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Fluid Inclusion Study Related to Cabonatitic Magmatic Process

ZHOU din, NI Pei, DING dun-ying, ZHU Xiao-ting   

  1. State Key Lab. For Mineral Deposits Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
  • Received:2003-06-20 Revised:2003-06-20 Online:2003-06-20 Published:2003-06-20

Abstract: Carbonatite is a light grey or offwhite igneous rock rich in carbonate minerals(calcite,dolomite,ankerite etc.,above 50%).It is often associated with ultramafic and alkaline Intrusives, being located in the centers of the ring intrusions; or is associated with alkaline extrusives as ring complexes. During its intrusions or extrusions , there often happens fenitization,a type of alkali-rich (Na or K)wall rock alteration between carbonatite and wall rocks. By studying the fluid inclusions in carbonatites ,we can obtain much rock-forming and ore-forming information, such as temperature,pressure, fluid density, fluid compositions and fluidevolution etc. Fluid inclusions study is an effective means to acquire information related tocharacteristics of volatiles in Carbonatites ,immiscibility features ,viscosity,density an d origin ofcarbonatite magmas etc. Results of fluid inclusion studies indicate that:(1)Carbonatite can he formed at magmatic to hydrothermal conditions. (2)CO2 is the most abundant component of volatiles.At the later stage of carbonatitic magma evolution,CH4 may appear as one of the major components of volatiles.(3)Immiscibility between carbonatite melt and silicate melt has been identified by fluid inclusion study which implies existence of independent carbonatitic magma.(4)Carbonatitic magma has low viscosity and density,which enables its easy propagation at shallow crustal levels through fissures and veins. Fluid inclusion study plays an important role in the study of carbo natite petrology and metallog enesis.It can provide unique data to help US to get better understanding of carbonatitic magmatic process and related mineralization.