The Genesis of the Cornubian Batholith (South-West England): the example of the Carnmenellis Pluton

The origin of the Carnmenellis granite is discussed in the lightof new petrographic and chemical data which suggest that thepresent mineral assemblage comprises refractory, magmatic, subsolidusand hydrothermal phases. The present homogeneity of the plutonresults from subsolidus to pervasive hydrothermal reworkinginvolving selective leaching of alkalis and Fe-Mg and an increasein Li, F, B, and Rb, which were introduced, or redistributed,through high temperature hydrothermal circulation. The compositionsof the primary minerals were re-equilibrated with respect tothese water-rock interactions. Rb-Sr systematics demonstratethat whole rock samples show lower ages than the minerals (260and 285 Ma, respectively). The perturbation in the former isotopedistribution is in agreement with the chemical re-equilibrationof the mica with external Rb-rich and Sr-depleted solutions.The distribution of rare-earths reveal that most reside in afew accessory phases, viz. monazite, zircon, and apatite; theirnear-liquidus fractionation is responsible for the loweringof the bulk REE content compared to pelitic source materialand for the present REE pattern of the pluton. Conditions of magma generation by partial melting of cordierite-sillimanite-spinelpelitic gneisses were estimated to be around 800?C and 5 kbwith water content in the magma of about 4 wt. per cent. H₂Osaturation was reached late during the ascent of the magma,making possible the crystallization of muscovite from the residualmelt. The highly evolved peraluminous composition of the plutonis not explained by a simple magmatic differentiation. Comparedto the Carnmenellis pluton, the Land's End massif of similarmineralogy appears less evolved, either because of less subsolidusreworking or deeper structural emplacement.     

Multistage Growth of a Rare-Element, Volatile-Rich Microgranite at Argemela (Portugal)

The small Argemela microgranite body in central Portugal displaysmany of the mineralogical and chemical features characteristicof peraluminous, Li, P-rich, rare-element pegmatites. Its mineralogyconsists predominantly of quartz, albite, white mica (partlyreplaced by lepidolite) and a phosphate of the amblygonite series.K-feldspar is noticeably absent or scarce. Cassiterite, beryland columbite are the main accessories. The microgranite showsextreme enrichment in incompatible elements such as F, P, Rb,Cs, Li, Sn and Be, and extreme depletion in Sr, Ba, Zr and REE.It is highly sodic and strongly peraluminous. The micrograniteoverall is interpreted as a mixture of two components: a crystalmush injected from below (seen in narrow dykes intersected duringdrilling, composed of quartz, albite and phengite) and interpretedas ‘feeders’, overprinted by a second highly evolvedcomponent dominated by Li, F, P (Rb, Cs, Be, Sn, Nb, Ta, etc.)considered as a ‘lubricant’ medium for the ascendingmush and occasionally quenched (quartz, albite, skeletal lepidoliteand amblygonite). This second component has the mineralogicaland chemical characteristics of rare-element pegmatites. Allthese petrological characteristics are magmatic. Only a fewnarrow cross-cutting veinlets with quartz, K-feld-spar and F-pooramblygonite are considered as fluid derived. A model of crystallizationin successive steps is proposed where concentration in fluxingagents (F, Li, P, etc.) is progressively enhanced up to saturationwith the crystallization of magmatic lepidolite and amblygonite. KEY WORDS: petrogenesis; microgranite; pegmatite; volatiles; Portugal ^*Corresponding author.