Mineralogy and petrology of the Good Hope carbonatite complex, Marathon, Ontario

Abstract

The Good Hope carbonatite is located northwest of Marathon, Ontario (49° 02’ N, 86° 43’ W). It occurs along the northwest margin of the Prairie Lake complex. The objectives of this research are to characterize the carbonate and other minerals of the Good Hope carbonatite, use mineral compositions and textural associations to discuss the petrogenesis, and compare the mineralogy of the Good Hope and Prairie Lake carbonatites to assess potential relationships. The major rock-forming minerals in the Good Hope carbonatite are calcite, ferroan dolomite, and apatite. The apatite occurs predominantly as elongated aggregates and clasts that define heterogeneous banding within the carbonatite. Syenite xenoliths are centimeterscale, entrained within the carbonatite, composed of K-feldspar, biotite-phlogopite, magnesioarfvedsonite, aegirine, quartz, and carbonate. The minor minerals within the carbonatite include dolomite, K-feldspar, quartz, chlorite, magnetite, barite, biotite – phlogopite, magnesioarfvedsonite, aegirine, pyrochlore, albite, and fluorite. The accessory minerals include pyrite, synchysite-(Ce), rutile, siderite, strontianite, thorite, parisite-(Ce), bastnaesite-(Ce), burbankite, and zircon. [...]