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Rock magnetic measurements were carried out on drill core material and hand specimens from the Blötberget apatite-iron oxide deposit in the Bergslagen ore province, south-central Sweden, to characterise their magnetic properties. Measurements included several kinds of magnetic susceptibility and hysteresis parameters. Petrographic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to independently identify and quantify the amount and type of magnetite and hematite. Two hematite-rich samples were studied with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to quantify the trace element chemistry in hematite and investigate the potential influence of trace elements on magnetic properties. Three aspects of this study are noteworthy. 1) Hematite-rich samples display strong anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, which is likely to affect the appearance and modelling of magnetic anomalies. 2) The magnitude-drop in susceptibility across Curie and Néel temperature transitions show significant correlation with the respective weight percent (wt%) of magnetite and hematite. Temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements can therefore be used to infer the amounts of both magnetite and hematite. 3) observations of a strongly depressed Morin transition at ca -60 to -70 C (200 to 210 K) are made during low-temperature susceptibility measurements. This anomalous Morin transition is most likely related to trace amounts of V and Ti that substitute for Fe in the hematite. When taken together, these magnetic observations improve the understanding of the magnetic anomaly signature of the Blötberget apatite-iron oxide deposits and may potentially be utilised in a broader context when assessing similar (Paleoproterozoic) apatite-iron oxide systems.

Historic eruptions of Earth's only active carbonatite volcano, Oldoinyo Lengai (Tanzania), have repeatedly switched from low energy carbonatite lava extrusion to highly energetic explosive silicate volcanism, most recently in 1966-67 and 2007-08. The explosive eruptions produce strongly Si-undersaturated peralkaline silicate ashes with unusually high (Na + K)/Al of 3.4-6.3 when compared to the average peralkalinity of similar to 0.8 in the East African Rift System. A series of experiments in the carbonatite-clinopyroxene system at 750-1150 degrees C, 0.1 GPa, reveal that augitic clinopyroxene breaks down peritectically at >900 degrees C yielding strongly peralkaline conjugated silicate- and carbonatite melts. The clinopyroxene-derived silicate melt dissolves (Na,K)(2)O from the (Na,K)(2)CO3-component of the carbonatite leading to high peralkalinities and to liberation of excess CO2, since the solubility of carbon dioxide in silicate liquids is << 1 wt.% at subvolcanic pressures. Carbonatite injection into subvolcanic clinopyroxene-rich crystal mushes hence explains the occurrence of strongly peralkaline silicate melts and provides a mechanism for CO2-driven explosive eruptions. The silicate melt compositions mostly depend on the (Na + K)/Ca ratio of the intruding carbonatite, the silicate ashes erupted in 1966-67 and 2007-08 require an interaction of a clinopyroxene-rich crystal mush with a slightly less evolved alkali-carbonatite than presently erupted at Oldoinyo Lengai. The mechanism identified here, where mineral breakdown induced melt hybridization triggers volatile saturation and highly explosive volcanism is generally applicable to igneous systems that involve carbonatites or other low-viscosity CO2-bearing alkaline silicate melts

The more than 500 fossil Ca-carbonatite occurrences on Earth are at odds with the only active East African Rift carbonatite volcano, Oldoinyo Lengai (Tanzania), which produces Na-carbonatite magmas. The volcano’s recent major explosive eruptions yielded a mix of nephelinitic and carbonatite melts, supporting the hypothesis that carbonatites and spatially associated peralkaline silicate lavas are related through liquid immiscibility. Nevertheless, previous eruption temperatures of Na-carbonatites were 490-595 degrees C, which is 250-450 degrees C lower than for any suitable conjugate silicate liquid. This study demonstrates experimentally that moderately alkaline Ca-carbonatite melts evolve to Na-carbonatites through crystal fractionation. The thermal barrier of the synthetic Na-Ca-carbonate system, held to preclude an evolution from Ca-carbonatites to Na-carbonatites, vanishes in the natural system, where continuous fractionation of calcite + apatite leads to Na-carbonatites, as observed at Oldoinyo Lengai. Furthermore, saturating the Na-carbonatite with minerals present in possible conjugate nephelinites yields a parent carbonatite with total alkali contents of 8-9 wt%, i. e., concentrations that are realistic for immiscible separation from nephelinitic liquids at 1000-1050 degrees C. Modeling the liquid line of descent along the calcite surface requires a total fractionation of similar to 48% calcite, similar to 12% apatite, and similar to 2 wt% clinopyroxene. SiO2 solubility only increases from 0.2 to 2.9 wt% at 750-1200 degrees C, leaving little leeway for crystallization of silicates. The experimental results suggest a moderately alkaline parent to the Oldoinyo Lengai carbonatites and therefore a common origin for carbonatites related to alkaline magmatism.

The Tertiary Austurhorn intrusive complex in SE Iceland represents an exhumed magma chamber that has recorded an extensive history of magma mixing and mingling. The basal part of the intrusion consists predominantly of granophyres that have been intensively and repeatedly intruded by more mafic magma. This association of granophyres, basic and hybrid rocks at Austurhorn is referred to in the literature as a ‘net-veined' complex, but field relations suggest a much more complex emplacement history. Here we present petrological and physical constraints on the various processes that resulted in magma mixing and mingling and the formation of different generations of hybrid rocks at Austurhorn. The complexity of the mixing and mingling processes increases towards the inferred centre of the intrusion, where chaotic hybrid rocks dominate the exposed lithology. Complex cross-cutting relations between different hybrid generations strongly suggest multiple magma injection and reheating events in the basal part of the shallow magma chamber. Model calculations employing distribution coefficients based on rare earth element concentrations reveal that early stage hybrid magma generations formed by pure endmember mixing between felsic and mafic magma with about 10% mafic fraction in the hybrids. With repeated injections of mafic magma into the base of the magma chamber, the intruding magma interacted to a greater extent with pre-existing hybrids. This led to the formation of hybrid magma compositions that are shifted towards the mafic endmember over time, with up to 30% of the mafic fraction in the hybrids. These mixing processes are recorded in the zonation patterns of clinopyroxene and plagioclase phenocrysts; the latter have been divided into four main groups by cross-correlation analysis. Melt viscosity calculations were performed to constrain the possible conditions of magma mixing and the results indicate that the interaction of the contrasting magmas most probably occurred a

Carbonatite and silicate rocks occurring within a single magmatic complex may originate through liquid immiscibility. We thus experimentally determined carbonatite/silicate melt partition coefficients (Dcarbonate melt/silicate melt, hereafter D) for 45 elements to understand their systematics as a function of melt composition and to provide a tool for identifying the possible conjugate nature of silicate and carbonatite magmas. Static and, when necessary, centrifuging piston cylinder experiments were performed at 1-3 GPa, 1150-1260°C such that two well-separated melts resulted. Bulk compositions had Na K, Na ∼ K, and Na K; for the latter we also varied bulk H2O (0-4 wt %) and SiO2 contents. Oxygen fugacities were between iron-wüstite and slightly below hematite-magnetite and were not found to exert significant control on partitioning. Under dry conditions alkali and alkaline earth elements partition into the carbonatite melt, as did Mo and P (DMo >8, DP= 1·6-3·3). High field strength elements (HFSE) prefer the silicate melt, most strongly Hf (DHf = 0·04). The REE have partition coefficients around unity with DLa/Lu = 1·6-2·3. Transition metals have D < 1 except for Cu and V (DCu ∼ 1·3, DV = 0·95-2). The small variability of the partition coefficients in all dry experiments can be explained by a comparable width of the miscibility gap, which appears to be flat-topped in our dry bulk compositions. For all carbonatite and silicate melts, Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf fractionate by factors of 1·3-3·0, in most cases much more strongly than in silicate-oxide systems. With the exception of the alkalis, partition coefficients for the H2O-bearing systems are similar to those for the anhydrous ones, but are shifted in favour of the carbonatite melt by up to an order of magnitude. An increase of bulk silica and thus SiO2 in the silicate melt (from 35 to 69 wt %) has a similar effect. Two types of trace element partitioning with changing melt composition can be observed. The magnitude of th

The Tertiary Austurhorn intrusize complex in SE Iceland represents an exhumed magma chamber that has recorded an extensive history of magma mixing and mingling. The basal part of the intrusion consists predominantly of granophyres that have been intensively and repeatedly intruded by more mafic magma. This association of granophyres, basic and hybrid rocks at Austurhorn is referred to in the literature as a ‘net-veined” complex, but field relations suggest a much more complex emplacement history. Here we present petrological and physical constraints on the various processes that resulted in magma mixing and mingling and the le rmation of different generations of hybrid rocks at Austurhorn. The complexity of the mixing and mingling processes increases towards the inferred centre of the intrusion, where chaotic hybrid rocks dominate the exposed lithology. Complex cross-cutting relations between different hybrid generations strongly suggest multiple magma injection and reheating events in the basal part of the shallow magma chambey: Model calculations employing distribution coefficients based on rare earth element concentrations reveal that early stage hybrid magma generations firmed by pure era/member mixing between.felsic and mulic magma with about 102 n fraction in the hybrids. With repeated injections of mufic magma into the base of the magma chamber, the intruding magma interacted to a greater extent with, pre-existing hybrids. 7his led to the formation of hybrid magma compositions that are shifted towards the malic em/member oVel time, with up to.7022 of the maficje action in the hybrids. These mixing processes are recorded in the zonation patterns oflinopyroxene and plagioclase phenocrysts; the latter have been divided ttolo- ur main groups by cross-correlation analysis. Melt z’iscosity calculations were,pojo rmed to constrain the possible conditions of and the results indicate that the interaction of the contrasting magmas most probably occurred at temperatures

Trace element partition coefficients between conjugate carbonatite-silicate melts are a suitable tool to test whether such natural magmas originated by liquid immiscibility. In the Intra-Apennine Magmatic Province, Central Italy, highly silica-undersaturated ultrapotassic kamafugites coexist with carbonate-rich rocks of controversial nature: a mantle origin and magmatic nature of the carbonatites are indicated by the primitive nature of some kamafugites and by mantle-debris occurring within the kamafugite-carbonate/carbonatite deposits. An alternative hypothesis suggests that the CO2 originates from crustal carbonate assimilation by a basaltic magma, resulting in silica undersaturation of the kamafugite rocks. This experimental study investigates whether carbonatite and kamafugite melts such as the Italian ones can be immiscible at upper mantle conditions. Partition coefficients between conjugate melts determined in this study are compared with calculated element partitioning between natural carbonatite/kamafugite pairs to test a possible origin of the carbonatites by liquid immiscibility. The experiments demonstrate that kamafugite and alkali-rich carbonatite melts are immiscible at 1.7 GPa, 1220 degrees C. Trace element partition coefficients obtained from static- and centrifuging piston cylinder experiments are within factor 5 from unity and deviate less than a factor of 2 from unity for 26 out of 37 trace elements investigated. The alkali- and earth alkali-elements have D-i >= 1, indicating that carbonatite melts in equilibrium with alkaline silicate melts should be at least as alkali-rich as the silicate melts. HFSE partition preferentially into the silicate melt. A comparison of the experimental partition coefficients with natural carbonatite-kamafugite pairs from the Intra Apennine Province reveals good agreement (except for the alkalis), supporting that liquid immiscibility could indeed explain the observed rock suites. Original carbonatite compositions a

Columnar jointing is a common feature of solidified lavas, sills and dikes, but the factors controlling the characteristic stoutness of columns remain debated, and quantitative field observations are few in number. In this paper, we provide quantitative measurements on sizing of columnar joint sets and our assessment of the principal factors controlling it. We focus on (1) chemistry, as it is the major determinant of the physical (mechanical and thermal) properties of the lava, and (2) geology, as it influences the style of emplacement and lava geometry, setting boundary conditions for the cooling process and the rate of heat loss. In our analysis, we cover lavas with a broad range of chemical compositions (from basanite to phonolite, for six of which we provide new geochemical analyses) and of geological settings. Our field measurements cover 50 columnar jointing sites in three countries. We provide reliable, manually digitized data on the size of individual columns and focus the mathematical analysis on their geometry (23,889 data on side length, of which 17,312 are from full column sections and 3,033 data on cross-sectional area and order of polygonality). The geometrical observations show that the variation in characteristic size of columns between different sites exceeds one order of magnitude (side length ranging from 8 to 338 cm) and that the column-bounding polygons’ average order is less than 6. The network of fractures is found to be longer than required by a minimum-energy hexagonal configuration, indicating a non-equilibrium, geologically quick process. In terms of the development and characteristic sizing of columnar joint sets, our observations suggest that columns are the result of an interplay between the geological setting of emplacement and magma chemistry. When the geological setting constrains the geometry of the emplaced body, it exerts a stronger control on characteristic column stoutness. At unconstrained geometries (e.g. unconfined lava flows

On September 4,2007, after 25 years of effusive natrocarbonatite eruptions, the eruptive activity of Oldoinyo Lengai (OL), N Tanzania, changed abruptly to episodic explosive eruptions. This transition was preceded by a voluminous lava eruption in March 2006, a year of quiescence, resumption of natrocarbonatite eruptions in June 2007, and a volcano-tectonic earthquake swarm in July 2007. Despite the lack of ground-based monitoring, the evolution in OL eruption dynamics is documented based on the available field observations, ASTER and MODIS satellite images, and almost-daily photos provided by local pilots. Satellite data enabled identification of a phase of voluminous lava effusion in the 2 weeks prior to the onset of explosive eruptions. After the onset, the activity varied from 100 m high ash jets to 2-15 km high violent, steady or unsteady, eruption columns dispersing ash to 100 km distance. The explosive eruptions built up a similar to 400 m wide, similar to 75 m high intra-crater pyroclastic cone. Time series data for eruption column height show distinct peaks at the end of September 2007 and February 2008, the latter being associated with the first pyroclastic flows to be documented at OL. Chemical analyses of the erupted products, presented in a companion paper (Keller et al. 2010), show that the 2007-2008 explosive eruptions are associated with an undersaturated carbonated silicate melt. This new phase of explosive eruptions provides constraints on the factors causing the transition from natrocarbonatite effusive eruptions to explosive eruptions of carbonated nephelinite magma, observed repetitively in the last 100 years at OL.

With a paroxysmal ash eruption on 4 September 2007 and the highly explosive activity continuing in 2008, Oldoinyo Lengai (OL) has dramatically changed its behavior, crater morphology, and magma composition after 25 years of quiet extrusion of fluid natrocarbonatite lava. This explosive activity resembles the explosive phases of 1917,1940-1941, and 1966-1967, which were characterized by mixed ashes with dominantly nephelinitic and natrocarbonatitic components. Ash and lapilli from the 2007-2008 explosive phase were collected on the slopes of OL as well as on the active cinder cone, which now occupies the entire north crater having buried completely all earlier natrocarbonatite features. The lapilli and ash samples comprise nepheline, wollastonite, combeite, Na-(a) over circle kermanite, Ti-andradite, resorbed pyroxene and Fe-Ti oxides, and a Na-Ca carbonate phase with high but varying phosphorus contents which is similar, but not identical, to the common gregoryite phenocrysts in natrocarbonatite. Lapilli from the active cone best characterize the erupted material as carbonated combeite- wollastonite-melilite nephelinite. The juvenile components represent a fundamentally new magma composition for OL, containing 25-30 wt.% SiO2, with 7-11 wt.% CO2, high alkalies (Na2O 15-19%, K2O 4-5%), and trace-element signatures reminiscent of natrocarbonatite enrichments. These data define an intermediate composition between natrocarbonatite and nephelinite, with about one third natrocarbonatite and two thirds nephelinite component. The data are consistent with a model in which the carbonated silicate magma has evolved from the common combeite-wollastonite nephelinite (CWN) of OL by enrichment of CO2 and alkalies and is close to the liquid immiscible separation of natrocarbonatite from carbonated nephelinite. Material ejected in April/May 2008 indicates reversion to a more common CWN composition.

Primary magmas are generated by 4-6% partial melting near the garnet-spinel stability fields beneath Heimaey (i.e. 80-65 km depth). The magmas fractionate 31% olivine and clinopyroxene en-route to ponding at the base of the crust (and forming a parental Vestmannaeyjar magma). Abundant normally zoned phenocrysts of olivine and plagioclase, in combination with curvilinear trends in major element variation diagrams and heterogeneous isotope ratios (similar to MORB) suggests that the rock suite evolved by fractional crystallization and that crustal contamination and/or magma-mixing was insignificant. Although Heimaey rocks are devoid of clinopyroxene as a phenocryst phase, decreasing ratios of CaO/Al2O3 and Sc/Y with increasing degree of fractionation suggest that clinopyroxene was present as a fractionating phase. The most evolved lava on Heimaey (Eldfell) can be successfully related to the most primitive (Stórhöfði) through 73% fractional crystallization of an olivine + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + titanomagnetite assemblage. Individual magma batches were emplaced into different levels of the crust where they evolved separately from each other prior to eruption. The lack of equilibrium phenocryst assemblages in the Heimaey rocks suggests that the residence times in crustal magma chambers were short. Upon eruption, the pathways used by the rising magma are probably zones of weaknesses associated with extensional stress exerted by the propagating Eastern Volcanic Zone (as indicated by the preferentially aligned eruptive fissures). When magmas erupt in a shallow marine environment, tuff-cones are formed as a result of explosive interactions between magma and water/sediment mixtures. Tuffs comprise about 65% of total erupted volume on Heimaey. The tuff cones deposits consists of normally graded planar air-fall deposits and undulating cross-bedded base-surge deposits, with an increase in frequency of base-surge deposits closer to the vent regions. The distribution of crus