Abstract:
The Kekuknai massif was formed in the course of tectono-magmatic activity that involved the origin of a shield volcano and a caldera depression with associated emplacement of extrusions that terminated in intense post-caldera areal volcanism. The mineralogical compositions of the massifs rocks have been considered in detail. The use of previously known and newly developed indicator properties of rock-forming minerals allowed the reconstruction of the general picture of the magmatic melt evolution and conditions of rock crystallization (various fluid and water saturation levels, as well as the oxidation state of the system). Essentially island-arc or intraplate characteristics of the massif s rock compositions are found at different stages of development of a single fluid-magmatic system. Decompression evolution of the parent deep-seated basanitic magma occurred via occurrence in intermediate magma chambers of daughter magmas of trachybasalt (pre-caldera stage) or hawaiite (areal volcanism) composition. Subsequent emanate-magmatic differentiation of these melts, combined with crystallization differentiation under changing P-T-f0l conditions, resulted in the formation of the entire diversity of the Kekuknai rocks.