Abstract:
The North Qoroq centre comprises a series of nested nepheline syenite intrusions and forms part of the midlate
Proterozoic Gardar province of South Greenland. Within the centre fractionation has produced varied rock
types ranging from augite-syenite to lujavrite, a eudialyte microsyenite. Samples of eudialyte from the
lujavrites of unit SN1B of the centre show evidence for two-stage alteration. This alteration ranges from slight
modification along crystal margins to complete breakdown and replacement by new pseudomorphing phases.
Modification to crystal margins is accompanied by increasing Nb and Zr contents and is related to
metasomatism produced by the intrusion of younger syenite units of the North Qoroq centre. More extensive
alteration is as a result of metasomatism followed by lower-temperature supergene alteration. Simplified
reactions for this breakdown include eudialyte + metasomatic fluid = allanite + nepheline; eudialyte +
metasomatic fluid = titanite + aegirine + mesandrite + w6hlerite; eudialyte + fluid = zirfesite + fluid. Mass
balance calculations for altered compared with unaltered samples of lujavrite show that alteration took place at
approximately constant volume with an overall increase in Fe (+2.41 g/100g), Si and K (+0.65 and +0.61 g/
100g), whilst Na (-2.67 g/100g) and all trace elements, particularly La, Y, Nb and Zr (-5.6 to -166 g/
10000g) are lost from the system.
