Djerfisherite in monticellite rocks of the Krestovskaya Intrusion (Polar Siberia)
Authors: Panina L. I. , Isakova A. T. 
Published: May 2019

Djerfisherite in the monticellite rocks of the Krestovskaya Intrusion is found in primary melt inclusions, mono- and polysulfide globules, and in the djerfisherite–hydrogarnet segregations. Melt inclusions are represented by three types. Type I is observed in the cores of perovskite phenocrysts and monticellite grains and corresponds to one of the early crystallization stages of the parental larnite-normative alkali ultrabasic magma enriched in water and other volatiles. Daughter phases of the inclusions are clinopyroxene, serpentine, phlogopite, apatite, nepheline, hydrogarnet, magnetite, djerfisherite, pectolite, and calcite. In some type I inclusions, melt at 1230–1250°C was immiscibly split into two fractions: alkali silicate fraction and highly fluidized water-bearing low-silica fraction enriched in alkali, sulfur, and CO2. The types II and III inclusions in perovskite, monticellite, Ti-garnet, and melilite were formed through the spatial separation of immiscible phases. This follows from the similarity of the modal composition of types II and III melt inclusions to the normative composition of immiscible fractions of type I inclusions. Type II inclusions contain mainly water-bearing silicate daughter phases (hydrogarnet, serpentine, phlogopite, and pectolite), as well as djerfisherite, calcite, and magnetite, Type III inclusions contain clinopyroxene, nepheline, apatite, magnetite, djerfisherite, calcite, and pectolite. The djerfisherite–hydrogarnet segregations are confined to the Ti-magnetite and perovskite phenocrysts and fractures radiating from them in monticellite. The mineral composition of the djerfisherite–hydrogarnet segregations together with their surrounding is similar to the composition of type II inclusions containing similar water-bearing silicates, djerfisherite, calcite, and magnetite.

Such similarity gives grounds to relate the formation of the djerfisherite–hydrogarnet segregations, as type II inclusions, with the spatial separation and crystallization of highly fluidized low-silica melt enriched in water, alkalis, sulfur, and CO2. According to the homogenization experiment, the crystallization of highly fluidized melt at 990–1090°C was accompanied by silicate–sulfide immiscibility and the formation of globular, emulsion-like, and myrmekite structures in the djerfisherite–hydrogarnet segregations, as well as mono- and polysulfide globules with djerfisherite in the hydrogarnet–calcite–serpentine substrate. The formation of ferrobrucite–carbonate–hydrogarnet globules in the djerfisherite–hydrogarnet segregations was also related to melt liquation, which again confirms the magmatic origin of the latter. Sometimes, djerfisherite in the djerfisherite–hydrogarnet segregations becomes coarser and forms rims, bands, and veinlets, which is likely explained by the high mobility and low viscosity of sulfide melt. Scarce grains of heazlewoodite, godlevskite, and pentlandite hosted in the djerfisherite–hydrogarnet segregations frequently have the same shape as djerfisherite, which indirectly suggests their simultaneous crystallization from the same melt. The chemical composition of the djerfisherite from mono- and polysulfide globules, djerfisherite–hydrogarnet segregations, and type I inclusions, as most Yakutian kimberlites, is characterized by the high (12.1–16.7 wt %) Ni and low (0.1–0.9 wt %) Cu contents. The composition of the djerfisherite from types II and III inclusions differs in the lowered (3.3–1.6 wt %) Ni and elevated (40.9–53.2 wt %) Fe contents; type III inclusions have high Cu content: from 7.6 to 10.6 wt %.