Chromite in the Paricutin lava flows (1943-1952)

Small euhedral chromite crystals are found in olivine macrophenocrysts (Fo( 80-84)) from the basaltic andesites (150 ppm Cr) erupted in 1943-1947, and in orthopyroxene macrophenocrysts of the andesites (75 ppm Cr) erupted in 1 947-1952. The majority of the chromite octahedra are 5-20 mu m in diameter, and some are found in clusters and linear chains of three or more oriented chromite crystals. The composition of the majority of the chromite grains within olivine and orthopyroxene macrophenocrysts is Fe2+/(Fe2+ + Mg) = 0.5 -0.6, Cr/(Cr + Al) = 0.5-0.6 and Fe3+/(Fe3+ + Al + Cr) = 0.2-0.3. The chrom ite crystals in contact with the groundmass are larger, subhedral, and grad e in composition from chromite cores to magnetite rims. Comparison of the c omposition of chromite with those of other volcanic rocks shows that the mo st primitive Paricutin chromite is richer in total iron and higher in Fe3+/ (Fe3+ + Al + Cr) than primary chromite in most lavas. The Linear chains of oriented chromite octahedra are found in olivine and orthopyroxene macrophe nocrysts, and in the groundmass. These chromite chains are thought to resul t from diffusion-controlled crystallization because of the very high partit ion coefficient (1000) of Cr between chromite and melt. We conclude that ch romite was a primary phase in the lavas at the time of extrusion and that m agnetite only crystallized after extrusion during cooling of the lava Rows. The presence of chromite microphenocrysts in andesitic lavas containing as little as 70 ppm Cr can be explained by dissolved H2O in the melt depressi ng the liquidus temperature for orthopyroxene such that chromite becomes a liquidus phase. The influence of dissolved H2O can also explain the lack of plagioclase macrophenocrysts in most of the lavas and the relatively high partition coefficient (20) of Ni between olivine and melt and the high part ition coefficient (40) of Cr between orthopyroxene and melt. The liquidus t emperature of the basaltic andesite is estimated to have been less than 114 0 degrees C, assuming H2O > 1 wt.%, and the log fo(2) to have been above th at of the QFM buffer. The chromite and orthopyroxene liquidus temperature o f the andesites, assuming H2O > 1 wt.%, is estimated to have been 1100 degr ees C or less. The derivation of the later andesites from the earlier basal tic andesites has been explained by a combination of fractional crystalliza tion of olivine, orthopyroxene and plagioclase, and assimilation of xenolit hs. The significantly lower Cr, Ni and Mg of the andesites may have been in part due to the separation of olivine macrophenocrysts plus enclosed chrom ite crystals from the earlier basaltic andesites. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.