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Mineralogy of volcanic calciocarbonatites from the Trig Point Hill debris flow, Kerimasi volcano, Tanzania: implications for the altered natrocarbonatite hypothesis

Part of: Alkaline rocks - Gregory Yu. Ivanyuk memorial issue

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 November 2020

Roger H. Mitchell Open the ORCID record for Roger H. Mitchell [Opens in a new window]  and
J. Barry Dawson
Roger H. Mitchell*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, CanadaP7B 5E1
J. Barry Dawson
Affiliation:
School of Geosciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, Scotland, UKEH9 3FE
*
*Author for correspondence: Roger H. Mitchell, Email: rmitchel@lakeheadu.ca
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Abstract

A major debris flow, the Trig Point Hill flow, originating from Kerimasi volcano (Tanzania) contains numerous blocks of extrusive/pyroclastic carbonatites similar to those exposed at the rim of the currently inactive crater. The blocks of calcite carbonatite consist of: (1) large clasts of corroded and altered coarse grained calcite; (2) primary prismatic inclusion bearing phenocrystal calcite; and (3) a matrix consisting primarily of fine-grained prismatic calcite. The large clasts are inclusion free and exhibit a ‘corduroy-like’ texture resulting from solution along cleavage planes. The resulting voids are filled by brown Fe–Mn hydroxides/oxides and secondary calcite. The prismatic or lath-shaped phenocrystal calcite is not altered and contains melt inclusions consisting principally of primary Na–Ca carbonates which contain earlier-formed crystals of monticellite, periclase, apatite, Mn–Mg-magnetite, Mn–Fe-sphalerite and Nb-perovskite. Individual Na–Ca carbonate inclusions are of uniform composition, and the overall range of all inclusions analysed (wt.%) is from 28.7 to 35.9 CaO; 16.7–23.6 Na2O; 0.5–2.8 K2O, with minor SO3 (1.1–2.2) and SrO (0.34–1.0). The Na–Ca carbonate compositions are similar to that of shortite, although this phase is not present. The Na–Ca carbonates are considered to be primary deuteric phases and not secondary minerals formed after nyerereite. Monticellite shows limited compositional variation and contains 2–4 wt.% MnO and 12 wt.% FeO and is Mn-poor relative to monticellite in Oldoinyo Lengai natrocarbonatite. Periclase is Fe-bearing with up to 13 wt.% FeO. Spinels are Cr-free, Mn-poor and belong to the magnetite–magnesioferrite series in contrast to Mn-rich spinels of the magnetite–jacobsite series occurring in Oldoinyo Lengai natrocarbonatite. The matrix in which the ‘corduroy’ clasts and phenocrystal calcite are set consists of closely packed small prisms of calcite lacking melt inclusions, with interstitial fine-grained apatite, baryte, strontianite and minor fluorite. Pore spaces are filled with secondary Mn–Fe hydroxides/oxides, anhydrite and gypsum. The hypothesis that flow-aligned calcite in volcanic calciocarbonatites from Kerimasi, Tinderet, Homa and Catanda is altered nyerereite is discussed and it is considered that these calcite are either primary phases or altered melilite. The nyerereite alteration hypothesis is discussed with respect to the volumetric and compositional aspects of pseudomorphism by dissolution–precipitation replacement mechanisms. This study concludes that none of the volcanic calciocarbonatites containing flow-aligned calcite phenocrysts are altered natrocarbonatite.

Keywords

carbonatitenatrocarbonatitenyerereitealkali carbonatemonticellitejacobsitemagnesioferriteKerimasiTinderetOldoinyo Lengai
Type
Article – Gregory Yu. Ivanyuk memorial issue
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 85 , Issue 4 , August 2021 , pp. 484 - 495
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

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Footnotes

†

Deceased, 1932–2013

This paper is part of a thematic set ‘Alkaline Rocks’ in memory of Dr Gregory Yu. Ivanyuk

Guest Editor: Anatoly Zaitsev

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