Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T18:36:33.315Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Origin of reverse zoning in branching orthopyroxene and acicular plagioclase in orbicular diorite, Fisher Lake, California

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

D. G. Durant*
Affiliation:
University of Ottawa, Department of Earth Sciences, 140 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
A. D. Fowler
Affiliation:
University of Ottawa, Department of Earth Sciences, 140 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
*

Abstract

An orbicular diorite from Fisher Lake, California, USA, contains multi-shelled, magmatic orbicules with branching and budding orthopyroxene crystals as well as feather and acicular plagioclase crystals that are oriented perpendicular to the growth horizon. Plagioclase and orthopyroxene show gradual, reverse compositional zoning along the long axes and normal zoning along the short axes. The reverse zoning varies from An87 to An93 and Mg68 to Mg74 over distances of 4 mm and 8 mm respectively. The close proximity of these two minerals makes it likely that only one mechanism is responsible for the reverse zoning. This zoning can be explained by using relevant temperature-composition diagrams and Gibbs free energy-composition plots. Under sudden and moderate undercoolings, which produce high growth but low nucleation rates, the difference in Gibbs free energy (ΔG) between the crystals and liquid is not initially maximized, i.e. initial compositions are not near-to-equilibrium. This results in crystal compositions that are closer to that of the bulk liquid than expected for crystallization under near-to-equilibrium conditions (i.e. very small ΔT). Over time, and under isothermal crystallization conditions, ΔG gradually increases to a maximum producing crystal compositions that also gradually attain near-to-equilibrium compositions. Subsequent to attaining these conditions, normal zoning occurs perpendicular to the crystal growth axes.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2002

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.)

References

Anderson, G.M. (1996) Thermodynamics of Natural Systems. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 382 pp.Google Scholar
Bowen, N.L. (1913) The melting phenomena of the plagioclase feldspars. American Journal of Science, 35, 577–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Czamanske, G.K. and Wones, D.R. (1973) Oxidation during magmatic differentiation, Finmarka Complex, Oslo area, Norway: Part 2, The mafic silicates. Journal of Petrology, 14, 349380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dallwitz, W.B., Green, D.H. and Thompson, J.E. (1966) Clinoenstatite in a volcanic rock from the Cape Vogel area, Papua. Journal of Petrology, 7, 375403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dowty, E. (1980) Crystal growth and nucleation theory and the numerical simulation of igneous crystallization. Pp. 419485 in: Physics of Magmatic Processes (Hargraves, R.B., editor). Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Durant, D.G. (2001) Orbicular diorite of Fisher Lake, California: reverse zoning and oscillatory precipitation mechanisms. PhD thesis, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Google Scholar
Eichelberger, J.C. (1975) Origin of andesite and dacite: evidence of mixing at Glass Mountain in California and at other circum-Pacific volcanoes. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 86, 13811391.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eichelberger, J.C., McGetchin, T.R. and Francis, D. (1973) Mode of emplacement of aa basalt flows at Pacaya, Guatemala. EOS (American Geophysical Union Transactions) abstract, 54, 511.Google Scholar
Fonarev, V.I., Korol'kov, G.Ya. and Dokina, T.N. (1976) Stability of the orthopyroxene + magnetite + quartz association under hydrothermal conditions. Geochemistry International, 134146Google Scholar
Gerlach, D.C. and Grove, T.L. (1982) Petrology of Medicine Lake Highland volcanics: characterization of endmembers of magma mixing. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 80, 147159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hopper, R.W. and Uhlmann, D.R. (1973) Temperature distributions during crystallization at constant velocity. Journal of Crystal Growth, 19, 177186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hopper, R.W. and Uhlmann, D.R. (1974) Solute redistribution during crystallization at constant velocity and constant temperature. Journal of Crystal Growth, 21, 203213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huebner, J.S. (1980) Pyroxene phase equilibria at low pressure. Pp. 213288 in: Pyroxenes (Prewitt, C.T., editor). Reviews in Mineralogy, 7. Mineralogical Society of America, Washington, D.C.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johannes, W. (1978) Melting of plagioclase in the system Ab-An-H2O and Qz-Ab-An-H2O at p H2O = 5 kbars, an equilibrium problem. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 66, 295303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lalonde, A.E. and Martin, R.F. (1983) The Baie-des- Moutons syenitic complex, La Tabatière, Québec. II. The ferromagnesian minerals. The Canadian Mineralogist, 21, 8191.Google Scholar
Lofgren, G. (1973) Temperature induced zoning in synthetic plagioclase feldspar. Pp. 362375 in: Proceedings of NATO Conference on Feldspars. University of Manchester Press, Manchester, UK.Google Scholar
Lofgren, G. (1974) An experimental study of plagioclase crystal morphology: isothermal crystallization. American Journal of Science, 274, 243273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mathews, W.H. (1957) Petrology of Quaternary volcanics of the Mount Garibaldi map-area, southwestern British Columbia. American Journal of Science, 255, 400415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKinney, B. (1985) Origin of the Comb Layered and Orbicular Rocks near Fisher Lake, Sierra Nevada Batholith, California. PhD thesis, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.Google Scholar
Moore, J.E. and Lockwood, J.P. (1973) Origin of comb layering and orbicular structure, Sierra Nevada Batholith, California. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 84, 120.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Naslund, H.R. and McBirney, A.R. (1996) Mechanisms of formation of igneous layering. Pp. 143 in: Layered Intrusions (Cawthorn, R.G., editor). Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Simonetti, A. and Bell, K. (1995) Nd, Pb and Sr isotopic data from the Mount Elgon volcano, eastern Ugandawestern Kenya: implications for the origin and evolution of nephelinite lavas. Lithos, 36, 141153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tsuchiyama, A. (1985) Crystallization kinetics in the system CaMgSi2O6-CaAl2Si2O8: development of zoning and kinetics effects on element partitioning. American Mineralogist, 70, 474486.Google Scholar
van Kooten, G.K. and Buseck, P.R. (1978) Interpretation of olivine zoning: Study of a maar from the San Francisco volcanic field, Arizona. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 89, 744754.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar