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Chemistry and origin of the Mayo Kila sapphires, NW region Cameroon (Central Africa): their possible relationship with the Cameroon volcanic line
Citation
Mbih, KP and Meffre, S and Yongue, RF and Kanouo, NS and Jay, T, Chemistry and origin of the Mayo Kila sapphires, NW region Cameroon (Central Africa): their possible relationship with the Cameroon volcanic line, Journal of African Earth Sciences, 118 pp. 263-273. ISSN 1464-343X (2016) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2016 Crown Copyright
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2016.03.004
Abstract
Mineralogical, chemical and geochronological studies constrained the origin of sapphires from Mayo Kila, Northwest Cameroon. The sapphires are mostly blue, with sizes ranging from 2 to 5 mm. The pale blue grains are transparent, whereas, other corundums are transparent to translucent and/or opaque. The sapphires are dominantly euhedral to sub-hedral with few polished lustrous grains, acquired features during moderate to short distance transport from a proximal source rock. Solid inclusions are limited to rutile and zircon.
Trace element analysis of sapphires shows significant concentration (in ppm) in some elements: Fe (2208–14,473), Ti (82–1783), Ga (77–512), Mg (0.9–264.9), Cr (b.d.l −168) and V (1.3–82). The other elements (e.g. Sn, Nb, Ta, Th, Zr, Ni, Ce) are generally below 10 ppm. The calculated ratios for some of the selected elements show an extreme variation: Fe/Mg (43–3043), Fe/Ti (2–76), Ti/Mg (1–328), and Ga/Mg (0.4–363). They are dominantly corundum crystallized in alkaline magma (s) with few from metamorphic source (s).
Trace elemental features with Hf (13,354–26,238 ppm), Th (4018–45,584 ppm) and U (7825–17,175 ppm), and Th/U (0.39–2.65) found in zircon inclusions are compatible with quantified values in magmatic crystallized zircons. The Cenozoic age (mean of 30.78 ± 0.28 Ma) obtained for zircon inclusions is close to the age of some igneous rocks found within the Cameroon Volcanic Line (e.g. rocks of the Mount Oku: 31–22 Ma), showing the same period of formation. The most probable source of the zircon host sapphires is the Oku Mountain located SW of Mayo Kila.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | sapphire, geochronology |
Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
Research Group: | Geology |
Research Field: | Geochronology |
Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences |
UTAS Author: | Meffre, S (Dr Sebastien Meffre) |
ID Code: | 109861 |
Year Published: | 2016 |
Funding Support: | Australian Research Council (CE0561595) |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 4 |
Deposited By: | CODES ARC |
Deposited On: | 2016-07-05 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-02 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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