Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T06:55:23.356Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

8 - Compositional Characteristics of the Ferrar McDV Magmatic System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2023

Bruce Marsh
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University
Get access

Summary

This chapter shows the whole rock chemical compositions for all the sills in the Dry Valleys region. Harker diagrams for the major and selected trace elements clearly reflect the strong role of orthopyroxene (and subordinate clinopyroxene) as the major mineral phase controlling rock composition. These are low titanium, non-alkaline dolerites, which are common to this entire region and continuing to Tasmania and even as far as some of the Karoo system. On an AFM diagram the system almost mimics that of Skaergaard. This Opx control extends throughout the system. And upwards with the loss of Opx the upper sills overlap in composition with the Kirkpatrick Basalts. Various other diagrams, meant to discriminate between pyroxene and feldspar control, show the effects of crystal sorting locally and regionally, with the chilled margins being tholeiitic and the sill centers tending to ultramafic. A pattern persisting outwards from Bull Pass for at least 50 km north and south. Relative to the Basement Sill this appears as a large plume of crystal-laden magma, extending outward in all directions, exhibiting locally the strong effects of crystal sorting during emplacement.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×