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Oxygen deficient Ti oxides (natural magnéli phases) from mudstone xenoliths with native iron from Disko, central West Greenland

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Abstract

Mudstone xenoliths in a strongly reduced andesitic subaquatic breccia with native iron from the Asuk Member on Disko contain Ti oxides which are oxygen deficient relative to rutile. Ore microscopy reveals that the mudstone xenoliths contain former clastic oxide grains which have equilibrated to blue Ti oxides and grey aluminous Ti oxides. They also contain still immature coal fragments in a glassy matrix with native iron.

The blue oxides are compositionally similar to magnéli phases TinO2n−1 within the range n=4 to 7, and several grains contain more than one natural magnéli phase. Two other phases found are 1) pale orange blebs in magnéli phases with a composition approaching Al1Ti 3+1 Ti 4+2 O7 (AlTi phase B) and 2) grey oxide rims on magnéli phases or independent grains of the compositional series Al2−x(Ti 4+0.5 (Mg,Fe)0.5)xTi 4+n−2 O2n−1 with n mostly between 7 and 10 (AlTi phase A). The natural magnéli phases equilibrated at oxygen fugacities 4 to 5 log units below the Fe-W oxygen buffer at igneous temperatures and represent the most reduced high-temperature environment yet recorded among native iron bearing rocks from Disko. The extremely reducing conditions were met in rocks where coal fragments were still in a state of degassing hydrocarbon components at the time of quenching. Field geology and carbon barometry indicate equilibration at pressures of less than 10 bars.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geologisk Museum, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark

    A. K. Pedersen

  2. Institut for Mineralogi, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark

    J. G. Rønsbo

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  1. A. K. Pedersen
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  2. J. G. Rønsbo
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Pedersen, A.K., Rønsbo, J.G. Oxygen deficient Ti oxides (natural magnéli phases) from mudstone xenoliths with native iron from Disko, central West Greenland. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 96, 35–46 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00375523

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