Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T17:57:48.157Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Zoning in granitoid accessory minerals as revealed by backscattered electron imagery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

B. A. Paterson ,
W. E. Stephens  and
D. A. Herd
B. A. Paterson
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland
W. E. Stephens
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland
D. A. Herd
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Accessory minerals are often difficult to investigate with light optics as the mineral grains tend to be small and the refractive indices high. Textural features due to variations in composition are well displayed in such minerals by backscattered electron imagery under circumstances designed to select only the composition contribution to electron backscattering and displayed as atomic number (Z)-contrast imagery (ZCI). It is shown by this technique that compositional zonation patterns are very common and sector zoning in titanite is described for the first time. The compositional basis for zonation of titanites in this study is shown to be controlled by coupled substitutions involving the REE. The technique is particularly good at revealing rounded cores to zircon grains which are normally taken to be refractory grains from the magma source region, and ZCI studies may improve targeting of grains for U-Pb geochronological investigations. Several examples are presented of applications of the technique to accessory minerals encountered in polished thin sections of granitoids in the Caledonian of Scotland. The consequences of ZCI studies for trace element modelling of REE in granitoid petrogenesis are discussed.

Keywords

zoningaccessory mineralsbackscattered electron imagery
Type
Petrology and Geochemistry
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 53 , Issue 369 , March 1989 , pp. 55 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brown, P. E. (1983) In Geology of Scotland (Craig, G. Y., ed.) Scottish Academic Press, Edinburgh. 472 pp.Google Scholar
Chase, A. B., and Osmer, J. A. (1966. J. Electrochem. Soc. 113, 198-9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deer, W. A., Howie, R. A., and Zussman, J. (1966) An Introduction To The Rock Forming Minerals. Longman, London. 528 pp.Google Scholar
Drake, M. J., and Weill, D. F. (1972) Chem. Geol. 10, 179-81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Exley, R. A. (1980) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 48, 97-110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fielding, P. E. (1970) Am. Mineral. 55, 428-40.Google Scholar
Goldstein, J. I., Newbury, D. E., Echlin, P., Joy, D. C., Fiorì, C., and Lifshin, E. (1981) Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis. Plenum Press, New York, 673 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, T. H., and Pearson, N. J. (1986) Chem. Geol. 54, 185-201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoffman, J. E., and Long, J. V. P. (1984) Mineral. Mag. 48, 513-17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kouchi, A., Sugawara, Y., Kashima, K., and Sunagawa, I. (1983) Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 83, 177-84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krogh, T. E. (1982) Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 46, 637-49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lloyd, G. E. (1987) Mineral. Mag. 51, 3-19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacKenzie, W. S., Donaldson, C. H, and Guilford, C. (1982) Atlas of igneous rocks and their textures. Longman, London. 148 pp.Google Scholar
Nakagawa, S. (1986) JEOL News, 24E, 7-14.Google Scholar
Owen, M. R. (1987) J. Sediment. Petrol. 57, 824-30.Google Scholar
Vander Wood, T. B., and Clayton, R. N. (1985) J. Geol. 93, 251-70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, I. S., Compston, W., Black, L. P., Ireland, T. R., and Foster, J. J. (1984) Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 88, 322-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar