Mineral trace element analysis of xenocrysts and xenoliths hosted in the Limeira I kimberlite (APIP, Brazil)

The Limeira I kimberlite (91±6 Ma; Guarino et al., 2013) is part of the Alto Paranaíba Igneous Province (APIP) and was emplaced in the southern part of the São Francisco Craton in Brazil.

This Kimberlite contains macrocrysts and phenocrysts of olivine, resorbed phlogopite/ tetraferriphlogopite, Al-free magnetite, chromite, magnesian ilmenite, rutile, perovskite, monticellite, apatite, serpentine and carbonate. It also contains a suite of xenocrysts and xenoliths (among which we recall wehrlite, phlogopite-ilmenite-websterite, olivine-ilmenite-glimmerite, clinopyroxenites bearing potassic-richterite, chromite-monticellite-kalsilite xenoliths, rutile with priderite or perovskite reaction rims, magnesian chromian ilmenite with perovskite rims).

In this part of the project, we analyzed the xenocryst minerals and the main minerals found in the xenoliths entrapped in the Limeira I kimberlite.
Analyzing the trace element concentrations in these minerals, helped us to better understand the processes that may occur in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the Alto Paranaíba Igneous Province. These analyses also provided important information about the minerals' enrichment in rare earth elements (REEs) and high field strength elements (HFSEs).

This publication results from work conducted under the transnational access/national open access action at Mass spectrometry la-icp laboratory (IGG-CNR, Italy) supported by WP3 ILGE - MEET project, PNRR - EU Next Generation Europe program, MUR grant number D53C22001400005.