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In situ LA–ICP-MS and EPMA trace element characterization of Fe–Ti oxides from the phoscorite–carbonatite association at Phalaborwa, South Africa

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Abstract

In situ laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP-MS) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) are used to characterize magnetite and ilmenite of the phoscorite–carbonatite association at Phalaborwa. We trace the behavior of the compatible elements for two different generations of magnetite related to (1) a magmatic stage, with variable Ti–V content, which pre-dates the copper mineralization, and (2) a late hydrothermal, low-Ti, low-temperature event, mostly post-dating sulfide formation. Magnetite is shown to be a robust petrogenetic indicator; no influence on its chemical composition is detected from the intergrowth with the accompanying phases, including the interaction with coexisting sulfides. High spatial resolution EPMA characterize the tiny late-stage hydrothermal magnetite veins, as well as the ilmenite granular and lamellar exsolutions mostly developed in the magnetite from the phoscorite. By combining geochemical data with geothermo-oxybarometry calculations for magnetite–ilmenite pairs, we infer that the most primitive magnetite probably formed at oxygen fugacity above the nickel nickel oxide (NNO) buffer, revealing an evolutionary trend of decreasing temperature and oxygen fugacity. Geochemical similarity exists between magnetite from phoscorite and carbonatite, thus supporting a common mantle source for the phoscorite–carbonatite association.

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Acknowledgements

LM and RB acknowledge funding from the Department of Science and Technology - National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Integrated Mineral and Energy Resource Analysis (CIMERA). Reviews by Thomas Angerer, Anton R. Chakhmouradian, Sarah A.S. Dare, and Francis Wall and comments by Editor-in-Chief Georges Beaudoin and Associate Editor Robert L. Linnen helped to improve the manuscript. Thanks are extended to Palabora Mining Company Ltd. for providing most of the studied rocks, in particular to Paulien Lourens and Thabitha Moyana. Paul Nex (Wits University) kindly provided part of the samples, as well as useful discussion. Peter Horvath (Wits University) is thanked for his assistance during EPMA work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, PVT Bag 3, Wits,, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa

    Lorenzo Milani, Robert Bolhar & R. Grant Cawthorn

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PVT Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa

    Dirk Frei

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, University of the Western Cape, PVT Bag X17, Bellville, 7530, South Africa

    Dirk Frei

Authors
  1. Lorenzo Milani
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  2. Robert Bolhar
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  3. R. Grant Cawthorn
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  4. Dirk Frei
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Correspondence to Lorenzo Milani.

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Editorial handling: R. Linnen

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Online Resource 1

Trace element compositions (in ppm) and analytical conditions of LA-ICP-MS analyses of magnetite and granular ilmenite at Phalaborwa. Phos = phoscorite; BC = banded carbonatite; TC = transgressive carbonatite. In Italic: element contents likely related to contamination by microinclusions and not included in calculations in Table 2 (PDF 1006 kb)

Online Resource 2

Analytical conditions and EPMA analyses (in ppm) of late-stage, low-Ti hydrothermal magnetite in microveinlets and magnetite-ilmenite pairs at Phalaborwa. Abbreviations: Mag = magnetite; Ilm = ilmenite; Phos = phoscorite; BC = banded carbonatite; TC = transgressive carbonatite; n.d. = not detected (PDF 97 kb)

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Milani, L., Bolhar, R., Cawthorn, R.G. et al. In situ LA–ICP-MS and EPMA trace element characterization of Fe–Ti oxides from the phoscorite–carbonatite association at Phalaborwa, South Africa. Miner Deposita 52, 747–768 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-016-0696-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-016-0696-2

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