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<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="archive">gsminmag</journal-id>
<journal-title>Mineralogical Magazine</journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="full">Mineralogical Magazine</abbrev-journal-title>
<issn pub-type="ppub">0026-461X</issn>
<publisher>
<publisher-name>Mineralogical Society</publisher-name>
</publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1180/002646198547738</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title>Th-rich Loparite from the Khibina Alkaline Complex, Kola Peninsula: Isomorphism and Paragenesis</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Mitchell</surname>
<given-names>Roger H.</given-names>
</name></contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Chakhmouradian</surname>
<given-names>Anton R.</given-names>
</name></contrib>
<aff>Department of Geology, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada</aff></contrib-group>
<pub-date pub-type="ppub">
<month>6</month>
<year>1998</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>62</volume>
<issue>3</issue>
<fpage>341</fpage>
<lpage>353</lpage>
<history>
<date date-type="received">
<day>6</day>
<month>5</month>
<year>1997</year>
</date>
<date date-type="rev-recd">
<day>9</day>
<month>9</month>
<year>1997</year>
</date></history>
<copyright-statement>Copyright &#x00A9; 1998, The Mineralogical Society</copyright-statement>
<copyright-year>1998</copyright-year>
<abstract>
<title>Abstract</title>
<p>Th-rich (up to 18.4 wt.% ThO<sub>2</sub>) loparite occurs as an accessory phase in foyaite pegmatites at Mt. Eveslogchorr, Khibina complex, Russia. It is associated with aegirine, astrophyllite, eudialyte, lorenzenite, lamprophyllite, magnesio-arfvedsonite and gerasimovskite. Loparite crystals are zoned from niobian loparite (core) to niobian thorian and thorian niobian loparite (rim). Th-enrichment is accompanied by a decrease in Na, <italic>LREE</italic>, Sr and increase in A-site vacancies. The most Th-rich composition approaches (Na<sub>0.39</sub><italic>LREE</italic><sub>0.19</sub>Th<sub>0.12</sub>Ca<sub>0.05</sub>Sr<sub>0.02</sub>)<sub>&#x03A3;0.77</sub>(Ti<sub>0.76</sub>Nb<sub>0.27</sub>)<sub>&#x03A3;1.03</sub>O<sub>3</sub>. The mineral is partly or completely metamict and after annealing gives an X-ray diffraction powder pattern similar to that of synthetic NaLaTi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>6</sub> and naturally occurring loparite of different composition. For the Th-rich rim sample, the five strongest diffraction lines (&#x00C5;) are: 2.72 (100) 110, 1.575 (60) 211, 1.925 (40), 1.368 (30) 220, 1.222 (20) 310; <italic>a</italic> = 3.867(2) &#x00C5;. The X-ray diffraction patterns do not exhibit peak splitting or other diffraction lines typical of low-symmetry and ordered perovskite-type structures. Composition determinations, infrared transmission spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry show that thorian loparite is partly replaced by betafite with <italic>LREE</italic> and Th as dominant <italic>A</italic>-site cations (&#x2018;ceriobetafite&#x2019;). Some loparite samples also exhibit thin replacement mantles of belyankinite with high <italic>LREE</italic><sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and ThO<sub>2</sub> contents. Both &#x2018;ceriobetafite&#x2019; and belyankinite were formed due to metasomatic alteration of loparite.</p></abstract>
<kwd-group>
<title>Keywords</title>
<kwd>loparite</kwd>
<kwd>betafite</kwd>
<kwd>belyankinite</kwd>
<kwd>nepheline-syenite pegmatite</kwd>
<kwd>Khibina alkaline complex</kwd>
<kwd>Kola Peninsula</kwd>
<kwd>Russia</kwd>
</kwd-group>
</article-meta>
</front>
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