Zirconolite and baddeleyite from metacarbonates of the Oetzstal–Stubai Complex (northern Tyrol, Austria)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Zirconolite and baddeleyite from polymetamorphosed metacarbonates of the Oetztal-Stubai complex (northern Tyrol, Austria) are described in terms of their paragenetic relationship and chemical compositions. For the first time an analysis of a chemically zoned niobian zirconolite (high Nb and low Ti in core, low Nb and high Ti at rim) is presented. Genetic possibilities for the origin of the metacarbonates are discussed in the light of zirconolite-and baddeleyite-formation.

Zirconolite, allanite and hoegbomite in a marble skarn from the Bergell contact aureole: implications for mobility of Ti, Zr and REE

“…Zirconolites in altered pyroxenites (Borodin et al 1956(Borodin et al , 1961 exhibit more fractionated patterns with a strong enrichment in the light REE (LREE), particularly in Ce, Nd and Sm. In contrast to that, zirconolites in terrestrial and lunar igneous rocks (Busche et al 1972;Lovering and Wark 1974;Meyer and Boctor 1974;Wark et al 1974;Harding et al 1982) as well as in the Oetztal metacarbonates (Purtscheller and Tessadri 1985) are enriched in the heavier REE. This variation in relative REE contents seems to reflect availability of REE during crystallization in the different (Deer et al 1962;Dollase 1971).…”

“…Inclusions of zirconolite in phlogopite which has been partially replaced by chlorite show that formation of zirconolite preceeded the final stage of spinel alteration. Baddeleyite, commonly associated with zirconolite (Hussak and Prior 1897;Busche et al 1972;Meyer and Boctor 1974;Zhuravleva et al 1976;Williams 1978;Purtscheller and Tessadri 1985), was not found in the Bergell sample. Sphene is the most important REE-bearing mineral.…”

“…It is also a constituent of heavy mineral sands from Sri Lanka (Blake and Smith 1913). Recently, an occurrence of zirconolite in marble lenses of the Oetztal, Austria, has been described by Purtscheller and Tessadri (1985). Zirconolite is a common accessory phase in lunar samples where it crystallized from late-stage, U-enriched liquids in mesostasis areas of mare basalts (Meyer andBoctor 1974, Wark et al 1974;Lovering and Wark 1974) as well as in feldspathic peridotites and norites (Busche et al 1972).…”

Mg-Al yttrian zirconolite in a partially melted sapphirine granulite, Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica

“…The Vestfold Hills phase plots well inside the perrierite field as determined by Ito (1967), with average A and B+ C-site cation radii of 0.108 and 0.062 nm respectively, and is therefore considered to be perrierite rather than chevkinite. (Purtscheller and Tessardi, 1985;Platt et al, 1987;Zakrzewski et al, 1992;Gier6 and Williams, 1992), is responsible for 58-63% of the total REE+Y content of the Vestfold Hills zirconolite.…”

A new natural occurrence of zirconolite (CaZrTi2O7) and baddeleyite (ZrO2) in basic cumulates: the Laouni layered intrusion (Southern Hoggar, Algeria)

“…To date, fourteen occurrences of zirconolite are known (Purtscheller and Tessadri, 1985;Fowler and Williams, 1986;Gi6r6, 1986;Platt et al, 1987;Agrell et al, 1986). It occurs mainly in alkaline, silicaundersaturated rocks such as sanidinites, kimberlites, carbonatites, and syenites, as well as in hydrothermal and alluvial deposits, altered pyroxenite and metamorphic rocks.…”