Flat rare earth element patterns as an indicator of cumulate processes in the Lesser Qinling carbonatites, China

The Lesser Qinling carbonatite dykes are mainly composed of calcites. They are characterized by unusually high heavy rare earth element concentrations (HREE; e.g. Yb > 30 ppm) and flat to weakly light rare earth element (LREE) enriched chondrite-normalized patterns (La/Yb_n = 1.0–5.5), which is in marked contrast with all other published carbonatite data. The trace element contents of calcite crystals were measured in situ by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). Some crystals show reduced LREE from core to rim, whereas their HREE compositions are relatively constant. The total REE contents and chondrite-normalized REE patterns from the cores of carbonate crystals are similar to those of the whole rock. The carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of calcites fall within the range of primary, mantle-derived carbonatites. The initial Sr isotopic compositions (0.70480–0.70557) of calcites are consistent with an EM1 source or mixing between HIMU and EM1 mantle sources. However these sources cannot produce carbonatite parental magmas with a flat or slightly LREE enrichment pattern by low degrees of partial melting. Analyses of carbonates from other carbonatites show that carbonates have nearly flat REE pattern if they crystallize from a LREE enriched carbonatite melt. This implies that when carbonates crystallize from a carbonatite melt the calcite/melt partition coefficients (D) for HREE are much greater than the D for the LREE. The nearly flat REE patterns of the Lesser Qinling carbonatites can be explained if they are carbonate cumulates that contain little trapped carbonatite melt. Strong enrichment of HREE in the carbonatites may require their derivation by small degrees of melting from a garnet-poor source.     

与碳酸岩共生的霓长岩

本文归纳总结了从20世纪60年代以来国外与碳酸岩有关的霓长岩的相关研究成果,主要涉及了岩石学、矿物学和地球化学等方面。与碳酸岩有关的霓长岩是碳酸岩侵位时对围岩交代作用产生的岩石,其主要组成矿物为碱性铁镁矿物和碱性长石等。根据霓长岩与碳酸岩的空间关系、其显微结构及矿物共生组合,可将霓长岩划分为低级、中级和高级不同类型。霓长岩的矿物学研究侧重于对其矿物组成及矿物化学成分的研究,据此可了解交代流体的性质、交代作用时的物理条件并追索流体的来源。在霓长岩化过程中,初生碳酸岩浆逸出的大量碱金属和挥发分进入了围岩中形成霓长岩,因此,通过对霓长岩元素和同位素地球化学的研究,有助于理解初生碳酸岩浆的性质和其地幔来源区特征。     

Geochemical and isotopic investigation of the Laiwu–Zibo carbonatites from western Shandong Province, China, and implications for their petrogenesis and enriched mantle source

Major and trace element and Nd–Sr isotope data of the Mesozoic Laiwu–Zibo carbonatites (LZCs) from western Shandong Province, China, provide clues to the petrogenesis and the nature of their mantle source. The Laiwu–Zibo carbonatites can be petrologically classified as calcio-, magnesio- and ferro-carbonatites. All these carbonatites show a similarity in geochemistry. On the one hand, they are extremely enriched in Ba, Sr and LREE and markedly low in K, Rb and Ti, which are similar to those global carbonatites, on the other hand, they have extremely high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7095–0.7106) and very low _Nd (−18.2 to −14.3), a character completely different from those global carbonatites. The small variations in Sr and Nd isotopic ratios suggest that crustal contamination can not modify the primary isotopic compositions of LZC magmas and those values are representatives of their mantle source. The Nd–Sr isotopic compositions of LZCs and their similarity to those of Mesozoic Fangcheng basalts imply that they derived from an enriched lithospheric mantle. The formation of such enriched lithospheric mantle is connected with the major collision between the North China Craton (NCC) and the Yangtze Craton. Crustal materials from the Yangtze Craton were subducted beneath the NCC and melts derived from the subducted crust of the Yangtze Craton produced an enriched Mesozoic mantle, which is the source for the LZCs and Fangcheng basalts. The absence of alkaline silicate rocks, which are usually associated with carbonatites suggest that the LZCs originated from the mantle by directly partial melting.     

硅酸盐-盐（硫酸盐）流体不混溶：蒙古南部Mushugai-Khuduk含火成碳酸岩杂岩体矿物中的熔体包裹体研究

Crystalline and melt inclusions were studied in garnet,diopside,potassium feldspar,and sphene from the garnet syenite porphyry of the carbonatite-bearing complex Mushugai-Khuduk,southern Mongolia.Phlogopite,clinopyroxene,albite,potassium feldspar,spheric,wollastonite,magnetite,Ca and Sr sulfates,fluorite,and apatite were identified among the crystalline inclusions. The melt inclusions were homogenized at 1010～1080℃and analyzed on an electron microprobe.Silicate,salt,and combined silicate- salt melt inclusions were found.Silicate melts show considerable variations in SiO_2 concentration(56 to 66wt% ),high Na_2O K_2O (up to 17wt% ),and elevated Zr,F,and C1 contents.In terms of bulk rock chemistry,the silicate melts are alkali syenites.During thermometric experiments,salt melt inclusions quenched into homogeneous glasses of predominantly sulfate compositions containing no more than 1.3wt% SiO_2.These melts are enriched in alkalis,Ba,Sr,P,F,and C1.The investigation of the silicate and salt melt inclusions in minerals of the garnet syenite porphyries indicate that these rocks were formed under influence of the processes of crystallization differentiation and magma separation into immiscible silicate and salt(sulfate)liquids.     

Petrogenetic processes in the ultramafic, alkaline and carbonatitic magmatism in the Kola Alkaline Province: A review

Igneous rocks of the Devonian Kola Alkaline Carbonatite Province (KACP) in NW Russia and eastern Finland can be classified into four groups: (a) primitive mantle-derived silica-undersaturated silicate magmas; (b) evolved alkaline and nepheline syenites; (c) cumulate rocks; (d) carbonatites and phoscorites, some of which may also be cumulates. There is no obvious age difference between these various groups, so all of the magma-types were formed at the same time in a relatively restricted area and must therefore be petrogenetically related. Both sodic and potassic varieties of primitive silicate magmas are present. On major element variation diagrams, the cumulate rocks plot as simple mixtures of their constituent minerals (olivine, clinopyroxene, calcite, etc). There are complete compositional trends between carbonatites, phoscorites and silicate cumulates, which suggests that many carbonatites and phoscorites are also cumulates. CaO / Al₂O₃ ratios for ultramafic and mafic silicate rocks in dykes and pipes range up to 5, indicating a very small degree of melting of a carbonated mantle at depth. Damkjernites appear to be transitional to carbonatites. Trace element modelling indicates that all the mafic silicate magmas are related to small degrees of melting of a metasomatised garnet peridotite source. Similarities of the REE patterns and initial Sr and Nd isotope compositions for ultramafic alkaline silicate rocks and carbonatites indicate that there is a strong relationship between the two magma-types. There is also a strong petrogenetic link between carbonatites, kimberlites and alkaline ultramafic lamprophyres. Fractional crystallisation of olivine, diopside, melilite and nepheline gave rise to the evolved nepheline syenites, and formed the ultramafic cumulates. All magmas in the KACP appear to have originated in a single event, possibly triggered by the arrival of hot material (mantle plume?) beneath the Archaean/Proterozoic lithosphere of the northern Baltic Shield that had been recently metasomatised. Melting of the carbonated garnet peridotite mantle formed a spectrum of magmas including carbonatite, damkjernite, melilitite, melanephelinite and ultramafic lamprophyre. Pockets of phlogopite metasomatised lithospheric mantle also melted to form potassic magmas including kimberlite. Depth of melting, degree of melting and presence of metasomatic phases are probably the major factors controlling the precise composition of the primary melts formed.