Zircon micro-texture and chemistry: an investigation of magmatic history and crystallization temperature of quartz potassic syenite from Iwo area, Southwestern Nigeria

The Neoproterozoic quartz potassic syenite of the Iwo area, Southwestern Nigeria has been investigated for its magmatic history and zircon saturation temperature. The zircon morphology showed irregular shapes with sectoral and oscillatory micro zoning. The majority of the zircon grains have embayment, which corresponds to magmatic resorption. The syenite crystallized from probably multiple recharge of less evolved magma. Both the magma injection and subsequent crystallization of the rock occurred over a length of time giving the rock some degree of protracted thermal history and slight fluctuation in chemistry, which are manifested as zonation in the analyzed zircon grains. The initial stage of zircon crystallization was marked by a lower cerium anomaly than the final stage, which indicates changes from lower oxidizing to higher oxidizing conditions. The protracted history does not affect the europium anomalies at any stage of crystallization. An average zircon saturation temperature of 865 °C estimated from titanium in zircon (T Tiz °C) thermometer using titanium activity of 0.7 ( a TiO 2 ~ 0.7) is taken as reasonable crystallization temperature of the rock. This is fairly consistent with 877 °C deduced from the zircon solubility model. The titanium in zircon temperature of 910 °C at a TiO 2 ~ 1 is rather too high to be a useful estimate. Both the temperatures 865 and 877 °C are however consistent with those of intermediate rocks. The size of the syenite and protracted crystallization history would have made the temperature to have impacted the metamorphic envelope around the syenite.