The emerald mineralization in the Habachtal (Austria) is geologically and tectonically complex, and previous investigators have identified fluid inclusion evidence for a hydrothermal/metamorphic origin for the emeralds. In this paper we report the discovery of emeralds with a distinctly different inclusion population including melt inclusions, which demonstrates that at least some and probably most of the emerald mineralization in the Habachtal occurred from an extremely fluid-rich pegmatite-like aluminosilicate melt under supercritical conditions, at high temperatures and moderate pressures (~700 °C, 5 kbar). This conclusion is based on the presence of very highly-ordered graphite, and extremely water-rich melt inclusions in emerald. The Lorentz distribution of MgCO₃ against the water concentration is a very robust proof for the supercritical state. We suggest that the purely metamorphic model, based on the extrapolation of fluid inclusion data to the regional metamorphic conditions (550 °C and 5 kbar) by some previous investigators are inconsistent with our finding of high-temperature indications (well-ordered graphite, high-temperature fluid inclusions and melt inclusions). This apparent conflict suggests a more complex situation and requires a re-investigation of the emerald genesis in the Habachtal deposit.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	melt inclusion, fluid inclusion, well-ordered graphite, supercritical state, emerald
Research Division:	Earth Sciences
Research Group:	Geology
Research Field:	Mineralogy and crystallography
Objective Division:	Mineral Resources (Excl. Energy Resources)
Objective Group:	Mineral exploration
Objective Field:	Mineral exploration not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Davidson, P (Dr Paul Davidson)
ID Code:	139137
Year Published:	2020
Web of Science® Times Cited:	1
Deposited By:	CODES ARC
Deposited On:	2020-05-27
Last Modified:	2020-08-17
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