Genesis of carbonate in pyrope from ultramafic diatremes on the Colorado Plateau,southwestern United States

Mineral associations and compositions of carbonates within pyrope crystals are clues to the genesis of mantle carbonate and to the character of metasomatic melts in depleted peridotite. The pyrope crystals are in ultramafic diatremes of the Navajo field on the Colorado Plateau. Although inclusions of olivine and pyroxene are typically monomineralic, 4 of 6 inclusions of carbonates and hydrates are polymineralic. Polymineralic assemblages include: pargasite-magnesite-dolomite-apatite-spinel; pargasite-dolomite-Ba phlogopite (with 10% BaO); olivine-dolomite-spinel; edenite-chlorite; and olivine-ilmenite-spinel. Magnesite and chlorite are present also as monomineralic inclusions. The two inclusions with pargasite plus carbonate are in the same garnet; the association of carbonates plus hydrates and the enrichment in Ba are evidence that the included minerals originated from melt trapped in pyrope. The pargasite and mica are F-poor and contain about 0.4 and 1.1 wt% Cl, respectively, more than any other analyzed mantle amphibole or mica. If the parent melts of such inclusions are similar to those responsible for trace-element metasomatism of continental lithosphere, then these melts have higher Cl/F ratios than those inferred from typical xenolith minerals. Amphibole-garnet and olivine-spinel equilibration temperatures are in the range 500–700° C, so the garnets cooled to low temperatures within the mantle following inclusion of melt. All the hydrates and carbonates may have formed from trapped melt, but evidence is strong only for the complex pargasite-carbonate-mica inclusions. Two garnets containing chlorite are more Cr-rich and Fe-poor than most other inclusion-bearing pyropes, and the chlorite may have been included during prograde metamorphism of subducted lithosphere.     

Mineralogical studies of pyropes in kimberlites from China

Based on the measurements of refractive index,specific gravity,unit cell parameter,and mineral chemistry and infrared absorption spectrum analyses of pyropes in kimberlites from China,systematic studies of the Physical properties and compositional variations of pyropes of different colors and diverse paragenetic types,within and between kimberlite provinces have been undertaken,The origin of pyropes in the Kimberlites and the depth of their formation have been discussed.Pyropes of the purple series are different from those of the orange series in physical and chemical properties,for exaple,pyropes of the puple series are higher in α0,RI,SG,Cr2O3,MgO,Cr/(Cr Al),Mg/(Mg Fe),and Mg/(Mg Ca),and lower in Al2O3,Fe2O3 FeO than those of the orange series.The classification of garnets in kimberlites from china by the Dawson and Stephens‘ method(1975) has been undertaken and clearly demonstrates that pyropes of diamond-rich kimberlites contain much more groups than those of diamond-poor,especially diamond-free kimberlites.The higher in α0,RI,SG,Cr2O(3.Cr/(Cr Al),knorringite and Cr-component the pyropes are ,the richer in diamond the kimberlites will be.The infrared absorption spectrum patterns of pyropes change with their chemical composition regularly,as reflected in the shape and position of infrared absorption peaks.Two absortpion bands at 862-901 cm^-1 will grade into degeneration from splitting and the absorption band positions of pyropes shift toward lower frequency with increasing Cr2O3 content and Cr/(Cr Al) ratio of pyropes,LREE contents of orange pyrope megacrysts are similar to those of porple pyrope macrocrysts,but the former is higher in HREE than the latter,showing their different chondrite-normalized patterns.The formation pressures of pyropes calculated by Cr-component,Ca-component,knorringite molecules of pyropes show that some pyropes of the purple series in diamondiferous kimberlites fall into the diamond stability field.but all pyropes of diamond-free kimberlites lie outside the diamond stability field.The megacrysts were formed through early crystallization of kimberlites magma at high pressure condition,the majority of the purple pyrope macrocrysts have been derived from disaggregated xenoliths but the minoirty of them appear to be fragments of the discrete megacryst pyropes,or phenocrysts.     

几个天然镁铝榴石的穆斯堡尔效应的研究

穆斯堡尔效应是一种无反冲的核γ射线的共振吸收现象,它是1958年由穆斯堡尔(R.L.M(?)ssbauer)发现的。由于穆斯堡尔效应产生的γ射线共振吸收谱线的能量宽度接近原子核能级的自然线宽,以及无反冲γ射线共振吸收(或散射)对γ射线能量变化十分灵敏,因此,可以把共振吸收的原子核当做灵敏的探针,测量固体中有关的原子核与核所在位置上固体的化学环境间的超精细相互作用。近些年来,穆斯堡尔效应已广泛应用于物理学、化学、生物学及矿物学的研究中来,穆斯堡尔谱仪已成为这些学科的重要研究工具之一。     

Inclusions of crichtonite group minerals in pyropes from the Internatsionalnaya kimberlite pipe,Yakutia

The results of study of crichtonite group minerals in pyropes from the Internatsionalnaya kimberlite pipe are reported. Most of the studied samples are characterized by high concentrations of Sr, Ca, Na, and LREEs in comparison with minerals of the LIMA series from kimberlites of South Africa, whereas the average concentrations of Ba and K are significantly lower. Crichtonite group minerals in pyropes are characterized by predomination of Na over K in most samples and by a high concentration of Al₂O₃ (up to 4.5 wt %). Findings of inclusions of crichtonite group minerals with high concentrations of incompatible elements provide evidence for the metasomatic origin of host chromium-rich pyropes.     

Fluid composition and evolution in coesite-bearing rocks (Dora-Maira massif,Western Alps): implications for element recycling during subduction

Fluid inclusions and F, Cl concentration of hydrous minerals were analysed in the coesite-pyrope quartzite, the interlayered jadeite quartzite and their country-rock gneiss from the Dora-Maira massif using a combination of microthermometry, Raman spectrometry, synchrotron X-ray microfiuorescence and electron microprobe analysis. Three populations of fluid inclusions were recognized texturally and can be related to distinct metamorphic stages. A low-salinity aqueous fluid occurs in the retrogressed country gneiss and as late secondary inclusions in jadeite quartzite and chloritized pyrope. An earlier secondary population is found in matrix quartz of the jadeite- and pyro-pe-quartzites. This population can be related to the early decompression and so to incipient breakdown of garnet into phlogopite-bearing assemblages. The inclusion fluid is highly saline (up to 84 wt% equivalent NaCl) and contains Na, Ca, Fe, Cu and Zn as major cations. In pyrope quartzite, additional K was found in these brines, which locally coexist with CO₂-rich inclusions. The oldest fluid inclusions are preserved in kyanite grains included in fresh pyrope and in pyrope itself. In pyrope, all inclusions have decrepitated and contain magnesite, an Mg-phosphate, sheet-silicate(s), a chloride and an opaque phase, with no fluid preser ved. In contrast, the kyanite inclusions in pyrope preserve primary H₂O-CO₂ low-salinity fluid inclusions, probably owing to the low compressibility of the kyanite inclusions and host garnet. In spite of in-situ re-equilibration, these inclusions can be interpreted as relics of the dehydration fluid that attended pyrope growth. These correlations between textural and chemical fluid inclusion data and metamorphic stages are consistent with the fluid composition calculated from the halogen content of different generations of phlogopite and biotite. The preservation of different fluid compositions, both in time and space, is evidence for local control and possibly origin of the fluids, in agreement with isotopic data. These results, in particular the absence of CO₂ in the jadeite quartzite, are best interpreted in terms of a fluid-melt system evolution. With increasing metamorphism, partitioning of H₂O, Na, Ca, Fe and heavy metals into melt (jadeite quartzite) and Mg, Na/K, F, CO₂ and P(?) into a residual aqueous fluid can account for depletion in Na, Ca and Fe of the pyrope quartzite. During the retrograde path, a _{H 2 O} rose as melt crystallized, generating the two populations of hypersaline and water-rich fluids that were highly reactive to pyrope. The process of fluid-melt interaction envisioned here coupled with models of melt extraction in subduction zones provides an attractive opportunity for the instantaneous ( < 1 Ma) and selective transport of elements between a downgoing slab and the overlying mantle wedge.     

Distribution of trace elements between garnet megacrysts and host volcanic liquids of kimberlitic to rhyolitic composition

Abundances of rare earth elements, Hf, Sc, Co, Cr and Th in garnet megacrysts and their volcanic hosts or matrices are used to estimate garnet/liquid partition coefficients for these elements. Samples include pyropes from kimberlite and highly alkalic basalts, almandines from basalt andesite, dacite, rhyodacite and rhyolite and a spessartine-almandine from alaskite. The pyrope/host partition coefficients are fairly uniform and agree with experimental data within a factor of 2. The almandine/matrix data show more scatter (due in part to impurities in the garnet separates) but the partition coefficients tend to increase with increasing $\text{Si}\text{O}$ ratio of the matrix. The almandine/matrix partition coefficients are up to a factor of 10 higher than the pyrope/host partition coefficients. The spessartine-almandine is strongly enriched in heavy rare earths (~ 5000 times chondrites), Y, Sc and Co. The wide variation in garnet/liquid partition coefficients from kimberlites to rhyolites cannot be explained as an effect of temperature and we conclude that a major factor is the composition of the melt from which the garnet crystallized.     

Layered mantle at the Karelian Craton margin: P–T of mantle xenocrysts and xenoliths from the Kaavi–Kuopio kimberlites, Finland

Peridotitic clinopyroxene (cpx) and pyrope garnet xenocrysts from four kimberlite pipes in the Kaavi–Kuopio area of Eastern Finland have been studied using major and trace element geochemistry to obtain information on the vertical compositional variability of the underlying mantle. The xenocryst data, when combined with the petrological constraints provided by peridotite xenoliths, yield a relatively complete section through the lithospheric mantle. Single-grain cpx thermobarometry fits with a 36-mW/m² geotherm calculated using heat flow constraints and xenolith modes and geophysical properties. Ni thermometry on pyrope xenocrysts gives 700–1350 °C and, based on the cpx xenocryst/xenolith geotherm, indicates a wide sampling interval, ca. 80–230 km. Plotting pyrope major and trace element compositions as a function of temperature shows there are three distinct layers in the local lithospheric mantle:

(1) A low-temperature (<850 °C) harzburgite layer distinguished by Ca-rich but Ti-, Y- and Zr-depleted pyropes. The xenoliths originating from this layer are all fine-grained garnet-spinel harzburgites with secondary cpx.

(2) A variably depleted lherzolitic, harzburgitic and wehrlitic horizon from 950 to 1150 °C or 130 to 180 km.

(3) A deep layer from 180 to 240 km composed largely of fertile material.

The peridotitic diamond window at Kaavi–Kuopio stretches from the top of the diamond stability field at 140 km to the base of the harzburgite-bearing mantle at about 180 km, implying a roughly 40-km-wide prospective zone.     

Crystalline inclusions and C isotope ratios in diamonds from the Snap Lake/King Lake kimberlite dyke system: evidence of ultradeep and enriched lithospheric mantle

U-type paragenesis inclusions predominate (94.7%) among the crystalline inclusion suite of 115 diamonds (−4+2 mm) obtained from the recently discovered Snap Lake/King Lake (SKL) kimberlite dyke system, Southern Slave, Canada. The most common inclusions are olivine (90) and enstatite (22). Sulfide, Cr-pyrope, chromite and Cr-diopside inclusion are less abundant (15, 10, 5 and 1, respectively). Results of the inclusion composition study demonstrate the following. (a) The relatively enriched character of the mantle parent rocks of the U-type diamonds. The average Mg# of olivine inclusions is 92.1, and of enstatite inclusions average 93.3. CaO content in Cr-pyrope inclusions is relatively high (3.73–5.75 wt.%). (b) Four of ten U-type Cr-rich pyrope inclusions contain a majoritic component up to 16.8 mol.% which requires pressures of 110 kbar. Carbon isotopes compositions for 34 diamonds with U-type inclusions have a δ¹³C range from −3.2‰ to −9‰ with a strong peak around −3.5‰. This is much heavier than the ratios of U-type diamonds from Siberia and South Africa (4.5‰). Diamonds with olivine inclusions can be divided into two groups based on their δ¹³C values as well as the Mg# and Ni/Fe ratio in the olivines. Most show a narrow range of δ¹³C values from −3.2‰ to −4.8‰ (average −3.72‰) and have olivine inclusions with Mg# less than 92.3 and relatively high Fe/Ni ratios. A second group is characterized by a much wider variation of C isotope composition (δ¹³C varies from −3.8‰ to −9.0‰, average −5.97‰), and the olivine inclusions having a higher Mg# (up to 93.6) and relatively low Fe/Ni ratios. This difference in the C isotope composition may have several explanations: (a) peculiarities of asthenosphere degassing coupled with an abnormal thickness of lithosphere; (b) the abnormal thickness and enriched character of lithospheric mantle; (c) involvement of subducted C of crustal origin in the processes of the diamond formation. The presence of subcalcic Cr-rich majorite (up to 17 mol.%) pyropes of low-Ca harzburgite paragenesis among the crystalline inclusion suite of SKL diamonds is strong evidence for the existence of diamondiferous depleted peridotite in lithospheric mantle at depth near 300 km beneath Southern Slave area and is postulated to be one of the main reasons for the much heavier C isotope composition of SKL U-type diamonds in comparison with those from Siberian and South African kimberlites.     

The pyrope-coesite rocks and their country rocks at Parigi,Dora Maira Massif,Western Alps: detailed petrography,mineral chemistry and PT-path

Both the coarse- and fine-grained varieties of the partly coesite-bearing pyrope-quartzites, their interlayered jadeite-kyanite rocks, and the biotite-phengite gneiss country rock common to all of them were subjected to detailed petrographic and textural studies in order to determine the sequence of crystallisation of their mineral constituents, which were also studied analytically by microprobe. Prior to pyrope and coesite growth, the Mg-rich metapelites were talc-kyanite-chlorite-rutile-ellenbergerite schists which — upon continued prograde metamorphism — developed first pyrope megacrysts in silica-deficient local environments at the expense of chlorite + talc + kyanite, and subsequently the smaller pyrope crystals with coesite inclusions from reacting talc + kyanite. Based on geobarometrically useful mineral inclusions as well as on experimentally determined phase relations, a prograde PT-path — simplified for water activity = 1 — is constructed which passes through the approximate PT-conditions 16 kbar and 560° C, 29 kbar and 720° C, and finally up to 37 kbar at about 800° C, where the Mg-rich metapelite was a pyrope-coesite rock with phengite, kyanite, and talc still present. During the retrograde path, pyrope was altered metasomatically either into phlogopite + kyanite + quartz or, at a later stage, to chlorite + muscovite + quartz. Both assemblages yield PT-constraints, the latter about 7–9 kbar, 500–600° C. The country rock gneisses have also endured high-pressures of at least 15 kbar, but they provide mostly constraints on the lowest portion of the uplift conditions within the greenschist facies (about 5 kbar, 450° C). Microprobe data are presented for the following minerals: pyrope, ellenbergerite, dumortierite (unusually MgTi-rich), jadeite, vermiculite (formed after Na-phlogopite?), paragonite, and for several generations of phengite, chlorite, talc, phlogopite, dravite, and glaucophane in the high-pressure rocks, as well as for biotite, chlorite, phengites, epidote, garnet, albite, and K-feldspar in the country rock gneisses. An outstanding open problem identified in this study is the preservation of minerals as inclusions within kyanite and pyrope beyond their PT-stability limits.     

Mineral inclusions in pyrope crystals from Garnet Ridge, Arizona, USA: implications for processes in the upper mantle

Mineral inclusions in pyrope crystals from Garnet Ridge in the Navajo Volcanic Field on the Colorado Plateau are investigated in this study with emphasis on the oxide minerals. Each pyrope crystal is roughly uniform in composition except for diffusion halos surrounding some inclusions. The pyrope crystals have near constant Ca:Fe:Mg ratios, 0.3 to 5.7 wt% Cr₂O_3, and 20 to 220 ppm H₂O. Thermobarometric calculations show that pyrope crystals with different Cr contents formed at different depths ranging from 50 km (where T ≈ 600 °C and P = 15 kbar) to 95 km (where T ≈ 800 °C and P = 30 kbar) along the local geotherm. In addition to previously reported inclusions of rutile, spinel and ilmenite, we discovered crichtonite series minerals (AM₂₁O₃₈, where A = Sr, Ca, Ba and LREE, and M mainly includes Ti, Cr, Fe and Zr), srilankite (ZrTi₂O₆), and a new oxide mineral, carmichaelite (MO_2−x(OH)_x, where M = Ti, Cr, Fe, Al and Mg). Relatively large rutile inclusions contain a significant Nb (up to 2.7 wt% Nb₂O₅), Cr (up to ∼6 wt% Cr₂O₃), and OH (up to ∼0.9 wt% H₂O). The Cr and OH contents of rutile inclusions are positively related to those of pyrope hosts, respectively. Needle- and blade-like oxide inclusions are commonly preferentially oriented. Composite inclusions consisting mainly of carbonate, amphibole, phlogopite, chlorapatite, spinel and rutile are interpreted to have crystallized from trapped fluid/melt. These minerals in composite inclusions commonly occur at the boundaries between garnet host and large silicate inclusions of peridotitic origin, such as olivine, enstatite and diopside. The Ti-rich oxide minerals may constitute a potential repository for high field strength elements (HFSE), large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements (LREE) in the upper mantle. The composite and exotic oxide inclusions strongly suggest an episode of metasomatism in the depleted upper mantle beneath the Colorado Plateau, contemporaneous with the formation of pyrope crystals. Our observations show that mantle metasomatism may deplete HFSE in metasomatic fluids/melts. Such fluids/melts may subsequently contribute substantial trace elements to island arc basalts, providing a possible mechanism for HFSE depletion in these rocks. Received: 20 December 1997 / Accepted: 15 October 1998     

Sulfide-Bearing Polymineralic Inclusions in Mantle-Derived Garnets from Lamprophyres of the Chompolo Field (Central Aldan,Siberian Craton)

Doklady Earth Sciences - Sulfide-bearing polymineralic inclusions in mantle-derived chromium pyrope garnets of lherzolite paragenesis from lamprophyres of the Chompolo field (Aldan shield, southern...     

Syngenetic phlogopite inclusions in kimberlite-hosted diamonds: implications for role of volatiles in diamond formation

We discuss the chemistry of exceptionally rare phlogopite inclusions coexisting with ultramafic (peridotitic) and eclogitic minerals in kimberlite-hosted diamonds of Yakutia, Arkhangelsk, and Venezuela provinces. Phlogopite inclusions in diamonds are octahedral negative crystals following the diamond faceting in all 34 samples (including polymineralic inclusions). On this basis phlogopite inclusions have been interpreted as syngenetic and in equilibrium with the associated minerals. In ultramafic diamonds phlogopites coexist with subcalcic high-Cr₂O₃ pyrope and/or chromite, olivine and enstatite (dunite/harzburgite (H) paragenesis) or with clinopyroxene, enstatite, and/or olivine and pyrope (lherzolite (L) paragenesis). Ultramafic phlogopites have high Mg# [100?Mg/(Mg+Fe)] from 92.4 to 95.2 and Cr₂O₃ higher than TiO₂ in H-phlogopites (1.5–2.5 wt.% versus 0.1–0.4 wt.%, respectively) but lower in L-phlogopites (0.15–0.5 wt.% versus 1.3–3.5 wt.%, respectively). Eclogitic (E) phlogopites show Mg# from 47.4 to 85.3 inclusive, and very broad ranges of TiO₂ up to 12 wt.%. The primary syngenetic origin of phlogopite is indicated, besides other factors, by its compositional consistency with the associated minerals. The analyzed phlogopites are depleted in BaO (0.10–0.79 wt.%), and their F and Cl contents are highly variable reaching 1.29 and 0.49 wt.%, respectively. The latter is in line with high Cl enrichment in some unaltered kimberlites and in nanometric fluid inclusions from diamonds. The presence of syngenetic phlogopite in kimberlite-hosted diamonds provides important evidence that volatiles participated in diamond formation and that at least a part of diamonds may have been related to early stages of kimberlites formation.     

Inclusions of Cr- and Cr–Nb-Rutile in pyropes from the Internatsionalnaya kimberlite pipe,Yakutia

The results of study of rutile inclusions in pyrope from the Internatsionalnaya kimberlite pipe are presented. Rutile is characterized by unusually high contents of impurities (up to 25 wt %). The presence of Cr₂O₃ (up to 9.75 wt %) and Nb₂O₅ (up to 15.57 wt %) are most typical. Rutile inclusions often occur in assemblage with Ti-rich oxides: picroilmenite and crichtonite group minerals. The Cr-pyropes with inclusions of rutile, picroilmenite, and crichtonite group minerals were formed in the lithospheric mantle beneath the Mirnyi field during their joint crystallization from melts enriched in Fe, Ti, and other incompatible elements as a result of metasomatic enrichment of the depleted lithospheric mantle.     

Rare-element composition of pyropes and lamproites and ancient dispersion haloes of the southwestern Siberian platform

The problem of heterogeneity of the mantle lithosphere of the southwestern portion of the Siberian Platform has been considered, and the diamond content in potential mother lodes within this area has been estimated based on original geochemical data on the rare-element composition of pyropes from diamondiferous lamproites of the Ingashin field within the Prisayan region and ancient dispersion haloes of minerals accompanying diamonds in the area between the Angara and Uda rivers. Pyropes from lamproites are characterized by low concentrations of Zr (0.18–9.05 ppm), Hf (0.03–0.37 ppm), and rare earth elements (Sm 0.04–0.49, Eu 0.02–0.16, and Dy 0.05–0.96 ppm). Pyropes from the Lower Carboniferous Baeron Formation within the Tangui-Chuksha area are significantly different from pyropes of the Ingashin lamproites in high contents of Zr (30.36–139.23 ppm) and Hf (0.4–2.22 ppm). These pyropes are characterized by elevated concentrations of rare earth elements (Sm 1.34–3.68, Eu 0.53–1.17, and Dy 1.0–2.05 ppm). The distribution patterns of rare incompatible elements in pyropes of the Lower Carboniferous Mura massif within the Mura area manifest even stronger differences with pyropes of the Ingashin lamproites and in many respects with pyropes from Lower Carboniferous sediments of the Baeron Formation within the Tangui-Chuksha area. The results obtained indicate that there is no large-scale regional spreading of pyropes from Mid-Riphean lamproite bodies in the course of washout of these bodies and that the mantle lithosphere in the southwestern portion of the Siberian Platform is laterally heterogeneous in mineralogical-geochemical terms. The chemical composition and the peculiar distribution pattern of rare elements in pyropes from lamproites of the Prisayan region indicate a depleted, primarily lherzolite composition of the upper mantle that was transformed through low-temperature potassium metasomatosis. In terms of the chemical and rare-element compositions, pyropes from Lower Carboniferous sediments of the Tangui-Chuksha and Mura areas belong to a wider range of mantle rocks: depleted peridotites, metasomatic peridotites under low (900–1000°C) and high (>1000°C) temperature conditions, and megacrysts. This suggests that the composition of the lithospheric mantle in this area of the southern portion of the Siberian Platform is characterized by a considerably differentiated stratification of mantle rocks, some of which were credibly formed in the diamond stability field.     

Coesite and pure pyrope in high-grade blueschists of the Western Alps: a first record and some consequences

A pyrope-quartzite originally described by Vialon (1966) from the Dora Maira massif was resampled and reinvestigated. Garnet (up to 25 cm in size), phengite, kyanite, talc and rutile are in textural equilibrium in an undeformed matrix of polygonal quartz. The garnet is a pyrope-almandine solid solution with 90 to 98 mol % Mg end-member. It contains inclusions of coesite which has partially inverted to quartz, resulting in a typical radial cracking of the host garnet around the inclusions. Several lines of evidence show that coesite crystallised under nearly static pressure conditions and that the whole matrix has once been coesite. The formidable pressures of formation implied (≧28 kbar) are independently indicated by i) the coexistence of nearly pure pyrope with free silica and talc, ii) the coexistence of jadeite with kyanite, iii) the high Si content of phengite. Water activity must have been low. The stability of talc-phengite and the presence of rare glaucophane inclusions in pyrope point to low formation temperatures (about 700 °C) and to a probable Alpine age for the assemblage. This is evidence that low temperature gradients, how essentially transient they are, may nevertheless persist to considerable depths. Moreover, the upper crustal (evaporite-related?) origin of the quartzite and its interbedding within a continental unit implies that continental crust may also be subducted to depths of 90 km or more. The return back to the surface is problematic; the retrograde assemblages observed show that it must be tectonic. If the rocks remain at depth, new perspectives open for the genesis of intermediate to acidic magmas. Eventually, the role of continental crust in geodynamics may have to be reconsidered.     

Alakit and Daldyn kimberlite fields,Siberia,Russia:Two types of mantle sub-terranes beneath central Yakutia?

Mineral data from Yakutian kimberlites allow reconstruction of the history of lithospheric mantle.Differences occur in compositions of mantle pyropes and clinopyroxenes from large kimberlite pipes in the Alakit and Daldyn fields.In the Alakit field.Cr-diopsides are alkaline,and Stykanskaya and some other pipes contain more sub-calcic pyropes and dunitic-type diamond inclusions,while in the Daldyn field harzburgitic pyropes are frequent.The eclogitic diamond inclusions in the Alakit field are sharply divided in types and conditions,while in the Daldyn field they show varying compositions and often continuous Pressure-Temperature(P-T) ranges with increasing Fe~# with decreasing pressures.In Alakit,Crpargasites to richterites were found in all pipes,while in Daldyn,pargasites are rare Dalnyaya and Zarnitsa pipes.Cr-diopsides from the Alakit region show higher levels of light Rare Earth Elements(LREE)and stronger REE-slopes,and enrichment in light Rare Earth Elements(LREE),sometimes Th-U,and small troughs in Nb-Ta-Zr.In the Daldyn field,the High Field Strength Elements HFSE troughs are more common in clinopyroxenes with low REE abundances,while those from sheared and refertilized peridotites have smooth patterns.Garnets from Alakit show HREE minima,but those from Daldyn often have a trough at Yand high U and Pb.PTX/O2 diagrams from both regions show similarities,suggesting similar layering and structures.The degree of metasomatism is often higher for pipes which show dispersion in P-Fe~# trends for garnets.In the mantle beneath Udachnaya and Aykhal,pipes show 6-7 linear arrays of P-Fe~# in the lower part of the mantle section at 7.5-3.0 GPa,probably reflecting primary subduction horizons.Beneath the Sytykanskaya pipe,there are several horizons with opposite inclinations which reflect metasomatic processes.The high dispersion of the P—Fe~# trend indicating widespread metasomatism is associated with decreased diamond grades.Possible explanation of the differences in mineralogy and geochemistry of the mantle sections may relate to their tectonic positions during growth of the lithospheric keel.Enrichment in volatiles and alkalis possibly corresponds to interaction with subduction-related fluids and melts in the craton margins.Incorporation of island arc peridotites from an eroded arc is a possible scenario.     

Middle Paleozoic kimberlite magmatism in the northeastern Siberian craton

The mineral chemistry and crystal morphology of kimberlite pyropes from the Billyakh River placer in the northeastern Siberian craton are characterised in terms of the placer history. The pyropes bear signatures of chemical weathering (dissolution), presumably in a Middle Paleozoic laterite profile, and therefore were originally hosted by Middle Paleozoic kimberlites. The broad occurrence of placer pyropes with lateritic dissolution signatures points to the presence of Middle Paleozoic diamond-bearing kimberlites in the study area.     

Mineral inclusions in sapphire from the basalt-related deposit in Bo Phloi,Kanchanaburi, western Thailand: indication of their genesis

The Bo Phloi gem field in Kanchanaburi Province, Western Thailand, is closely associated with Cenozoic basalts. Blue and yellow sapphire, black spinel, and minor zircon have been mined for over three decades. The mineral inclusions observed in sapphire samples are alkali feldspar, nepheline, hercynitic spinel, zircon, manganiferous ilmenite, silica-rich enstatite, almandine–pyrope garnet, monazite, calcite, sapphirine, biotite–phlogopite mica, and staurolite. Based on their geochemical affinity, these mineral inclusions can be categorized into two main groups: felsic alkaline and contact-metamorphic, which appear to have originated from different processes. These inclusions provide new evidence for proposing a bimodal genetic model. Felsic alkaline origin is evidenced by the occurrence of a felsic alkaline inclusion suite and the REE geochemistry of sapphire-associated zircon, which indicates that most of the sapphires crystallized from a high-alkali felsic melt (probably, in the lower crust). Contact-metamorphic origin is evidenced by the presence of a contact-metamorphic inclusion suite, suggesting that some of these sapphires might also have originated from metasomatized crustal rocks and a contaminated melt along the contact zone of a basaltic intrusion (probably, in the upper mantle or lower crust).     

Phase equilibria and metamorphic evolution of glaucophane‐bearing UHP eclogites from the Western Dabieshan Terrane,Central China

Glaucophane‐bearing ultrahigh pressure (UHP) eclogites from the western Dabieshan terrane consist of garnet, omphacite, glaucophane, kyanite, epidote, phengite, quartz/coesite and rutile with or without talc and paragonite. Some garnet porphyroblasts exhibit a core–mantle zoning profile with slight increase in pyrope content and minor or slight decrease in grossular and a mantle–rim zoning profile characterized by a pronounced increase in pyrope and rapid decrease in grossular. Omphacite is usually zoned with a core–rim decrease in j(o) [=Na/(Ca + Na)]. Glaucophane occurs as porphyroblasts in some samples and contains inclusions of garnet, omphacite and epidote. Pseudosections calculated in the NCKMnFMASHO system for five representative samples, combined with petrographic observations suggest that the UHP eclogites record four stages of metamorphism. (i) The prograde stage, on the basis of modelling of garnet zoning and inclusions in garnet, involves P–T vectors dominated by heating with a slight increase in pressure, suggesting an early slow subduction process, and P–T vectors dominated by a pronounced increase in pressure and slight heating, pointing to a late fast subduction process. The prograde metamorphism is predominated by dehydration of glaucophane and, to a lesser extent, chlorite, epidote and paragonite, releasing ～27 wt% water that was bound in the hydrous minerals. (ii) The peak stage is represented by garnet rim compositions with maximum pyrope and minimum grossular contents, and P–T conditions of 28.2–31.8 kbar and 605–613 °C, with the modelled peak‐stage mineral assemblage mostly involving garnet + omphacite + lawsonite + talc + phengite + coesite ± glaucophane ± kyanite. (iii) The early decompression stage is characterized by dehydration of lawsonite, releasing ～70–90 wt% water bound in the peak mineral assemblages, which results in the growth of glaucophane, j(o) decrease in omphacite and formation of epidote. And, (iv) The late retrograde stage is characterized by the mineral assemblage of hornblendic amphibole + epidote + albite/oligoclase + quartz developed in the margins or strongly foliated domains of eclogite blocks due to fluid infiltration at P–T conditions of 5–10 kbar and 500–580 °C. The proposed metamorphic stages for the UHP eclogites are consistent with the petrological observations, but considerably different from those presented in the previous studies.     

The influence of low aluminum concentrations on the composition and conditions of crystallization of majorite–knorringite garnets: Experiment at 7.0 GPa and 1500–1700°C

Crystallization of garnet in high-chromium restite formed under the conditions of partial melting in the spinel facies and subsequently subducted into the garnet depth facies was studied experimentally in the MgO–Al₂O₃–Cr₂O₃–SiO₂ system. The crystallization of garnet and the dependence of its composition on the temperature and bulk composition of the system with low Al concentration were studied as well. Experiments in the knorringite–majorite–pyrope system with 5, 10, and 20 mol % Prp were carried out at 7 GPa. The phase associations for the starting composition of pure knorringite Mg₃Cr₂Si₃O₁₂ included chromiumbearing enstatite MgSiO₃ (up to 3.2 wt % Cr₂O₃) and eskolaite Cr₂O₃. Addition of Al resulted in crystallization of high-chromium majoritic garnet. The portion of garnet in the samples always exceeded the concentration of pyrope in the starting composition owing to the formation of the complex majorite–knorringite–pyrope series of solid solutions. With increasing content of pyrope (from 5 to 20 mol %) and increasing temperature, the modal concentration of garnet increased significantly (from 6–12 to 22–37%). The garnet was characterized by high concentrations of the pyrope (23–80 mol %) and knorringite (22–70 mol %) components. The excess of Si (>3 f.u.) with decreasing Cr concentration provided evidence for the contribution of the majorite–knorringite trend to the variation in garnet composition. On the basis of the natural data, most of the garnets composing xenoliths of ultrabasic rocks in kimberlites and occurring as inclusions in diamonds are low-chromium; i.e., their protolith was not subjected to partial melting, at least in the spinel depth facies.