Crystal chemistry of clinopyroxenes from Oligo-Miocene volcanics of Montresta (Sardinia, Italy)

Summary Augite and diopside crystals from the Oligo-Miocene high-Mg and high-Al basalts, basaltic andesites and andesites of Montresta (Sardinia, Italy) have been analysed by means of X-ray single crystal diffraction and electron microprobe. It has been found that crystallization or equilibration processes took place within the crust at pressures below 5 kbar. In particular, samples from high-Al basalts, basaltic andesites and andesites crystallised at pressures below one kbar while those from high-Mg basalts crystallised in a range from about 1.5 to 4.5 kbar. The intracrystalline temperatures range between about 550 °C for high-Mg basalts and 750 °C for andesites. The M2′ site is occupied in each of the studied crystals, which implies slow cooling rates.