Chemistry of chromian spinel in volcanic rocks as a potential guide to magma chemistry

Abstract

Chromian spinel in volcanic rocks is a potential discriminant for magma chemistry. The TiO 2 content of spinel, compared at similar Fe 3+/(Cr + Al + Fe 3+) ratios, can distinguish island arc basalts from intraplate basalts. MORB spinels are low in this ratio and are intermediate for the TiO 2 level at comparable Fe 3+ ratios. Spinels from back-arc basin basalts, although similar in TiO 2/Fe 3+ ratio, are more enriched in Fe 3+ than the MORB spinels. Spinels in the oceanic plateau basalts are distinctly lower in TiO 2 than other intraplate basalt spinels and even slightly lower in TiO 2 than the MORB spinels. The data were successfully applied to estimate the kind of the magma from which spinelbearing cumulates, especially dunites, were formed. Original magma chemistry of altered or metamorphosed volcanics in which spinels survive can also be estimated by the chemistry of relict spinel alone. It is possible to estimate the magma type of source volcanics for detrital spinel particles of volcanic derivation.