Trace element minerals from carbonatite-related fluids, The Aird, Scotland

Abstract

Fenitised rocks in Neoproterozoic country rocks adjacent to the Great Glen Fault, Scotland, contain calcite veins with mineral inclusions. The minerals include the rare earth vanadate wakefieldite, sulphur-rich monazite, scandium-rich ilmenite, and manganese oxides rich in barium and lead. Each of these phases is recorded in carbonatites elsewhere. An affinity with carbonatites is further suggested by the carbon isotope composition of the calcite veins, and anomalously high levels of manganese and strontium in the veins. These data add weight to a model in which Scotland northwest of the Great Glen Fault was affected by carbonatite-related fluids during the Caledonian Orogeny. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Early Career Research collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/early-career-research