Chemical and morphological variation in tourmalines from the Hub Kapong batholith of peninsular Thailand

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Abstract
Electron probe microanalysis of tourmaline from late-stage aplites and mineralized (Sn-W) pegmatites from the Hub Kapong batholith of peninsular Thailand has revealed considerable chemical variation, and has shown that skeletal tourmaline crystals predominate within the pegmatites. The tourmalines show substitution towards the schorl end-member of the schorl-dravite series, as well as substitution towards alkali-free or proton deficient tourmaline. The extent of both substitutions increases (a) from aplites to pegmatites and (b) from core to rim within a single grain and so is believed to become greater with increasing degrees of differentiation of the aplite-pegmatite system. The development of skeletal crystals within the pegmatites and non-skeletal crystals within the aplites is believed to be due to the different kinetics of crystal growth obtaining within a hydrous, pegmatitic, fluid (viz. heterogeneous nucleation and comparatively rapid crystal growth rates) which in turn arise from differences in the structure of the aplitic magma and pegmatitic fluid. The observed chemical and morphological variation shown by the tourmalines is used to discuss the petrogenesis of the aplites and pegmatites, and associated ore deposits. During differentiation, the volatile content of the aplite magmas increased, leading to water saturation and the separation of a hydrous pegmatitic fluid. After a period of coexistence, possibly in chemical equilibrium, the crystallization of the pegmatites continued once the aplite magma had completely consolidated.