TL;DR: The most common variety of carbonatite is porphyritic with abundant phenocrysts of nyerereite (Na0.82K0.19)2(Ca, Sr, Ba)0.975(CO3)2 and gregoryite Na1.74K 0.16CO3, with complex substitution of (CO3)-2- by (SO4)2-, (PO4)3-, F-, and Cl-. as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Oldoinyo Lengai in the Tanzanian rift valley is the only active carbonatite volcano in the world and its natrocarbonatitic lavas are unique in composition. The characteristics of effusive natrocarbonatite activity in June 1988 were studied and fresh samples were directly collected from active carbonatitic lava lakes and flows. Analyses of these samples provide the first information on natrocarbonatites since these unusual volcanic rock type was first described from the 1960–1961 eruptions. The analytical results constrain the original chemistry of fresh natrocarbonatite. Temperatures in lava lakes and of carbonatite lava flows range 491–544°C. The natrocarbonatite lava is extremely fluid at these temperatures and reaches incandescence. The most common variety of natrocarbonatite is porphyritic with abundant phenocrysts of nyerereite (Na0.82K0.19)2(Ca, Sr, Ba)0.975(CO3)2 and gregoryite Na1.74K0.1(Ca, Sr, Ba)0.16CO3, with complex substitution of (CO3)2- by (SO4)2-, (PO4)3-, F-, and Cl-. A phenocryst-poor to aphyric natrocarbonatite variety reflects residual liquids separating from the crystal-rich porphyritic flows. Sylvite, fluorite, and Fe-alabandite (Mn0.7Fe0.3S) have been identified as additional primary magmatic phases. Rare phases in the matrix are witherite (BaCO3) and sellaite (MgF2). Sylvite and gregoryite, and to a lesser extent nyerereite, are water-soluble and are responsible for the immediate decomposition and chemical alteration of natrocarbonatites under atmospheric conditions. A peralkaline combeite-bearing nephelinite lava is closely related to the natrocarbonatite activity, and is isotopically indistinguishable. It is likely that these two magma compositions are related by liquid immiscibility. The unusual hyperalkaline composition of both magma types makes Oldoinyo Lengai an exotic volcano, and its carbonatites have extreme compositions, and are not representative of carbonatites in general.
TL;DR: A detailed study of oldoinyo Lengai has led to the recognition of two major cone-building stages as discussed by the authors, which is called the nephelinitic lengai II.
TL;DR: In this paper, a new fillers comprising combeite glass-ceramic are provided for bone restorations, which improve biocompatibility in bone restoration, and hard, shaped bodies for orthopaedic, dental and other uses.
Abstract: Novel fillers comprising combeite glass-ceramic are provided. Hardenable restorative compositions comprising particulate combeite glass-ceramic provide improved biocompatibility in bone restorations. Hard, shaped bodies for orthopaedic, dental and other uses are also provided.
TL;DR: Shombole, a nephelinite-carbonatite volcano in south Kenya, erupted silicate lavas, carbonatite dikes and tuffs, and pyroclastic rocks similar to those at other East African alkaline centres as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Shombole, a nephelinite-carbonatite volcano in south Kenya, erupted silicate lavas, carbonatite dikes and tuffs, and pyroclastic rocks similar to those at other East African alkaline centres. Shombole lavas containing cpx + nepheline + accessory minerals range from perovskite-bearing nephelinites (43% SiO2, volatile-free) to sphene-bearing and phonolitic nephelinites (46–49% SiO2) and phonolites (49–56% SiO2) and have low peralkalinity ([Na+K]/Al ≈ 1.15) which does not correlate with SiO2. Early fractionation of olivine and clinopyroxene strongly depleted Ni and Cr concentrations (≈10 ppm); fractionation of perovskite, melanite, sphene, and apatite produced negative correlations of all REE with SiO2. Many lavas contain cognate intrusive xenoliths and xenocrysts and oscillatory zoning is a common feature of clinopyroxene, nepheline, and melanite crystals, indicating recycling of intrusive material. Irregular calcite-rich bodies in many samples are interpreted as quenched immiscible Ca-carbonatite liquid, and [Ca-carbonate]-silicate liquid immiscibility is observed in experiments with one nephelinite. Chemical variation in the Shombole suite can be modeled as a combination of crystal fractionation (clinopyroxene and heavy minor phases) and retention of neutral density nepheline derived from disaggregated xenoliths entrained during emplacement of dike swarms. Six newly analyzed lavas from Oldoinyo L'engai, northern Tanzania, are geochemically similar to Shombole nephelinites except that they have relatively high Na2O+K2O (average 18% vs 12%) and Zr (average 680 ppm vs 400 ppm). They are extremely peralkaline and are not typical of nephelinites from other centres. Three with [Na+K]/Al≈1.5 contain euhedral wollastonite phenocrysts; three with [Na+K]/Al≈2.0 contain combeite (Na2Ca2Si3O9) phenocrysts and pseudomorphs after wollastonite. Both types contain abundant sodalite phenocrysts (+nepheline+clinopyroxene+melanite+sphene). Seven other wollastonite nephelinite samples from L'engai have been described, but it is a lava type rarely seen in other centres. Combeite has been described from only two other locations (Mt. Shaheru, Zaire; Mayener Feld, Eifel). The hyperalkaline L'engai nephelinites have compositions similar to those of experimental silicate liquids immiscible with natrocarbonatite. Textural evidence for both carbonate-silicate (as carbonate globules) and silicate-silicate (as two optically discrete glasses with distinct compositions) liquid immiscibility is observed in the samples.
TL;DR: Petrographic and compositional data for coexisting peralkaline silicate glass and quenched natrocarbonatite melt in nepheline phenocrysts from the 24 September 2007 and July 2008 eruptions of the volcano Oldoinyo Lengai (Tanzania) are presented in this article.
Abstract: This study presents petrographic and compositional data for coexisting peralkaline silicate glass and quenched natrocarbonatite melt in nepheline phenocrysts from the 24 September 2007 and July 2008 eruptions of the natrocarbonatite volcano Oldoinyo Lengai (Tanzania). Data are also given for peralkaline residual glass in combeite nephelinite ash clasts occurring in the March–April 2006 large volume natrocarbonatite flow. These data are considered to demonstrate the occurrence of liquid immiscibility between strongly peralkaline Fe-rich nephelinite melt and natrocarbonatite at Oldoinyo Lengai. Compositional data for coexisting silicate–carbonate pairs in conjunction with previous experimental studies suggest that the size of the field of liquid immiscibility for carbonated nephelinitic magmas is a function of their peralkalinity. It is shown that peralkaline combeite wollastonite nephelinite was present at Oldoinyo Lengai prior to, and during, the 24 September 2007 ash eruption. It is postulated that the driving force for this major eruption was assimilation and decomposition of previously emplaced solid natrocarbonatite. Assimilation resulted in the formation of the unusual hybrid nepheline–andradite–melilite–combeite–phosphate magma represented by the 24 September 2007 ash.