New Findings of Rare Minerals in Alkaline Rocks of Ukrainian Shield

Abstract

Over recent years, new rare minerals have been discovered in the alkaline rocks of the Ukrainian Shield. Agpaitic varieties of alkaline magmatic and metasomatic rocks turned out to be especially abundant in rare minerals. Numerous findings are related to alkaline metasomatites which are considered to be fenites and apofenite albitites of the Dmytrivka quarry. It is well known primarily by the presence of various accessory (Nb, REE, and Zr) minerals, as well as silicate and oxide minerals that are rare for Ukraine. The most common albite microcline fenites of this quarry are characterized by rare-earth mineralization, whereas the concentration of REE decreases in apofenite albitites and Zr and Nb increase. New rare minerals were also found in the essentially albite rock with astrophyllite, alkaline pyroxene and amphibole of the Malatersa massif and agpaitic phonolites of the Oktyabrsky massif. In the rocks of the mentioned massifs and occurrences of alkaline rocks the most interesting are the findings of the perraultite — jinshajiangite series. They were found in three points of the Azov area and include 1) perraultite and jinshajiangite in the alkaline metasomatites of the Dmytrivka quarry; 2) only perraultite in agpaitic phonolites of the Oktyabrsky massif (Kam’yana gully); 3) jinshajiangite in a veined albite rock among the gabbro of the Malatersa massif. Baotite and minerals of the hejtmanite — bafertisite series were also found in the metasomatites of the Dmytrivka quarry. The latter belong to intermediate varieties in terms of MnO (10-17 wt.%) and FeO (10-17 wt.%) which distinguishes them from Fe-rich bafertisite from other regions. A silicate mineral with high content of Na, Zr, Mn and elevated Ti and Nb is rarely observed as small inclusions in the kupletskite grains from alkaline metasomatite of the Dmytrivka quarry. According to the chemical composition it was previously diagnosed as janhaugite. Tainiolite was found in some occurrences of alkaline metasomatites in the Azov region. In addition small aggregates of the REE-enriched epidote were found in fenites of the Kaplany village, which is probably the first finding in Ukraine. Two new Zr minerals have been found in the aegirine syenites of the Korsun-Novomyrhorod pluton: elpidite and mineral with a high content of Y2O3 (13-14 wt.%) (Y-hagatalite ?).