Zoned Zn.Rich Chromite from the Naatanemi Serpentinite
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537 TheC anadian M ine rala g h t Vol.33, pp. 537-545 (1995) ZONEDZN.RICH CHROMITE FROM THE NAATANEMI SERPENTINITE MASSE, KUHMOGREENSTONE BELI, FINLAND ruSSI P. LIIPO, JOUNI I. YUOLLO, VESA M. NYI(ANEN N{D TAT]NO A. PIIRAINEN Departnwntof Geolngy,University of Oulw FN-90570 Oulu Finland ABsrRAcr Chromitefrom the ArcheanN2iilnniemi serpentinitemassif, Kuhmo greenstonebelq Finland, exhibits high concentrations of Zn, up to 4.4 wtVoZnO. The chromiteis zond optically and chemically;the best-preservedchromite corescan be divided into two groupson the basisof their composition.Type-I chromiteis interpret€das a relict core,with Cr(Cr + Al) valuesfrom 'ferrircbromit''; 0.58 to 0.76 and Mg(Mg + Fd+) valuesfrom 0.53 to 0.60; the core of type-tr cbromite has beBnalt€red to M/(Mg + Fd+) valuesrange from 0 to 0.37. In the core of type-I and -tr chromite,Zn showsno correlationwith the other divalent cations (Mg, Mn and Fe2*). On the basis of their Zn content,type-I and type-tr cbromite resemblethose examples reported from metamorphosedvolcanic-type iron-nickel sulfide ores from Western Austaliq though the suite of type-I chromitefrom the N66tltniemiserpentinite massif displays higher Mg (12.1 w17oMgO) and A1 (20.9 wt-VoN2O) contents. Keyvords: cbromite,zoning, serpentinite,Archean, Kubmo greenstonebell Finland. Somr{ens la chroniitq du massifde serpentinitede Ndiiriiniemi,d'0ge archden, de la ceintue de rochesvertes de Kuhmo, en Finlande, contientjusqu') 4.47o(en poids) de ZnO. La chromiteest zon6e,optiquement aussi bien que chimiquemenl Certainsdes coeurs les mieux pr6serv6sont une compositioninterpr6tde comme relique magmatique(type D, avec desrapports Cr(Cr + Al) enfo 0.58 et 0.76, et Mg/(Mg + Fe2) entre 0.53 et 0.60. D'autres(dits de typ€ IIl ont une compositionhansform6e, conespndant maintenantI la 'Tenirchromit", et le rapportMg/(Mg + Fef va de 0 i 0.37.Dans le coeurdas deux types de chromite,la teneur en Zn ne montre aucunecorrdlation avec celle desaures cationsbivalents (Mg, Mn et Fez+).Les teneursen Zn destypes I et tr rappellela chromite desminerais I Fe-Ni mdtamorphis6set d'origine volcaniqueen Aushalie occidentale,quoique la chromite de type I de NAftiiniemi possbdeune teneurplus 6lev6een ME 02.lTo de MgO par poids) et en Al (20,9VoAJ2Q), (Traduit par la R6daction) Mots-cl6s:chomit€, zonation,serpentinite, arch6en, ceinture de rochesvertres, Kuhmo, Finlande. INrRoDUcnoN stone belt of Archean age, in easternFinland. The chromite occurs as optically and chemically zoned Chromite rich in Zn is consideredunusual enough cumulategrains in Archean serpentinitesand exhibit to be reported in the literature wheneverit is found. high concentationsof Zn. Z*ich spinel has been reported from different geo- logical settings (Thayer et al. 1964, Weiser 1967, Locmou ANDGEoLoGIcAL Se'ruDlo Groves et al. 1977, 1983, Moore 1977, Bevan & Mallinson 1980,Wylie et al, L987,Bjerget aI. 1993, The Kuhmo belt in eastemFinland (lao:palaet al. HalkoahoL994),andaZncontentin excess of 0.5wt% 1980,Piirainen 1988) is a typical Archean greenstone ZnO is consideredsignificant (Groves et al.1983).ln belt surroundedby granitoid rocks. It forms a narrow most cases,hlgh Zn contentin cbromite is causedby composite north-trending belt approximately 20 km metasomatism;only in the example describedfrom wide and 200 km long. The belt, which is one of sequencesof ultamafic flows in Westem Australia the most intensively investigatedArchean belts in the (Groveset al. 1977,1983)is the Zn consideredto be Fennoscandianshield Cfaipale et aL 1980, Taipale inheritedfrom tle magmaticstage. 1983,Piquet 1982, Piirainen 1988, Luuktonen 1992), This paper discussesaccessory chromite from the can be divided into three parts, namely the southem Ntiiitiiniemi serpentinilemassf, in the Kuhmo green- Qipasjiirvi), middle (between Kuhmo and Suomus- FENNOSCANDIANSHIELD uomussalmi /* - Middleto lateProterozoic X cover g TransscandinaManGran- l-,1 ip-P6pfiyryBsll @l@ Earlysqr'' Proterozoic' rocks I StudY U area ll Archaeandomain N Ultramaficand fi mafic volcanic rocks T Felsicvolcanic rocks N6ifittiniemi ffi Serpentinite Mica schist Gneissand tt* metasedimentary rocks Fto. 1. Geologicalskerch map of the Kuhmo greenstonebelt, showingthe locationsof Niiiitiiniemi se4rentinitemassif. Modified afterHanski (1984). ZNCIAN CHROMITE, KLIHMO GREENSTONEBELT 539 salmi),and northern(Suomussalmi) areas (Fig. l). It CnEItrcALCowosrnoN oF TI{ECHRoMTE has been dated at between 2.99 (Vaasjoki & Sakko 1991)and 2.75 Ga (Vaasjokiet al. 1989)and is com- Electron-microprobeanalyses were performed on posed principally of volcanic rocks and subordinate compositionally zoned grains of chromite from the volcano-sedimentaryand sedimentary rocks, which Niiiitiiniemi serpentinite massif. A representative have been divided into three lithological units. Each samplingof fhe 232 analysesis presentedin Table 1. unit is characterizedby its own volcanic series: The chromite has been extensively atalyzed to cover 1) andesite(Luoma group),2) serpentinite- tholeiite - the fuIl range of variations from aluminous chromite komatiite - basaltic komatiite (Kellojiirvi Group), through"ferritchromit" to chromianmagnetite. Table I and 3) rhyolite - rhyodacite - Fe-rich tholeiite - srrntnutrizesrelevant characteristicsof the chromite komatiite - basaltic komatiite (Ontojiirvi Group) $ains. (Taipaleet al. 1980).The Kellojiirvi group is cross-cut The mineral analyseswere performedwith a wave- by a dyke of Fe-rich tholeiite dated at 2.79 Ga length-dispersionJEOL JCXA 733 electron micro- (Luukkonen1988). probe equippedwith LINK AN10 automationat the The ulnamafic rocks have a multistage history, Institute of Electron Optics, University of Oulu. The affected by at least tbree phasesof defonnation and accelerationvoltage was 15 kV, the sample current, fwo phasesof intrusion of granitic magma and are 15 nA, and the spot size, 2 pm. The following composedpredominantly of serpentinite,having been standardswere used: syntheticrutile for Ti, synthetic deformedand metamorphosedunder conditionsof the corundum for Al, hematite for Fe, periclasefor Mg, greenschistor lower amphibolite facies @iquet 1982, andpure metallic standardsfor the remainingelements. Taipale1983, Blais & Auway 1990,Tuisku & Sivonen The practical limit of detection in these routine 1984). analysesvaries from 0.01 to 0.05 wtvo. Resultswere The serpentinitesin the ArcheanKubmo greenstone correctedwith an on-line ZAF program. Ferrous and belt have been consideredto be metamorphosed ferric iron were distributed on the basis of stoichio- cumulatesof the komatiitic series@lais et al. 1978), metry by the methodof Carmichael(L967). but on the basisof the high valuesof the (LalSm)ryand (Sm/Yb)N ratios and high TiO, contents, the Compositionalvariations in the core Niiiitiiniemi serpentinitesdiffer from typical ultramafic rocks of komatiitic origin (Hanski 1982, 1984). An The core of each preserved grain is iregularly ophiolitic nature of this serpentinitemassif has been shapedand grey in reflectedlight. It is optically homo- suggestedby Piirainen(1991). geneous,free ofinclusions andhas a sha4lcontact with a lighter grey rim, whereasin thosegrains that aremore Pr"rnocnepnv intensely altered,the grey core has disappeared;such grains can be classified as chromian magnetite or The samples used in this investigation were magnetite. selected from those of the ResearchProject on In terms of composition, the best-preservedcores Archean Areas (Piirainen 1991), and from outcrops may be divided into two groups.Type-I chromitehas a of the Niiiitiiniemi serpentinitemassif. The Niintiiniemi Xr,a"Mg/(Mg + Fez*)l value gteaterthan 0.4 andaXg, massif is located in the middle sub-belt and consists lCr(Cr + Al)l value between0.58 and 0.76. In type-tr of Archean serpentinites cross-cut by an early chromite,the core hasundergone more profound alter- Proterozoicdifferentiated dyke datedat2.2 Ga (Hanski ation, and is depletedin Mg and A1, and enrichedin 1984). Mn, Fe2+and Fe3+(Xoan from 0 to 0.37) comparedto 'feritchromif' The serpentinite is dunitic in composition; the type-I cbromite.It can be classifiedas primary mineralsother than chromitehave disappeared (fable 2). From an exploration viewpoint, the most completely.Olivine @oe6)and clinopyroxeneof meta- significant compositionaloddity aboutthe core zoneis 3.74wtVo morphic origin occur as relict grains in rare samples. its consistentlyhigh Zn content,from 2.18to 'n The dominant minerals of the serpentinite,antigorite in type-I chromite and from L.47 to 4.36 vttVo and lizardite, formed at the expense of olivine. type-tr chromite. Accessory minerals include magnetite and geikielite Compositional variations in spinel have generally (l,id.poet al. 1994). beenrepresented on bivariateplots ofXyn versusXlyot Chromite is ubiquitous as an acces$orycumulus XF"[Fe3*/(Cr + Al + Fe3*)](rvine 1965,1967,Dick & phase in all the samples analyzed. Most of the Bullen 1984). On such diagrnms, chromite from cbromite occursin the form of disseminatedeuhedral komatiites and stratiform intrusions cannot be dis- to subhedralgrains 20 to 400 pn in diameter.These criminated,though cbromitefrom komatiitesplots in a are zoned, with a homogeneouscore surrounded different field from cbromite in ophiolitic complexes. by an inner and an outer rim Gig. 2). This zonation Type-I cbromite plots in the overlapping field of is defined by optical and compositional differ- ophiolites and stratiform intrusions, and differs from ences. chromiteof komatiitic origin, whereastype-tr chrcmite 540 TIIE