Mineral chemistry and geochronology of the Rajasthan emerald deposits, NW India

ABSTRACT The emerald deposits in Rajasthan, northwest India, are situated in a narrow NE–SW belt in the Aravalli Mountains. The studied deposits were formed by the metasomatic reaction between muscovite (± garnet ± tourmaline) pegmatites and lenticular bodies of altered ultramafic rocks that are hosted by the Delhi Group gneisses. This reaction produced phlogopite schists containing the exometasomatic emeralds, as in all other granite-related emerald deposits. Endometasomatic changes of the mineralogy of the pegmatites is indicated by the geochemistry of the muscovite (phengitic substitution) and the feldspars (disappearance of the potassic feldspar and calcification of the plagioclase). The K-Ar analyses of syngenetic phlogopite (from the phlogopite schist) and muscovite (from the pegmatites) give an age of ca. 790 Ma, close to that of the last major orogeny affecting the region. This is in accordance with the ages of other granite-related deposits, which all formed in conditions of active orogeny. The ages of the biotite are lower than those of the muscovite, indicating limited radiogenic argon loss as a result of deformation.

Mineralogical Features of Mountain-forest Brown and Mountain-brown Steppificated Soils of the Nakhichevan

The mineralogical compositions of the investigated soils are examined in the article. The characteristic peculiarities of the qualitative and quantities composition of minerals in the mountain–forest brown and mountain–brown steppificated soils are investigated. It is revealed that the main minerals in these soils are montmorillonite which change at 7.5–16.0% on the profile, kaolinite minerals are only found in the low horizons of the mountain–brown steppificated soils and form 12.5–19.6%, illite (hydroslude) in the mountain–brown steppificated soils is met tattle quantity, but in the mountain–forest brown soils their number rises and forms at limits 2.0–1.05%. Minerals are found in the following limits in the studied soils and rocks: d-quartz (SiO2) changes at limits 10.2–20.1% in the mountain–brown steppificated soils. A content of potassic feldspar in the mountain–forest brown soils is very high and changes at limits 11.4–40.8%, hematite (Fe2O3) in comparison with the mountain–forest brown soils in the mountain–brown steppificated soils is higher and changes at limits 2.5–10.0%, volcanic dust in the mountain–forest brown soils is high and changes at limits 10.5–21.0%. In the soil experiments quantity of calcite in the mountain–brown steppificated soils is higher and changes at limits 4.8–16.4%, dolomite in the mountain–brown steppificated soils changes at limits 5.0–5.1%, salt (NaCl) in the mountain–brown steppificated is at limits 2.0–2.1%.

AGE SPAN FORMATION IN GRANITOIDS OF UKRAINIAN SHIELD

The paper discusses Berdychiv type granitoids that have always stirred up interest among researchers of the Ukrainian Shield. These rocks include minerals that are uncharacteristic of granites - cordierite, sillimanite, andalusite - and are closely related to rocks of the supposed substratum. At the same time, there still remain questions about the genetic nature of Berdychiv granites. Despite the fact that most researchers treat these granites as intrusive (anatectic) formations, there are other concepts according to which these granites are considered to be the products of metasomatic transformation (magmatic replacement) of primarily argillaceous and marly series of substratum. The Stryzhavka open pit, which is located in the Upper Bug region of the Ukrainian Shield displays differently cataclised porphyry-like plagiogranitoids (predominantly, garnet-bearing varieties in its southwestern area, locally rock-forming potassic feldspar varieties), and garnet-bearing leucocratic granites similar to those of Berdychiv type granites. The monazites of biotite-garnet granodiorite and biotite-garnet granite were dated by uranium-lead (U-Pb) isotopic dating method. The monazite of granodioritеs is dated 2049,3±3,5 million years based on the upper intersection of concordia with discordia. Significantly lower values of age (about 15 million years younger) for the monazite selected from granite, approximating 2035,1±1,9 million years were established. We assume it to be caused by prolonged crystallization of granitic melt and rather early crystallization of more basiс granodioritic magma in comparison with granitic one. Thus, the duration of the granitoid formation uncovered in the Stryzhavka open pit exceeds 15 million years, which correlates accurately with the estimates for occurrence duration of the granitic melts, which gave rise to various granites of the Ukrainian Shield.

Origin of Skarns at Migmatization on Ol’khon Island, Lake Baikal, Russia

Migmatites on the western shore of Ol’khon Island host unusual rocks: zoned lenses of hedenbergite–garnet–epidote–anorthite metasomatites coupled with the migmatites. No intrusive granites were found nearby. The skarn-forming process operated at the interface of the granite gneiss and skarn protolith (perhaps, carbonate rocks). The composition of the metasomatites is analogous to that of calcic skarns with high Al2O3, FeO, and CaO concentrations. The compositions and relations of the minerals provide evidence of the successive development of the hedenbergite–anorthite outer zone, dominantly anorthite–garnet main zone, and quartz-enriched inner zone, with all of the zones parallel to contact with the granite gneiss. The granite gneiss itself is also likely of metasomatic nature, as follows from its supraeutectic concentration of potassic feldspar in the leucosome and low crystallization temperatures. A minimum of the Gibbs free energy (calculated with the SELECTOR-C program package) was reached at 8 kbar and temperatures of 600– 625°C. These parameters are lower than the melting temperature of the granite eutectic, and the absence of melt is confirmed by the absence of melt inclusions in minerals of the granite gneisses. This indicate that the driving force of the process was migmatizing silicic–potassic solutions. The P–T parameters of the skarns are close to the foregoing values. The very high Sr and Ca and low Mg concentrations suggest that the protolith of the skarns was calcite marble. The enrichment of the skarns in the granitophile elements suggests that the skarns were produced simultaneously with and in genetic relation to the migmatization processes. The metasomatites were formed before the partial melts were derived, early in the course of the granite-forming processes and provide important information for better understanding the metasomatic process responsible for the exchange of chemical elements between the rocks.

New arsenate minerals from the Arsenatnaya fumarole, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. XI. Anatolyite, Na6(Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe3+)3Al(AsO4)6

The new mineral anatolyite Na6(Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe3+)3Al(AsO4)6 was found in the Arsenatnaya fumarole, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. It is associated with potassic feldspar, hematite, tenorite, cassiterite, johillerite, tilasite, ericlaxmanite, lammerite, arsmirandite, sylvite, halite, aphthitalite, langbeinite, anhydrite, wulffite, krasheninnikovite, fluoborite, pseudobrookite and fluorophlogopite. Anatolyite occurs as aggregates (up to 2 mm across) of rhombohedral–prismatic, equant or slightly elongated along [001] crystals up to 0.2 mm. The mineral is transparent, pale brownish–pinkish, with vitreous lustre. It is brittle, cleavage was not observed and the fracture is uneven. The Mohs’ hardness is ca 4½. Dcalc is 3.872 g cm–3. Anatolyite is optically uniaxial (–), ω = 1.703(4) and ε = 1.675(3). Chemical composition (wt.%, electron microprobe) is: Na2O 16.55, K2O 0.43, CaO 2.49, MgO 5.80, MnO 0.16, CuO 0.69, ZnO 0.55, Al2O3 5.01, Fe2O3 7.94, TiO2 0.18, SnO2 0.17, SiO2 0.04, P2O5 0.55, As2O5 60.75, SO3 0.03, total 101.34. The empirical formula based on 24 O apfu is (Na5.90K0.10)Σ6.00(Ca0.50Na0.13Zn0.08Mn0.03)Σ0.74(Mg1.63Fe3+1.12Al0.15Cu0.10)Σ3.00(Al0.96Ti0.03Sn0.01)Σ1.00(As5.97P0.09Si0.01)Σ6.07O24. Anatolyite is trigonal, R$\bar{3}$c, a = 13.6574(10), c = 18.2349(17) Å, V = 2945.6(4) Å3 and Z = 6. The strongest reflections of the powder XRD pattern [d,Å(I)(hkl)] are: 7.21(33)(012), 4.539(16)(113), 4.347(27)(211), 3.421(20)(220), 3.196(31)(214), 2.981(17)(223), 2.827(100)(125) and 2.589(18)(410). The crystal structure was solved from single-crystal XRD data to R = 4.77%. The structure is based on a 3D heteropolyhedral framework formed by M4O18 clusters [M1 = Al and M2 = (Mg,Fe3+)] linked with AsO4 tetrahedra. (Ca,Na) and Na cations centre A1O6 and A2O8 polyhedra in voids of the framework. Anatolyite is isostructural with yurmarinite. The new mineral is named in honour of the outstanding Russian crystallographer, mineralogist and mathematician Anatoly Kapitonovich Boldyrev (1883–1946).

Redefining the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation in Garden Park National Natural Landmark and vicinity, eastern Colorado: Geology of the Intermountain West

The Garden Park National Natural Landmark (GPNNL) is north of Cañon City, Colorado, and encompasses all of the major historical dinosaur quarries of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation in this area. The formation there can be divided into the lower redefined Ralston Creek Member and an upper unnamed member. The Morrison Formation is bracketed below by the J-5 unconformity and above by the K-1 unconformity. The Ralston Creek Member is composed of up to 55 m of arkosic conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and gypsum conformably underlying the unnamed member. Fossil fishes previously used to infer a Middle Jurassic age are non-diagnostic. A diplodocid skeleton 4 m above the J-5 unconformity from the west-adjacent Shaws Park, and a radiometric date of 152.99 + 0.10 Ma from the Purgatoire River area demonstrate that the Ralston Creek rightly belongs in the Morrison Formation and correlates with the Tidwell and Salt Wash Members on the Colorado Plateau. The Ralston Creek was deposited in a broad playa complex analogous to those of central Australia and here called the Ralston Creek boinka. Groundwater flux played an important role in gypsum deposition in gypsisols and playa lakes. The overlying unnamed member in the GPNNL can be subdivided on the west side of Fourmile Creek into a lower part composed largely of mudstone with many thin, discontinuous channel sandstone beds, and a thicker upper part containing more persistent tabular sandstone beds; this subdivision does not occur east of Fourmile Creek. Several thin limestone beds occur in the Ralston Creek Member and in the lower part of the unnamed upper member. The limestone contains fresh water ostracods and aquatic mollusks indicating a lacustrine origin. However, these fauna are apparently stunted and the ostracod valves closed indicating periodic hypersaline conditions. All detrital rocks in the Morrison Formation at Garden Park are composed of varying amounts of quartz, potassic feldspar, and the clay minerals illite, smectite, and kaolinite. Mapping of the clay minerals in the unnamed member reflect various paleosols throughout the mudstone interval, including protosols and argillisols. At the top of the formation, a sandstone previously assigned to the Morrison is reassigned to the overlying Cretaceous Lytle Formation based on similar weathering characteristics, mineral content, and fabric. Thus, the K-1 unconformity between the Morrison and overlying Lytle rests on the uppermost occurrence of the Morrison Formation mudstone-sandstone-limestone complex and beneath the blocky, cliff-forming Lytle Formation.

Redefining the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation in Garden Park National Natural Landmark and vicinity, eastern Colorado: Geology of the Intermountain West

The Garden Park National Natural Landmark (GPNNL) is north of Cañon City, Colorado, and encompasses all of the major historical dinosaur quarries of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation in this area. The formation there can be divided into the lower redefined Ralston Creek Member and an upper unnamed member. The Morrison Formation is bracketed below by the J-5 unconformity and above by the K-1 unconformity. The Ralston Creek Member is composed of up to 55 m of arkosic conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and gypsum conformably underlying the unnamed member. Fossil fishes previously used to infer a Middle Jurassic age are non-diagnostic. A diplodocid skeleton 4 m above the J-5 unconformity from the west-adjacent Shaws Park, and a radiometric date of 152.99 + 0.10 Ma from the Purgatoire River area demonstrate that the Ralston Creek rightly belongs in the Morrison Formation and correlates with the Tidwell and Salt Wash Members on the Colorado Plateau. The Ralston Creek was deposited in a broad playa complex analogous to those of central Australia and here called the Ralston Creek boinka. Groundwater flux played an important role in gypsum deposition in gypsisols and playa lakes. The overlying unnamed member in the GPNNL can be subdivided on the west side of Fourmile Creek into a lower part composed largely of mudstone with many thin, discontinuous channel sandstone beds, and a thicker upper part containing more persistent tabular sandstone beds; this subdivision does not occur east of Fourmile Creek. Several thin limestone beds occur in the Ralston Creek Member and in the lower part of the unnamed upper member. The limestone contains fresh water ostracods and aquatic mollusks indicating a lacustrine origin. However, these fauna are apparently stunted and the ostracod valves closed indicating periodic hypersaline conditions. All detrital rocks in the Morrison Formation at Garden Park are composed of varying amounts of quartz, potassic feldspar, and the clay minerals illite, smectite, and kaolinite. Mapping of the clay minerals in the unnamed member reflect various paleosols throughout the mudstone interval, including protosols and argillisols. At the top of the formation, a sandstone previously assigned to the Morrison is reassigned to the overlying Cretaceous Lytle Formation based on similar weathering characteristics, mineral content, and fabric. Thus, the K-1 unconformity between the Morrison and overlying Lytle rests on the uppermost occurrence of the Morrison Formation mudstone-sandstone-limestone complex and beneath the blocky, cliff-forming Lytle Formation.

PETROLOGIA DAS SUÍTES PALEOPROTEROZOICAS PACIÊNCIA E CATOLÉ DA PORÇÃO SETENTRIONAL DO DOMÍNIO PORTEIRINHA (MINAS GERAIS)

Resumo:O Domínio Porteirinha, constituído por gnaisses de composição tonalítica-trondhjemítica-granodiorítica (TTG) migmatizados e por vezes milonitizados, está localizado no extremo norte de Minas Gerais e apresenta uma evolução geotectônica que teve início no Arqueano (3,37 Ma), tendo sido retrabalhado ao longo do tempo geológico. Intrusivas neste domínio, as suítes magmáticas Paciência e Catolé, respectivamente de composição monzosienítica e granítica, exibem texturas magmáticas bem preservadas. A Suíte Paciência (2,05 Ga) constitui uma série álcali-cálcica a alcalina, saturada em sílica, metaluminosa, pós-colisional a orogênica tardia em relação à orogênese Riaciana-Orosiriana regional. É formada essencialmente por monzonitos e sienitos de granulação média a grossa, com mineralogia composta basicamente por feldspato potássico, plagioclásio, anfibólio, biotita e quartzo. Estas rochas derivam da cristalização fracionada de um magma lamprofírico. Já a Suíte Catolé (1,79 Ga), classificada como pós-orogênica a anorogênica, é formada por granitos peraluminosos, de granulação média a fina e com mineralogia composta basicamente por quartzo, microclina, plagioclásio, biotita e muscovita. Classificados como do tipo A1, os granitos da suíte Catolé são interpretados como produtos da cristalização fracionada de magmas basálticos intraplaca com afinidade OIB, relacionados a atividade de uma pluma mantélica envolvida nos processos tafrogenéticos regionais no início do período Estateriano.Palavras Chave: Domínio Porteirinha, Suíte Paciência, Suíte Catolé, Petrologia, PaleoproterozoicoAbstract:PETROLOGY OF THE PACIÊNCIA AND CATOLÉ PALEOPROTEROZOIC SUITES OF THE NORTHERN PORTEIRINHA DOMAIN (MINAS GERAIS). The Porteirinha Domain, constituted by tonalitic-trondhjemític-granodioritic (TTG) gneisses, which are migmatized and sometimes milonitized, is located in the extreme north of Minas Gerais and presents a geotectonic evolution that began in Arquean (3.37 Ma), having been reworked over geological time. Intrusive in this domain, the Paciência and Catolé magmatic suites, respectively of monzosyenitic and granitic composition, exhibit well preserved magmatic textures. The Paciência Suite (2.05 Ga) consists of a metaluminous silica saturated alkali-calcic to alkaline series. It is post-collisional to late orogenic related to the regional Rhyacian-Orosirian orogenesis. It consists essentially of monzonites and syenites of medium to coarse grain, with mineralogy composed basically of potassic feldspar, plagioclase, amphibole, biotite and some quartz. These rocks are derived from the fractional crystallization of a lamprophyric magma. The Catolé Suite (1.79 Ga), post-orogenic / anorogenic, is formed by peraluminous medium to fine grain granites, and mineralogy composed basically of quartz, microcline, plagioclase, biotite and muscovite. Classified as A1, the granites from the Catolé Suite apparently are related to fractional crystallization processes of intraplate OIB-like (ocean island basalts) basaltic magmas, related to the activity of a mantle plume responsible for triggering regional taphrogenetic processes at the beginning of the Statherian period.Keywords: Porteirinha Domain, Paciência Suite, Catolé Suite, Paleoproterozoic, Petrology

Influence of diopside: feldspar ratio in ceramic reactions assessed by quantitative phase analysis (X-ray diffraction - Rietveld method)

White ceramics were produced with raw mixtures prepared with varying proportions of diopside-rich rock (0 to 20 wt.%) and potassic feldspar (40 to 20 wt.%), and fixed proportions of kaolinite (40 wt.%) and quartz (20 wt.%), fired in a temperature range from 1170 to 1210 ºC. The phases identified in the experimental ceramics were quartz, anorthite, mullite and glass, and their relative mass proportions were determined by X-ray diffraction (Rietveld method). The addition of diopside as a partial substitute for potassic feldspar causes the formation of a calcium silicate, analogous of the natural anorthite (CaSi2Al2O8) in the ceramics, with proportional reduction in its glass and mullite contents. Water absorption and porosity of the ceramic bodies clearly decrease with increasing firing temperature, while the effect of the raw mixture composition on the physical and mechanical properties of the ceramics is less evident. Diopside-rich rock has low iron content (1.5 wt.% Fe2O3) and, therefore, promotes white burning.

Megacrysts and salic xenoliths in Scottish alkali basalts: derivatives of deep crustal intrusions and small-melt fractions from the upper mantle

Ca-poor and typically Na-rich feldspar megacrysts are common associates of spinel lherzolitic and pyroxenitic xenoliths in Scottish alkalic basalts. Associated megacrysts and composite megacrysts and salic xenoliths include apatite, magnetite, zircon, biotite, Fe-rich pyroxene(s) and corundum. The salic xenoliths and related megacrysts are referred to collectively as the ‘anorthoclasite suite': the majority of the samples are inferred to derive from the disaggregation of coarse-grained, typically Na-rich, syenitic protoliths at depth. Rare occurrences of euhedral anorthoclase megacrysts, together with zircon dating, imply that the suite crystallized at, or very shortly before, their entrainment by the basaltic host magmas. Some evidence suggests that the anorthoclasite suite protoliths lie within ultramafic (pyroxenitic) domains in the deep crust. The latter are inferred to be pegmatites, crystallized from carbonated trachytic magmas with widely variable Ca, Na, K, Ba and trace-element contents, and to have ranged from metaluminous to peraluminous. Crystal zonation and resorption textures within the salic xenoliths imply that the crystallization of the parent magmas was complex. Confirmation of this comes from cathodoluminescence studies of the feldspars showing that early ('primary’) anorthoclases and potassian albites exhibit partial replacement by a more potassic feldspar. A third generation of potassic feldspar (enriched in an assortment of trace elements and deduced to have crystallized from a carbonated high-K melt) forms transecting zoned veins in which carbonate fills the axial zone.Whereas most of the anorthoclasite suite materials are inferred to have grown from metaluminous magmas, the occurrence of magmatic corundum in salic xenoliths indicates crystallization from magmas that were peraluminous. The corundum-bearing samples also contain Nb-rich oxide minerals and their associated feldspars have the highest rare-earth element(REE)contents. Accordingly, the peraluminous trachyte magmas are deduced to have been specifically enriched in high field-strength trace elements. It is proposed that formation of the anorthoclasite suite protoliths is a phenomenon closely related to that of salic glass ‘pockets', well known from spinel lherzolite xenoliths around the world. Not only are there compositional affinities, but both sets of phenomena appear to have closely pre-empted the ascent of alkali basalt (host) magmas. We propose that the two sets of phenomena are linked and that the anorthoclasite suite derived from coarse-grained sheets, generated by the aggregation of salic melt fractions rising from the shallow mantle and heralding the onset of basaltic magmatism.