Hydrothermal dolomite marbles associated with charnockitic magmatism in the Proterozoic Bamble Shear Belt,south Norway

Deformed and metamorphosed dolomite marbles in the Kragerø area of the Bamble Shear Belt occur as lenses within metasupracrustal sequences, as matrix in bodies resembling magmatic breccias, and as veins/dykes cutting amphibolites and metagabbros. A common origin is not evident from the field relationships, but is nevertherless probable due to great geochemical similarities between dolomite from the different occurrences. They are characterized by higher REE, Ni, Co, Cr and Sc, and lower Ba and Sr contents relative to metasedimentary marbles occurring nearby. Sm-Nd isotope data shows that the dolomites are of Sveconorwegian age (1175±37 Ma). The dolomite marbles are very weakly LREE-enriched and display in most cases positive Eu anomalies. Their stable isotope compositions are uniform (¹⁸O=+9.6 to +10.7; ¹³C=-8.5 to-6.2), their initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are high (0.706–0.709), whereas their age corrected _Nd varies from +0.7 to-1.5. Geochemically the dolomitic marbles differ considerably from sedimentary or metasedimentary marbles as well as from carbonatites. The Kragerø dolomite marbles represent deformed and metamorphosed hydrothermal veins or vein-complexes deposited in tensional fractures in the deep crust. Although the dolomitic marbles regionally are of minor volume, the dolomite deposition represents a specific and important event in the geological evolution of the Bamble Shear Belt. Their geochemical and isotopic homogeneity on a regional scale suggest that the hydrothermal solutions were supplied from a very large, homogeneous reservoir. Trace elements, stable and radiogenic isotopes, and field and isotopic age relationships are consistent with a deposition from hydrothermal solutions which were exsolved from crystallizing charnockitic intrusions and subsequently interacted with the crust. The parental magma to these intrusions underplated the crust and raised the geotherm of a carbonated ultramafic uppermost mantle, and imposed decarbonation and fluid release. These fluids were channelled into a large degassing zone now found as a deformed, regional zone with hydrothermal dolomite deposits, albitites, apatite-veins and widespread scapolitization. Whether the CO₂-rich fluids, which precipitated the Kragerø dolomites, pervasively infiltrated crustal rocks at a deeper level and caused granulitization is ambiguous, but possible.