Sulphide Segregation in Ferropicrites from the Pechenga Complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia

The Palaeoproterozoic Ni–Cu sulphide deposits of the PechengaComplex, Kola Peninsula, occur in the lower parts of ferropicriticintrusions emplaced into the phyllitic and tuffaceous sedimentaryunit of the Pilgujärvi Zone. The intrusive rocks are comagmaticwith extrusive ferropicrites of the overlying volcanic formation.Massive lavas and chilled margins from layered flows and intrusionscontain <3–7 ng/g Pd and Pt and <0·02–2·0ng/g Ir, Os and Ru with low Pd/Ir ratios of 5–11. Theabundances of platinum group elements (PGE) correlate with eachother and with chalcophile elements such as Cu and Ni, and indicatea compatible behaviour during crystallization of the parentalmagma. Compared with the PGE-depleted central zones of differentiatedflows (spinifex and clinopyroxene cumulate zones) the olivinecumulate zones at the base contain elevated PGE abundances upto 10 ng/g Pd and Pt. A similar pattern is displayed in intrusivebodies, such as the Kammikivi sill and the Pilgujärvi intrusion.The olivine cumulates at the base of these bodies contain massiveand disseminated Ni–Cu-sulphides with up to 2 µg/gPd and Pt, but the PGE concentrations in the overlying clinopyroxenitesand gabbroic rocks are in many cases below the detection limits.The metal distribution observed in samples closely representingliquid compositions suggests that the parental magma becamesulphide saturated during the emplacement and depleted in chalcophileand siderophile metals as a result of fractional segregationof sulphide liquids. Relative sulphide liquid–silicatemelt partition coefficients decrease in the order of Ir >Rh > Os > Ru > Pt = Pd > Cu. R-factors (silicate-sulphidemass ratio) are high and of the order of 10⁴–10⁵, andthey indicate the segregation of only small amounts of sulphideliquid in the parental ferropicritic magma. In differentiatedflows and intrusions the sulphide liquids segregated and accumulatedat the base of these bodies, but because of a low silicate–sulphidemass ratio the sulphide liquids had a low PGE tenor and Pt/Irand Cu/Ir ratios similar to the parental silicate melts. Duringcooling the sulphide liquid crystallized 40–50% of monosulphidesolid solution (mss) and the residual sulphide liquid becameenriched in Cu, Pt and Pd and depleted in Ir, Os and Ru. TheCu-rich sulphide liquid locally assimilated components of thesurrounding S-rich sediments as suggested by the radiogenicOs isotopic composition of some sulphide ores (     

Partial Melting and Assimilation of Dolomitic Xenoliths by Mafic Magma: the Ioko-Dovyren Intrusion (North Baikal Region, Russia)

A petrological study was carried out on Mg-skarn-bearing dunitecumulates that are part of the Neo-Proterozoic Ioko-Dovyrenintrusion (North Baikal region, Russia). Skarn xenoliths containbrucite pseudomorphs after periclase, forsterite and Cr-poorspinel. Fine-grained forsterite–spinel skarns occur withthe brucite skarns or as isolated schlieren. Field relationshipsreveal that the Mg-skarns formed from silica-poor dolomiticxenoliths by interaction with the mafic magma of the Ioko-Dovyrenintrusion. Rapid heating of dolomitic xenoliths by the maficmagma caused the decomposition of dolomite into calcite + periclase,releasing much CO₂. Further heating quantitatively melted thecalcite. A periclase-rich restite was left behind after extractionof the low-density, low-viscosity calcite melt. The extractedcalcite melt mixed with the surrounding mafic melt. This resultedin crystallization of olivine with CaO contents up to 1·67wt %. A local decrease in the silica concentration stabilizedCaAl₂SiO₆-rich clinopyroxene. Brucite/periclase-free forsterite–spinelskarns probably originated by crystallization from the maficmelt close to the xenoliths at elevated fO₂. The high fO₂ wascaused by CO₂-rich fluids released during the decompositionof the xenoliths. The above case study provides the first evidencefor partial melting of dolomite xenoliths during incorporationby a mafic magma. KEY WORDS: dunite; dolomite assimilation; partial melting