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A petrologic, geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic study on contact metamorphism and degassing of Devonian evaporites in the Norilsk aureoles, Siberia

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Abstract

Devonian evaporites and associated sedimentary rocks in the Norilsk region were contact metamorphosed during emplacement of mafic sills that form part of the end-Permian (~252 Ma) Siberian Traps. We present mineralogical, geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic data on sedimentary rocks unaffected by metamorphism, and meta-sedimentary rocks from selected contact aureoles at Norilsk, to examine the mechanisms responsible for magma-evaporite interaction and its relation to the end-Permian environmental crisis. The sedimentary rocks include massive anhydrite, rock salt, dolostone, calcareous siltstones and shale, and the meta-sedimentary rocks comprise calcareous hornfels, siliceous hornfels and minor meta-anhydrite and meta-sandstone. Contact metamorphism took place at low pressure and at maximum temperatures corresponding to the phlogopite-diopside stability field. Calcareous hornfels have high CaO, MgO, CΟ2, SΟ3, low SiO2 and initial Sr isotopic ratios of 0.7079–0.7092, features indicative of calcareous siltstone protoliths. Siliceous hornfels, in contrast, have high SiO2, Al2O3, Na2O, low in other major element oxides and initial Sr isotopic ratios of 0.7083–0.7152, consistent with pelitic or shaley protoliths. Loss of CO2 in a subset of calcareous hornfels can be explained by decarbonation reactions during metamorphism, but release of SO2 from evaporites cannot be accounted for by a similar mechanism. Occurrences of wollastonite and a variety of hydrous minerals in the calcareous hornfels are consistent with equilibration with hydrous fluid, which was capable of leaching large quantities of anhydrite in the presence of dissolved NaCl. In this way, substantial sediment-derived sulfur could have been mobilized, incorporated into the magmatic system and released to the atmosphere. The release of CO2 and SO2 from Siberian evaporites added to the variety of toxic gases generated during metamorphism of organic matter, coal and rock salt, contributing to the end-Permian environmental crisis.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Françis Coeur for assistance in sample preparation, Catherine Chauvel, Sarah Bureau and Christèle Poggi in major and trace element analyses, and Hao-Yang Lee and Chiu-Hong Chu for Sr–Nd isotopic analyses. We acknowledge funding granted to NTA from the French ANR (BEGDy project) and the American NSF (continental geodynamics program) and to HS and others from PGP and the Norwegian Research Council (YFF and SFF grants). Logistic support and access to drill-cores provided by Norilsk Nickel are gratefully acknowledged. We express special thanks to Valery Fedorenko, former Norilsk Nickel chief geologist, for the assistance in the field trip and sample delivery. Comments by two anonymous reviewers and the editor Tim Grove improved the quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut des Sciences de la Terre, Université Joseph Fourier, 1381 rue de la Piscine, 38401, Grenoble, France

    Kwan-Nang Pang & Nicholas Arndt

  2. Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, P.O. Box 13-318, Taipei, 10699, Taiwan

    Kwan-Nang Pang & Sun-Lin Chung

  3. Physics of Geological Processes (PGP), University of Oslo, PO Box 1048, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway

    Henrik Svensen, Sverre Planke & Stephane Polteau

  4. Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017, Moscow, Russia

    Alexander Polozov

  5. Institute of Earth Science, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road Section 2, Nankang Taipei, 11529, Taiwan

    Yoshiyuki Iizuka

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  1. Kwan-Nang Pang
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Pang, KN., Arndt, N., Svensen, H. et al. A petrologic, geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic study on contact metamorphism and degassing of Devonian evaporites in the Norilsk aureoles, Siberia. Contrib Mineral Petrol 165, 683–704 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-012-0830-9

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