Date of Award

Spring 5-2014

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Program

Earth and Environmental Sciences

Department

Earth and Environmental Sciences

Major Professor

Simmons, William B.

Second Advisor

Webber, Karen L.

Third Advisor

Falster, Alexander U.

Abstract

The early Cretaceous anorogenic Erongo Granite of Namibia is known to host abundant boron mineralization in rounded, quartz-tourmaline clusters and in NYF-type miarolitic, pegmatitic cavities. Rock and mineral samples were taken from the bulk granite, tourmaline nests, and miarolitic cavities and analyzed using a variety of modern analytical techniques. Geochemical and mineralogical data suggest substantial input from the metasedimentary rocks of the Damara orogen was important in the genesis of the Erongo Granite magma. The geochemical signature of the Damara orogen is most evident in the tourmaline clusters and miarolitic cavities, where fractional crystallization accumulated volatile and incompatible elements enough to exsolve a second fluid phase and induce drastic textural and mineralogical changes. As a result, the geochemical character of the pegmatitic cavities is far removed from that of classic NYF-type systems, where boron mineralization is usually not observed.

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.

Share

COinS