Elsevier

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

Volume 55, Issue 9, September 1991, Pages 2635-2655
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

Fassaite composition trends during crystallization of Allende Type B refractory inclusion melts

https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(91)90379-JGet rights and content

Abstract

Fassaite is a major phase in Type B refractory inclusions and its wide compositional variability makes it an excellent recorder of crystallization-induced changes in liquid composition. Traverses across zoned crystals with electron and ion microprobes show that Ti, V, Sc, Zr and Hf decrease from core to rim, while Mg, Si, REEs, and other trace elements increase. Fassaite/liquid distribution coefficients derived from the compositions of early fassaite and calculated parent liquid compositions are higher than previously reported fassaite Ds, e.g., 0.2–0.8 vs. 0.08–0.5 for the trivalent REEs, possibly due to the high Ti and Al contents of the fassaite we analyzed. Log-log plots of concentrations of elements vs. those of Sc give linear relationships with slopes of (D̄ixl/L − 1)/(D̄Scxl/L − 1), where D̄ixl/L- is the bulk crystal/liquid distribution coefficient for element i. From this relationship, we derive effective fassaite/liquid Ds of 2.8 for Sc, 1.5 for Hf, 1.1 for Zr, 0.52 for Y, 0.34 for Ta, 0.29 for Nb, and 0.31–0.48 for trivalent REEs. The effective Ds are applicable to fassaite crystallizing from melts having the compositions and thermal histories of Allende Type B refractory inclusions, and incorporate any equilibrium and kinetic effects that modify Ds during the course of crystallization. Observed fassaite REE contents can be reproduced by a fractional crystallization model in which the effective Ds are used. Ti3+ is more compatible in fassaite than Ti4+ and, without equilibration of the residual liquid with an external reducing gas, Ti3+Titot ratios (where Titot = Ti3+ + Ti4+ should decrease from core to rim in fassaite crystals. Comparison of profiles of Ti3+Titot ratios in several crystals with those calculated for fractional crystallization suggests that the trend in one crystal was controlled by fractional crystallization alone, but in two others the virtually constant Ti3+Titot ratios may imply that the liquids in these inclusions were able to maintain equilibrium with the solar nebular gas throughout crystallization. Attempts to determine the ƒo2 of fassaite crystallization on the basis of Ti3+Titot ratios must be based on fassaite grains which are not zoned with respect to Ti3+Titot. The range of observed REE abundances in subliquidus fassaite (7–800 × Cl for La and 30–2000 × Cl for Lu) now encompasses those in grains previously identified as relict, removing a major reason for their identification as such. Rounded fassaite grains with fairly sharp Mg-rich rims and Ti-rich cores, poikilitically enclosed in mantle melilite in TS34 are candidates for relict grains. The grains are so Scrich that they would require extreme prior crystallization of spinel and melilite, which is inconsistent with their very low REE contents (e.g., La at 3–7 × Cl). We suggest that the cores of these grains are relict and were trapped with liquid during formation of the mantle.

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