The distribution of certain elements among coexisting calcic pyroxenes, calcic amphiboles and biotites in skarns

Skarns composed predominantly of Ca pyroxene, Ca amphibole, and biotite occur locally in the Grenville metamorphic terrain of the Canadian pre-Cambrian Shield. The enclosing rocks are Grenville gneisses and limestones, gabbroic rocks, veined gneisses, and granitic rocks. The metamorphic grade of the skarns is identical to that of the enclosing rocks, namely the upper region of the amphibolite facies.

Twelve skarn specimens were selected for chemical study. An investigation is made of the concentrations of Al, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ti, Ca, Na, K, Ba, V, Cr, Zr, Y, and Sc in eleven Ca pyroxenes, ten Ca amphiboles, and eleven biotites.

Consideration is given to the distribution of elements among coexisting minerals. Regular relationships appear when

1. (1) the concentration of an element in a mineral is related to the concentration of the element in a coexisting mineral by a linear or non-linear function

2. (2) the linear or non-linear function is itself a function of the concentration of another element in one or both of the coexisting minerals. These relationships indicate that, for the most part, minerals within each skarn specimen closely approached a state of chemical equilibrium.

A preliminary attempt is made to explain the distribution relationships in terms of crystal chemistry.