Fractionation and assimilation in the Borgtinderne syenite,East Greenland

The Borgtinderne nepheline-sodalite syenite is one of the major intrusions in the Tertiary igneous province of East Greenland. The syenite magma, which was evolving towards an undersaturated peralkaline residuum, underwent extensive modification by incorporation of country rock basalt, resulting in the production of a variety of hybrid syenites. Major element variation in the hybrids is essentially linear. Break-up and mechanical incorporation of the basic material was aided by amphibolitisation and metasomatism of the basalt xenoliths.