Cr-Saturation Arrays in Concentrate Garnet Compositions from Kimberlite and their Use in Mantle Barometry |
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| Authors: | GRUTTER HERMAN; LATTI DEWETIA; MENZIES ANDREW |
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| Institution: | 1 DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LTD., P.O. BOX 82232, SOUTHDALE, 2135 SOUTH AFRICA
2 MINERAL SERVICES SOUTH AFRICA, P.O. BOX 38668, PINELANDS, 7430 SOUTH AFRICA |
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| Abstract: | The spinel–garnet transition in Cr/Al-enriched peridotiticbulk compositions is known from experimental investigationsto occur at 20–70 kbar, within the pressure range sampledby kimberlites. We show that the Cr2O3–CaO compositionsof concentrate garnets from kimberlite have maximum Cr/Ca arrayscharacterized by Cr2O3/CaO  0·96–0·81, andinterpret the arrays as primary evidence of chromite–garnetcoexistence in Cr-rich harzburgitic or lherzolitic bulk compositionsderived from depth within the lithosphere. Under Cr-saturatedconditions on a known geotherm, each Cr/Ca array implicitlydelineates an isobar inside a garnet Cr2O3–CaO diagram.This simplification invites a graphical approach to calibratean empirical Cr/Ca-in-pyrope barometer. Carbonaceous chromite–garnetharzburgite xenoliths from the Roberts Victor kimberlite tightlybracket a graphite–diamond constraint (GDC) located atCr2O3 = 0·94CaO + 5·0 (wt %), representing a pivotalcalibration corresponding to 43 kbar on a 38 mW/m2 conductivegeotherm. Additional calibration points are established at 14,17·4 and 59·1 kbar by judiciously projecting garnetcompositions from simple-system experiments onto the same geotherm.The garnet Cr/Ca barometer is then simply formulated as follows(in wt %):
- if Cr2O3
 0·94CaO + 5, then P38 (kbar) = 26·9+ 3·22Cr2O3 – 3·03CaO, or - if Cr2O3 <0·94CaO + 5, then P38 (kbar) = 9·2+ 36(Cr2O3+ 1·6)/(CaO + 7·02)].
A small correction to P38 values, applicable for 35–48mW/m2 conductive geotherms, is derived empirically by requiringconventional thermobarometry results and garnet concentratecompositions to be consistent with the presence of diamondsin the Kyle Lake kimberlite and their absence in the Zero kimberlite.We discuss application of the P38 barometer to estimate (1)real pressures in the special case where chromite–garnetcoexistence is known, (2) minimum pressures in the general casewhere Cr saturation is unknown, and (3) the maximum depth ofdepleted lithospheres, particularly those underlying Archaeancratons. A comparison with the PCr barometer of Ryan et al.(1996, Journal of Geophysical Research 101, 5611–5625)shows agreement with P38 at 55 ± 2 kbar, and 6–12%higher PCr values at lower P38. Because the PCr formulationsystematically overestimates the 43 kbar value of the GDC by2–6 kbar, we conclude that the empirical Cr/Ca-in-garnetbarometer is preferred for all situations where conductive geothermsintersect the graphite–diamond equilibrium. KEY WORDS: Cr-pyrope; chromite; P38 barometer; mantle petrology; lithosphere thickness |
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| Keywords: | : Cr-pyrope chromite P38 barometer mantle petrology lithosphere thickness |
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