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Silicate melt removal and sulfide liquid retention in ultramafic rocks of the Duke Island Complex, Southeastern Alaska

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Abstract

Magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide mineralization occurs within olivine clinopyroxenite, hornblende-bearing clinopyroxenite, and magnetite-hornblende-rich rocks in the Ural-Alaskan-Type Duke Island Complex in Southeast Alaska. The addition of large amounts of sulfur from country rocks occurred during fractional crystallization of the parental magma when clinopyroxene was becoming a liquidus mineral. Textural interfaces between sulfide and silicate minerals are strongly interlobate, and differ significantly from net-textures that are developed in many Ni-Cu-PGE deposits. Sulfide-free olivine clinopyroxenite is an adcumulate; residual liquid was efficiently expelled from the accumulating crystal pile. A significant interstitial liquid component is observable only in the form of interstitial sulfide in the S-rich rocks. Rounded sulfide inclusions and blebby to vermicular sulfide-silicate intergrowths indicate that silicate crystallization occurred under conditions of sulfide saturation. The presence of dense sulfide liquid inhibited the growth of silicate minerals and led to the development of interlobate grain boundaries. Strong, localized wetting of sulfide liquids on crystallizing silicates, and downward percolation of sulfide liquid through a crystallizing mush may have contributed to the evolution of these textures. Residual silicate liquid was removed from the system due to a combination of buoyant advection and compaction, but dense sulfide liquid remained.

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Acknowledgments

Discussions with Bob Wintsch, Ryan McAleer, Mat Dunlop, Rebecca Stokes, Lev Spivak-Birndorf, Jim Miller, and Giulio Solferino are gratefully acknowledged and improved the presentation of the manuscript. Anonymous reviewers’ comments and assistance are also acknowledged and greatly appreciated. Curt Freeman of Avalon Development and Tom Patton of Quaterra Resources are thanked for their logistical support and for permission to sample drill cores. Work on the Duke Island Complex has been supported by National Science Foundation Grant EAR 1016031 to E.M. Ripley and C. Li.

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East 10th St., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Eric C. Stifter, Edward M. Ripley & Chusi Li

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  1. Eric C. Stifter
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  2. Edward M. Ripley
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  3. Chusi Li
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Correspondence to Eric C. Stifter.

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Editorial handling: M. Fiorentini

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Stifter, E.C., Ripley, E.M. & Li, C. Silicate melt removal and sulfide liquid retention in ultramafic rocks of the Duke Island Complex, Southeastern Alaska. Miner Petrol 108, 727–740 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-014-0321-y

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