Mineralogy, composition and PGM of chromitites from Pefki, Pindos ophiolite complex (NW Greece): evidence for progressively elevated fAs conditions in the upper mantle sequence

摘要

The Pindos ophiolite complex, located in the northwestern part of continental Greece, hosts various chromite deposits of both metallurgical (high-Cr) and refractory (high-Al) type. The Pefki chromitites are banded and subconcordant to the surrounding serpentinized dunites. The Cr# [Cr/(Cr+Al)] of magnesiochromite varies between 0.75 and 0.79. The total PGE grade ranges from 105.9 up to 300.0 ppb. IPGE are higher than PPGE, typical ofmantle hosted ophiolitic chromitites. The PGM assemblage in chromitites comprises anduoite, ruarsite, laurite, irarsite, sperrylite, hollingworthite, Os-Ru-Ir alloys including osmium and rutheniridosmine, Ru-bearing oxides, braggite, paolovite, platarsite, cooperite, vysotskite, and palladodymite. Iridarsenite and omeiite were also observed as exsolutions in other PGM. Rare electrum and native Ag are recovered in concentrates. This PGM assemblage is of great petrogenetic importance because it is significantly different from that commonly observed in podiform mantle-hosted and banded crustal-hosted ophiolitic chromitites. PGE chalcogenides of As and S are primary, and possibly crystallized directly from a progressively enriched in As boninitic melt before or during magnesiochromite precipitation. The presence of Ru-bearing oxides implies simultaneous desulfurization and dearsenication processes. Chemically zoned laurite and composite paolovite-electrum intergrowths are indicative of the relatively high mobility of certain PGE at low temperatures under locally oxidizing conditions. The PGM assemblage and chemistry, in conjunction with geological and petrologic data of the studied chromitites, indicate that it is characteristic of chromitites found within or close to the petrologic Moho. Furthermore, the strikingly different PGM assemblages between the high-Cr chromitites within the Pindos massif is suggestive of non-homogeneous group of ores.