T5 Visions of Minerals at the Nanoscale I: In Honor of Mineralogical Society of America Roebling Medalist Peter R. Buseck

Sunday, 22 September 2019
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room 132ABC, North Building

BEAUTY AND COMPLEXITY OF LABRADORITE FELDSPARS: THEIR INCOMMENSURATELY MODULATED STRUCTURES AND SUBSOLIDUS PHASE RELATIONS

Paper number: T5-4
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:55 AM – 9:10 AM

Authors

Abstract

The coupled substitution between Na+Si and Ca+Al in the plagioclase solid solution results in a continuous variation in the Al/Si ratio of the composition, which is the reason for the complicated ordering patterns in the intermediate plagioclase feldspars like labradorite. Both fast-cooled and slow-cooled labradorite feldspars display the incommensurately modulated structures. The ordering pattern in the incommensurately modulated structures of e-plagioclase (characterized by the satellite diffraction peak called e-reflections) is the most complicated and intriguing. The modulated structure has a superspace group symmetry of X(αβγ)0 with a special centering condition of (½ ½ ½ 0), (0 0 ½ ½), (½ ½ 0 ½), and the q-vector has components (i.e., δh, δk, δl) along all three axes in reciprocal space. Displacive modulation, occupational modulation, and density modulation are observed in slowly cooled labradorite feldspars. No density modulation was observed in fast cooled (volcanic) labradorite feldspars. The amplitudes of the modulation waves are new parameters for quantifying the ordering state of labradorite. Iridescent labradorite feldspars display exsolution lamellae with average periodicity ranging from ~ 150 nm to ~350 nm. Compositional difference between the lamellae is about 12 mole % in anorthite component. Areas or zones with red iridescent color (i.e., long lamellae periodicity) always contain more Ca (~ 1 to 3 mole %) than the areas with blue (or green) iridescent color within the same labradorite crystal. We proposed that the solvus for Bøggild intergrowth has a loop-like shape ranging from ~An44 to ~ An63. The Ca-rich side has higher temperature than the Na-rich side. The shapes of satellite peaks, the distances between e-reflections (modulation periods), and even the intensity of c-reflections may also be used to evaluate the ordering state or cooling rate of the plagioclase feldspar. Both modulated structure and the exsolution lamellae can be used as proxies for quantifying cooling rate of a labradorite and its host rock.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 51, No. 5

doi: 10.1130/abs/2019AM-339623

© Copyright 2019 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.