Apatite as petrogenetic indicator in magmatic rocks: evidence from cathodoluminescence and chemical microanalysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9095.v25-234593Keywords:
Mineralogy, Igneous rocks, Tectonic provenance, Mineral chemistryAbstract
Cathodoluminescence (CL) and semi-quantitative spot chemical analysis (SEM-EDS) of magmatic apatite show distinct patterns according to their tectonic provenance. In this study, apatite crystals from calc-alkaline granitoids of I-type (Cunhaporanga Granitic Complex - PR and Valsungana Suite - SC) and S-type (G2 Supersuite - MG), as well as alkaline A-type granite (Serra Branca Granite - GO) and alkaline rocks (Tunas Syenite, José Fernandes Gabbro and Jacupiranga Carbonatite, in São Paulo), are examined. Under optical-CL, the crystals show a high-intensity yellowish-green luminescence, whose activator centers are Mn2+ and Ce3+, with emission peaks at 570 nm and 360 nm, respectively. Lower luminescence contributions from other REEs are observed in the CL spectra, along with distinct CL emissions from the core to the rim of the crystals, as a result of variations in their internal composition. When comparing CL emissions across all samples, the activation by Ce3+ is more intense in alkaline rocks compared to granitic ones, possibly due to its higher activity in alkaline magma. The chemical analysis (SEM-EDS) of apatite crystals from the alkaline granite and syenite shows the lowest CaO content, which increases in I-type granite and in the gabbro, and reach the highest values in S-type granite and in the carbonatite. Analysis of variance of the data allows the classification into similar groups, in terms of CaO content, the following clusters are related: i) calc-alkaline granites (I and S-types) and gabbro; ii) syenite and alkaline granite (A-type); and the carbonatite. As for Na2O content, the clustering pattern is: i) I-type granite (Cunhaporanga) and S-type granite; ii) I-type granite (Valsungana), A-type granite, and carbonatite; iii) syenite and gabbro.
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