Rare earth elements in apatite as a monitor of magmatic and metasomatic processes: The Ilímaussaq complex, South Greenland

Abstract Textural and compositional variations of apatite from the plutonic Ilimaussaq complex in South Greenland and its surrounding country rocks track magmatic and metasomatic processes. Detailed back-scattered electron (BSE) imaging reveals various types of apatite textures including (i) growth zonation (concentric, oscillatory as well as sector zonation) formed during magmatic differentiation, (ii) resorption and overgrowth textures due to fluid/melt induced metasomatic overprint of precursor apatite and (iii) replacement textures indicating the destabilization of apatite in favor of monazite. In the least evolved rocks of the Ilimaussaq complex, apatite incorporates rare earth element…