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Chromite in komatiites: 3D morphologies with implications for crystallization mechanisms

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Abstract

High-resolution X-ray computed tomography has been carried out on a suite of komatiite samples representing a range of volcanic facies, chromite contents and degrees of alteration and metamorphism, to reveal the wide range of sizes, shapes and degrees of clustering that chromite grains display as a function of cooling history. Dendrites are spectacularly skeletal chromite grains formed during very rapid crystallization of supercooled melt in spinifex zones close to flow tops. At slower cooling rates in the interiors of thick flows, chromite forms predominantly euhedral grains. Large clusters (up to a dozen of grains) are characteristic of liquidus chromite, whereas fine dustings of mostly individual ~20-μm grains form by in situ crystallization from trapped intercumulus liquid. Chromite in coarse-grained olivine cumulates from komatiitic dunite bodies occurs in two forms: as clusters or chains of euhedral crystals, developing into “chicken-wire” texture where chromite is present in supra-cotectic proportions; and as strongly dendritic, semi-poikilitic grains. These dendritic grains are likely to have formed by rapid crescumulate growth from magma that was close to its liquidus temperature but supersaturated with chromite. In some cases, this process seems to have been favoured by nucleation of chromite on the margins of sulphide liquid blebs. This texture is a good evidence for the predominantly cumulus origin of oikocrysts and in situ origin of heteradcumulate textures. Our 3D textural analysis confirms that the morphology of chromite crystals is a distinctive indicator of crystallization environment even in highly altered rocks.

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Acknowledgments

Bélinda Godel is funded by the CSIRO Office of the Chief Executive Post-Doctoral Fellowship scheme. Analytical costs were partially funded by a “Pump Priming Grant” from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at The University of Western Australia. Accessibility to supercomputing facilities was provided by iVEC at the Australian Resources Research Centre (Perth). Dr Greg Hitchen provided assistance with electron microprobe analyses. This paper is an output from the CSIRO Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship. Associate editor Chris Ballhaus and two anonymous referees are acknowledged for their comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Earth Sciences and Resource Engineering, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia

    Bélinda Godel & Stephen J. Barnes

  2. Steinmann Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Poppelsdorfer Schloss, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Derya Gürer

  3. CSIRO Process and Science Engineering, Australian Mineral Research Centre, Waterford, 6152, WA, Australia

    Peter Austin

  4. The University of Western Australia, Centre for Exploration Targeting, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Marco L. Fiorentini

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  1. Bélinda Godel
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  5. Marco L. Fiorentini
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Correspondence to Bélinda Godel.

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Communicated by C. Ballhaus.

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Godel, B., Barnes, S.J., Gürer, D. et al. Chromite in komatiites: 3D morphologies with implications for crystallization mechanisms. Contrib Mineral Petrol 165, 173–189 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-012-0804-y

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