ALBERT

Notes: Abstract Experimentation in synthetic systems is essential for a correct interpretation of ore-mineral textures such as the pyrrhotite-pentlandite (po-pn) intergrowths of Ni-sulfide deposits. Within the Fe-Ni-S system, isothermal and cooling exsolution experiments were performed on monosulfide solid solution (mss) of various compositions using sealed, evacuated silica-glass tubes. The charges were annealed between 400° and 200°C for periods ranging from 20 minutes to 5 weeks; also, charges were cooled from 500° to 100°C at 1°C/h. Early-formed isothermal textures form by nucleation and growth, and depend on the initial degree of supersaturation and metal diffusivities; the final textures result from further growth and coarsening of the early forms and are particularly sensitive to the diffusivities, which are a function of temperature. The cooling-rate experiments indicate that massive pn develops by exsolution between 610° and about 250°C during slow cooling from temperatures above the mss-pn solvus; coarsened pn forms along basal planes in the mss matrix between about 250° and 150°C; pn "Flames" result at 150°C or slightly below. Crossing pn lamellae, obtained isothermally at high degrees of supersaturation and virtually unknown in ores, cannot form during slow cooling.

Notes: Abstract Phase relations in the Ag-Fe-S system were determined from 700 to 150 °C by quench experiments with the use of evacuated, sealed, silica tubes as reaction vessels; these data were then used to interpret various aspects of natural occurrences of Ag-Fe-S minerals (e.g. “argentiferous pyrite”). The assemblages Ag2S+Fe1−x S and Ag2S+FeS2 become stable, with decreasing temperature, at 622±2 ° and 607±2 °C, respectively; their establishments involve ternary invariant conditions. The three condensed phases Ag2S+Fe1−x S+FeS2 become stable together at 532±2 °C through a ternary eutectic reaction near Ag2S in composition. An invariant reaction at 248±8 °C results in the formation of the Ag+FeS2 pair from the Ag2S+Fe7S8 assemblage, which is stable at higher temperatures. The associations of native silver and pyrite are found in certain massive sulfide deposits, whereas natural coexistence of argentite and pyrrhotite has not been documented. Experiments demonstrate the feasibility of retrograde reequilibration in ores to produce the silver+pyrite pair from argentite+pyrrhotite. Less than 0.05 and 0.1 at. % Ag are soluble in FeS2 and Fe1−x S, respectively, at 600 °C and less than 0.8 at. % Fe in Ag2S at 500 °C. Silver does not measurably affect the d 10.2 values of Fe1−x S or the cell dimension of FeS2 (a 25 °C=5.4175±0.0001 Å). This study also demonstrates that at low temperatures the binary fugacity data are applicable to ternary assemblages of the Ag-Fe-S system because of these very limited solubilities. The presence of Fe lowers the fcc ⇆ bcc inversion temperature of Ag2S more than 50 °C; the exact amount of lowering is dependent on the associated Ag-Fe-S phases. The bcc ⇆ mono. inversion temperature, however, is not measurably affected. No ternary solid phases were encountered above 150 °C. Heating of sternbergite and argentopyrite (both AgFe2S3) mineral samples shows instability at 152 °C (e.g. partial breakdown of sternbergite in 405 days); rate studies show that a 10 °C temperature increase results in approximately a 5-fold increase in breakdown rate.

Notes: Summary A rare variety of Fe-Al-rich xenolith, tridymite-hercynite rock, was entrained in the Cenozoic basalt from Niutoushan, southeastern China. The tridymite-hercynite rock consists of hercynite (40–50%), tridymite (35–45%), ilmenite (≈2%), and glass (10–20%). Mineral grains are smaller than 0.05 mm with a granular texture. Compared to “normal” igneous rocks, this tridymite-hercynite rock has higher FeO, Al2O3, and lower SiO2 CaO, MgO, and alkalis (Na2O + K2O). The origin of this type of xenolith is problematical. Based upon the available mineralogical and chemical data, three possible origins have been evaluated: (1) The product of an extreme tholeiitic fractionation under low oxidation conditions; but the major element geochemistry appears to negate this model. (2) The Fe-rich (Si-poor portion of silicate-immiscible liquids from an extremely fractionated residual tholeiite magma; however, the corresponding Si-rich end-member fraction is missing, and the composition of the tridymite-hercynite rock is different from that of any Si-poor melt phase of known immiscible silicate liquids. (3) The product of metamorphism, including partial to complete melting, of a sedimentary protolith. An Fe-Al-rich shale (quartz 5%, kaolinite 75%, hematite 20%) has the approximate composition of the tridymitehercynite rock. The trace-element abundances of the xenoliths suggest that the source rock for the Fe-Al-rich sedimentary protolith was an undifferentiated volcanic rock at the active continental margin.

Notes: Summary Chrome-bearing spinels in 21 ultramafic nodules contained in a basanite from San Giovanni Ilarione (SGI), Veneto Region, Italy, have been grouped from a textural and chemical standpoint into five types: (1) Interstitial, surrounded by silicates, homogeneous, with a Cr/(Cr + Al) ratio averaging 0.11; (2) Within alteration pods and veinlets, in contact with either silicates or alteration products, showing zonation with Mg/(Mg + Fe2+), Cr, and Ti increasing and Al decreasing from core to rim; (3) In contact with the basalt or surrounded by basalt but distinct from ground-mass grains. The former are strongly zoned while the latter, referred to as xenocrysts, are relatively homogeneous. Both belong to a trend distinct from that of (2); (4) Symplectic, intergrown with pyroxenes and homogeneous, or in contact with plagioclase and/or reaction products and showing more variable composition than the former. Both are generally richer in Cr than all other spinet types and define a trend parallel to and with higher Cr/(Cr + Al) and Cr values than that of (3); and (5) groundmass grains within the host basalt, showing lower Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) and Cr/(Cr + Al), and higher Fe values than for all other, types. Group 1 spinels and the cores of group 2 and group 3 spinets display very similar compositions, suggesting a common origin, modified by later events such as partial melting, solid-liquid reactions, and subsolidus reactions which occurred prior to, during, and subsequent to interaction with the host basalt. Group 2 and 3 spinels define trends diverging from a common composition—i.e., the same origin. Group 4 spinels are probably due to exsolution which occurred after formation of the original spinels, while group 5 spinels are not directly related to types 1–4.

Notes: Summary The Blue Ball kimberlite, Scott County, Arkansas, contains between 23 and 36 modal % phlogopite. Phlogopite is present as phenocrysts, a groundmass phase, and as coronas around serpentinized olivine phenocrysts. Intermediate and reverse pleochroism, seen in phenocryst cores and the majority of groundmass phlogopites, can be correlated with the mineral chemistry. Reverse pleochroism, exhibited by phenocryst rims, rare groundmass grains, and phlogopites forming coronas around olivine, is generally accompanied by an increase in total Fe (as FeO) and a decrease in Al2 O3. Analyses of those phlogopites whoch exhibit reverse pleochroism have high cation totals, indicative of the presence of Fe3+. We suggest that these pleochroic schemes are a function of Fe3+ in the tetrahedral site, which is expressed in terms of ΔT = [8 - (Si + Al)]. All Blue Ball phlogopites have positive values for ΔT, but reverse pleochroism is found only when ΔT 〉 0.6, indicative of increased Fe3+ in the residual magma. It is concluded that phlogopite was on the liquidus throughout practically all of the kimberlite crystallization, because of the wide range in phlogopite compositions and the general decrease in Ba from micas exhibiting intermediate to reverse pleochroism. Variations of MG #, Ti, Ba, Si, and Al within the phlogopites have been used to trace the crystallization of other phases present in the kimberlite, namely olivine and spinel (chromite and titanomagnetite). Olivine was an early crystallizing phase, causing a decrease in MG # and Si, and an increase in Ti and Al in the phlogopites, a reflection of residual magma composition. Minor chromite also crystallized at this time, but was not of sufficient quantity to override the effect of olivine fractionation on the residual magma. Widespread Titano-magnetite crystallization occurred as olivine fractionation ceased, causing an increase in MG # and Si, and a decrease in Ti and Al. By examining these chemical variations with ΔT, the evolution of the Blue Ball kimberlite has been determined.

Notes: Abstract We have used trace element partitioning data available in the literature to investigate nonideality of the cations of Yb, Sm, Gd, Ca, Mn, Sc, Ni, and Al in silicate melt, olivine, and low-Ca pyroxene. Results are consistent with ordering of Mg and Fe around trace cations in olivine and pyroxene. On the basis of these data, we suggest there is an increasing tendency for Fe to congregate in the vincinity of the trace cation as the size of the trace cation increases. These results are important both in achieving a better understanding of trace element behavior in crystals and in constraining the temperature and compositional dependence of trace element partitioning.

Notes: Abstract  Diamond-bearing eclogites are an important component of the xenoliths that occur in the Mir kimberlite, Siberian platform, Russia. We have studied 16 of these eclogite xenoliths, which are characterized by coarse-grained, equigranular garnet and omphacite. On the basis of compositional variations in garnet and clinopyroxene, this suite of eclogites can be divided into at least two groups: a high-Ca group and a low-Ca group. The high-Ca group consists of high-Ca garnets in equilibrium with pyroxenes that have high Ca-ratios [Ca/(Ca+Fe+Mg)] and high jadeite contents. These high-Ca group samples have high modal% garnet, and garnet grains often are zoned. Garnet patches along rims and along amphibole- and phlogopite-filled veins have higher Mg and lower Ca contents compared to homogeneous cores. The low-Ca group consists of eclogites with low-Ca garnets in equilibrium with pyroxenes with a low Ca-ratio, but variable jadeite contents. These low-Ca group samples typically have low modal% of garnet, and garnets are rarely compositionally zoned. Three samples have mineralogic compositions and modes transitional to the high- and low-Ca groups. We have arbitrarily designated these samples as the intermediate-Ca group. The rare-earth-element (REE) contents of garnet and clinopyroxene have been determined by ion microprobe. Garnets from the low-Ca group have low LREE contents and typically have [Dy/Yb]n 〈 1. The high-Ca group garnets have higher LREE contents and typically have [Dy/Yb]n 〉 1. Garnets from the intermediate-Ca group have REE contents between the high- and low-Ca groups. Clinopyroxenes from the low-Ca group have convex-upward REE patterns with relatively high REE contents (ten times chondrite), whereas those from the high-Ca group have similar convex-upward shapes, but lower REE contents, approximately chondritic. Reconstructed bulk-rock REE patterns for the low-Ca group eclogites are relatively flat at approximately ten times chondrite. In contrast, the high-Ca group samples typically have LREE-depleted patterns and lower REE contents. The δ18O values measured for garnet separates range from 7.2 to 3.1‰. Although there is a broad overlap of δ18O between the low-Ca and high-Ca groups, the low-Ca group samples range from mantle-like to high δ18O values (4.9 to 7.2‰), and the high-Ca group garnets range from mantle-like to low δ18O values (5.3 to 3.1‰). The oxygen isotopic compositions of two of the five high-Ca group samples and four of the eight low-Ca group eclogites are consistent with seawater alteration of basaltic crust, with the low-Ca group eclogites representative of low-temperature alteration, and the high-Ca group samples representative of high-temperature hydrothermal seawater alteration. We interpret the differences between the low- and high-Ca group samples to be primarily a result of differences in the protoliths of these samples. The high-Ca group eclogites are interpreted to have protoliths similar to the mid to lower sections of an ophiolite complex. This section of oceanic crust would be dominated by rocks which have a significant cumulate component and would have experienced high-temperature seawater alteration. Such cumulate rocks probably would be LREE-depleted, and can be Ca-rich because of plagioclase or clinopyroxene accumulation. The protoliths of the low-Ca group eclogites are interpreted to be the upper section of an ophiolite complex. This section of oceanic crust would consist mainly of extrusive basalts that would have been altered by seawater at low temperatures. These basaltic lavas would probably have relatively flat REE patterns, as seen for the low-Ca group eclogites.

Notes: [Auszug] A major difficulty with determining the petrogenetic history of mantle eclogites is the lack of definitive age constraints, owing to their complex history1'2'4. Here we use the Re-Os isotope system to determine the age of a well-characterized suite of eclogites from the Udachnaya ...