ORIENTATION OF ACICULAR IRON-ORE MINERAL INCLUSIONS IN PLAGIOCLASE

P. O.

Sobolev

From: "Oriyentovka igol'chatykh vklyucheniy zhelezorudnykh mineralov v plagioklaze (na primere Burakovskogo massiva)," Zapiski Vsesoyuznogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva, 1990, Vol. 119, No. 1, pp. 36-50.

Plagioclases in gabbro-norite of the Burakov intrusion contain abundant acicular inclusions (apparently magnetite) and platy inclusions (probably hematite). Observations with the universal stage show that the former may have as many as five simultaneous orientations within the plagioclase lattice, only one of which corresponds to the cleavage plane.

Ore-mineral inclusions in feldspars have long attracted attention [3, 4, 11, 14]. During the last two decades, inclusions of iron minerals have come to be considered as the carriers of the stable remanent magnetization in many plagioclase-rich rocks [9, 10]. Many authors have described two main types of inclusion in plagioclase: acicular and platy, both studied with difficulty because of their microscopic dimensions. Discussions mainly concern the possible compositions of the inclusions, and heretofore there have been no unambiguous findings on their orientation in the plagioclase, although it is universally recognized that it follows some regular pattern. Williamson [17] indicated the presence of four different directions for the acicular inclusions, while Reynolds [15] observed that the inclusions are parallel to twin boundaries. Later, Philpotts [13] and Bridgewater and Harry [7] reported that platy hematite and ilmenite inclusions in plagioclase lie in the (010) and (100) planes, while acicular inclusions are parallel to [100] and lie in (010) planes, and it has also been found that acicular opaque inclusions are subject to the twin symmetry [4]. Finally, Nienaber-Roberts [12] discussed acicular inclusions in plagioclase from the Bushveld complex, but merely observed that the needles lie in five different directions. Plagioclases of the Burakov intrusion. The Early Proterozoic Burakov intrusion lies near the southeast margin of die Baltic shield east of Lake Onega, It is 616 Copyright 1990 by V. H. Winston & Son, foe. All rights reserved.

a large layered basic-ultrabasic intrusion, analogous to such well-known intrusions as Stillwater, Skaergaard, and Bushveld. The intrusion is clearly divided into three blocks: Burakov, Shalozero, and Aganozero. In the first two, almost die entire subsurface parts are composed of gabbroids, and only at the southern contact are serpentinized peridotites exposed. The Aganozero block differs considerably, with various serpentinites after ultramafites abundant, with altered gabbro-norites at the center. Polikarpov et al. [2] and Garber et al. [1] gave results that can be used with the mapping by die Northwest Geological Organization (1984-1989) to draw the following general section for the intrusion. There are clearly three zones: from bottom upward, ultramafic, transitional, and mafic. The first two are complex, particularly when they are compared with the monotonous and persistent successions in the mafic zone, which is composed of two varieties of gabbro-norite, which have been called the barren and the titanomagnetite phases. The barren phase contains 50-70% plagioclase (An35-4o) and approximately equal amounts of bronzite and augite, with ore minerals not more than 1%, and sometimes with secondary amphibok and biotite. The higher-lying titanomagnetite gabbro-norites contain 5-10% titanomagnetite. The various gabbroids and pyroxenites exposed in the endocontact zones are combined as the lateral margin group. The gabbroids are similar in composition to the barren gabbro-norites in the

P. O. SOBOLEV

mafic zone but contain crystals of quartz and microcline along with numerous secondary minerals, and show appreciable variation in grain size. Plagioclase is the predominant mineral in the succession beginning with the base of the mafic zone, above which plagioclase constitutes more than half the rock volume in all the main varieties (in turn, the gabbroids in the mafic zone constitute -50% of the volume of the entire intrusion). The plagioclase is commonly somewhat more idiomorphic than the pyroxene. Plagioclase in the barren gabbro-norites forms tabular grains from 2 to 5 mm in size. The plagioclase in the titanomagnetite gabbro-norites forms more regular shapes and somewhat similar grains, -1-2 mm. Most of the plagioclase grains have a fairly fresh appearance (apart from the Aganozero block), and the most altered plagioclase occurs at the margins of the intrusion. Plagioclase in the mafic zone ranges from An25 to An60, with regular variation in the section; that in the barren gabbro-norite is appreciably more calcic (andesine-labradorite), than in the titanomagnetite phase (oligoclase-andesine), as confirmed by microprobe analysis as well as optical measurements (Table 1). The orthoclase component in the plagioclase increases up section, reflecting the accumulation of potassium during differentiation. Plagioclase from the margins of the gabbro-norites has the highest trace-component levels. High Fe levels (from 0.34 to 0.72%) are found in a series of analyses for plagioclase from the barren and other gabbro-norites, which clearly has a bearing on the origin of the ore-mineral inclusions. The Burakov plagioclase shows normal zoning: the rims are 3-5% more sodic than the central parts for plagioclases An30-An40. In more calcic grains, the compositional variation may be 8-10%. Li both cases, there are no sharp boundaries, and only the rims are more sodic. Less often, one finds compositional variation in the form of irregular spots for plagioclase in the titanomagnetite gabbro-norite. Inclusions are invariably present. Several types can be distinguished: 1) acicular opaque; 2) platy brownish semitransparent; 3) dusty opaque; and 4) colorless with regular forms. The amounts of these may vary appreciably, but there is no doubt that they occur widely, both in the section and in plan. 617

The acicular opaque inclusions occur in all the main types of gabbroid at Burakov. The abundance of needles vary from one rock to another and even from grain to grain. Usually, one finds "acicular" and "clean" plagioclase in a section together, with the distribution of the acicular inclusions rarely uniform. The needles are usually visible at magnifications of -70 (Fig. la); if they are sufficiently numerous in a grain, the plagioclase appears slightly cloudy at low magnifications. At high magnifications, one sees that the inclusions are needle-like when they are somewhat inclined to the plane of the section, they give the impression of "comets" (Fig. lb). As the focus is adjusted, some needles vanish from the field of view and others enter it. They remain opaque to the highest magnifications (up to x540). The lengths vary from 10 mm to several hundred micrometers; the thicknesses are more constant, several micrometers. On the other hand, there are sometimes appreciable differences in thickness: The short needles are usually thicker. The most notable feature of the acicular inclusions is that they are strictly parallel one to another within a given system, although a crystal may contain several systems. Needle orientation has been determined with the universal stage, as described below. The composition of the needles cannot be determined directly by microprobe because the resolving power is inadequate and therefore the needles are analyzed along with the enclosing plagioclase (analyses 1 and 2 in Table 1). Nevertheless, it is clear that they are composed of iron oxides, since Ti, Mn, Cr, and Mg are absent. Those needles are the only possible source of the strong residual magnetization found on thermomagnetic analysis for the barren gabbro-norites, and they give typical singlephase magnetite curves with a Curie point at 575, which corresponds to pure magnetite (thermomagnetic analysis by B. N. Pisakin). The inclusions have complicated distributions in the grains and in the rock, but there are certain patterns; the needles are associated with the central parts of the An3o-40 plagioclase grains in the titanomagnetite gabbro-norite, while in the barren phase, the distribution is less regular, with the needles often occurring at the grain rims. There are most needles in the plagioclase from the gabbro-norite of the margin, but such grains containing needles are not so common as in plagioclase of the titanomagnetite phase. A feature of the last is that there is only

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TABLE 1. Compositions (wt. %) for Plagioclases of the Burakov Intrusion Analysis number Specimen number (borehole/depth) SiQ2 Ti0 2 AI2O3 FeO + Fe20 3 MnO MgO

Titanomagnetite gabbro-norites 4*776 4*776 96/164 47/254 4EG/84 45/170 58.94 57.81 58.24 57.71 57.84 55.69 0.00 0.00 0.00 23.96 24.35 27.42 27.01 27.49 26.40 2.52 3.76 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.66 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.26

0.11

Barren gabbro-norites in the Shalozero and Burakov blocks 8*737 8*737 45/178 ll G /97.9 1*758.5 8EG/133 56.91 58.18 59.05 55.77 56.92 53.59 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 27.77 27.63 24.58 26.63 26.31 28.79 0.00 0.00 0.72 0.47 0.44 0.34 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.13 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

9 10 11 12

Barren gabbro-norites in the Aganzero block 13 14 5/61.2 9/72 56.75 52.55 0.07 0.00 27.62 28.99 0.32 0.34 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.00

Marginal-group gabbro-norites 15 16 Analysis number CaO 2Sh/39.5 37/113 Na 2 0 53.65 46.50 K20 0.20 0.28
G-2O3

29.14 32.84

0.23 0.15 An

0.18 0.12 Ab

0.00 0.00 Or

Titanomagnetite gabbro-norites 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.05 7.38 5.54 6.08 6.27 8.84 6.63 6.17 7.90 8.06 7.52 7.45 0.86 0.55 0.00 0.61 0.62 0.42 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.01 100.01 99.70 99.47 99.74 99.23 27.0 28.4 30.4 37.1 69.5 68.2 66.0 60.7 3.5 3.4 3.6 2.2

Barren gabbro-norites in the Shalozero and Burakov blocks 7.14 6.72 8.21 8.80 10.05 11.09 7.37 7.07 7.19 7.17 5.74 5.47 0.43 0.41 0.13 0.42 0.45 0.26 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.10 0.15 0.00 618 99.62 100.01 99.98 99.36 100.05 99.68 34.0 33.6 38.4 39.5 47.9 52.0 63.5 64.0 60.9 58.2 49.5 46.5 2.5 2.4 0.7 2.2 2.6 1.5

9 10 11 12

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TABLE 1. Continued Analysis number CaO Na 2 0 K2O Cr 2 03 X An Ab Or

Barren gabbro-norites in the Aganozero block 13 14 7.77 12.10 6.58 5.29 0.57 0.24 0.00 0.00 99.86 99.51 38.2 55.1 58.4 43.6 3.4 1.3

Marginal-group gabbro-norites 15 16 11.14 16.37 5.25 2.90 0.07 0.13 0.00 0.11 99.87 99.42 53.8 75.1 45.8 24.1 0.4 0.8

Note: Analyses 1 and 2 made on a Camebax microprobe (at a magnification of x 400, a needle of ore mineral in plagioclase was visible on the crosshairs), analyst I.G. Lyapichev. All the other analyses were made on an ARL microanalyzer, analyst O. A. Yakovleva one needle direction in a grain. Finally, plagioclase of the barren phase often has very thin and long needles in several systems. Another type of inclusion consists of thin brown platelets, which are much less prominent than the swarms of needles, but they are usually companions, since a grain where there are fairly many needles usually contains 10-20 platelets. The latter also differ from the needles in being "individual," in that all the platelets are regular but differ in size and appearance. If they lie in the plane of section, one can see hexagonal, rhombic, and tabular sections, with the latter sometimes so elongated on one axis to be almost transformed to needles. The platelet sizes range from 10 to 40 um, while inclusions transitional from platelets to needles sometimes reach 250 u.m with widths of ~5 u,m, with the long axes coinciding with the direction of one of the needle systems. Similar observations on labradorites of Volhynia by Tarasenko [3] indicated that the two types pass one into the other and consist of a single mineral: titanian iron oxide (ilmenite). While I would not rule out this, I consider that there is a division between the types. The platy inclusions always transmit light and show brown and greenish hues ranging from almost yellow to dark brown. There is no pleochroism, and they are always dark between crossed polarizers. The plagioclase from the marginal group and that from the titanomagnetite gabbro-norites has the most such inclusions. The shapes indicate positively that this is a trigonal mineral: either hematite or ilmenite. 619 All equant particles a few microns in size have been classed as dusty inclusions; they occur in almost all plagioclase grains and are fairly numerous, but nothing definite can be said about their composition or shape because they appear as dusty spots at the highest magnifications. The barren gabbronorites contain minute brownish particles, which produce cloudiness, sometimes fairly considerable. The cloudy parts are very unevenly distributed, but there is always a clear rim 0.01-0.02 mm thick. Zoned crystals show that the cloudiness is correlated with the composition; It is greater in the more sodic parts. There is some correlation between the presence of needles and the cloudy parts. In the titanomagnetite gabbro-norites, the plagioclases contain opaque dusty particles uniformly dispersed in the central parts of the grains, with the rims completely clear. The last group is the rarest: colorless euhedral alkali feldspar inclusions in certain plagioclases from titanomagnetite gabbro-norite. The sizes are usually 20-50 urn but sometimes reach 100-150 u.m. Among the alkali feldspar inclusions, one finds oremineral granules, but they never intersect the acicular inclusions occurring in the enclosing plagioclase. There are also occasionally inclusions of other minerals: pyroxenes, apatite, biotite, etc. Orientation measurement of acicular inclusions. The needles usually form several systems, in each of

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FIGURE 1. Iron-ore mineral needles in plagioclase: a) titanomagnetite gabbro-norite, thin section, no analyzer, xllO, showing dusty and platy inclusions (specimen 4EG/76); b) anorthosite, thin section, no analyzer, x500, specimen 36716.2.

620

P. O. SOBOLEV

which they are parallel. Such an orientation is clearly not accidental and is definitely related to the crystallographic elements, so the universal stage can be employed. We selected crystals meeting certain requirements. First, the needles should be well seen at magnifications not exceeding -100, so they should be at least 50-100 urn long and at small angles to the plane of section; if possible, the field of view should contain parts where several orientations can be seen at once. Second, we chose fairly large sections (dimensions not less than 1 mm) having obvious crystallographic elements: either cracks along parting planes or twin boundaries, and, in the latter case, we made measurements on grains twinned according to the albite and pericline laws usual for igneous rocks. Table 2 characterizes the plagioclases measured on the universal stage. We determined the orientation of the optical indicatrix and of the parting plane or twin suture, and often we were able to measure several crystallographic elements. Those operations are familiar and need no explanation. The needle orientations were measured by bringing the needle into coincidence with the / axis. A check was made by rotating the stage around the / axis. Section rotation around the N and H axes can provide a position for the grain such that rotation around the J axis results in the needles in one system always remaining parallel to the horizontal crosshair. When the measurements were repeated, a mean reading on N and H was taken, which completely defined die orientation for one needle system. This method enabled us to measure most needle orientations, but only if the deviations from the plane of the section were not more than 30, since for larger inclinations, it was virtually impossible to trace the change in needle orientation on rotation around the J axis because the needles rapidly went out of focus. In two cases, die orientations were determined in another way: The needles were steeply inclined to the plane of section, and rotation around the N and H axes converted them to points, i.e., at mat time, they were parallel to the microscope axis, although the method is much inferior to the first one in accuracy. The measurements were plotted for each grain on a stereographic projection; Nikitin's diagram was used to determine the plagioclase composition, and a Fedorov circular plot was used on the projection to 621

determine all the major crystallographic directions for the given plagioclase composition. After several rotations by means of a Wulff net, the stereographic projection with the optic axes and the needle directions was brought to a position where the (001) plane coincided with the projection circle, which made it possible to compare the measurements for the different grains. In all, we measured 20 grains with compositions An35-An60 in eight sections representing the three principal mafite varieties of mafic rock of the Burakov intrusion. On four twinned grains, we measured the orientation fo the optic axes and of the needles for each system of polysynthetic twins, which provided some conclusions on die relation between the needle orientation and twinning. We thus obtained 55 determinations of needle orientation. Of course, they were not all equally accurate. The errors were estimated as 5-7; 2 for determining the indicatrix orientation, 2-3 for the needle orientation, and 1-2 the errors in determining the plagioclase composition and due to rotation on the Wulff net The orientations of some platelets were also determined for tfiree crystals. A similar technique was used: The normal to a platelet was brought into coincidence with the / axis, which converted the platelet itself into a short thin line. Orientation of acicular and platy inclusions. When the needle orientations were plotted on a single projection, it became clear that they were regularly arranged: all the points grouped around five directions (Fig. 2), which were independent of the plagioclase composition and all other factors. For compositions from An30 to An<50, we found mat the measured orientations in a given needle system coincided widi one of the five directions, and the same applied for differing positions in the intrusion section and for different twinning laws. The deviations for the individual determinations did not exceed the errors of measurement, as is evident from the statistics (Table 3). Only direction 5 lies in die (010) plane of perfect cleavage. The omer four were not associated with cleavage planes or possible crystal faces. The directions do, however, show a pattern, which is best seen on a stereographic projection having the [001] axis at the center of the circle (Fig. 3). Direction 5 coincides with the [001] axis. Two other directions (3 and 4) lie in a plane perpendicular to [001] and

TABLE 2. Characteristics of Plagioclases Used to Determine Needle Orientations

Chain size, (mm) Twinning Zoning Cloudiness 1 2 3 4 5 1.7 x 1.2 Not visible Weak, at center, related to dusty inclusions Same +++ +++ ++ 5-50 Longest up to 20-30 Less than 50 From 5 to 50 Approximate needle length, urn An content 35

Grain number

Spec. Mo. (borehole, depth)

Rock type

2^/272

Titanomagnetite gabbro-norite

2 3.0x2.8 2.6x1.8 2.0 x 2.0 Ab + Pe

47/94

Same

35 37 39

47/94

Clear, complex form; An35 at center, An28 at rim Complex, as spots Same

48/38

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622
1.8 x 2.5 Ab Pe + Ab Clear, complicated form + + + Ab + Pe Ab 2.0x1.8 2.2x1.2 Not visible 1.6x1.8 1.2x1.1 Ab Pe + Ab Not visible Pe + Ab Weak, near Very weak, at rim, normal center Near rim, A1142 Same at center, A1137 at rim Weak, near rim, normal Same + + + Appreciable, near rim Not visible Strong, uneven, brownish color Weak, related to needles ++ +

2^/272

Weak, near rim, An38 at center and An34at rim Weak, at rim

Up to 100 +++ +++

40 40

9EG/96.7

Marginal gabbro- 3.0x1.6 norite

97/96

2.0x1.8

++ ++

40 41

2^/272

Titanomagnetite gabbro-norite Same

2.0x1.8

5-50-100 1-20-60 2 up to 300 5-20-50 1,2 up to 50 5-5-50 Up to 100 From 5 to 50 ++

47/94

41 42 43 47 ++ ++ +++ +++ 50

10

97/96

11 12

47/210 8^765

13

1EG/156

Barren gabbronorite Same

2.2x2.4

5 up to 20 Thinner lengths 5 up 20 1-50-150 5-50 (thicker) 5 about 10 1,2-50-100

14 + ++

9EG/96.7 Ab + ? Irregular pairts near rim Weak, at rirn Same Weak, at center Weak, uneven Weak ++ ++ ++

Marginal gabbr<> 4.6x2.4 norite 7.0x2.5 14x2.4 Pe + Ab Ab

50

15

8EG/51

3 about 100 4 up to 500 2 about 100 3 about 20

52 52

16 3.4x1.6 Ab + Pe + ? Not visible Uneven, weak

1^7156

Barren gabbronorite Same

17
2.8x2.4 Ab Weak, near rim

8^/51

18 3.4x2.2 Pe(?)

8EG/65

++

++

1-50-100 3-100 4 up to 200 1-50 5 short thick needles 1-20-40 (up to 100) ++ ++

53

P. O. SOBOLEV
55

19

8EG/51

Appreciabliz, near rim, normal Evident Appreciable, as bands

20

8EG/51 2.0x2.8 Not visible: sliClear, comj cated form

Strong, related to system 5 needles

++

1 up to 100 2 up to 40 Longest up to 5 1-50-150 5-5-10

60

Note: Twinning laws: Ab) albite, Pe) pericline. Symbols in columns 8-12: +) isolated needles,++) a few,+++) many.

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TABLE 3. Orientations for the Five Needle Systems Number of determinations N Mean orientation coordinates
0195

System

<p, deg 49.1 279.9 162.9 17.0 262.4

p, deg 18.8 67.2 84.5 79.2 26.4

18 7 6 6 19

1 . 4 5 . 9 5 . 8 7 . 3 2 . 1

567 80 98 62 225

Note: (p) longitude (reckoned from [010] projection); p) polar distance; OC95) 95% confidence limit (a.95 =
140/A//VZ where K = (N - 1)/(N - R).

FIGURE 2. Orientation of acicular inclusions.

deviate by 18.5 to opposite sides of a plane perpendicular to (010). We suggest that these directions are symmetrical with respect to another plane (100), since the angle between the perpendicular (100) and the (010) projection in the plane perpendicular to [001] is 1.22 for AnsoIn the stereographic projection, adjacent to each of the directions 3 and 4 one finds in each case two poles for the platy inclusions, which almost coincide with the gnomonic projections of the (150) and (150) planes, respectively. On the other hand, these planes contain other directions: one in the 624

FIGURE 3. Stereographic projection of orientation of inclusions: 1) mean orientation of needles; 2) poles of planes of platy inclusions (measured on universal stage); 3) poles for certain other planes (calculated from formulas); 4) crystallographic axes for Anso plagioclase (constructed from table given by Burri et al. [8, p. 294]).

(150) plane and two in the (150) plane. Evidently, they are also symmetrical with respect to (100) because the angles between each of the directions 1 and 2 and the [001] axis are 42 and 44. Close to the projection of direction 2 there is a further pole from the planes of the platy inclusions, which can be identified with the gnomonic projection of the (312) plane, with the latter passing through point 4. Finally, point 1 lies adjacent to the pole of the (112)

P. O. SOBOLEV

plane, and in that plane we again find a further needle orientation 4. Each of these five directions is thus a pole for a plane in which two other directions lie, i.e., any such direction is perpendicular to two others. Those planes are also ones in which the platy inclusions lie (the minor discrepancies between the projections for the needle orientations and the plane poles are probably irregular and arise from measurement errors). The question that arises: What is responsible for the inclusions lying in definite planes, which do not correspond to the planes of iridescence for calcic plagioclases discovered in 1924 by B0ggild, which may be phase boundaries for what are now called B0ggild intergrowths, namely (3, 20,2), (041), and (301) planes [16, p. 533]. However, calcic plagioclases containing acicular and platy inclusions have much in common with aventurine or sunstone. Anderson [6] was the first to determine the orientations for hematite inclusions in aventurine and found that most of the flakes he in the (150), (150), (112), and (112) planes, from which he suggested that they were due to exsolution from an Fe-bearing feldspar. Those conclusions were confirmed by Frank-Kamenetskiy [5], who examined inclusions in Il'men sunstone and observed that the positions of those planes can be explained from best coincidence between the rows of oxygen chains in the hematite and the feldspar. Our plagioclases also have (150), (150), and (112) planes containing platy brown inclusions; the similarity to hematite in aventurine suggests that these are also hematite platelets. In addition to these three planes, isolated platelets lie in (312) and (452) planes. As the needle directions are related to the hematite platelet orientation, we conclude that both types form by exsolution. We now consider the needle orientations in certain twin types. Measurements were made on several grains with albite and pericline twinning, which confirmed the above: The needles at all the other directions in the twinned crystals were subject to a certain symmetry. Figure 4 shows stereographic projections for four twins: the optic axes and the needle directions. The needles in each individual are related by the two symmetry elements: They are symmetrical with respect to the twin suture plane (010) for the 625

albite law or to the plane perpendicular to the [010] axis for the pericline law. In the albite twins, direction 5 was common to the two individuals, while directions 3 and 4 pass one into the other. Figure 5 illustrates this and shows how some needles intersect, as it were, the twin suture, but in fact they are needles in different systems and their positions are related solely to the lattices of the single crystals. The needles formed either after the twins were formed or at the same time, but not before. The needles in a single crystal do not necessarily show all five systems. The various directions present reflect primarily differences in composition. The compositions of some dozens of grains were determined for various gabbro-norites by Becke's method and on the universal stage, which showed that the needles occur in fairly large numbers beginning at about An35. In more sodic plagioclases, one gets only isolated needles, or, if many, then the zoning in the plagioclase is very prominent. In all plagioclases up to Anas there is only one needle system, as all the needles with the exception of some rare cases are oriented in one direction. The universal stage show that this is direction 5, which coincides with the [001] axis. At An35-An40, direction 5 continues to dominate, but the numbers of needles in systems 1 and 2 gradually increase. Table 2 shows the change in the needle sets as the anorthite component increases, where the numbers of needles are classified in three categories. Blanks in the columns headed "needle systems" means that no needles were measured in a particular system; in most cases, this reflects their absence. Beginning at about Anso, two further directions 3 and 4 appear, which together with 1 and 2 become predominant up to Anss, at which point the number of system 5 needles is much reduced. The system 5 needles are characteristic of plagioclase from die titanomagnetite gabbro-norite, while the needles in the other systems characterize the barren variety. The different systems differ not only in the numbers of needles in a grain but also in length and sometimes in thickness. The type 5 needles are the thickest and shortest, particularly if there are other systems in the grain; the lengths rarely exceed 50 mm, while needles 1-4 sometimes attain lengths of 100-200 Jim. Sometimes, one can see how certain needle systems occupy different positions in the grain. For example, Figure 6 shows mat system 5 needles occur widely in the very sodic rims, while

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[001]

m\
AA

m,

M
Needle orientations Optic axis

N*7,An
o x

N>t6,An
A A + Needle orientations Optic axis

WAn^ N'fdjn,,
x A +

FIGURE 4. Stereographic projections for orientations of needles in twins: a) albite law, twin axes perpendicular to (010) (grains No. 5 and 18); b) pericline law, twin axis [010] (grains No. 7 and 16).

FIGURE 5. Needle orientations in albite twins, barren gabbro-norite, specimen 8EG/65, grain no. 18, An53, polarizers crossed, x260; the numbers denote the needle systems for individuals A and B.

626

P. O. SOBOLEV

FIGURE 6. Four needle systems in plagioclase. The inset shows the directions of the needles projected on the plane of section. System 1 is most prominent, while in the more sodic rim there are many needles from system 5, and platy inclusions are seen: the dark vertical strips are thin pericline twins (grain No. 12, AN47, specimen 8 /65, barren gabbro-norite, polarizers crossed, x200).

system 1 needles predominate at the center, and one gets also other directions. Above Anso, needle inclusions characteristically do not occur, as the numbers decrease rapidly, although isolated needles occur up to An65Conclusions In the plagioclases of the mafic rocks of the Burakov intrusion, several types of inclusion occur 627

widely, the most abundant and characteristic being oriented needles of iron-ore minerals. In crystals in the An30-An60 range, up to five needle orientations occur simultaneously, all of which have regular positions on a stereographic projection and are related to planes containing platy inclusions. In turn, most of the latter lie in planes already known as those for hematite inclusions in aventurine, which suggests that the platelets are hematite in the Burakov plagioclases and that there are similarities

INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGY REVIEW

in the formation of all oriented inclusions of iron-ore minerals in feldspars deriving from exsolution of an iron-bearing feldspar. There is a regular variation in needle orientation with plagioclase composition. Two microprobe determinations indicate that these inclusions consist solely of Fe oxides (Ti, Mg, Mn, and Cr are absent). We suggest that the needles carry the natural residual magnetization in most of the Burakov gabbro-norites. The Curie temperatures for those rocks are close to the Curie point for magnetite. I am indebted to Ye. A. Vapnik for assistance in preparing the photographs and to I. G. Lyapichev for several microprobe analyses. I am particularly indebted to F. S. Faynberg for interest. References 1. Garbar, D. I., Sakhnovskaya, T. P., and Chechel', E. K., 1977, Geological structure and mineralization in the Burakov-Aganozero intrusion: Izvestiya AN SSSR, seriya geologichestaya, No. 8, pp. 100-112. 2. Polikarpov, V. K., Lobanova, A. B., and Suvorova, N. I., 1976, Geological and geophysical studies at the Burakov intrusion: Zapiski LGI, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 48-57. 3. Tarasenko, V. Ye., 1986, Rocks of the gabbro family from the Radomysl and Zhitomir areas in Kiev and Volhynia provinces: Zapiski Kiyevskogo obshchestva yestestvoispytateley, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 1-347. 4. Fedotov, Zh. A. and Fedotova, M. G., Cloudy plagioclases in basic intrusives of the Kola Peninsula. In Mineraly o paragenezisy mineralov gornykh porod i rud (Minerals and Mineral Assemblages in Rocks and Ores) (pp. 111-120): Nauka Press, Leningrad. 5. Frank-Kamenetskiy, V. A., 1964, Priroda strukturnykh primesey v mineralakh (The Nature of

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Structural Impurities in Minerals): LGU Press, Leningrad. Andersen, O., 1915, On aventurine feldspar: Amer. J. Sci., Fourth series, Vol. XL, No. 238, pp. 351-399. Bridgewater, D. and Harry, W. T., 1968, Anorthosite xenoliths and plagioclase megacrysts in Precambrian intrusion of South Greenland: Griinlands Geol. Unders0gelse Bull., No. 77. Burri, C , Parker, R. L., and Wenk, E., 1967, Die optische Orientierung der Plagioklase: Burkhtiser Verlag, Basel and Stuttgart. Davis, K. E., 1981, Magnetite rods in plagioclase as the primary carrier of stable NRM in ocean floor gabbros: Earth and Planet. Sci. Lett., Vol. 55, pp. 190-198. Evans, M. E., 1977, Single domain oxide particles as a source of thermoremanent magnetization: / . Geomagnet. and Geoel., Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 267-275. MacGregor, A. G., 1931, Clouded feldspars and thermal metamorphism: Min. Mag., Vol. XXII, No. 133, pp. 524-538. Nienaber-Roberts, C. J., 1985, A note on the needlelike inclusions in plagioclase from the Bushveld Complex: An. Geol. Survey S. Africa, Vol. 20, pp. 55-58. Philpotts, A. R., 1966, Origin of anorthositemangerite rocks in Southern Quebec: / . of Petrology, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 1-64. Poldervaart, A. and Gilkey, A. K., 1954, On clouded plagioclase: Amer. Miner., Vol. 39, No. 1-2, pp. 75-91. Reynolds, D. L., 1936, The two magnetitic series of the Newry Complex: Geol. Mag., Vol. LXXm, No. 866, pp. 337-364. Smith, J. V., 1974, Feldspar Minerals. Vol. 2: Vol. 2: Chemical and Textural Properties: Springer Verlag, Berlin-New York-Heidelberg. Williamson, W. O., 1936, Some minor intrusions of Glen Shee, Perthshire: Geol. Mag., Vol. LXXDl, No. 862, pp. 145-157.

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