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Post-magmatic hydrothermal and metasomatic activity within associated skarn deposits: neoformation of iron-fluorphlogopite minerals first reported in NW Tunisia, Oued Belif area

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Abstract

Magmatic events related to granodiorite and rhyodacite rocks in the Oued Belif area (NW Tunisia) are dated as 12.9 Ma and 8.3 Ma, respectively. These rocks are affected by a net fault system, veins, and breccias, attesting a post-magmatic hydrothermal fluid circulations and metasomatism. Associated skarn deposits are observed in contact with the granodiorite outcrops or intersected in sub-surface. These skarns are rich in millimitric phlogopite crystal associations, occupying essentially vacuoles and cracks. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and transmitted electron microscopy (TEM) analysis on extracted minerals confirm that it is indeed a phlogopite mica mineral (10Å) showing an atomic enrichment in magnesium (13.4%), fluorine (5.8%), and iron (6.9%) leading to the empirical chemical formula: (K0.025 Ca0.115) (Ti0.08 Fe0.38 Mg3.02) (Si2.755 Al1.112) O10 (F1.40 OH0.595). The high fluorine content and occurrence of this mineral particularly in vacuoles and cracks plead in favor of a direct precipitation from hydrothermal and metasomatic fluids enriched in halogen gas (HF, HCl, HS) under a high temperature coinciding with porphyry conditions. This fluorine content is also consistent with Fe-F avoidance and explains the disordered distribution of atoms in the octahedral and OH-F sites as well as local twists of the crystal lattice.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to anonymous reviewer for the comments and enhancing of the quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Carthage, Tunisia

    Lassaâd Ben Aissa, Wiem Ben Aissa, Rania Ben Aissa & Abdessalem Ben Haj Amara

  2. Research Unit. Physics of Lamellar Materials and Hybrid Nannomaterials, Carthage, Tunisia

    Lassaâd Ben Aissa, Wiem Ben Aissa, Rania Ben Aissa, Rabeh Alouani & Abdessalem Ben Haj Amara

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  1. Lassaâd Ben Aissa
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  2. Wiem Ben Aissa
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  3. Rania Ben Aissa
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  5. Abdessalem Ben Haj Amara
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Correspondence to Lassaâd Ben Aissa.

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Ben Aissa, L., Ben Aissa, W., Ben Aissa, R. et al. Post-magmatic hydrothermal and metasomatic activity within associated skarn deposits: neoformation of iron-fluorphlogopite minerals first reported in NW Tunisia, Oued Belif area. Arab J Geosci 13, 300 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-5272-5

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