Crystallization Paths of Leucite-Bearing Lavas: Examples from Italy

Abstract

The salic phases found in leucite-basanites, -trachytes, and -phonolites may be used to portray crystallization in the system NaAlSiO_4-KAlSiO_4-CaAl_2Si_2O_8-SiO_2, the phonolite pentahedron. Only two lavas have been found that contain the assemblage leucite-nepheline-plagioclase-sanidine and liquid, a natural pseudo-invariant assemblage (at 900° C±100) equivalent to the isobaric invariant point of the four component system. The diversity of phases in this group of lavas illustrates the role of halogens in controlling their crystallization paths. Thus the presence of F in the leucite-basanites has stabilized magnesian biotite and suppressed sanidine, as has been found in other basanitic lavas (Brown and Carmichael 1969). The presence of Cl in these same lavas has induced the crystallization of sodalite, which takes the place of nepheline in the groundmass. However in the leucite-trachytes, biotite has suppressed olivine and coexists with sanidine and leucite. The presence of S may produce haüyne at the expense of nepheline, and in general sulphate minerals, which include apatite, have the role in lavas of low silica activity that pyrrhotite plays in liquids of high silica activity. Both pyroxenes and titaniferous magnetites in this suite of lavas are very aluminous. Groundmass crystals of pyroxene may have one-fifth of Si replaced by Al. Other phases which occur occasionally are melanite garnet and a potassium-rich hastingsite, but neither ilmenite nor a sulphide mineral has been found. Phenocryst equilibration temperatures, derived from olivine and Sr-rich plagioclase, are generally in the range from 1,050° C to 1,150° C. The high content of incompatible elements (e.g., K, Ba, Rb, F, Sr, P) in these lavas suggests that they represent a small liquid fraction from a mantle source which possibly contains phlogopite.

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