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Nb-Ta-minerals from the cap de creus pegmatite field, eastern Pyrenees: distribution and geochemical trends

Nb-Ta-Minerale aus dem Pegmatit-Feld vom Cap de Creus, östliche Pyrenäen: Verteilung und geochemische Trends

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Summary

Internal structure and mineralogy facilitate distinction of four main pegmatite types at the eastern end of the Pyrenees. Three main trends in compositional variations in Nb-Ta-Sn-REE-Ti minerals have been established: a regional trend, with Ta/(Ta + Nb) ratio increasing towards the more evolved pegmatites, Mn/(Mn + Fe) being relatively low and increasing only slightly; a single-body trend, with similar enrichment toward the late pegmatite units; a single-crystal trend, with zoning related to both Ta/(Ta + Nb) and Mn/(Mn + Fe) ratios and a tendency toward Ta-enrichment in the late growth stages. The regional geochemical enrichment trends in the Mn/(Mn + Fe) ratios and Ta/(Ta + Nb) are those expected for a beryl-columbite pegmatite type. In a single pegmatite, the evolution depends on the simultaneous growth of other mineral species. Three factors seem to control the development of zoning in columbite-tantalite crystals: availability of Mn, Ta, Fe, Nb, significant differences in solubility between mineral group end members and re-equilibria with late pegmatite fluids.

Zusammenfassung

Am Ostrand der Pyrenäen können anhand des inneren Aufbaus und der Mineralogie vier Haupttypen von Pegmatiten unterschieden werden. Die Zusammensetzungen von Nb-Ta-Sn-SEE-Ti-Mineralen folgen drei Haupttrends: einem regionalen Trend, bei dem das Verhältnis Ta/(Ta + Nb) zu den höher entwickelten Pegmatiten hin zunimmt, während Mn/(Mn + Fe) relativ niedrig ist und nur leicht zunimmt; einem lokalen (auf das jeweilige Vorkommen beschränkten) Trend mit einer ähnlichen Anreicherung zu den spätpegmatitischen Einheiten hin; einem auf Einzelkristalle bezogenen Trend mit Zonierung in bezug auf die Verhältnisse Ta/(Ta + Nb) und Mn/(Mn + Fe) und einer Tendenz zur T a-Anreicherung in den späten Wachstumsphasen. Die regionalen geochemischen Anreicherungstrends in den Mn/(Mn + Fe)- und Ta/(Ta + Nb)-Verhältnissen entsprechen jenen, wie sie für den Beryll-Columbit-Pegmatit-Typ erwartet werden. In einem einzelnen Pegmatit hängt die Entwicklung vom gleichzeitigen Wachstum anderer Mineral-Spezies ab. Drei Faktoren scheinen die Ausbildung einer Zonierung in Columbit-Tantalit-Kristallen zu kontrollieren: das Angebot an Mn, Ta, Fe und Nb, deutliche Unterschiede in der Löslichkeit der Endglieder von Mineralgruppen und die Iteequilibrierung mit spätpegmatitischen Lösungen.

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Alfonso Abella, P., Melgarejo i Draper, J.C. & Corbella i Cordomi, M. Nb-Ta-minerals from the cap de creus pegmatite field, eastern Pyrenees: distribution and geochemical trends. Mineralogy and Petrology 55, 53–69 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01162579

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