Albite thermal barrier and alkaline granite-syenitenepheline-syenite rock association (series, formation, assemblage)

• Main Author: Mikhail I. Dubrovsky
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: A.N. Zavaritsky Institute of Geology and Geochemistry 2018-12-01
• Series: Литосфера
• Subjects: albite thermal barrier; eutectic; peritectic; comagmatism of rocks; rock series; rock association
• Online Access: https://www.lithosphere.ru/jour/article/view/255

The object of research. The main goal of the work was to resolve the problem of the existence of rock associations: alkaline granites–syenites–nepheline syenites, which is found on all continents among ancient platforms and stabilized folded regions of different ages. Beginning with 70-th. of the past century, the absolute majority of the world's petrologists do not allow the possibility of a comagmatic formation of such a rock association due to the presence of a thermal albite “barrier” between phonolitic and rhyolitic melts. Materials and methods. Numerous data were used on the Ilimaussak alkaline massif from southern Greenland as the most thoroughly studied and widely known to petrologists around the world. The main methods of research were the development of physicochemical models of phase transitions and the construction of state diagrams. Results. Earlier, thanks to the author's work in the field of constructing state diagrams, the possibility of “destruction of thermal barriers” was demonstrated at the appearance of alumosilicate melts of biotite, amphibole, analcime and other minerals on the liquidus. The developed physicochemical models of phase transitions for specific rock associations of the Ilimaussak massif allowed us to prove the possibility of a comagmatic transition from nepheline-modal syenites to quartz-modal alkaline granites. Conclusions. The validity (correctness) of the theoretical constructs is proved by an almost perfect coincidence of the model and natural trends of the rock associations. This requires a certain composition of the initial melt and the optimal fluid pressure.