Fractionation of geochemical twins (Zr/Hf, Nb/Ta and Y/Ho) and HREE-enrichment during magmatic and metamorphic processes in peralkaline nepheline syenites from Norra Kärr (Sweden).

The Norra Kärr complex (Sweden) consists of deformed and metamorphosed peralkaline nepheline syenites that contain eudialyte-group minerals as the major host of high field strength elements and rare earth elements. Petrographic studies have revealed the presence of paragenetically distinct generations of eudialyte-group minerals and clinopyroxene of magmatic and metamorphic origin. In this study, we present the trace element characteristics of these different generations of rock-forming minerals in the three major lithological subunits of the Norra Kärr complex.
The trace element chemistry of eudialyte-group minerals mimic whole-rock compositions and display well-developed negative Eu-anomalies and strong Sr- and Ba-depletions in chondrite-normalized diagrams. They imply that the Norra Kärr rocks developed by intense fractional crystallization from an alkali basaltic parental magma. Our data also illustrate that eudialyte-group minerals do not significantly fractionate the geochemical twins Zr/Hf, Y/Ho and Nb/Ta during magmatic processes. In contrast, magmatic clinopyroxene shows a clear preference for Hf over Zr.
The transition from magmatic to metamorphic crystallization is clearly marked in the trace element chemistry of clinopyroxene by decreasing Zr/Hf and Y/Ho ratios. This accompanies the change in major element composition from aegirine sensu strictu to Al-aegirine. The transition from a magmatic to a metamorphic environment is also recorded by an increase of the rare earth element content of eudialyte-group minerals, especially the heavy rare earth elements. The exceptional enrichment of heavy rare earth elements in late metamorphic eudialyte may result from residual enrichment, whereby light rare earth elements were preferentially mobilized to form local secondary light rare earth-rich rinkite-group mineral assemblages.