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The Mt Vulture carbonatites are the only carbonatite occurrence in the southern Apennines. We present new trace element data for these rocks in order to evaluate the factors influencing rare earth element (REE) and other trace element fractionations and their REE grade. This study focuses on massive hyalo-alvikites from two lava flows and one dike, which have different relative abundances of silicate and carbonate (i.e. Si/Ca). These differences are also evident from CaO/(CaO + MgO + FeO(T) + MnO) and Sr/Ba ratios. The REE grade of the Mt Vulture carbonatites is very similar to that of the global average for calcio-carbonatites. R-mode factor analysis shows that most of the trace element variance reflects the relative roles of carbonate and silicate minerals in influencing trace element distributions. Silicates largely control heavy rare earth element (HREE), transition metal, Zr, and Th abundances, whereas carbonate minerals control light rare earth element (LREE), Ba, and Pb abundances. In addition, apatite influences LREE concentrations. Increasing silica contents are accompanied by decreases in (La/Yb)N and (La/Sm)N ratios and less marked LREE enrichment. In contrast, higher carbonate contents are associated with increases in (La/Yb)N and (La/Sm)N. The Si/Ca ratio has little influence on Eu anomalies and middle rare earth element (MREE) to HREE fractionations. Apatite has a negligible effect on inter-REE fractionations amongst the carbonatites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the palaeo-environmental parameters of a portion of the Sardinia–Corsica microplate during the Messinian drop in sea level, we examined the chemistry and mineralogy of upper Tortonian–lower Messinian (late Miocene) clayey continental deposits from NW Sardinia. Differences exist between the uppermost part of the succession, which is devoid of carbonate phases, and the lower part, reflecting changes in provenance and climate. The carbonate-free samples were probably derived from quartzite of the metamorphic basement and were deposited under a climate characterized by alternating dry and relatively wet periods. The other samples were derived from basement phyllite and were deposited under a warm, dry climate that promoted the capillary rise of Ca2+ and bicarbonate from a shallow water table, and therefore, the precipitation of carbonate. This part of the succession contains both calcite and dolomite. The presence of barite indicates an important concentration of SO4 2− in the solution from which the CaMg(CO3)2 precipitated. The formation of dolomite under hypersaline conditions may be explained by bacterial degradation of organic matter, which produced CO2 and ammonia, thereby increasing the solution alkalinity. The succession formed in an oxic environment, except for a calcite-rich level that formed under relatively reducing conditions. For this level, the large amount of calcite and the lack of dolomite indicate an alkaline environment and a very low Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio in the soil solution. These observations, coupled with the reducing conditions, indicate the availability of large amounts of degraded organic matter, probably related to a period typified by a wetter climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]