Ti diffusion in feldspar

Chemical diffusion of Ti has been measured in natural K-feldspar and plagioclase. The sources of diffusant used were TiO2 powders or pre-annealed mixtures of TiO2 and Al2O3. Experiments were run in crimped Pt capsules in air or in sealed silica glass capsules with solid buffers (to buffer at NNO). Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) was used to measure Ti diffusion profiles. From these measurements, the following Arrhenius relations are obtained for diffusion normal to (001):For oligoclase, over the temperature range 750–1050 °C:DOlig=6.67×10-12exp(-207±31kJ/mol/RT)m2s-1For labradorite, over the temperature range 900–1150 °C:DLab=of4.37×10-14exp(-181±57kJ/mol/RT)m2s-1For K-feldspar, over the temperature range 800–1000 °C:DKsp=3.01×10-6exp(-342±47kJ/mol/RT)m2s-1. Diffusivities for experiments buffered at NNO are similar to those run in air, and the presence of hydrous species appears to have little effect on Ti diffusion. Ti diffusion also shows little evidence of anisotropy. In plagioclase, there appears to be a dependence of Ti diffusion on An content of the feldspar, with Ti diffusing more slowly in more calcic plagioclase. This trend is similar to that observed for other cations in plagioclase, including Sr, Pb, Ba, REE, Si, and Mg. In the case of Ti, an increase of 30% in An content would result in an approximate decrease in diffusivity of an order of magnitude. These data indicate that feldspar should be moderately retentive of Ti chemical signatures, depending on feldspar composition. Ti will be more resistant to diffusional alteration than Sr. For example, Ti zoning on a 50 μm scale in oligoclase would be preserved at 600 °C for durations of ~1 million years, with Sr zoning preserved only for ~70 000 yr at this temperature. These new data for a trace impurity that is relatively slow-diffusing and ubiquitous in feldspars (Hoff and Watson 2018) have the potential to extend the scope and applicability of t-T models for crustal rocks based on measurements of trace elements in feldspars.

Evolution of nepheline from mafic to highly differentiated members of the alkaline series: the Messum complex, Namibia

The change in chemical composition trend of magmatic nepheline through magma evolution has been characterized from the alkaline series of the Messum complex in which nepheline occurs in a succession of different mineral parageneses from mafic-rich (theralites) to strongly evolved felsic-rich rock types (nepheline syenites). The nepheline compositions are dependent on those of coexisting feldspar(s). They record an evolution parallel to that of the melt schematized according to experimental phase diagrams, from initially Ca-rich compositions in equilibrium with calcic plagioclase towards increasingly Ca-poor, Na-rich and Si-rich compositions. The K contents show a maximum that corresponds to the appearance of alkali feldspar in the parageneses. This evolution is qualitatively preserved in spite of the low-T Na/K re-equilibration typical of plutonic nephelines. Although a slight increase in the silica content of nepheline is consistent with the experimentally defined magmatic trend, several high-silica nephelines from the Messum rocks as well as from other reported occurrences, cannot be reconciled with the experimental data. The nepheline solid-solution model available suggests that such ‘abnormal’ compositions might be related to different crystallization mechanisms between natural nephelines and some synthetic analogues.

A silica-deficient, shallow-marine zeolite assemblage in the Foveaux Formation, Bluff Peninsula, New Zealand

A gonnardite-thomsonite-chabazite-calcite assemblage forms a cement in the Foveaux Formation, a fossiliferous gabbroic boulder bed that accumulated at the base of a sea cliff cut in a Permian igneous complex during late Oligocene±early Miocene time. Gonnardite was the earliest zeolite to form, locally following minor calcite. It was followed epitaxially by thomsonite, co-precipitating with chabazite. Crystal habits indicate a low-temperature origin. The maximum temperature to which the deposit may have been subjected is estimated as not more than ∽30°C. The chabazites are Ca-poor chabazite-K and chabazite-Na. Representative electron microprobe analyses are as follows, all + nH2O:thomsonite: Na3.77Ca7.73(Al19.39Si20.65)O80 and Na3.78K0.04Ca7.25Mg0.05(Al19.13Si21.05)O80;gonnardite: Na6.95K0.03Ca4.73(Al16.99Si23.15)O80 and Na8.56K0.03Ca4.05(Al17.32Si22.84)O80;chabazite-K: Na1.18K1.72Ca0.08Mg0.23(Al3.51Si8.49)O24 and Na1.67K1.92Ca0.18Mg0.17(Al4.11Si7.85)O24;chabazite-Na: Na2.51K1.13Ca0.17Mg0.02(Al4.08Si7.93)O24.Such a Si-poor zeolite assemblage is unusual for marine sediments and is attributed to precipitation from marine water impoverished in silica in the gabbroic boulder bed and interacting with shell material and calcic plagioclase. In contrast, a dioritic clast in the boulder bed provides an example of less silica-poor zeolites originally formed in the parent igneous complex. Veinlets in the clast contain scolecite averaging Na1.19Ca7.36(Al15.84Si24.14)O80.nH2O, and mesolite averaging Na5.13K0.03Ca5.24 (Al15.93Si24.13)O80.nH2O, in part as sub-microscopic intergrowths. The composition of scolecite closely corresponds to the most Na-rich scolecite reported hitherto.

Geotermobarometria y Quimica Mineral del Pluton Sienito "Pajeú" Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, NE de Brasil

The Pajeu Syenitic Complex, Serra Talhada, Pernambuco province, northeastern Brazil is tectonically emplaced within the framework of Neoproterozoic (Brasiliano). In the present work were studied whole rock and specific mineral chemical data (85’24” – 816’31” S and 3819’8” – 3836’2” W). Two distinct petrographic facies have been identified. The predominant porphyritic syenite facies is characterized by perthite microcline megacrysts (up to 8 cm long) and fine grained syenite; both facies have distributed melanocratic microgranular enclaves of syenitic composition. The mineral assemblage comprising alkali feldspar, plagioclase, quartz, biotite, hornblende and accessory amounts of zircon, opaque minerals, epidote, allanite, sphene etc. the geochemical signatures define overlapping calc-alkaline and shoshonitic affinities and metaluminous to peraluminous nature. The complex is characterized by silica enrichment (62.2% - 72.4%), moderate alumina (14% - 16.6%) and high alkali abundance (8.6% - 9.1%). The enclaves have low silica (54.2% - 56.4%) and corresponding enrichment in mafic phases. High alkali abundance, preponderance of K2O over Na2O and TiO2 variation between 0.22% to 0.57% are in agreement with shoshonitic affinities. Mineral chemistry of amphiboles enables their classification as edenite – magnesian hornblende. The micas are mainly magnesian biotite. Plagioclase is usually oligoclase (An20) and K-feldspar is orthoclase. The geochemical signatures of biotite and amphibole are in perfect agreement with the other shoshonitic rocks of northeastern of Brazil. Temperatures estimateds for calcic plagioclase and amphibole pairs indicate a temperature range of 646-671C for porphyritic syenite and 629-650C for enclaves. Geobarometric estimates, using Al in amphiboles indicate equation pressure of 1,48 Kbar to 2,26 Kbar for porphyritic syenite and 1,01 Kbar for enclaves. Other pressure estimates yielding 2,25 Kbar to 2,91 Kbar and 1,76 Kbar respectively, though at variance with the earlier estimates correspond with epizonal emplacement of the pluton.

Petrologia das Rochas Vulcânicas da Península Fildes, Ilha Rei George, Antártica

The Paleocene-Eocene volcanic activity in the Fildes Peninsula is marked by basaltic to basalt-andesitic lavas and dykes with subordinate amounts of dacites and rhyolites. Studies of mineral chemistry point to calcic plagioclase (An72-95) and augitic pyroxene phenocrysts and seldom grains of pigeonite and bronzite. Rock chemistry of ten samples indicates a calk-alkaline affinity based on enrichment in LILE and LREE, moderate contens of Zr, negative anomalies of Nb and Ti in multicationic diagrams, the high Al2O3 contents and also because CaO≥FeOT. High contents of FeOT and limited enrichment of SiO2 are caused by fractionation of mafic silicates which probably occurred without cogenetic Ti-magnetite crystallization. The low content of Ni, Cr, Co and MgO in the basic rocks also support this hypothesis. 87Sr/Sr86 initial rations from 0.7033 to 0.7037 and ƐNd positive values (t=55 Ma) of 6.52 and 6.72 suggest a mantle source with few or without assimilation of continental crust. This magmatic activity is thus related to the Mesozoic and Cenozoic subduction in the Antartic region which gave rise to the island arc of the South Shetland Islands.

Textures of diffusion-controlled reaction in contact-metamorphosed Mg-rich granulite, Kokchetav area, Kazakhstan

AbstrsctIn a granulite from the Kokchetav massif, a complex mineral assemblage and intricate textures have resulted from a combination of unusual rock composition and two–stage metamorphic history. The second, contact metamorphism produced mainly cordierite and anthophyllite, reflecting a bulk composition attributed to pre–metamorphic alteration of basic igneous rock. From the first, highpressure metamorphism, garnet relics persist while another mineral has been completely pseudomorphed. The garnet is partly replaced by a symplectite of three minerals: orthopyroxene vermicules in a coarser intergrowth of cordierite and calcic plagioclase. Despite variable proportions of cordierite and plagioclase, the Al:Si ratio of the symplectite is almost constant, because the proportion of orthopyroxene is smaller where the dominant aluminous mineral is cordierite (Al:Si ≈ 0.8) than where the even more aluminous plagioclase (Al:Si ≈ 0.89) is prominent. The bulk Al:Si ratio of this symplectite, approximately 0.69, is very close to that of reactant garnet (0.66), indicating that Al and Si have been retained almost completely during the local reaction, while other elements were more mobile. In the pseudomorphs, aluminous cores (with Al:Si ratios 1.61–1.93) indicate that the mineral which has been completely replaced was probably kyanite. These cores comprise plagioclase, zoisite, corundum and spinel, and are surrounded by layers of plagioclase and cordierite. Fe, Mg, and Ca have diffused to the core, through layers with low bulk concentrations of these elements, probably by grainboundary diffusion in the solid state.