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Cumulus and post-cumulus evolution of chrome-spinel compositions in the “Ore Horizon 330” rocks from the Sopcha massif of the Paleoproterozoic layered Monchegorsk Pluton, Kola Peninsula, Russia

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Abstract

The Sopcha massif, which is part of the Paleoproterozoic layered Monchegorsk Pluton (Monchepluton), contains an ore horizon with an average thickness of ca. 4 m within the homogeneous orthopyroxenite sequence. This horizon has a layered internal structure with variations in composition from dunite to orthopyroxenite and sulfide mineralization enriched in platinum group elements (PGE). All the rocks of the ore horizon include accessory chrome-spinels, which demonstrate a high variability of the composition and are divided into two groups based on their optical properties and chemical composition. Group I chrome-spinels belong to Al-chromites. They occur as homogeneous grains in fine-to-medium-grained orthopyroxenite at the top of the horizon and form cores of zoned chrome-spinels in the medium-to-coarse-grained orthopyroxenite and harzburgite. Group II chrome-spinels belong to Fe-chromites. They form homogeneous grains in dunite and harzburgite and rims of zoned grains in harzburgite. Chemical compositions of Group I chrome-spinels are characterized by high contents of Al2O3 and Cr2O3, an increased MgO but low contents of FeOtot and values of Cr#= Cr/(Cr + Al) and Fe3+# = Fe3+/Fetot. Group II chrome-spinels have low Al2O3 and MgO contents, and sharply increased values of Cr# and Fe3+#. This variability in the composition of chrome-spinels is caused by decreasing melt temperature in the process of its cooling during two stages of magmatic crystallization. At the first stage, cumulus crystallization of Group I chrome-spinels and subsolidus diffusion between spinel and olivine (“mineral-mineral” reaction) occurred at a temperature of about 1170 °C. At the second stage, reactions between Group I chrome-spinels and intercumulus melt (“mineral-melt” reactions) resulted in the formation of a rims of zoned chrome-spinels and homogeneous Group II chrome-spinels at a temperature of 1070–970 °C.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the reviewer Alexey Ariskin, associate editor Leonid Danyushevsky, and chief editor Lutz Nasdala for their constructive criticism and very useful comments that greatly improved the manuscript. The study was performed on the topic of research of Geological Institute of Kola Science Centre number 0226-2019-0053 with partial financial support from the Russian Federal Property Fund in the framework of projects 15-35-20501 and 18-05-70082 to V.V.Ch.

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  1. Geological Institute, Kola Science Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 14 Fersman street, 184209, Apatity, Russia

    Viсtor V. Chashchin & Yevgeny E. Savchenko

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  1. Viсtor V. Chashchin
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Correspondence to Viсtor V. Chashchin.

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Chashchin, V.V., Savchenko, Y.E. Cumulus and post-cumulus evolution of chrome-spinel compositions in the “Ore Horizon 330” rocks from the Sopcha massif of the Paleoproterozoic layered Monchegorsk Pluton, Kola Peninsula, Russia. Miner Petrol 115, 557–575 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-021-00756-w

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