Petrology and geochemistry of a diamondiferous lherzolite from the Premier diamond mine, South Africa

This paper reports on the petrology and geochemistry of a diamondiferous peridotite xenolith from the Premier diamond mine in South Africa.

The xenolith is altered with pervasive serpentinisation of olivine and orthopyroxene. Garnets are in an advanced state of kelyphitisation but partly fresh. Electron microprobe analyses of the garnets are consistent with a lherzolitic paragenesis (8.5 wt.% Cr₂O₃ and 6.6 wt.% CaO). The garnets show limited variation in trace element composition, with generally low concentrations of most trace elements, e.g. Y (<11 ppm), Zr (<18 ppm) and Sr (<0.5 ppm). Garnet rare earth element concentrations, when normalised against the C1 chondrite of McDonough and Sun (Chem. Geol. 120 (1995) 223), are characterised by a rare earth element pattern similar to garnet from fertile lherzolite.

All diamonds recovered are colourless. Most crystals are sharp-edged octahedra, some with minor development of the dodecahedral form. A number of crystals are twinned octahedral macles, while aggregates of two or more octahedra are also common. Mineral inclusions are rare. Where present they are predominantly small black rosettes believed to consist of sulfide. In one instance a polymineralic (presumably lherzolitic) assemblage of reddish garnet, green clinopyroxene and a colourless mineral is recognised.

Infrared analysis of the xenolith diamonds show nitrogen contents generally lower than 500 ppm and variable nitrogen aggregation state, from 20% to 80% of the ‘B’ form. When plotted on a nitrogen aggregation diagram a well defined trend of increasing nitrogen aggregation state with increasing nitrogen content is observed. Carbon isotopic compositions range from −3.6 ‰ to −1.3 ‰. These are broadly correlated with diamond nitrogen content as determined by infrared spectroscopy, with the most negative C-isotopic compositions correlating with the lowest nitrogen contents.

Xenolith mantle equilibration temperatures, calculated from nitrogen aggregation systematics as well as the Ni in garnet thermometer are on the order of 1100 to 1200 °C.

It is concluded that the xenolith is a fertile lherzolite, and that the lherzolitic character may have resulted from the total metasomatic overprinting of pre-existing harzburgite. Metasomatism occurred prior to, or accompanied, diamond growth.     

Geochemistry of mafic and ultramafic xenoliths from Fidra (Southern Uplands, Scotland): implications for lithospheric processes in Permo-Carboniferous times

Several types of xenoliths occur in a Permian basanite sill in Fidra, eastern central Scotland. One group consists of spinel lherzolites, which have geochemical and isotopic characteristics similar to those of lithospheric upper mantle from elsewhere in western Europe, with both LREE-depleted and LREE-enriched compositions. A separate group comprises pyroxenites and wehrlites, some of which contain plagioclase; these have compositions and textures that indicate that they are cumulates from mafic magmas. In terms of Sr and Nd isotope compositions, the pyroxenites closely resemble the host basanite and most likely formed by high-pressure fractionation of Permo-Carboniferous alkaline magmas at lower crustal depths. They also have mantle-like δ¹⁸O values. A third group is composed of granulite xenoliths that vary between plagioclase-rich and clinopyroxene-rich compositions, some of which probably form a continuum with the pyroxenites and wehrlites. They are all LREE-enriched and most have positive Eu anomalies; thus, they are also mostly cumulates from mafic magmas. Many of the granulites also have Sr and Nd radiogenic isotope ratios similar to those of the host basanite, indicating that they have formed from a similar magma. However, several of the granulites show more enriched isotopic compositions, including higher δ¹⁸O values, trending towards an older crustal component. Thus, the pyroxenites and granulites are largely cogenetic and are mainly the product of a mafic underplating event that occurred during the widespread magmatism in central Scotland during Permo-Carboniferous times.     

西准噶尔白碱滩二辉橄榄岩中两种辉石的出溶结构及其地质意义

克拉玛依白碱滩尖晶石二辉橄榄岩主要由橄榄石、单斜辉石、斜方辉石和尖晶石组成,橄榄石和斜方辉石均发生程度不等的蛇纹石化。单斜辉石一般很新鲜。单斜辉石和斜方辉石均发育出溶结构,出溶条纹或者平直或者发生舒缓的弯曲变形(即便是在发生弯曲的情况下也是完全平行的)。透辉石-普通辉石出溶体一般呈针状(直径一般为1μm,长度>150μm),顽火辉石出溶条纹直径一般为1～3μm(长度>300μm)。斜方辉石主晶属于顽火辉石-易变辉石,单斜辉石主晶为透辉石(成分很均一)。地质温度压力估算表明,白碱滩二辉橄榄岩中辉石出溶结构发生的温度为700℃～1000℃、压力为2.0～2.7GPa,它们代表辉石出溶结构形成的最低PT条件。白碱滩二辉橄榄岩至少经历了三个演化阶段:原始辉石与尖晶石和橄榄石平衡共生(阶段Ⅰ,>94km);随着地幔上隆,原始辉石结构不稳定,分解并形成出溶结构(阶段Ⅱ,700℃～1000℃),斜方辉石开始分解的深度为94km,单斜辉石开始分解的深度为78km;之后,蛇绿岩经历的侵位事件导致辉石发生塑性变形(阶段Ⅲ)。蛇绿岩侵位之前,地幔岩曾发生了>50km的隆升,而且,在隆升过程中地幔岩没有发生明显部分熔融(地幔岩因此没有经历明显的岩浆抽提过程)。     

高温高压下岩石电导率不同测量方法的实验对比——以二辉橄榄岩为例

利用YJ-3000t紧装式六面顶压机,在1.0GPa、500～900℃和2.0GPa、500～950℃的实验条件下,同时采用交流阻抗谱法(AC0.05～10-6Hz)、直流法(DC)和单频交流法(0.1Hz)三种方法对采自河北大麻坪玄武岩中的尖晶石二辉橄榄岩进行了电导率的实验测量.实验结果表明:在实验的温度和压力范围内...     

大麻坪地区二辉橄榄岩部分熔融实验研究

本文以采自大麻坪地区汉诺坝玄武岩中的二辉橄榄岩包体为初始实验物料,在压力1.0～3.0 GPa、温度1350～1550℃条件下进行了部分熔融实验,对实验产物进行了岩相学研究和电子探针成分分析。二辉橄榄岩在1350℃开始熔融,在实验的温度压力范围内,熔融程度为10%～30%。随熔融程度的升高,部分熔融后残余岩石倾向于向富镁、低铁、低钙、低硅的趋势演化,而部分熔融产生的熔体则倾向于富镁、富铁、低铝、低硅的趋势演化。在岩石化学图解上本次实验中二辉橄榄岩部分熔融产生的熔体化学组成与汉诺坝地区拉斑玄武岩的组成相近。随熔融程度升高,熔体具有从苦橄质→玄武质演化的趋势。     

Symplectite in spinel lherzolite xenoliths from the Little Hungarian Plain, Western Hungary: A key for understanding the complex history of the upper mantle of the Pannonian Basin

Two spinel lherzolite xenoliths from Hungary that contain pyroxene–spinel symplectites have been studied using EPMA, Laser ablation ICP-MS and universal stage. Based on their geochemical and structural characteristics, the xenoliths represent two different domains of the shallow subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the Pannonian Basin. The occurrence of symplectites is attributed to the former presence and subsequent breakdown of garnets due to significant pressure decrease related to lithospheric thinning. This implies that both mantle domains were once part of the garnet lherzolitic upper mantle and had a similar history during the major extension that formed the Pannonian Basin.

Garnet breakdown resulted in distinct geochemical characteristics in the adjacent clinopyroxene crystals in both xenoliths. This is manifested by enrichment in HREE, Y, Zr and Hf towards the clinopyroxene porphyroclast rims and also in the neoblasts with respect to porphyroclast core compositions. This geochemical feature, together with the development and preservation of the texturally very sensitive symplectites, enables us to determine the relative timing of mantle processes. Our results indicate that garnets had been metastable in the spinel lherzolite environment and their breakdown to pyroxene and spinel is one of the latest processes that took place within the upper mantle before the xenoliths were brought to the surface.     

Opx–Cpx exsolution textures in lherzolites of the Cretaceous Purang Ophiolite (S. Tibet,China), and the deep mantle origin of Neotethyan abyssal peridotites

ABSTRACT

We investigated lherzolitic peridotites in the Cretaceous Purang ophiolite along the Yarlung Zhangbo suture zone (YZSZ) in SW Tibet to constrain their mantle–melt evolution history. Coarse-grained Purang lherzolites contain orthopyroxene (Opx) and olivine (Ol) porphyroclasts with embayments filled by small olivine (Ol) neoblasts. Both clinopyroxene (Cpx) and Opx display exsolution textures represented by lamellae structures. Opx exsolution (Opx1) in clinopyroxene (Cpx1) is made of enstatite, whose compositions (Al₂O₃ = 3.85–4.90 wt%, CaO = <3.77 wt%, Cr₂O₃ = 0.85–3.82 wt%) are characteristic of abyssal peridotites. Host clinopyroxenes (Cpx1) have higher Mg#s and Na₂O, with lower TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ contents than Cpx2 exsolution lamellae in Opx, and show variable LREE patterns. Pyroxene compositions of the lherzolites indicate 10–15% partial melting of a fertile mantle protolith. P–T estimates (1.3–2.3 GPa, 745–1067°C) and the trace element chemistry of pyroxenes with exsolution textures suggest crystallization depths of ~75 km in the upper mantle, where the original pyroxenes became decomposed, forming exsolved structures. Further upwelling of lherzolites into shallow depths in the mantle resulted in crystal–plastic deformation of the exsolved pyroxenes. Combined with the occurrence of microdiamond and ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) mineral inclusions in chromites of the Purang peridotites, the pyroxene exsolution textures reported here confirm a multi-stage partial melting history of the Purang lherzolites and at least three discrete stages of P-T conditions in the course of their upwelling through the mantle during their intra-oceanic evolution.     

吉林辉南幔源橄榄岩流变学与组构特征及其动力学启示

吉林辉南位于华北克拉通(NCC)东北部边缘,新生代玄武岩中含有大量的新鲜幔源包体.包体类型主要为尖晶石二辉橄榄岩.由包体矿物化学成分计算的平衡温度为:982～1085℃.氧化缀饰方法揭示了样品中橄榄石的显微特征,表明包体存在形态各异的位错样式:位错壁、亚颗粒、位错环、位错网等,指示样品可能经历了以位错蠕变为主的塑性变形...     

A fertile harzburgite–garnet lherzolite transition: possible inferences for the roles of strain and metasomatism in upper mantle peridotites

Porphyroclastic enstatite in a garnet lherzolite xenolith from the Monastery Mine kimberlite, South Africa, has exsolved pyrope garnet, Cr-diopside and Al-chromite, and the specimen is interpreted as representing a transition from fertile harzburgite, (containing high Ca-Al-Cr enstatite) to granular garnet lherzolite. Although the exsolved phases occur in morphologically different forms (fine and coarse lamellae; equant, ripened grains), indicating textural disequilibrium, the exsolved grains are very constant in composition, indicating chemical equilibrium. Theoretically, the exsolution could have been due to a fall in temperature, but the close association of exsolution and deformation of the host enstatite suggests that exsolution was also aided by straining of the enstatite lattice. The phase compositions can be broadly matched with those in other mantle peridotites, except that all phases are characterised by a virtual absence of Ti. In the garnet and diopside Ti, Co, Zr and most of the REE are lower than in published analyses of garnet and diopside in both granular and sheared garnet lherzolites from Southern African kimberlites, and diopside/garnet partitioning for Sr and the REE is higher. Comparison with the trace element chemistry of an enstatite from a fertile harzburgite indicates that, except for Nb, the trace element content and distribution found in the Monastery phases could arise by isochemical exsolution from such an enstatite. On the assumption that (a) the Monastery specimen represents a transition from harzburgite to garnet lherzolite, and (b) many garnet lherzolites are of exsolution origin (as suggested by their modal compositions), the inference is that most garnet lherzolites, and not just the sheared variety, have been subject to varying degrees of Ti, Zr, Sr and REE metasomatism.