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Rakotosamizanany S., Giuliani Gaston, Ohnenstetter D., Rakotondrazafy A. F. M., Fallick A. E., Paquette J. L., Tiepolo M. (2014). Chemical and oxygen isotopic compositions, age and origin of gem corundums in Madagascar alkali basalts. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 94 (SI), p. 156-170. ISSN 1464-343X.

Titre du document
Chemical and oxygen isotopic compositions, age and origin of gem corundums in Madagascar alkali basalts
Année de publication
2014
Type de document
Article référencé dans le Web of Science WOS:000336871400013
Auteurs
Rakotosamizanany S., Giuliani Gaston, Ohnenstetter D., Rakotondrazafy A. F. M., Fallick A. E., Paquette J. L., Tiepolo M.
Source
Journal of African Earth Sciences, 2014, 94 (SI), p. 156-170 ISSN 1464-343X
Madagascar is a large producer of gem corundum recovered from continental basaltic fields. The main mining areas are sapphire-bearing palaeoplacer deposits such as Ambondromifehy and Nosy Be in Antsiranana Province, northern Madagascar; Soamiakatra-Mandrosohasina in Antananarivo Province, central Madagascar; and Vatomandry district in Toamasina Province, eastern Madagascar. In Antananarivo Province, Soamiakatra is a primary deposit where ruby is found in metagabbro and pyroxenite xenoliths, brought-up to the upper crust by the Ankaratra volcanics. Petrographic studies indicate two different conditions of ruby formation, at the boundary of the eclogite domain (T 1100 C, P 20 kb) and granulite facies (T 1100 C, P < 15 kb). In contrast, most of the sapphires in placer and paleoplacer have two origins: (i) differentiation of alkaline magma in chambers at the lower continental crust-mantle boundary (90% of the sapphires). They are related to syenite and anorthoclasite xenoliths in the basalts. These alkali-basalt hosts are linked with asthenosphere upwelling and E-W and N-5 lithosphere thinning during Oligocene-Quaternary times. Zircons associated with the sapphires from Mandrosohasina and Ambatomainty sapphire deposits gave U-Pb ages at 7 Ma. The sapphires have low 8180 values of 4.1 +/- 0.4%, (n = 8), within the range of sapphire in syenitic rocks. Chemical composition and mineral inclusions in sapphires, such as columbite-(Fe), tantalite-(Mn), pyrochlore group, samarksite group, uraninite and anorthoclase confirm their syenitic origin. (ii) metamorphic xenocrysts (10%) brought up by the same magma. Oxygen isotopic compositions of rubies from placer deposits, 8180 = 3.1 +/- 1.1%0(n = 6) are typical of ruby in mafic and ultramafic rocks and 'plumasite' in mafic rocks (1.25 < SO < 7.5%0, n = 35). In Toamasina Province, the sapphires of Vatomandry are mainly of metamorphic origin (similar to 85%) and their 8180 = 4.1 0.4 parts per thousand (n = 9) are low and overlaps the range defined for metasomatic sapphires linked to 'plumasites' and biotite schists in shear zones; 15% of the sapphires are magmatic in origin with a low delta O-18-isotopic range in the sapphire-bearing syenites field. In Antsiranana Province, there are no rubies and sapphires are either magmatic (similar to 40%) or metamorphic (similar to 60%) in origin. The 8180 = 4.5 +/- 0.5 parts per thousand (n = 11) values are similar to the mean 8180 of sapphires from other two Provinces. Two U/Pb ages on zircons gave two contrasted ages at respectively 40.6 Ma for Ambondromifehy and 0.7 Ma for Nosy Be sapphire deposits. The characteristics of the corundum, their isotopic compositions as well as their ages demonstrate the existence of two distinct sources of corundum associated with alkali-basalts in Madagascar. On one hand, the rubies associated with metagabbros and garnet-bearing pyroxenites are linked to mafic and ultramafic complexes of eclogite facies at the boundary between lower crust and upper mantle, retrograded to granulite fades during the Pan-African event. On the other hand, the sapphires brought up during the Eocene to Quaternary are interpreted to be either magmatic and coeval with a volcanic event involving differentiated alkaline magma, or metamorphic and extracted from the pre-existing Precambrian basement during the extrusion of the magma.
Plan de classement
Géologie et formations superficielles [064]
Description Géographique
MADAGASCAR
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010062240]
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010062240
Contact