MINERAL RELATIONSHIPS AND THEIR CHEMISTRY IN SOME BASIC MAGMATIC ROCKS OF BANIJA OPHIOLITE COMPLEX, CROATIA

Abstract

Mineral relationships and their chemistry were studied in some basic magmatic rocks of Banija ophiolite complex. On the basis of mineral and structural characteristics three kind of rocks are distinguished: metadiabase I (being characterized by secondary amphibole), metadiabase II (being characterized by secondary albite) and spilite. Detailed chemistry of all mineral phases, specially of zoned clinopyroxenes and zoned amphiboles is given. The black opaque phases consist of different Fe-Ti-Mn oxides (ilmenite, Mn-ilmenite, magnetite, Ti-magnetite, ferropseudobrookite) being often at the rims replaced by Al- and Fe-rich titanite. All rocks are hydrothermally metamorphosed whereby amphibole replaced partly or completely clinopyroxene and plagioclase was altered in albite, prehnite, pumpellyite and/or sericite. Secondary chlorite occurs too. The whole rock chemistry of each studied rock corresponds to tholeiitic basalts.

Keywords

• metadiabase
• spilite
• ophiolite
• mineral relationship
• mineral chemistry
• Banija
• Dinaride