THE MUD TANK CARBONATITE COMPLEX, CENTRAL AUSTRALIA - AN EXAMPLE OF METASOMATISM AT MIDCRUSTAL LEVELS

The Mud Tank carbonatite complex comprises a series of lenses emplaced about 730 Ma ago along a 5 km segment of a ductile shear zone. Each lens consists of a carbonate core surrounded by mica-rich zones, emplaced into granitoid cataclasites, mafic granulites and rare lenses of aluminous rocks. Xenoliths of all sizes abound in the complex. Inclusions of unfoliated mafic granulites lack hypersthene, contain albitic plagioclase and Na-rich taramite to hastingsite amphiboles, and are enriched in Si, Na and Ba and depleted in Fe, Zr and Pb relative to similar granulites in the country rocks. Alkali-syenite inclusions contain riebeckite and aegirine. The complex contains magnesio-katophorite to magnesio-arfvedsonite amphibole, with late riebeckite and ferri-winchite, abundant phlogopitic mica and sparse acmitic pyroxene. Mineral thermobarometry suggests original emplacement at > 650-degrees-C, 0.5 Gpa under high water and fluorine fugacities. Present configuration of the complex probably results from re-mobilisation of carbonatite and entrainment of parts of the metasomatic aureole along shear zones.