Significant variability in the δ44/40Ca of global carbonatites:
implications for carbonate recycling, magma differentiation and
source-mantle mineralogy
Abstract
Stable Ca isotopic composition (δ44/40Ca) of crustal carbonates are
typically lighter than that of the bulk silicate Earth value
(~1.05 ‰). Hence, δ44/40Ca of mantle-derived rocks can
potentially trace recycled crustal carbonates into the mantle. We report
the Ca isotopic compositions of globally distributed carbonatites (n =
46), which are unique igneous rocks with more than 50% modal carbonate
minerals, with eruption ages ranging from Precambrian until recent. The
δ44/40Ca (w.r.t. SRM915a) of these carbonatites show a large range (0.35
‰ to 1.26 ‰), which is significantly higher than the analytical
uncertainty (0.08‰) of the measurements performed using TIMS at CEaS,
IISc. These samples are well-characterized in terms of their major and
trace element geochemistry as well as Nd, Sr, B, C, and O isotopic
compositions for selected samples. No systematic trend is observed
between δ44/40Ca of the carbonatites and their eruption ages.
Significant variability is observed in δ44/40Ca values in samples from
individual provinces including those from the Oka complex in Canada
(0.44 ‰ – 1.26 ‰, n= 8), Ambadongar (0.53 ‰ – 1.1 ‰, n= 8) and the
Newania complexes (0.44 ‰ – 0.83 ‰, n= 4) in north-west India, the
South Indian carbonatites (0.65 ‰ – 0.91 ‰, n= 3) and carbonatites from
the Palabora complex in South Africa (0.35 ‰ – 0.84‰, n= 3). The
δ44/40Ca of carbonatites from Oka, Newania and the Ambadongar show
strong correlations with Ca/Mg, Ca/Fe as well as CaO and MgO contents.
The δ44/40Ca of the Oka and Ambadongar carbonatites show correlated
variations with their Mg# and K/Rb ratios, respectively. The large
variability in δ44/40Ca of global carbonatites is explained in terms of:
(1) presence of isotopically lighter ancient subducted carbonates in the
mantle-source regions and carbonate metasomatism of the mantle, (2)
partial melting and differentiation of the carbonatite magma and (3)
heterogeneity in the source-mantle mineralogy of carbonatites.