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GEOREF RECORD

Post-magmatic alteration in eudialyte from the North Qoroq centre, South Greenland

Ian M. Coulson
Post-magmatic alteration in eudialyte from the North Qoroq centre, South Greenland
Mineralogical Magazine (February 1997) 61 (1): 99-109

Abstract

The North Qoroq centre comprises a series of nested nepheline syenite intrusions and forms part of the midlate Proterozoic Gardar province of South Greenland. Within the centre fractionation has produced varied rock types ranging from augite-syenite to lujavrite, a eudialyte microsyenite. Samples of eudialyte from the lujavrites of unit SN1B of the centre show evidence for two-stage alteration. This alteration ranges from slight modification along crystal margins to complete breakdown and replacement by new pseudomorphing phases. Modification to crystal margins is accompanied by increasing Nb and Zr contents and is related to metasomatism produced by the intrusion of younger syenite units of the North Qoroq centre. More extensive alteration is as a result of metasomatism followed by lower-temperature supergene alteration. Simplified reactions for this breakdown include eudialyte + metasomatic fluid = allanite + nepheline; eudialyte + metasomatic fluid = titanite + aegirine + mosandrite + wohlerite; eudialyte + fluid = zirfesite + fluid. Mass balance calculations for altered compared with unaltered samples of lujavrite show that alteration took place at approximately constant volume with an overall increase in Fe (+2.41 g/100g), Si and K (+0.65 and +0.61 g/100g), whilst Na (-2.67 g/100g) and all trace elements, particularly La, Y, Nb and Zr (-5.6 to -166 g/10000g) are lost from the system.


ISSN: 0026-461X
Serial Title: Mineralogical Magazine
Serial Volume: 61
Serial Issue: 1
Title: Post-magmatic alteration in eudialyte from the North Qoroq centre, South Greenland
Author(s): Coulson, Ian M.
Affiliation: University of Birmingham, School of Earth Sciences, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Pages: 99-109
Published: 199702
Text Language: English
Publisher: Mineralogical Society, London, United Kingdom
References: 28
Accession Number: 1997-040267
Categories: Igneous and metamorphic petrology
Document Type: Serial
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Illustration Description: 4 tables
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2017, American Geosciences Institute.
Update Code: 199714
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