Deep differentiation of alkali ultramafic magmas: Formation of carbonatite melts

Abstract

The study of melt microinclusions in olivine megacrysts from meimechites and alkali picrites of the Maimecha–Kotui alkali ultramafic and carbonatite province (Polar Siberia) revealed that the melt compositions corrected for loss of olivine due to post-entrapment crystallization of olivine on inclusion walls (differentiates of primary meimechite magma) match well to the composition of nephelinites and olivine melilitites belonging to carbonatite magmatic series. Modeling of fractional crystallization of meimechite magmas results in the high-alkali melt compositions corresponding to the silicate–carbonate liquid immiscibility field. The appearance of volatile-rich melts at the base of magma-generating plume systems at early stages of partial melting can be explained by extraction of incompatible elements including volatiles, by near-solidus melts at low degrees of partial melting, and meimechites are an example of such magmas. Subsequent accumulation of CO₂ in the residual melt results in generation of carbonate magma.