Petrology and mineralogy of granulite-facies mafic xenoliths (Sardinia, Italy): evidence for KCl metasomatism in the lower crust

Here new mineralogical data is presented on the occurrence of K-feldspar in granulite-facies metagabbronorite xenoliths found in recent alkaline lavas from Western Sardinia, Italy. The xenoliths originated from the underplating of variably evolved subduction-related basaltic liquids, which underwent cooling and recrystallisation in the deep crust (T=850–900 °C, P=0.8–1.0 GPa). They consist of orthopyroxene+clinopyroxene+plagioclase porphyroclasts (An=50–66 mol%) in a granoblastic, recrystallised, quartz-free matrix composed of pyroxene+plagioclase (An=56–72 mol%)+Fe–Ti oxides±K-feldspar±biotite±fluorapatite±Ti-biotite. Texturally, the K-feldspar occurs in a variety of different modes. These include: (1) rods, blebs, and irregular patches in a random scattering of plagioclase grains in the form of antiperthite; (2) micro-veins along plagioclase–plagioclase and plagioclase–pyroxene grain rims; (3) myrmekite-like intergrowths with Ca-rich plagioclase along plagioclase–plagioclase grain boundaries; and (4) discrete anhedral grains (sometimes microperthitic). The composition of each type of K-feldspar is characterized by relatively high albite contents (16–33 mol%). An increasing anorthite content in the plagioclase towards the contact with the K-feldspar micro-vein and myrmekite-like intergrowths into the K-feldspar along the plagioclase–K-feldspar grain boundary are also observed. Small amounts of biotite (TiO2=4.7–6.5 wt.%; F=0.24–1.19 wt.%; Cl=0.04–0.20 wt.%) in textural equilibrium with the granulite-facies assemblage is present in both K-feldspar-bearing and K-feldspar-free xenoliths. These K-feldspar textures suggest a likely metasomatic origin due to solid-state infiltration of KCl-rich fluids/melts. The presence of such fluids is supported by the fluorapatite in these xenoliths, which is enriched in Cl (Cl=6–50% of the total F+Cl+OH). These lines of evidence suggest that formation of Kfeldspar in the mafic xenoliths reflects metasomatic processes, requiring an external K-rich fluid source, which operated in the lower crust during and after in-situ high-T recrystallisation of relatively dry rocks.