸O and ¹³C show gradients of greater than 5/m across marblemargins and within marbles. The preservation of such isotopicgradients is not consistent with the long-term presence of grain-boundary-scaleinterconnected fluid films in and around marbles. There is ageneral lowering of ¹⁸O within individual marble bodies althoughlarge carbon and oxygen isotopic gradients are present. Calcitein marbles may attain oxygen isotope equilibrium, but rarelycarbon isotope equilibrium, with surrounding metapelites. Infiltrationof marbles must involve a component of channelized fluid flow. The general lack of isotopic equilibration within the sequencerequires channelized fluid flow and limited fluid-rock ratios.Large pervasive mantle to crust fluid fluxes are not consistentwith the observations. ^*Present address: Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1EU, England     

Element Mobility During Incipient Granulite Formation at Kabbaldurga, Southern India

At Kabbaldurga, infiltration of carbonic fluids along a systemof ductile shears and foliation planes has led to partial transformationof Archaean grey biotite–hornblende gneiss to coarse-grainedmassive charnockite at about 2.5 b.y. ago. The dehydration ofthe gneiss assemblage was induced by a marked metasomatic changeof the reacting system from granodioritic to granitic, and obviouslytook place under conditions of an open system at 700–750?C and 5–7 kb. Extensive replacement of plagioclase (An_16–30)by K-feldspar through Na, Ca–K exchange reactions withthe ascending carbonic fluids led to strong enrichment in K,Rb, Ba, and SiO₂, and to a depletion in Ca. Progressive dissolutionof hornblende, biotite, magnetite, and the accessory mineralsapatite and zircon resulted in a marked depletion in Fe, Mg,Ti, Zn, V, P, and Zr. Most important is the recognition of REEmobility: with advancing charnockitization, the moderately fractionatedREE distribution patterns of the grey gneisses (La_N270; La_N/Yb_N= 5–20; Eu_N27; Eu/Eu^* = 0.6–0.3) give way to stronglyfractionated REE patterns with a positive Eu-anomaly (La_N200;La_N/Yb_N = 20–80; Eu_N22; Eu/Eu^* = 0.6–1.8). The systematicdepletion especially in the HREE is due to the progressive dissolutionof zircon, apatite (and monazite), which strongly concentratethe REE. Stable isotope data (¹⁸O of 6.9–8.0 per mille for gneissesand charnockites; ¹³C of –8.5 and –6.5 per millefor late carbonate) indicate a magmatogenic source for the carbonicfluids. In contrast to the currently favoured derivation ofcarbonic fluids by decarbonation of the upper mantle or degassingof underplated basaltic intrusions, it is discussed here thatabundant fluid inclusions in lower crustal charnockites providedan extensive reservoir of ‘fossil’ carbonic fluids.Shear deformation has tapped this reservoir and generated thechannel-ways for fluid ascent. Charnockitization of the Kabbaldurgatypethus appears to be a metasomatic process which is tectonicallycontrolled and restricted to the crustal level of the amphiboliteto granulite transition.     

Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Geochemistry of the Mourne Mountains Tertiary Granites, Northern Ireland

An oxygen and hydrogen isotopic study of minerals and wholerocks from the granites of the Mourne Mountains Tertiary complex,and related rocks, shows that whereas a significant circulationof meteoric water was associated with the complex, it had onlyminor and localized effects on the granites themselves. TheSilurian slate and greywacke country rocks, which would havehad ¹⁸O_(SMOW) values of +10 to +20 before the Tertiary igneousevents, have been depicted ¹⁸O to values of –40 to –05Tertiary acid minor intrusions outside the main granite massesare also ¹⁸O depleted. ^l8O whole-rock data on the granites showa range of +6.0 to +9.5, and include values significantly higherthan most of those obtained for the granites of the Tertiarycentral complexes of Skye, Mull, and Ardnamurchan. Many of thelowest whole-rock ¹⁸O values are found in samples where theminerals are not in isotopic equilibrium. The mineral oxygenisotopic data can be explained in terms of localized interactionwith meteoric water, resulting in preferential ¹⁸O depletionin feldspar(s) and biotite, with quartz being much less affected.The granites all show low values of D_(SMOW) for biotite andamphibole separates (–137 to –104). The lowest valuesoccur close to the margins of the plutons, near internal contactsor near greisen localities, and these probably reflect limitedinteraction with meteoric water. The higher D values are fromsamples which show evidence of chloritization. This processappears to have occurred both during interaction with meteoricwater, and also during autometasomatism by an exsolved magmaticfluid in other parts of the plutons, including central locationswhere there is little or no evidence for the penetration ofmeteoric water. Granite samples which exhibit near-equilibriumoxygen isotope fractionations for constituent minerals are characterizedby magmatic O-isotopic compositions. The G2 granite, the largestpluton of the eastern centre, has a magmatic ¹⁸O_(SMOW) valueof {small tilde}+95; intrusions G3 (eastern centre) and G4(western centre) both have ¹⁸O_(SMOW) values of {small tilde}+90.The other two main intrusive phases have distinctly lower ¹⁸O_(SMOW)values: {small tilde}+75 for Gl (the least fractionated graniteof the Mourne Mountains central complex), and from +75 to +85for G5. The oxygen isotopic data rule out simple partial meltingof the country rocks as the origin of the granites and alsopreclude an origin by closed-system fractional crystallizationof basaltic magma typical of that represented by Tertiary basicigneous rocks of the region. ^* Present address: NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, Keyworth, Nottingham BG12 5GG, UK Present address: School of Engineering Technology, Georgian College, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 3X9, Canada     

An Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Study of the Skaergaard Intrusion and its Country Rocks: a Description of a 55 M.Y. Old Fossil Hydrothermal System

Oxygen isotope analyses have been obtained on rocks and coexistingminerals, principally plagioclase and clinopyroxene, from about400 samples of the Skaergaard layered gabbro intrusion and itscountry rocks. The ¹⁸O values of plagioclase decrease upwardin the intrusion, from ‘normal’ values of about+6.0 to +6.4 in the Lower Zone and parts of the Middle Zone,to values as low as –2.4 in the Upper Border Group. The¹⁸O depletions of the plagioclase all took place under subsolidusconditions, and were produced by the Eocene meteoric-hydrothermalsystem established by this pluton. Clinopyroxene, which is moreresistant to ¹⁸O exchange than is plagioclase, also underwentdepletion in ¹⁸O, but to a lesser degree (¹⁸O = +5.2 to +3.5).The ¹⁸O-depleted rocks typically show reversed ¹⁸Oplag–pxfractionations, except at the top of the Upper Zone, where thepyroxenes are very fine-grained aggregates pseudomorphous afterferrowollastonite; these inverted pyroxenes were much more susceptibleto subsolidus ¹⁸O exchange (¹⁸O = +3–9 to +0.7). D/H analysesof the chloritized basalt country rocks and of the minor quantitiesof alteration minerals in the pluton (D = –116 to –149)confirm these interpretations, indicating that the rocks interactedwith meteoric groundwaters having an original D –100.and ¹⁸O –14. Low D values ( –125) were also foundthroughout the biotites of the Precambrian basement gneiss,requiring that small amounts of water penetrated downward todepths of at least 6 to 10 km. These values, together with thelack of ¹⁸O depletion of the gneiss, imply that the overallwater/rock ratios were very small in that unit (<0.01), andthus that convective circulation of these waters was much morevigorous in the overlying highly jointed plateau basalts (¹⁸O –4.0 to +4–0) than in the relatively impermeablegneiss (¹⁸O +7–3 to +7–7). This contrast in permeabilitiesof the country rocks is also reflected in the distribution of¹⁸O values in the pluton; the plagioclases with ‘normal’¹⁸O values all lie stratigraphically beneath the projectionof the basalt-gneiss unconformity through the pluton. Elsewhere,the ¹⁸O depletions are correlated with abundance of fracturesand faults, particularly in the NE portion of the intrusion,where the Layered Series is very shallow-dipping and permeablebasalts underlie the gabbro. The transgressive granophyres in the lower part of the intrusivehave ¹⁸O values identical to those of the basement gneiss, indicatingthey were probably formed by partial melting of stoped blocksof gneiss. In the upper part of the intrusion these granophyredikes have ¹⁸O values similar to the adjacent host gabbro; thissuggests that much of the hydrothermal alteration occurred aftertheir emplacement. However, because of the rarity of low-temperaturehydrous alteration minerals, it is also clear that most of theinflux of H₂O into the layered gabbro occurred at very hightemperatures (>400–500 °C). Prior to flowing intothe gabbro, these fluids had exchanged with similar mineralassemblages in the basaltic country rocks, explaining the lackof chemical alteration of the gabbro. Xenoliths of roof rockbasalt and of Upper Border Group leucogabbro were strongly depletedin ¹⁸O by the hydrothermal system prior to their falling tothe bottom of the magma chamber and being incorporated in thelayered series. This proves that the hydrothermal system wasestablished very early, at the time of emplacement of the Skaergaardintrusion. However, no measurable ¹⁸O depletion of the gabbromagma could be detected, indicating that very little H₂O penetrateddirectly into the liquid magma, in spite of the fact that ahydrothermal circulation system totally enveloped the magmachamber for at least 100, 000 years during its entire periodof crystallization. Only as crystallization proceeded was thehydrothermal system able to collapse inward and interact withthe solidified and fractured portions of the gabbro. Neverthelesssome H₂O was clearly added directly to the magma by dehydrationof the stoped blocks of altered roof rock. It is also plausiblethat small amounts of meteoric water diffused directly intothe magma, most logically in the vicinity of major fracturezones that penetrated close to, or were underneath, the late-stagesheet of differentiated ferrodiorite magma. It is suggestedthat such influx of meteoric waters was responsible for manyof the gabbro pegmatite bodies that are common in the MarginalBorder Group; also, such H₂O might have produced local increasesin Fe⁺³/Fe⁺² in the magma that in turn could explain some ofthe asymmetric crystallization effects in the magma chamber.Local lowering of the liquidus temperature would also occur,perhaps leading to topographic irregularities on the floor ofthe magma chamber (e.g. the trough bands?).     

The Ni-S System and Related Minerals

The system Ni-S has been studied systematically from 200^? to1, 030^? C by means of evacuated, sealed silica-glass tube experimentsand differential thermal analyses. Compounds in the system areNi₃S₂ (and a high temperature, non-quenchable Ni_3?S₂ phase),Ni₇S₆, Ni₁–S₄ Ni₃S₄, and NiS₂. The geologic occurrenceof the minerals heazlewoodite (Ni₂S₂), millerite (ßSNi₁-₂S),polydymite (Ni₃S₄), and vaesite (NiS₂) can now be describedin terms of the stability ranges of their synthetic equivalents. Hexagonal heazlewoodite, which is stoichiometric within thelimit of error of the experiments, inverts on heating to a tetragonalor pseudotetragonal phase at 556^? C. This high-temperature phase(Ni₃ has a wide field of stability, from 23.5 to 30.5 wt percent sulfur at 600^? C, and melts incongruently at 806^??3^? C.The ßNi₇S₆ phase inverts to Ni₇₈ at 397^? C6 when inequilibrium with Ni₃S₂, and at 400^? C when in equilibrium withNiS. Crystals of Ni₇S₆ break down to Ni₃-S₂+NiS at 573^??3^?C.The low-temperature form of Ni₁-S₁ corresponding to the mineralmillerite, is rhombohedral, and the high-temperature form hasthe hexagonal NiAs structure. Stoichiometric NiS inverts at379^??3^?C, whereas Ni₁-S with the maximum nickel deficiency invertsat 282^??5OC. The Ni₁-alphS-NiS₂ solvus was determined to 985^??3^?C,the eutectic temperature of these phases. Stoichiometric NiSis stable at 600^?C but breaks down to Ni₂-S₂ and Ni₁-S below797^?C, whereas Ni₁-S with 38.2 wt per cent sulfur melts congruentlyat 992^??3^?C. Vaesite does not vary measurably from stoichiometricNiS₂ composition, and melts congruently at 1.007?5^?C. Polydymitebreaks down to aNi-S? vaesite at 356^??3^?C. Differential thermalanalyses showed the existence of a two-liquid field in the sulfur-richportion of the system above 991^?C and over a wide compositionalrange.     

A Method for Thermodynamical Calculation of Basicity Indicators of Rocks and Minerals

A new method has been suggested for evaluating the overall basicityof minerals and rocks by using ionization reactions involvingone proton: (sum of cations) + H₂O = mineral + H⁺, (sum of cations) + H₂O = (sum of normative minerals of a rock)+ H⁺. The basicity indicators are expressed as standard free energychanges of these reactions (). At standard water pressure (logP_H2O = 0) and chemical activity of the metal ions ( log _Mⁿ⁺= 0), the relationship between and alkalinity of solutions(pH) becomes: = –2.303 RTlog _H⁺ = 2.303 RT pH. The overall basicities of rock-forming oxides, minerals andmajor rocks were calculated from the thermodynamic data on ionsin water solutions and solid compounds.     

Petrology of Granulites from Anakapalle--Evidence for Proterozoic Decompression in the Eastern Ghats, India

The granulite complex at Anakapalle, which was metamorphosedat 1000 Ma, comprises orthopyroxene granulites, leptynite, khondalite,mafic granulites, calc-silicate rock, spinel granulites, andtwo types of sapphirine granulites—one quartz-bearingand migmatitic and the other devoid of quartz and massive. Reactiontextures in conjunction with mineral-chemical data suggest severalcontinuous and discontinuous equilibria in these rocks. In orthopyroxenegranulites, dehydration-melting of biotite in the presence ofquartz occurred according to the reaction biotite+quartz= garnet (Py₃₇)+K-feldspar+orthopyroxene + liquid. Later, this garnet broke down by the reaction garnet (Py₃₇)+quartz= orthopyroxene + plagioclase. Subsequently, coronal garnet (Py₃₀) and quartz were producedby the same reaction but proceeding in the opposite direction.In spinel granulites, garnet (Py₄₂) and sillimanite were producedby the breakdown of spinel in the presence of quartz. In thetwo types of sapphirine granulites, garnet with variable pyropecontent broke down according to the reaction garnet = sapphirine + sillimanite + orthopyroxene. The highest pyrope content (59 mol %) was noted in garnets fromquartz-free sapphirine granulites compared with the quartz-bearingone (53 mol % pyrope). The calculated positions of the mineralreactions and diserete P-T points obtained by thermobarometrydefine a retrograde P-T trajectory during which a steep decompressionof 1.5 kbar from P-T_max of 8 kbar and 900C was followed bynear-isobaric cooling of 300C. During this decompression, garnetwith variable pyrope contents in different rocks broke downon intersection with various divariant equilibria. Near-isobariccooling resulted in the formation of coronal garnet around second-generationorthopyroxene and plagioclase replacing earlier porphyroblasticgarnet in orthopyroxene granulites. It has been argued thatthe deduced P-T trajectory originated in an extensional regimeinvolving either a crust of near-normal thickness of a slightlyoverthickened crust owing to magmatic underaccretion.     

Genesis of Ultramafic Lamprophyres and Carbonatites at Aillik Bay, Labrador: a Consequence of Incipient Lithospheric Thinning beneath the North Atlantic Craton

Numerous dykes of ultramafic lamprophyre (aillikite, mela-aillikite,damtjernite) and subordinate dolomite-bearing carbonatite withU–Pb perovskite emplacement ages of 590–555 Ma occurin the vicinity of Aillik Bay, coastal Labrador. The ultramaficlamprophyres principally consist of olivine and phlogopite phenocrystsin a carbonate- or clinopyroxene-dominated groundmass. Ti-richprimary garnet (kimzeyite and Ti-andradite) typically occursat the aillikite type locality and is considered diagnosticfor ultramafic lamprophyre–carbonatite suites. Titanianaluminous phlogopite and clinopyroxene, as well as comparativelyAl-enriched but Cr–Mg-poor spinel (Cr-number < 0.85),are compositionally distinct from analogous minerals in kimberlites,orangeites and olivine lamproites, indicating different magmageneses. The Aillik Bay ultramafic lamprophyres and carbonatiteshave variable but overlapping ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i ratios (0·70369–0·70662)and show a narrow range in initial _Nd (+0·1 to +1·9)implying that they are related to a common type of parentalmagma with variable isotopic characteristics. Aillikite is closestto this primary magma composition in terms of MgO (15–20wt %) and Ni (200–574 ppm) content; the abundant groundmasscarbonate has ¹³C_PDB between –5·7 and –5,similar to primary mantle-derived carbonates, and ¹⁸O_SMOW from9·4 to 11·6. Extensive melting of a garnet peridotitesource region containing carbonate- and phlogopite-rich veinsat 4–7 GPa triggered by enhanced lithospheric extensioncan account for the volatile-bearing, potassic, incompatibleelement enriched and MgO-rich nature of the proto-aillikitemagma. It is argued that low-degree potassic silicate to carbonatiticmelts from upwelling asthenosphere infiltrated the cold baseof the stretched lithosphere and solidified as veins, therebycrystallizing calcite and phlogopite that were not in equilibriumwith peridotite. Continued Late Neoproterozoic lithosphericthinning, with progressive upwelling of the asthenosphere beneatha developing rift branch in this part of the North Atlanticcraton, caused further veining and successive remelting of veinsplus volatile-fluxed melting of the host fertile garnet peridotite,giving rise to long-lasting hybrid ultramafic lamprophyre magmaproduction in conjunction with the break-up of the Rodinia supercontinent.Proto-aillikite magma reached the surface only after coatingthe uppermost mantle conduits with glimmeritic material, whichcaused minor alkali loss. At intrusion level, carbonate separationfrom this aillikite magma resulted in fractionated dolomite-bearingcarbonatites (¹³C_PDB –3·7 to –2·7)and carbonate-poor mela-aillikite residues. Damtjernites maybe explained by liquid exsolution from alkali-rich proto-aillikitemagma batches that moved through previously reaction-lined conduitsat uppermost mantle depths. KEY WORDS: liquid immiscibility; mantle-derived magmas; metasomatism, Sr–Nd isotopes; U–Pb geochronology     

Petrogenesis of the Swaziland and Northern Natal Rhyolites of the Lebombo Rifted Volcanic Margin, South East Africa

The Jozini and Mbuluzi rhyolites and Oribi Beds of the southernLebombo Monocline, southeastern Africa, have geochemical characteristicsthat indicate they were derived by partial melting of a mixtureof high-Ti/Zr and low-Ti/Zr Sabie River Basalt Formation types.Compositional variations within the different rhyolite typescan largely be explained by subsequent fractional crystallization.The Sr- and Nd-isotope composition of the rhyolites is uniqueamongst Gondwana silicic large igneous provinces, having _Ndvalues close to Bulk Earth (–0·94 to 0·35)and low, but more variable, initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0·7034–0·7080).Quartz phenocryst ¹⁸O values indicate that the rhyolite magmashad ¹⁸O values between 5·3 and 6·7, consistentwith derivation from a basaltic protolith with ¹⁸O values between4·8 and 6·2. The low-¹⁸O rhyolites (< 6·0)come from the same stratigraphic horizon and are overlain andunderlain by rhyolites with more ‘normal’ ¹⁸O magmavalues. These low-¹⁸O rhyolites cannot have been produced byfractional crystallization or partial melting of mantle-derivedbasaltic material. The rhyolites have low water contents, makingit unlikely that the low ¹⁸O values are the result of post-emplacementalteration. Modification of the source by fluid–rock interactionat elevated temperatures is the most plausible mechanism forlowering the ¹⁸O magma value. It is proposed that the low-¹⁸Orhyolites were derived by melting of earlier altered rhyolitein calderas situated to the east, which were not preserved afterGondwana break-up. KEY WORDS: rhyolite; Lebombo; stable and radiogenic isotopes; low-¹⁸O magmas; partial melting     

Petrographic, Chemical and B-Isotopic Insights into the Origin of Tourmaline-Rich Rocks and Boron Recycling in the Martinamor Antiform (Central Iberian Zone, Salamanca, Spain)

Tourmaline in the Martinamor antiform occurs in tourmalinites(rocks with >15–20% tourmaline by volume), clasticmetasedimentary rocks of the Upper Proterozoic Monterrubio formation,quartz veins, pre-Variscan orthogneisses and Variscan graniticrocks. Petrographic observations, back-scattered electron (BSE)images, and microprobe data document a multistaged developmentof tourmaline. Overall, variations in the Mg/(Mg + Fe) ratiosdecrease from tourmalinites (0·36–0·75),through veins (0·38–0·66) to granitic rocks(0·23–0·46), whereas Al increases in thesame order from 5·84–6·65 to 6·22–6·88apfu. The incorporation of Al into tourmaline is consistentwith combinations of ^xAl(NaR)_–1 and AlO(R(OH))_–1exchange vectors, where ^x represents X-site vacancy and R is(Mg + Fe²⁺ + Mn). Variations in ^x/(^x + Na) ratios are similarin all the types of tourmaline occurrences, from 0·10to 0·53, with low Ca-contents (mostly <0·10apfu). Based on field and textural criteria, two groups of tourmaline-richrocks are distinguished: (1) pre-Variscan tourmalinites (probablyCadomian), affected by both deformation and regional metamorphismduring the Variscan orogeny; (2) tourmalinites related to thesynkinematic granitic complex of Martinamor. Textural and geochemicaldata are consistent with a psammopelitic parentage for the protolithof the tourmalinites. Boron isotope analyses of tourmaline havea total range of ¹¹B values from –15·6 to 6·8;the lowest corresponding to granitic tourmalines (–15·6to –11·7) and the highest to veins (1·9to 6·8). Tourmalines from tourmalinites have intermediate¹¹B values of –8·0 to +2·0. The observedvariations in ¹¹B support an important crustal recycling ofboron in the Martinamor area, in which pre-Variscan tourmaliniteswere remobilized by a combination of mechanical and chemicalprocesses during Variscan deformation, metamorphism and anatexis,leading to the formation of multiple tourmaline-bearing veinsand a new stage of boron metasomatism. KEY WORDS: tourmalinites; metamorphic and granitic rocks; mineral chemistry; whole-rock chemistry; boron isotopes     

Talc-Phengite: a Widespread Assemblage in High-Grade Pelitic Blueschists of the Western Alps

Talc-phengite, an assemblage hitherto believed to be rare, isfound in regional distribution in the Gran Paradiso area, whereit occurs in the characteristic mineral association chloritoid-talc-phengite(Si_3·4–_3·5). Talc contains up to 15 moleper cent minnesotaite, and chloritoid up to 45 mole per centof the magnesium end member. The talc-phengite stability resultsbasically from the disappearance of chlorite + quartz in rockswith low and moderate MgO/FeO ratios through the divariant reactionsfirst recognized here: Fe-Mg-Chlorite+quartz talc + garnet + H₂O and Fe-Mg-chlorite + quartz talc + Chloritoid + H₂O These reactions imply the disappearance of the join biotite-chloritein the presence of quartz and thus open a talc-phengite stabilityfield (±garnet or chloritoid or Mg-chlorite) which extends,with increasing P and T, toward Mg-richer compositions. Whetheror not it reaches the magnesian subsystem in the Gran Paradisoarea cannot be ascertained. However, the sporadic occurrenceof the high-pressure assemblage talc-kyanite-chloritoid 50 to70 km further northeast in the vicinity of the Monte Rosa massifwithin the same lithological unit (Zermatt-Saas Fee zone s.l.)indicates the instability of any chlorite in quartz-bearingrocks, and implies that talc-phengite must also be stable forpurely magnesian compositions in that area. This progressivestabilization of talc-phengite with increasing metamorphic gradesupports Abraham & Schreyer's (1976) hypothesis of a high-pressurefield for this assemblage, and rules out Chernosky's construction(1978) implying a low-pressure field. The following paragenetic sequence is proposed for pelitic compositionswith intermediate Mg/Fe ratios and excess quartz subjected tohigh-pressure metamorphism with maximum temperatures near 400–500°C: chlorite-illite chlorite-phengite chloritoid-talc-phengite.The absence of biotite is a compositional effect due to thehigh degree of phengite substitution in the white mica. ^*Present address: Institut fr Mineralogic, Ruhr-Universitt, Postfach 10 21 48, D-4630 Bochum 1, Federal Republic of Germany.     

Properties of Synthetic Triclinic KFeSi3O8, Iron-microcline, with some Observations on the Iron-microcline{rightleftharpoons}Iron-sanidine Transition

Triclinic KFeSi₃O₈, iron-microcline, has been synthesized fromoxide mixes and by complete conversion of monoclinic KFeSi₃O₈,iron-sanidine. Iron-microcline is triclinic, C, a=8?68?0?01?, b=13?10?0?01, c=7?34?0?01, =90? 45'?10', ß=116?03'?10', =86?14'?10'. The optical properties (Na light) are:=1?585?0?002, ß=1?596?0?002, =1?605?0?002, 2V=85?(calc.), Xb, Z c=20??5?. A reversible phase transition betweentriclinic and monoclinic KFeSi₃O₈ occurs at 704??6? C at 2000bars total pressure. Iron-microcline is the low-temperaturepolymorph; no intermediate polymorphs were observed in eitherhydrothermal or dry heating experiments.     

Primary Igneous Graphite in Ultramafic Xenoliths: II Isotopic Composition of the Carbonaceous Phases Present in Xenoliths and Host Lava at Tissemt (Egg?r?, Alegerian Sahara)

¹³C/¹²C ratios have been analysed in graphite adcumulate crystalsassociated with the olivine and orthopyroxene of a suite ofultramafic xenoliths in the alkali basalts of Tissemt (Egg?r?,Algerian Sahara). The ¹³C of these graphites varies from –24?6to – 14?4 per milk with internal variations of up to 1?6per mille within a given sample. Carbonates, linked to the volcanicphase and precipitated at medium temperatures have ¹³C valuesfrom –0?8 to + 3?5 and ¹⁸O values from 21?6 to 31?5 Thehost lava has a high carbon content of 675 p.p.m. with a global¹³C of –4?2. It can be separated into three parts: a majorpeak is obtained between 670 and 985 ?C and also liberated byslow acid attack with a ¹³C of up to +7?3 and representing CO₂trapped in the natrolite; a high temperature peak (above 1160?C with 47 p.p.m at –25?8) will represent carbon trappedin silicates and there is an additional carbon not well determinedextracted from 300 ?C to high temperature which represent 215p.p.m. at –23?0 with a possible fraction as low as –68?0.The graphite is interpreted as the result of the precipitationof carbon from an interstitial liquid previously outgassed thensupersaturated by the ongoing crystallization process. The volcanicevent can be considered to a first approximation as remobilizingthe carbon from the xenoliths by oxidation to CO₂, subsequentpartial reduction upon cooling and precipitation of carbonateand trapping of residual CO₂ within zeolite. Only volatilereducedspecies can be significantly outgassed so that the total ¹³Cof –4?2 is probably close to (or a little higher than)the original ¹³C.     

Fountains in Magma Chambers

Cyclic layering is a common feature of the ultramafic zone oflayered intrusions and is usually attributed to the entry ofnew pulses of dense magma into the chamber. Since the crystallizationof olivine and bronzite lowers the density of the magma, a newpulse of the parent magma will be denser than the fractionatedmagma in the chamber. If the new pulse enters with excess momentumit will initially rise up into the host magma to form a fountain,then fall back around the feeder when negative buoyancy forcesovercome the initial momentum of the pulse. Laboratory experimentsusing aqueous solutions with both point and line sources havebeen conducted to obtain a quantitative understanding of thefluid-dynamical processes that are important in fountains. Itis observed that convection within the fountain is highly turbulent,resulting in appreciable entrainment of the host magma. A gravity-stratifiedhybrid layer develops at the floor and this breaks up into aseries of double-diffusive convecting layers if the new pulseis hotter than the host magma. The number of layers that formdepends on a number of factors, especially R, the ratio of thecontributions of composition and heat to the total density differencebetween the host magma and the new pulse. Raising the valueof R, results in the formation of more, thinner layers. The thickness of the hybrid layer at any time t is given byH = h₀+(V₀/A)t where V₀ is the volume flux through the feederand A is the horizontal area of the chamber. h₀ is related tothe initial steady-state height of the fountain and, for a linesource, is given by h₀=CU₀^4/3 d^–1(g/)^–2/3 whereU₀ is the volume flux per unit length, g is the accelerationdue to gravity, d is the width of the feeder, is the densityof the host magma, is the density difference between the magmasand C is a constant. Calculations based on these results and the consideration ofthe flow in the feeder dykes below the chamber indicate thata fountain will rise at least 350 m in a continental magma chamberif the feeder width is greater than 10 m. This will lead toextensive mixing between the new pulse and the fractionatedmagma in the chamber, producing a zoned hybrid layer at thefloor that is commonly over 1000 m thick. If the chamber receivesmany pulses of dense magma, the resulting zoning may persistthroughout much of the life of the chamber, especially if thefirst pulse to enter becomes contaminated by light magma releasedby melting at the margins. The highest Mg/Fe ratio for olivineand pyroxenes from cyclic units from the ultramafic zones oflayered intrusions is often well below the value expected forminerals crystallizing from a melt derived directly from themantle, supporting the hypothesis that new pulses of dense magmacan mix extensively with the fractionated magma in the chamber. The feeder dykes to some oceanic magma chambers, such as theBay of Islands Ophiolite, are believed to be narrower, so thatfountains do not rise more than a few metres above the floorof the chamber. This restricts mixing between the input magmaand the host magma and can result in the formation of a hybridzone that is only a few metres thick.     

Early-Middle Jurassic Dolerite Dykes from Western Dronning Maud Land (Antarctica): Identifying Mantle Sources in the Karoo Large Igneous Province

A suite of dolerite dykes from the Ahlmannryggen region of westernDronning Maud Land (Antarctica) forms part of the much moreextensive Karoo igneous province of southern Africa. The dykecompositions include both low- and high-Ti magma types, includingpicrites and ferropicrites. New ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determinationsfor the Ahlmannryggen intrusions indicate two ages of emplacementat 178 and 190 Ma. Four geochemical groups of dykes have beenidentified in the Ahlmannryggen region based on analyses of60 dykes. The groups are defined on the basis of whole-rockTiO₂ and Zr contents, and reinforced by rare earth element (REE),⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd isotope data. Group 1 were intrudedat 190 Ma and have low TiO₂ and Zr contents and a significantArchaean crustal component, but also evidence of hydrothermalalteration. Group 2 dykes were intruded at 178 Ma; they havelow to moderate TiO₂ and Zr contents and are interpreted tobe the result of mixing of melts derived from an isotopicallydepleted source with small melt fractions of an enriched lithosphericmantle source. Group 3 dyke were intruded at 190 Ma and formthe most distinct magma group; these are largely picritic withsuperficially mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)-like chemistry (flatREE patterns, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i 0·7035, Nd_i 9). However, theyhave very high TiO₂ (4 wt %) and Zr (500 ppm) contents, whichis not consistent with melting of MORB-source mantle. The Group3 magmas are inferred to be derived by partial melting of astrongly depleted mantle source in the garnet stability field.This group includes several high Mg–Fe dykes (ferropicrites),which are interpreted as high-temperature melts. Some Group3 dykes also show evidence of contamination by continental crust.Group 4 dykes are low-K picrites intruded at 178 Ma; they havevery high TiO₂–Zr contents and are the most enriched magmagroup of the Karoo–Antarctic province, with ocean-islandbasalt (OIB)-like chemistry. Dykes of Group 1 and Group 3 aresub-parallel (ENE–WSW) and both groups were emplaced at190 Ma in response to the same regional stress field, whichhad changed by 178 Ma, when Group 2 and Group 4 dykes were intrudedalong a dominantly NNE–SSW strike. KEY WORDS: flood basalt; depleted mantle; enriched mantle; Ahlmannryggen; Karoo dyke