Date of Award

Fall 12-2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Program

Geology

Department

Earth and Environmental Sciences

Major Professor

William B. Simmons

Second Advisor

Alexander U. Falster

Third Advisor

Karen Webber

Abstract

Subvolcanically emplaced granitic, miarolitic pegmatites associated with the White Mountain Igneous Province (WMIP), New Hampshire, were sampled and analyzed using modern analytical techniques including X-ray fluorescence, electron microprobe, scanning electron microscopy, and direct-coupled plasma spectrophotometry. Analytical results suggest that all the sampled miarolitic pegmatites from this study are petrogenetically related to the same intrusive suite, the WMIP. Based on the geochemical data, all the samples formed in an anorogenic tectonic setting and are rift-related. They are classified as NYF-type and plot in the “within plate granite” field on tectonic discrimination diagrams. The majority of the samples are peraluminous, A1-type granites. The trace element abundances on the spider diagram and chondrite-normalized diagram, which include a pronounced negative Eu anomaly and REE enrichments, are consistent with these miarolitic pegmatites resulting from a strongly fractionated granitic parental melts, but less fractionated than the classic NYF-systems such as South Platte (Simmons et al. 1987) and the Wausau Syenite Complex (Meyers et al. 1984).

Rights

The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

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