Ruby–sapphire–spinel mineralization in marble of the middle and southern Urals: Geology,mineralogy, and genesis

Ruby and spinel occurrences hosted in marble on the eastern slope of the Urals are considered. Ruby- and spinel-bearing marble is a specific rock in granite-gneiss complexes of the East Ural Megazone, which formed at the Late Paleozoic collision stage of the evolution of the Urals. Organogenic marine limestone is the protolith of the marble. No relict sedimentary bedding has been retained in the marble. The observed banding is a secondary phenomenon related to crystallization and is controlled by flow cleavage. Magnesian metasomatism of limestone with the formation of fine-grained dolomite enriched in Cr, V, Ti, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ga, and REE took place at the prograde stage of metamorphism. Dedolomitization of rocks with the formation of background calcite marble also developed at the prograde stage. Mg-calcite marble with spinel and ruby of the first type formed in the metamorphic fluid circulation zone. Magnesian metasomatism with the formation of bicarbonate marble with ruby, pink sapphire, and spinel of the second type developed at the early retrograde stage. The formation of mica-bearing mineralized zones with corundum and spinel of the third type controlled by cleavage fractures is related to the pneumatolytic–hydrothermal stage. The data on ruby-bearing marble in the Urals may be used for forecasting and prospecting of ruby and sapphire deposits hosted in marble worldwide.     

大理岩型红宝石矿床的若干问题

大理岩型红宝石矿床是红蓝宝石矿床的最重要类型之一。对此类型矿床与找矿相关的若干问题,长期存在模糊认识。本文经过实际研究和相关文献资料的搜集整理,得出了以下重要结论：大理岩型红宝石矿床产于有深大断裂构造活动的深成造山变质带;矿床成因类型属区域热动力变质型;含矿岩石是钙质结晶大理岩,而非镁质大理岩或镁质矽卡岩;含矿岩石中的角门石为富铝贫硅含铬的钙质问石,而非绿色透闪石。     

帕米尔中部含刚玉变质杂岩

刚玉矿化位于穆兹科尔(Muzkol)变质杂岩体内.该杂岩体近纬向展布在帕米尔中部阿尔卑斯褶皱带的东部,属蓝晶石—夕线石型阿尔卑斯带变质杂岩.地质填图发现有4个变质岩区:低绿片岩相(白云母—绿泥石)区,高绿片岩相(黑云母—绿泥石)区,绿帘石—角闪岩相区,角闪岩相区,而刚玉矿化集中在绿帘石—角闪岩及周围角闪岩相变质体内的交代蚀变区.交代蚀变区内的刚玉矿化通常与层面或 大型同倾斜褶皱轴面平行.根据母岩成分可将含刚玉交代岩分为3类,分别位于方解石大理岩内、白云石大理岩内及片岩内.在大理岩内,刚玉成粉红色,与白云母、黑云母、方柱石、钙长石、正长石、金红石、电气石、磷灰石、黄铁矿及石墨共生,以Al含量变化大和Fe含量低为特点.在片岩内,刚玉成蓝色,与黑云母、绿泥石、电气石及磷灰石共生各种类型的含刚玉岩石均以K,Na,Mg的含量较高而Fe含量较低为特点.根据P—T—XCO2图估算含刚玉交代岩的稳定范围在610℃相似文献   

Petrographic and trace-element distribution studies on the dolomite-calcite in the regional metamorphic marble of the Griesscharte,Tyrol, Austria/Italy

Petrographic investigations on the light yellow marble outcrops in the Griesscharte, Tyrol, Austria/Italy revealed them to be dolomite. The white to blue-grey veins in these marbles were those of calcite. Inside these calcites and along the calcite-dolomite phase boundaries minute and microscopically unidentifiable crystallites (? 10 μ) were observed. These crystallites were recognised by X-ray diffractometry as dolomite and their form and distribution were established by scanning electron microscopy. Trace-element distributions on the calcite-dolomite neighbours were studied by neutron-activation method to elucidate the formation mechanism of these calcites in the marble.Genetic relationships of the dolomite crystallites, the calcite host and the surrounding dolomite marble have been discussed in the light of the petrographic and chemical studies. These findings substantiate a deposition of a new formed vein of calcite from the solution circulating in the fissures of the dolomite marble during prograde metamorphism rather than a simple deposition of mobilized sedimentary calcite. The dolomite crystallites in the calcite seem to have been formed post-tectonically, partly by the nucleation in the calcite cleavage planes during Mg-metasomatism and partly from the exsolutions during retrograde metamorphism.     

Corundum-bearing metasomatic rocks in the Central Pamirs

The Muzkol metamorphic complex in the Central Pamirs contains widespread occurrences of corundum mineralization, sometimes with gem-quality corundum. These occurrences are spatially related to zones of metasomatic alterations in calcite and dolomite marbles and crystalline schists. The calcite marbles contain corundum together with muscovite, scapolite, and biotite; the dolomite marbles contain corundum in association with biotite; and the schists bear this mineral coexisting with biotite and chlorite. All these rocks additionally contain tourmaline, apatite, rutile, and pyrite. The biotite is typically highly aluminous (up to 1.9 f.u. Al), and the scapolite is rich in the marialite end member (60–75 mol %). The crystallization parameters of corundum were estimated using mineral assemblages at T = 600–650°C, P = 4–6 kbar, X _{CO 2} = 0.2–0.5 at elevated alkalinity of the fluid. The Sr concentration in the calcite and dolomite marbles is low (345–460 and 62–110 ppm, respectively), as is typical of recrystallized sedimentary carbonates. The variations in the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio in the calcite and dolomite marbles (0.70852–0.70999 and 0.70902–0.71021, respectively) were controlled by the introduction of radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr during the metasomatic transformations of the rocks. The isotopic-geochemical characteristics obtained for the rocks and the results of numerical simulations of the fluid-rock interactions indicate that the corundum-bearing metasomatic rocks developed after originally sedimentary Phanerozoic carbonate rocks, with the desilication of the terrigenous material contained in them. This process was a manifestation of regional alkaline metasomatism during the closing stages of Alpine metamorphism. In the course of transformations in the carbonate reservoir, the juvenile fluid flow became undersaturated with respect to silica, which was a necessary prerequisite for the formation of corundum.     

A classification of gem corundum deposits aimed towards gem exploration

This classification of gem corundum (ruby and sapphire) deposits takes into consideration petrographic data, and the mode of genesis of the deposits. It is aimed at being practical and useful in the field, particularly for prospecting purposes.Deposits are classified into primary and secondary deposits. Primary deposits include igneous and metamorphic deposits. Igneous gem corundum deposits are rare and include sapphire-bearing syenites from Kenya. Emphasis is put on metamorphic deposits, that are subdivided into metamorphic s.s., metasomatic, and anatectic deposits. Many gem corundum deposits result from metasomatic processes. Small-scale metasomatism mostly involves desilication reactions between silico-aluminous rocks (pegmatites, gneisses, etc) and silica-poor rocks (ultramafites, meta-carbonates), and leads to the formation of limited-size deposits. Large-scale (diffuse) metasomatism is usually more difficult to characterize, and therefore is not separated from isochemical metamorphism in this classification. In metamorphic deposits, gem corundum results from transformation of an Al-rich and/or Si-poor protolith. Such deposits include ruby-bearing mafic granulites, ruby-bearing meta-limestones, and ruby/sapphire-bearing gneisses and granulites. An intermediate category includes anatectic deposits. Secondary deposits encompass sedimentary and volcanic (xenoclastic) occurrences. In sedimentary deposits, gem corundum occurs as clasts originating from other lithologies. In volcanic deposits, gem corundums are xenocrysts that have a range of origins.The proposed classification outlines geological environments favorable to the crystallization and distribution of gem corundum, thus facilitating prospecting and mining of this gemstone.     

Metasomatic parageneses in deep-seated xenoliths from pipes Udachnaya and Komsomol'skaya-Magnitnaya as indicators of fluid transfer through the mantle lithosphere of the Siberian craton

The petrography, major element, and trace element (TE) compositions of minerals from two types of modal metasomatites (metasomatized peridotites and pyroxenites) from kimberlite pipes Udachnaya and Komsomol'skaya-Magnitnaya, Yakutia, have been studied. It is shown that texturally and chemically equilibrated metasomatites A consist of a set of superimposed minerals: phlogopite + diopside ± ilmenite ± apatite ± sulfides ± graphite. Their major and trace element compositions have specific features. The contents of TEs in garnet and clinopyroxene from these metasomatites are close to those in garnet and clinopyroxene from low-temperature coarse-grained peridotites richest in TEs. The distribution of a significant portion of TEs between garnet and clinopyroxene from A-type metasomatites and from coarse-grained lherzolites rich in TEs is close to experimental values reported for minerals coexisting with carbonatitic and basaltic fluids. We assume that this metasomatic process was nearly synchronous with the global metamorphism and cratonization of the mantle lithosphere and that high-density silicate–carbonate fluidmelts were metasomatizing agents.Another large mantle metasomatism process in the lithosphere of the Siberian craton was associated with the Middle Paleozoic kimberlite magmatic event, induced by the Yakutian thermochemical plume. Metasomatic minerals (Mg phlogopite + Cr diopside + chromite ± sulfides ± graphite) intensely replaced the minerals of the primary paragenesis, particularly, garnet. These reaction metasomatites show a sine-shaped REE pattern in garnet and disequilibrium between garnet and clinopyroxene. It is supposed that the reaction metasomatism in the mantle lithosphere of the Siberian craton was associated with ingress of reduced asthenospheric fluids at early stages of the kimberlite formation cycle. Metasomatic graphite formed in metasomatites of both types, and this fact evidences for two diamond formation epochs in the history of the mantle lithosphere of the Siberian craton.     

L'aspidolite fluorée : rôle des évaporites dans la genèse du rubis des marbres de Nangimali (Azad-Kashmir,Pakistan)

Ruby-bearing marbles from Nangimali, in the Azad-Kashmir, Pakistan, contain, besides phengite, different mica intergrowths: paragonite, phlogopite and aspidolite (sodium phlogopite). Both phlogopites, intimately linked and coexisting with paragonite, are fluorine rich, contrary to phengite and paragonite. F-enriched aspidolite is described for the first time. Phengite is either associated with phlogopite or could be isolated. The presence of aspidolite in the ruby-bearing marbles, together with other arguments such as salt solid inclusions and presence of anhydrite, suggest the implication of evaporites in the genesis of gem corundums. To cite this article: V. Garnier et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

大别山北部超高压变质大理岩及其地质意义

岩石学研究表明 ,大别山北部镁铁 超镁铁质岩带中白云质大理岩至少经历过三期变质阶段 :(1)榴辉岩相峰期变质阶段 ,矿物组合主要为方解石 +白云石 +金红石 +镁橄榄石 +钛 斜硅镁石 +富镁的钛铁矿±文石±石榴子石 ;(2 )麻粒岩相退变质阶段 ,矿物组合主要为方解石 +白云石 +金云母 +镁橄榄石 +透辉石 +钛铁矿 +尖晶石±斜方辉石等 ;(3)角闪岩相退变质阶段 ,主要矿物组合为方解石 +白云石 +磷灰石 +磁铁矿+榍石等。它的峰期变质矿物组合 ,类似于苏 鲁超高压大理岩 ,形成压力至少大于 2 .5GPa。这进一步证明 ,大别山北部大多数高级变质岩 (包括大理岩等 )都曾经过超高压变质作用 ,应属于印支期扬子俯冲陆壳的一部分。     

大理岩型红宝石矿床成因研究

大理岩型红宝石矿床是红蓝宝石矿床的重要类型。对此类型矿床与找矿相关的成因问题，长期存在模糊认识。本文在实际研究和文献资料整理的基础上，得出以下结论：大理岩型红宝石矿床产于有深大断裂构造活动的深成造山变质带；含矿岩石是钙质结晶大理岩，而非鲜质大理岩或镁质夕卡岩；含矿岩石中的角闪石为富铝贫硅含铬的钙质闪石，如含铬的镁砂川闪石，而非绿色透闪石；矿床成因类型属区域热动力变质型，而不是“气成－热认型”或“夕卡岩型”。     

Granitization and magmatic replacement in the contact aureole of the Yurchik gabbronorite massif (Ganal Ridge, Kamchatka)

It is shown that formation of high-temperature granulite-like rocks in the contact aureole of the Yurchik gabbronorite intrusion of the Ganal Ridge in East Kamchatka was caused by contact metamorphism, metasomatism, and local melting of the primary sedimentary-volcanogenic rocks of the Vakhtalkinskaya Sequence of the Ganal Group. The temperature in the inner part of the aureole reached 700–800°C and caused transformation of basic rocks into two-pyroxene-plagioclase, clinopyroxene-amphibole-plagioclase, and amphibole-plagioclase rocks, while sedimentary rocks were replaced by garnet-biotite and garnet-cordierite-biotite hornfelses. Locally, basic volcanic hornfelses were subjected to metasomatic alteration with the formation of bodies of biotite-orthopyroxene-plagioclase metasomatites. In the zones of the most intense fluid filtration, the metasomatites experienced local magmatic replacement resulting in the formation of biotite-orthopyroxene-plagioclase ± garnet migmatite veinlets and patches. Bodies of garnet enderbites were formed after sedimentary interlayers at temperatures of 700–800°C and a lithostatic pressure of 3.2–4.8 kbar. The comparison of the chemical composition of the Vakhtalkinskaya basic volcanics and the products of their transformation indicates that, in terms of chemistry, the metasomatic alterations and magmatic replacement correspond to siliceous-alkaline metasomatism (granitization) causing a subsequent and uneven influx of Si, Al, Na, K, Rb, Ba, Zr, Nb, and Cl and removal of Fe, Mg, Mn, Ca, and some trace elements (Cr, Co, Ti, Y, and S). The processes of metamorphism and metasomatism were presumably provoked by highly mineralized mantle fluids that were filtered through magmatic channels that served as pathways for gabbroid magma.     

Contrasting fluid evolution of granulite-facies marbles: implications for a high-T intermediate-P terrain in the Famatinian Range, San-Juan, Argentina

High-temperature, intermediate-pressure calc-silicate marbles occur in the granulite-facies terrain of the La Huerta Range in the Province of San Juan, NW-Argentina, in three bulk-compositional varieties: Type (1) dolomite-absent scapolite-wollastonite-grandite-clinopyroxene-quartz—calcite marbles; Type (2) diopside-forsterite-spinel-corundum—calcite marbles with dolomite exolution lamellae in calcite; Type (3) serpentinized forsterite-spinel-dolomite marbles. An isobaric cooling path from peak-metamorphic conditions of 860°C to 750°C at 6.5 kbar is inferred from scapolite-wollastonite-grandite reaction textures in Type (1) and is consistent with cooling after an advective heat input from related gabbroic and tonalitic intrusive bodies. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope geochemistry was used to decipher the fluid/rock evolution of the three marble types. An interpreted four-stage temperature-time-fluid flow path comprises: (1) infiltration of pre-peak-metamorphic fluids, depleted in δ¹⁸O, that caused a shift of primary sedimentary δ¹⁸O ratios to lower values (19.6–20.0); (2) syn-metamorphic fluid liberation from Type (1) marbles with evidence for processes close to batch devolatilization that caused a weak coupled ¹³C and ¹⁸O depletion during prograde metamorphism. A different devolatilization behaviour, close to Rayleigh fractionation, texturally associated with fold settings indicates that granulite-facies fluid flow was focused rather than pervasive; (3) H₂O-absent conditions were dominant when coronal grandite formed during incipient high-temperature isobaric cooling at the expense of scapolite and wollastonite in the Type (1) marbles; (4) intense post-peak- hydration of Type (2) and Type (3) marbles is the last recognizable metasomatic event. In combination, the three marble types record fluid infiltration both before and after the metamorphic peak.     

A preliminary stable isotope study on Mogok Ruby, Myanmar

The primary occurrence of ruby in the Mogok area, northern Myanmar is exclusively found in marble along with spinel–forsterite-bearing marble and phlogopite–graphite marble. These marble units are enclosed within banded biotite–garnet–sillimanite–oligoclase gneisses. Samples of these marbles collected for C–O stable isotope analysis show two trends of δ¹³C–δ¹⁸O variation resulting most likely from fluid–rock interactions. Ruby-bearing marble and phlogopite–graphite marble follow a trend with coupled C–O depletion, whereas spinel–forsterite-bearing marble follows a δ¹⁸O depletion trend with relatively constant δ¹³C values. Ruby formation might have resulted from CO₂-rich fluid–rock interaction, while spinel–forsterite-bearing marble was genetically related to CO₂-poor fluid–rock interaction. Both fluids may have arisen from external sources. Based on graphite Raman spectral thermometry, the estimated temperature for phlogopite–graphite marble, and probably ruby-bearing marble, was lower than 607 °C, and for spinel–forsterite-bearing marble, lower than 710 °C. Contrasting C/O diffusion between graphite/ruby/spinel/forsterite and calcite, local variations of isotopic compositions of newly formed minerals as a result of non-pervasive fluid infiltration, and open-system isotopic disturbance during cooling may have affected C-/O-isotopic fractionations between minerals. The estimated high formation temperatures for ruby and spinel/forsterite imply that the parental fluids may have been related to nearby igneous intrusions and/or metamorphic processes. Whether these two types of fluid were genetically related is unclear based on the present data.     

Weakening associated with the diaspore–corundum dehydration reaction in metabauxites: an example from Naxos (Greece)

Metabauxite lenses embedded in marble on Naxos consist of diasporites below the 420°C isograd, and dehydrate into corundum-rich rocks with increasing grades of metamorphism. While the diasporites are essentially undeformed, the corundum-rich rocks are strongly deformed, even though both diasporites and corundum-rich rocks are much stronger than the surrounding intensely deformed marbles. The observed structures can be explained as an effect of high fluid pressures during the prograde diaspore–corundum dehydration reaction, which causes dramatic temporary weakening of the metabauxites (to a strength comparable to that of the surrounding deforming marbles). Deformation of the metabauxite is thus largely restricted to the time span the phase transformation occurred, allowing the dehydrating bauxite mass to deform together with the surrounding marbles.     

Petrology of chlorite-spinel marbles from NW Spitsbergen (Svalbard)

Small dolomite marble lenses and bands occur in the vast Caledonian migmatite and gneiss area of NW Spitsbergen (Svalbard archipelago). The fine-banded marbles contain numerous assemblages of minerals: calcite, dolomite, olivine, clinohumite, diopside, amphibole, chlorite, spiner and phologopite. The coexistence of calcite + dolomite + olivine + chlorite + spinel over the entire area indicates metamorphic temperatures of 600 to 680° at an estimated pressure of 4 kilobars. A temperature of near 600°C for the peak of metamorphism is suggested by mineral assemblages at the southernmost locality, Jäderinfjellet. Calcite-dolomite geothermometry indicated 595°C at the same locality. The spatial distribution of the marble assemblages suggests that metamorphism occurred under nearly isothermal conditions over an area of at least 25 by 30 kilometres.     

Constraints on the application of carbon isotope thermometry in high- to ultrahigh-temperature metamorphic terranes

Nine marble horizons from the granulite facies terrane of southern India were examined in detail for stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in calcite and carbon isotopes in graphite. The marbles in Trivandrum Block show coupled lowering of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values in calcite and heterogeneous single crystal δ¹³C values (? 1 to ? 10‰) for graphite indicating varying carbon isotope fractionation between calcite and graphite, despite the granulite facies regional metamorphic conditions. The stable isotope patterns suggest alteration of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values in marbles by infiltration of low δ¹³C–δ¹⁸O‐bearing fluids, the extent of alteration being a direct function of the fluid‐rock ratio. The carbon isotope zonation preserved in graphite suggests that the graphite crystals precipitated/recrystallized in the presence of an externally derived CO₂‐rich fluid, and that the infiltration had occurred under high temperature and low f_O2 conditions during metamorphism. The onset of graphite precipitation resulted in a depletion of the carbon isotope values of the remaining fluid+calcite carbon reservoir, following a Rayleigh‐type distillation process within fluid‐rich pockets/pathways in marbles resulting in the observed zonation. The results suggest that calcite–graphite thermometry cannot be applied in marbles that are affected by external carbonic fluid infiltration. However, marble horizons in the Madurai Block, where the effect of fluid infiltration is not detected, record clear imprints of ultrahigh temperature metamorphism (800–1000 °C), with fractionations reaching <2‰. Zonation studies on graphite show a nominal rimward lowering δ¹³C on the order of 1 to 2‰. The zonation carries the imprint of fluid deficient/absent UHT metamorphism. Commonly, calculated core temperatures are > 1000 °C and would be consistent with UHT metamorphism.     

Ca-Mg inter-diffusion in synthetic polycrystalline dolomite-calcite aggregate at elevated temperatures and pressure

This study measures the reaction rate of dolomite and aragonite (calcite) into Mg-calcite at 800, 850, and 900°C and 1.6 GPa. The dry synthetic dolomite-aragonite aggregate transformed very rapidly into dolomite-calcite polycrystalline aggregate while Mg-calcites formed at a relatively slow rate, becoming progressively richer in Mg with run time. We modeled the reaction progress semi-empirically by the first-order rate law. The temperature dependence of the overall transport rate of MgCO₃ into calcite can be described by the kinetic parameters (E?=?231.7 kJ/mol and A _o ?=?22.69 h^?1). Extrapolation using the Arrhenius equation to the conditions during exhumation of UHPM rocks indicates that the reaction of dolomite with aragonite into Mg-saturated calcite can be completed as the P-T path enters the Mg-calcite stability field in a geologically short time period (<1 Ky). On the other hand, the extrapolation of the rate to prograde metamorphic conditions reveals that the Mg-calcite formed from dolomitic marble in the absence of metamorphic fluid may not reach Mg-saturation until temperatures corresponding to high-grade metamorphism (e.g., >340°C and >10 My). SEM-EDS analysis of individual calcite grains shows compositional gradients of Mg in the calcite grains. The Mg-Ca inter-diffusion coefficient at 850°C is around 1.68?×?10^?14 m²/sec if diffusion is the major control of the reaction. The calculated closure temperatures for Ca-Mg inter-diffusion as a function of cooling rate and grain size reveal that Ca/Mg resetting in calcite in a dry polycrystalline carbonate aggregate (with grain size around 1 mm) may not occur at temperatures below 480°C at a geological cooling rate around 10°C/My, unless other processes, such as short-circuit interdiffusion along grain boundaries and dislocations, are involved.     

Fluid flow and mass transport at the Valentine wollastonite deposit, Adirondack Mountains, New York State

The Valentine wollastonite skarn in the north-west Adirondack Mountains, New York, is a seven million ton deposit which resulted from channellized infiltration of H₂O-rich, silica-bearing fluids. The wollastonite formed by reaction of these fluids with non-siliceous calcite marble. The skarn formed at the contact of the syenitic Diana Complex and was subsequently overprinted by Grenville-age granulite facies metamorphism and retrograde hydrothermal alteration during uplift. Calcite marbles adjacent to the deposit have generally high δ¹⁸O values (c. 21‰), typical of Grenville marbles which have not exchanged extensively with externally derived fluids. Carbon isotopic fractiona-tions between coexisting calcite and graphite in the marbles indicate equilibration at 675d? C, consistent with the conditions of regional metamorphism. Oxygen isotopic ratios from wollastonite skarn are lower than in the marbles and show a 14‰ variation (-1‰ to 13‰). Some isotopic heterogeneity is preserved from skarn formation, and some represents localized exchange with low-δ¹⁸O retrograde fluids. Detailed millimetre- to centimetre-scale isotopic profiles taken across skarn/marble contacts reveal steep δ¹⁸O gradients in the skarn, with values increasing towards the marble. The gradients reflect isotopic evolution of the fluid as it reacted with high δ¹⁸O calcite to form wollastonite. Calcite in the marble preserves high δ¹⁸O values to within <5 mm of the skarn contact. The preservation of high δ¹⁸O values in marbles at skarn contacts and the disequilibrium fractionation between wollastonite skarn and calcite marble across these contacts indicate that the marbles were not infiltrated with significant quantities of the fluid. Thus, the marbles were relatively impermeable during both the skarn formation and retrograde alteration. Skarn formation may have been episodic and fluid flow was either chaotic or dominantly parallel to lithological contacts. Although these steep isotope gradients resemble fluid infiltration fronts, they actually represent the sides of the major flow system. Because chromatographic infiltration models of mass transport require the assumption of pervasive fluid flow through a permeable rock, such models are not applicable to this hydrothermal system and, by extension, to many other metamorphic systems where low-permeability rocks restrict fluid migration pathways. Minimum time-integrated fluid fluxes have been calculated at the Valentine deposit using oxygen isotopic mass balance, reaction progress of fluid buffering reactions, and silica mass balance. All three approaches show that large volumes of fluid were necessary to produce the skarn, but silica mass balance calculations yield the largest minimum flux and are hence the most realistic.     

Petrographical and geochemical investigation of the Triassic marbles associated with Menderes massif metamorphics,Kavaklıdere,Muğla,SW Turkey

Vast marble deposits occur in a cover sequence of the Menderes Massif, SW Turkey. Four major marble deposits are recognized in Mu?la province based on the stratigraphic levels. These are Permo-Carboniferous aged black marbles (1), Triassic aged marbles (2), Upper Cretaceous aged marbles (3), and Paleocene aged pelagic marbles (4). This study deals with Triassic aged marbles of the southern part of the Menderes Massif. The Triassic marbles from SW Turkey consist of two big marble horizons in the Çayboyu (ÇM) and Kestanecik (KM) regions. The characteristic samples are collected from different stratigraphic levels in marble deposits in the ÇM and KM horizons. Mineralogical and major, trace, and rare earth element (REE) analyses of marble, limestone, and schist were conducted on these samples to reveal their petrographical and geochemical characteristics. The ÇM horizon is represented by calcitic marble layers. Nickel, cobalt, manganese, and iron elements filled in fractures, fissures, and intergranular spaces of calcite crystals and these elements give the pinky colour to the marble from the ÇM horizon. KM marbles were deformed, metamorphosed, and recrystallized under greenschist facies P–T conditions. As a result of the metasomatic reaction of magnesium and manganese rich fluids with marbles, dolomite, and manganese, minerals such as rhodochrosite and pyrolusite have crystallized along vein walls and layers in the KM horizon. Dolomitization was determined in KM marbles, whereas ÇM marbles show the character of limestone. MgO, MnO, Fe₂O₃, Ni, and Zn contents of marbles from the KM horizon are higher than those of ÇM marbles due to metasomatic reactions. The Sr content in white coloured marbles ranges between 11.20 ppm and 112.20 ppm and this concentration reaches up to 272.70 ppm due to metasomatic reactions and fluid intake. The REE content of Triassic marbles is independent of the abundance of carbonate and the REE enrichment observed due to syn-metamorphic fluid flow. The significant negative Eu anomaly in REE patterns indicates that the protoliths of Triassic marbles are carbonate rocks of sedimentary origin.     

Composition and genesis of endogenous borates from the Pitkáranta ore field,Karelia

The borate mineralization of the Pitkáranta skarn field of Karelia is localized in metasomatically altered Proterozoic dolomites. In the contact aureole of rapakivi granites, the zoning of magnesian skarns includes spinel-diopside or fassaite skarns with syngenetic magnetite and spinel-forsterite calciphyres surrounded by periclase marbles, which confirms their hypabyssal genesis. Stringer-stockwork bodies developing in the brecciation zone at the roof show a primitive zoning consisting of an inner diopside and an outer forsterite calciphyre zone grading into a dolomitic marble. All these zones inherited the Ca/Mg ratio of the primary carbonate rocks. Rhythmically banded textures observed in the skarns and calciphyres of the deposits studied suggest their formation under thermodynamically disequilibrium conditions typical of hypabyssal metasomatites. Magnesium and magnesium-iron borates in marbles and calciphyres and beryllium borates in greisens were formed during the postmagmatic stage. Data are reported on the chemical composition and genesis of suanite, kotoite, ludwigite, hulsite, pertsevite, fluoborite, szaibelyite, and humites from the Hopunvaara, Klara, Lupikko, and Herberz deposits. The deficit of boron in magnesian borates is related to their endogenous hydration. Data on hambergites and berborite are given according to E.I. Nefedov.