『Abstract
The Merensky pegmatoid (normal reef) in the western Bushveld
Complex is commonly characterized as a pyroxene-rich pegmatoidal
unit with a base that is enriched in chromite and platinum-group
element-bearing sulfides overlying a leuconorite footwall. Models
for its formation have ranged from those that view it as entirely
a magmatic cumulate succession to those that have suggested that
it is a zone of volatile-induced remelting. The consequences of
the latter interpretation are investigated using the numerical
modeling program IRIDIUM, which links diffusive and advective
mass and heat transport with a phase equilibration routine based
on the MELTS program. The initial system consists of a simple
stratigraphic succession of a partially molten leuconorite overlain
by a partially molten pyroxenite, both initially at 1,190℃ and
2 kbar. 2 wt% of a volatile fluid composed of 75 mol% H2O,
20 mol% CO2 and 5 mol% H2S
is then added to the lower 20 cm of the pyroxenite. The system
is then allowed to evolve under conditions of chemical diffusion
in the liquid. The addition of the volatile components results
in a modest increase in the amount of melt in the pyroxenite.
However, chemical diffusion across the leuconorite-pyroxenite
boundary leads to more extensive melting at and below the boundary
with preferential loss of opx from the underlying leuconorite,
preferential re-precipitation of sulfide and chromite and concentration
of the PGE at this boundary. These results mimic actual mineral
and compositional profiles across the Merensky pegmatoid and illustrate
that long-term diffusion process can effectively produce mineralogical
and compositional layering not present in the original assemblage.
Keywords: Bushveld Complex; Merensky Reef; Platinum group elements;
Geochemical modeling』
Introduction
Modeling the Merensky Reef
Initial assemblage and run conditions
Results
Robustness of the model
Discussion and conclusions
Acknowledgments
Appendix
References