Date of Award
Spring 5-2014
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Program
Geology
Department
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Major Professor
Dr. William Simmons
Second Advisor
Dr. Karen L. Webber
Third Advisor
Mr. Alexander Falster
Abstract
Mount Mica is a poorly zoned sodic LCT-type pegmatite consisting dominantly of quartz, albite and muscovite in the outer portions. Potassium feldspar and lepidolite are restricted to the core zone. Micas in the wall zone are chemically homogeneous, but abruptly evolve into higher Cs + Rb bearing lithian muscovites and lepidolites in the core zone. The abrupt increase of the Cs, Rb in K-feldspar, and Cs, Rb and F in muscovite, and lepidolite combined with the occurrence of highly evolved species lepidolite, pollucite, elbaite, beryl and spodumene in the core zone suggests that incompatible elements were retained in residual fluid until their concentration was high enough to initiate crystallization of incompatible-rich mineral phases. The relatively low abundance of incompatible elements in the hanging wall suggest that the fractionation process was efficient in sweeping incompatibles into the core-zone, producing proportionally small volumes inside the pegmatite with very high enrichment in incompatible elements.
Recommended Citation
Marchal, Karen L., "Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Evolution of Mica and Feldspar from within the Mount Mica Pegmatite, Maine, USA" (2014). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 1822.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1822
Rights
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