Mode of formation of hibonite (CaAl12O19) within the U-Th skarns from the granulites of S-E Madagascar

 In Madagascar, hibonite occurs as a rather frequent mineral within thorianite-bearing skarns which are widespread in the Pan African granulitic formations constituting the S-E part of the Island (Tranomaro area). In these skarns, leucocratic segregations made up of CO₃-scapolite to meionite (An_equivalent=89–95% which implies T≥850° C), spinel and corundum were formed at stage 1 of metasomatism in a titanite-bearing matrix consisting of scapolite (An_eq=77–88) and aluminous diopside. During stage 2 of metasomatism, scapolite from the lenses were altered to anorthite+calcite while the less calcic scapolite remained stable which indicates T≈800° C. Hibonite crystallized at the expense of corundum and spinel. Expressed as mol% of the CaAl₁₂O₁₉/Ca(Al₁₀TiR²⁺)O₁₉/REE(Al₁₁R²⁺)O₁₉ +Th (Al₁₀R²⁺ ₂)O₁₉] end-members (R ²⁺=Mg, Fe²⁺, Zn²⁺; Al=Al, Fe³⁺; Ti=Ti, Si), its composition varies from 26/72/2 to 50/23/27. The ideal activity of the CaAl₁₂O₁₉ component is about 0.25. Fluid inclusions in corundum, hibonite and anorthite are composed of nearly pure CO₂. In corundum, the isochores for primary inclusions are in agreement with the P-T estimates for regional metamorphism and stage 1 metasomatism (T≈850° C, P≈5 kbar). Inclusions with the highest density in hibonite and anorthite constrain P to about 3–3.5 kbar for T=800° C. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that, in addition to a low activity of CaAl₁₂O₁₉, stability of hibonite in equilibrium with anorthite and calcite implies an extremely low activity of silica (below the zircon-baddeleyite buffer). By contrast the activity of CO₂ may be high, in agreement with the observed fluid compositions. These results are corroborated by a short comparison with the other granulite occurrences of hibonite in Tanzania and South India. Received: 18 August 1994 / Accepted: 12 October 1995