GEOGACETA, 49, 2010

The lamprophyric sub-vertical dyke swarm from Aiguablava

(Catalonian Coastal Ranges): petrology and composition
El enjambre sub-vertical de diques de lamprfido de Aiguablava (Cadenas Costero-Catalanas): petrologa y
composicin
Teresa Ubide, Marceliano Lago, Enrique Arranz, Carlos Gal y Patricia Larrea
Universidad de Zaragoza, Facultad de Ciencias. C/ Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza (Spain). tubide@unizar.es; mlago@unizar.es; earranz@unizar.es;
carlosga@unizar.es; plarrea@unizar.es

RESUMEN
En este trabajo presentamos un estudio petrolgico detallado de algunos de los diques de lamprfido
sub-verticales de edad Prmica del complejo intrusivo de Aiguablava (Cadenas Costero Catalanas).
Aportamos nuevos datos composicionales, tanto en minerales (elementos mayores) como en roca total
(elementos mayores y traza), de algunos de los diques ms inalterados. Del estudio realizado se deduce
que todos los magmas lamprofdicos estudiados tienen un origen comn, si bien presentan un pequeo
rango de fraccionamiento, en el que diferenciamos tres etapas relacionadas con tres pulsos magmticos.
Segn nuestros datos, algunos de los diques considerados anteriormente como espesartitas de afinidad
calco-alcalina podran tener una afinidad transicional (de subalcalina a alcalina).
Palabras clave: Lamprfido, afinidad transicional, Prmico, Aiguablava, Cadenas Costero-Catalanas.
Geogaceta, 49 (2010), 83-86
ISSN: 2173-6545

Fecha de recepcin: 15 de julio de 2010

Fecha de revisin: 3 de noviembre de 2010
Fecha de aceptacin: 26 de noviembre de 2010

Introduction
The Aiguablava pluton is part of the
Catalonian Coastal Ranges batholith
(Fig. 1A). This batholith, composed of
calc-alkaline
biotite
granites,
granodiorites, and monzogranites
(Enrique, 1990), was emplaced at the end
of the Variscan cycle.
Two lamprophyric dyke families can
be recognized crosscutting the
Aiguablava pluton (Fig. 1B): the most
frequent is a WNW-ESE sub-vertical
system, mainly considered to be calcalkaline and Permian in age (Losantos et
al., 2000). The second system is subhorizontal and clearly alkaline in
composition, and sometimes cut the
former. The age of this second group is
late-Cretaceous (Sol et al., 2003).
Neither the late-Variscan nor the lateCretaceous lamprophyres have ever been
studied in detail from a petrological point
of view. The first references deal with their
location and petrography (San Miguel de
la Cmara, 1936 and San Miguel Arribas,
1952). More recently, Gimeno (2002)
described their structure and mineralogy.

Fig. 1.- Location of the lamprophyric sub-vertical dyke swarm from Aiguablava. A) Modified
from Enrique (1990); B) Modified from Losantos et al. (2000) and Enrique (2009). UTM grid
and coordinates. Arrows indicate the location of the studied samples (0A, 1B, 2B, 1C, 2C).
Fig. 1.- Localizacin de los diques sub-verticales de lamprfido de Aiguablava. A) Modificado de
Enrique (1990); B) Modificado de Losantos et al. (2000) y Enrique (2009). Cuadrcula y
coordenadas UTM. Las flechas indican la localizacin de las cinco muestras estudiadas (0A, 1B,
2B, 1C, 2C).

Copyright 2010 Sociedad Geolgica de Espaa / www.geogaceta.com

83

GEOGACETA, 49, 2010

T. Ubide et al.

In the last three years, the first

compositional data set of minerals (Ubide
et al., 2008a and b) and new whole rock
compositions (Enrique, 2009) have been
published.
In this paper we focus on the Permian
sub-vertical dyke system cropping out in
Aiguablava coast (Fig. 1B). Traditionally,
these lamprophyres have been classified
as spessartites of calc-alkaline affinity.
We present a detailed petrological study,
providing new compositional results in
minerals and whole rock.
Field relationships
The Permian dyke swarm from
Aiguablava consists of sub-vertical
lamprophyre dykes with a general strike of
N100-110 (Fig. 1B). They are tabular in
shape, centimetric to metric in thickness,
present sharp contacts with the host and,
frequently, they are branched to their
extremes (Fig. 2A). Segmented geometries
are very common, especially in the
thinnest dikes (Fig. 2B). All the dikes are
affected by a dense network of fractures,
some of which are sub-parallel to them.
The rock in the central parts of the
dikes is aphanitic, although it presents
millimetre-sized non-oriented mafic
minerals, and it develops aphyric chilled
margins, which indicate that when the
dikes emplaced, the host rock was
considerably colder than the
lamprophyric magma. Granitic xenoliths
are sometimes observed inside the dykes.
Cross-cutting relationships among
sub-vertical dykes with slightly different
orientations are common (Fig. 2B). In
such cases, the cutting dike (stage 2)
develops a very thin chilled margin,
indicating that the dyke which is cut
(stage 1) was slightly colder. Chilled
margins are also recognized within some
dikes (Fig. 2C), indicating magma
refilling processes.
Samples and methods
Most dykes belonging to the studied
system are strongly altered, so
petrographical observations and,
afterwards, chemical analyses were
carried out on the 5 least altered samples,
obtained from Sa Planassa- Punta des
Mut (sample 0A), Platja dAiguablava
(samples 1B and 2B) and Platja de
nAstsia (samples 1C and 2C) outcrops
(Fig. 1B).
Sample 0A belongs to a dyke which is
cut by one of the late-Cretaceous subhorizontal lamprophyres. In Platja
dAiguablava outcrop, sample 1B (stage

84

Fig. 2.- Field photographs of the lamprophyric sub-vertical dyke swarm from Aiguablava. A)
Sa Planassa- Punta des Mut outcrop. B) and C) Platja de nAstsia outcrop.
Fig. 2.- Fotografas de campo de los diques de lamprfido sub-verticales de Aiguablava. A)
Afloramiento de Sa Planassa- Punta des Mut; B) y C) Afloramiento de Platja de nAstsia.

1) belongs to a dyke cut by another subvertical one, from which sample 2B

(stage 2) was taken. In the same way, in
Platja de nAstsia outcrop sample 1C
(stage 1) was obtained from a dyke cut by
another sub-vertical one, from which
sample 2C (stage 2) was extracted.
Chemical analyses on minerals were
developed using a JEOL JZA-8900 M
electron microprobe at the Universidad
Complutense de Madrid.
Major and trace element
concentrations were determined at
the Service dAnalyse des Roches et des
Minraux (SARM) in Nancy (France).
The samples were analyzed by ICP-AES
for major elements and ICP-MS for trace
elements.

Mineral chemistry
Clinopyroxene is Ti-rich augitediopside (TiO2 up to 4.5 wt. %). The
obtained compositions define a
differentiation trend (Fs8-Fs22) from
sample 0A to samples 2B and 2C (Fig. 3).
However, Cpx in the microenclaves
described for stage 2 samples yield
primitive compositions in agreement with
those found in sample 0A (Fig. 3).
The Ti-increasing trend, together with
the fact that most compositions plot in the
alkaline field defined by Leterrier et al.

Petrography
The mineral assemblage of the studied
lamprophyres is given in table I. Modal
proportions are very similar among stage 1
dykes or stage 2 dykes, so average
proportions are given in each case. These
lamprophyres show porphyritic
holocrystalline
and
occasional
hypocrystalline microstructures, where the
glass is recrystallized; the phenocrysts
correspond
to
partly
altered
clinopyroxene, plagioclase (variably
transformed to sericite) and olivine,
completely pseudomorphosed by chloritesmectite assemblages. Noteworthy, in
some of the stage 2 dykes (samples 2B and
2C) olivine-clinopyroxene-plagioclase
microenclaves have been identified.
Plagioclase and quartz xenocrysts are
sometimes present.

Table I.- Modal composition (% in vol.) of

the studied lamprophyres. (Ol): olivine
pseudomorphs; Op: opaque minerals; xQtz: quartz xenocrysts).
Tabla I.- Proporciones modales (% en vol.)
de los lamprfidos estudiados. (Ol):
pseudomorfos de olivino; Op: minerales
opacos; x-Qtz: xenocristales de cuarzo.

Petrologa / Geoqumica

The lamprophyric sub-vertical dyke swarm from Aiguablava (Catalonian Coastal Ranges): petrology and composition

(1982), supports an alkaline affinity for

this mineral in the studied lamprophyres
(Fig. 3).
Plagioclase composition varies from
An80 to An30, where the most primitive
crystals belong to sample 0A (An80
An46). The most evolved compositions
(lowest An values) show the highest Or
contents, yielding a trend typical of
alkaline plagioclase.
Amphibole occurs only as a late
phase in the groundmass of the samples.
According to Leake et al. (1997), the
compositions correspond to edenite, Mghornblende and actinolite in sample 1B,
Mg-hastingsite in sample 1C and Mghastingsite and tschermakite in sample
2B. The actinolite compositions (sample
1B) correspond to pale-green amphibole
developed at clinopyroxene rims,
probably related to the pneumatolytic
action of residual water-enriched
magmatic fluids on primary pyroxene
crystals.

Enrique (2009) on Permian lamprophyres

from Aiguablava.
Concerning the affinity of the rocks,
their low Nb/Y and Zr/TiO2 ratios and
their relatively high total-alkalis contents,
together with their mineralogy, support
an intermediate (transitional) affinity.
Regarding the trace element
composition, the analysed samples are
also highly coincident (Fig. 4). In
detail, the five normalized REE
patterns arrange in order of increasing
REE (especially HREE) abundance as
follows: 0A, stage 1 dykes (1B and 1C)

GEOGACETA, 49, 2010

and stage 2 dykes (2B and 2C). The

most evolved sample, with the highest
HREE contents and the strongest Eu
negative anomaly is 2B.
Discussion
The five studied lamprophyre
samples present little compositional
variations, suggesting a common origin.
However, the small compositional
differences among them define a clear
differentiation trend. Sample 0A displays
the most primitive composition. Its Cpx
and Pl crystals are the least evolved;
furthermore, it presents the highest mg#
and lowest TiO2, Na2O, P2O5 and REE
(especially HREE) values. On the
contrary, samples 2B and 2C (stage 2
dykes) show opposite characteristics,
even developing a Eu negative anomaly
(Fig. 4), probably due to plagioclase
fractionation.

Fig. 4.- Primitive mantle (McDonough &

Sun, 1995) normalized REE patterns.
Fig. 4.- Pautas de REE normalizadas al
manto primitivo (McDonough & Sun, 1995).

Fig. 3.- Ti p.f.u. vs. Ca+Na p.f.u. diagram

for Cpx compositions (Leterrier et al.,
1982).
Fig. 3.- Composiciones de Cpx en el
diagrama Ti p.f.u. vs. Ca+Na p.f.u. (Leterrier
et al., 1982).

Most of the analysed opaque minerals

are ilmenite, although some pyrite
crystals were also found.
Finally, biotite was analysed in
sample 0A, where it represents up to 2%
in vol. of the rock. The Fe2+/(Fe2++Mg)
ratio p.f.u. (per formula unit) varies from
0.39 to 0.48. Although it is classified as
biotite, its composition is close to
phlogopite.
Whole rock chemistry
The composition of the five studied
lamprophyres (Table II) is highly
coincident, being 0A the most primitive.
This composition is very similar to the
two analyses previously published by

Sociedad Geolgica de Espaa

Table II.- Whole rock composition (major

elements in wt.% and trace elements in
ppm) of the studied lamprophyres. L.O.I.:
loss on ignition; mg#: molar ratio Mg/
(Mg+Fe2+).
Tabla II.- Composicin en roca total
(elementos mayores en % en peso y
elementos traza en ppm) de los lamprfidos
estudiados. L.O.I.: prdida al fuego; mg#:
relacin molar Mg/(Mg+Fe2+).

Therefore, the differentiation steps

might be: 0A (stage 0) 1B and 1C (stage
1) 2B and 2C (stage 2). Accordingly,
stage 0 dykes may be slightly older than
stage 1 dykes; stage 2 dykes should be the
youngest. This assumption agrees with
field observations that stage 2 dykes cut
stage 1 dykes (Fig. 2B and 2C).
An interesting observation is that Cpx
crystals in stage 2 dykes (the most
evolved) show two contrasting
compositions (Fig. 3). On the one hand,
groundmass Cpx crystals are the most
evolved. But on the other hand, Cpx
crystals from the microenclaves show
similar compositional characteristics as
Cpx crystals from sample 0A (stage 0, the
least evolved). These observations lead to
the conclusion that microenclaves in
stage 2 dykes could represent fragments
of stage 0 rocks or crystal clusters that,
afterwards, are carried by stage 2 magmas
to the emplacement level.

85

GEOGACETA, 49, 2010

Traditionally, the Aiguablava subvertical Permian lamprophyres have

been considered calc-alkaline
spessartites, related to the latest
emplacement stages of the pluton (e.g.
Enrique, 1990). However, this detailed
petrological study provides new data
for their classification. First, taking into
account the petrography and mineral
chemistry of the samples, the studied
lamprophyres are closer to the
camptonite group than to spessartite
(Le Maitre, 2002): the primary mineral
assemblage in our samples contains Tiaugite, olivine, biotite and more
plagioclase than K-feldspar, although
amphibole is present in very low
proportions, or even absent. In second
place, although the whole rock
compositions point to a subalkaline
affinity (e.g. relatively low Nb/Y and
Zr/TiO2 ratios), other criteria indicate
a n a l k a l i n e a f f i n i t y, n a m e l y : t h e
p r e s e n c e o f o l i v i n e a n d Ti - r i c h
clinopyroxene, the alkaline trend
defined by Cpx and Pl compositions,
the fact that biotite compositions are
close to phlogopite and the relatively
high total-alkalis content of the whole
rock compositions. This content
increases from stage 0 to stage 2, so that
an increasing alkaline character has
been recognized parallel to the
fractionation process.
According to all the presented data,
the studied Permian dykes in Aiguablava
have a subalkaline to alkaline transitional
affinity and are not strictly calc-alkaline
spessartites, as traditionally considered.
A similar case has been proposed
previously for Permian lamprophyres in
the Central Pyrenees (Gal, 2005). This
kind of rocks, with compositional
features intermediate between calcalkaline and alkaline rocks may represent
the products of a transitional tectonomagmatic regime, between the Variscan
compression (ending with the formation
of calc-alkaline plutons in the Pyrenees
and Catalonian Coastal Ranges) and the
beginning of the Alpine extension (which

86

T. Ubide et al.

made the crust thinner, enabling the

ascent of mantle-derived magmas with
little crust contamination) (Lago et al.,
2004).
Conclusions
The petrological and geochemical
study of the Permian lamprophyric subvertical dyke swarm from Aiguablava
(Catalonian Coastal Ranges) has led to
the following conclusions:
1. All these lamprophyres share a
common magma source.
2. During the emplacement of the
dykes, the lamprophyric magma suffered
a short but continued differentiation
process.
3. Three differentiation stages, related
to three emplacement pulses, can be
defined: stage 0, 1 and 2, in order of
decreasing age and increasing alkalinity.
Stage 2 magmas carry stage 0
microenclaves.
4. The studied lamprophyres are not
strictly calc-alkaline, as traditionally
considered, but transitional to alkaline.
Acknowledgements
This work is part of the project CGL2008-06098. It is included in the scope of
the pre-doctoral grant BFI06.189,
Gobierno Vasco (Teresa Ubide Garralda).
The authors wish to thank the careful
reviews and suggestions to the original
text by P. Enrique and an anonymous
reviewer.
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Petrologa / Geoqumica