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Textural evolution of the rapakivi granites, south Greenland —Sr, O and H isotopic investigations

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Abstract

The development of rapakivi texture in feldspars from the Ketilidian granitoids of south Greenland has been investigated using Sr, O and H isotopes. A low temperature signature is found in the Sr and O data which seemingly contradicts some textural features that point to a magmatic origin of the plagioclase mantles around the K-feldspar ovoids. An origin for these mantles involving exsolution from an original alkali feldspar solid solution is proposed, which involves growth of mantles over a range of conditions determined by the mobility of the exsolving sodic feldspar. This mobility may be enhanced at high temperatures in the presence of melts or increased fluid pressures and at lower temperatures by the processes responsible for the transformation of K-feldspar to microcline. Rapakivi granites with both white and dark green feldspar occur in south Greenland but show no major isotopic differences, although the dark alkali feldspars contain significantly more fluid. Equivalent fluids in the white alkali feldspars may have escaped during plagioclase exsolution.

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Author notes

  1. P. E. Brown

    Present address: Department of Geography and Geology, University of St. Andrews, KY 16 9ST, St. Andrews, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology and Applied Geology, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Glasgow, UK

    T. J. Dempster

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Durham, DH1 3LE, Durham, UK

    D. H. W. Hutton

  3. Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen, AB9 1AS, Aberdeen, UK

    T. N. Harrison & P. E. Brown

  4. Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre, East Kilbride, G75 OQU, Glasgow, UK

    T. J. Dempster & G. R. T. Jenkin

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Dempster, T.J., Hutton, D.H.W., Harrison, T.N. et al. Textural evolution of the rapakivi granites, south Greenland —Sr, O and H isotopic investigations. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 107, 459–471 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00310680

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