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Chemistry, Occurrence and Paragenesis of Feldspathoids: A Review

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Feldspars and Feldspathoids

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASIC,volume 137))

Abstract

Feldspathoids are a loosely-defined group of alkali alumino silicate minerals deficient in SiO2 with respect to feldspars. Commonly occurring felddspathoids are nepheline [Na,K)AlSiO4]; leucite UK,Na)AlSi2O6]; the melilite group comprising gehlenite (Ca2Al SiO7), akermanite (Ca2MgSi2O7), and soda melilite (NaCaAlSi2O7 ); and analcite (NaAlSi2O6·H2O). Less common varieties are sodalite [Na8 (Al6Si6O24 ) Cl2] , nosean [Na8 (Al6Si6O24) SO4] , hauyne [(Na,Ca)4–8(Al6Si6O24) (SO4,S1–2], cancrinite [(Na,Ca)7–8(Al6Si6O24)(CO3,SO4,Cl)1.5–12.0] and kalsilite [(K,Na)AlSiO4]. Many feldspathoids have complex major and trace element chemistry. Extensive solid solutions occur involving nepheline-kalsilite, and the melilites. Chemical variations are related to their parageneses and often provide the basis for geothermometers and for the identification of source regions of the magmas from which they crystallized.

Feldspathoids occur in a wide variety of alkali-rich SiO2-poor igneous rocks, in metamorphic and metasomatic rocks, and in sedimentary rocks. Nepheline and kalsilite may also be the reservoir for alkalies in the deep mantle. Melilite, nepheline and sodalite have been reported in meteorite inclusions.

The paragenesis of each feldspathoid is reviewed, concentrating on some of the more controversial problems involving feldspathoids in igneous rocks. These include the importance of melilites in basaltic rock genesis, leucite-analcite transformations and the question of primary magmatic analcite, and feldspathoid feldspar geothermometers. Feldspathoid paragenesis is reviewed in the light of associations, geochemistry and experimental petrology. parable to those of the mantle indicate that a number of feldspathoids can, in theory at least, exist in the mantle. Some melilites along the akermanite (Ca2MgSi2O7) — soda melilite (CaNaAlSi2O7) join are certainly stable in the upper mantle (Fig. 12). The limits of gehlenite stability are not known. Nepheline in the presence of only small amounts of SiO2 is stable to at least 40 kb (Bell and Roseboom, 1969). In the presence of greater amounts of SiO2 its stability is limited by the albite + nepheline → liquid and nepheline + albite → jadeite reactions with a maximum stability of about 24 kb at 1250°C (Bell and Roseboom, 1969).

Of the K-rich feldspathoids, leucite is stable to > 30 kb where it breaks down to sanidine and kalsilite (Ringwood et al., 1967). Unlike sanidine, which transforms to a high pressure hollandite structure at 120 kb, these authors detected no transition in kalsilite to give a high pressure structure at pressures up to 120 kb. More recently, Wendlandt and Eggler (1980c) have argued that in realistic mantle compositions with olivine and in the absence of phlogopite, kalsilite is a more likely K-Al-silicate in the upper mantle than sanidine.

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  1. Department of Geology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada, N6A 5B7

    Alan D. Edgar

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  1. Laboratory of Petrology, University of Nancy I, Nancy, France

    William L. Brown

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Edgar, A.D. (1984). Chemistry, Occurrence and Paragenesis of Feldspathoids: A Review. In: Brown, W.L. (eds) Feldspars and Feldspathoids. NATO ASI Series, vol 137. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-6929-3_14

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