Rare earth element fractionation in magmatic Ca-rich garnets

Abstract

Igneous garnets have the potential to strongly fractionate rare earth elements (REE). Yet informations on partition coefficients are very scant, and criteria for distinguishing between hydrothermal and magmatic garnets are ambiguous. To fill this gap, we present trace element and isotopic data for two types of Ca-rich garnets from phonolites (Mt. Somma-Vesuvius). Both Ca-garnet populations are different in their style and dynamics of fractionation: one population is progressively strongly depleted in HREE from core to rim, reflecting REE fractionation in the host phonolite via earlier-crystallized garnets. Such examples for extreme changes in HREE in garnets are only known for hydrothermal grandites by REE-bearing fluids. The second garnet population is homogeneous and formed in a closed system. Near-flat patterns between Sm and Lu confirm experimental data indicating lower D(Sm)/D(Lu) for Ca-rich garnets than for e.g. pyrope-rich garnets. It follows: D-Grt/PhMelt for La = 0.5, Sm = 48 and Yb = 110.