Geochemistry of apatite in various felsic rocks of the Piranshahr plutonic complex: an approach to investigate magmatic evolution

The felsic intrusive rocks in the Piranshahr plutonic complex consist of three groups: syenite, nepheline-syenite, and alkali-feldspar granite. They are co-genetic and formed approximately 40 million years ago. Textural relationships, major oxides, and trace element composition of the selected felsic rock samples were studied using SEM, EPMA, and LA-ICP-MS methods. In the studied samples, apatite appears as euhedral to subhedral crystals with prismatic forms and has a homogeneous texture without zonation. The low amounts of MnO and the REE pattern of apatites confirm their magmatic nature, indicating that post-crystallization processes did not affect the composition of apatites. All apatite crystals fall into the fluorapatite category. The amounts of fluorine and chlorine vary in different felsic rocks, and the F/Cl ratio decreases from granites towards syenites and nepheline-syenites. The determination of the apatite saturation temperature indicates that alkali feldspar granites have a higher crystallization temperature range (858-844°C) than both syenites (818-783°C) and nepheline syenites (668-610°C). Analyzing the manganese levels in the examined apatites suggests a consistent oxidizing setting with minimal fluctuations in fO2 conditions (logfO2= -8 to -9.8). Trace elements in different apatites show significant differences; for instance, apatites in granitic samples are enriched with HFSE and rare earth elements (REE), while apatites in nepheline-syenites have a higher concentration of components such as silica, Cr, Ni, and V. The composition of trace elements and the F/Cl ratios in apatites demonstrate consistent variations and alignment with the host rock composition. The results of the apatite mineral composition confirm previous petrological findings regarding the impact of volatile phases separation on magmatic evolution in the Piranshahr felsic rocks.