ABSTRACT
The island of Jan Mayen is the northernmost active volcano on the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge. The rocks of Jan Mayen belong to the potassic series of the alkaline
rocks and appear to belong to the straddle type association. The ankaramites
and alkali olivine basalts are characterized by the presence of large xenocrysts
of rimmed chromium diopside, titaniferous salite, olivine (Fo83 to Fo88),
magnetite and sometimes plagioclase (bytownite rimmed by labradorite).
Phenocrysts of olivine (Fo74) and plagioclase (andesine) are present in
several rocks. These and phenocrysts lie in a matrix composed of` titaniferous
salite, olivine (Fo58), plagioclase (andesine), magnetite, biotite and
sometimes ilmenite. Latite andesites contain large crystals of plagioclase
of an andesine-oligoclase composition rimmed by oligoclase or alkali feldspar,
magnetite, biotite, hornblende and sometimes highly altered clinopyroxene.
The trachytes are characterized by phenocrysts of aegirine-augite,
anorthoclase, magnetite, biotite and sometimes andesine rimmed by an alkali
feldspar. The phenccrysts of the latite andesites and trachyte lie in a
groundmass consisting of andesine, alkali feldspar, magnetite, hematite
and biotite.
Trace element whole rock geochemistry indicates that the rocks of Jan
Mayen were probably derived from the mantle from slightly different source
regions based on different Rb/Sr ratios for the mafic rocks of Nord Jan
and Sor Jan. The rocks formed by the partial accumulation of titaniferous
salite, plagioclase, olivine and magnetite from an alkali basalt magma
followed by the intrusion and capture of xenoliths and xenocrysts of ultramafic
or mafic rocks, which may have been in the process of accumulation. This
accumulation process is supported by the results of least squares magma
mixing models and Rayleigh fractionation curves.
White, C.A., 1979.Petrology and Mineral Chemistry of some Jan
Mayen volcanics. Unpublished MSc. thesis, State University of New
York at Albany.
197pp., +x.
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