TITLE:
A Review of Carbonatite Occurrences in Italy and Evaluation of Origins
AUTHORS:
Angelo Paone
KEYWORDS:
Carbonatites; Isotopes; Sediments; Arc System; Roman Comagmatic Province
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Geology,
Vol.3 No.2,
April
26,
2013
ABSTRACT: This review
and evaluation seeks to clarify the controversial origins of the Umbria-Latium
Ultra-alkaline District (ULUD) and the Vulture carbonatitic occurrence
(Intramontane Ultra-alkaline Province, IUP) and their relation to the Roman
Comagmatic Province (RCP). Generally, the geochemical and isotopic features of
the IUP can be linked to those of the RCP. Hence, the rocks of the ULUD
district, together with part of the Tuscan and Roman Province generated in the
last 2 Ma can be ascribed to a complex interplay of two subduction events
related to magmatism associated with the European and Adria slabs associated
with the effect of a slab window below the Italian Peninsular. Carbonate
sediments together with pelagic-terrigenous sediment played a major role in the
metasomatism of the mantle wedge beneath the IUP, and perhaps all along the
transect from southern Italy
(Eolian Islands
magmatism) to north-central Italy
(Tuscan and Umbria
magmatism). A diffuse CO2 + H2O
metasomatic front produced the condition necessary for the formation of
carbonatitic magmatism. However, even where carbonatites are related to
continental rift system (i.e., OIB),
an origin for MORB-sediment convective recycling melting in the mantle has been
hypothesized [i.e., 1].