Mineralogy of Clinopyroxene from the Geodo Mine

거도광산의 단사휘석에 관한 광물학적 연구

Clinopyroxene in the Geodo mine belongs to diopside-hedenbergite series. It is widely distributed throughout the mine area together with garnet and is also closely related with Fe-mineralization. Clinopyroxenes in the Geodo mine including two samples from the sangdong and Ulchin Mines are studied using polarized microscope, EPMA, XRD, and IR spectroscopy for occurrence, chemistry, structure, and crystal chemistry. Especially, variations in unit-cell parameters are examined in relation with the substitution scheme between Fe and Mg cations. Clinopyroxenes in the Geodo mine occur in both endoskarn and exoskarn zone. It is mostly anhedral to subhedral with fine- to medium-grained in texture, but some have bigger crystals of short prismatic or columnar habits. Clinopyroxene occurs as monomineralic or is associated with mostly garnet and sometimes with actinolite, magnetite, epidote, and chlorite. Chemical analysis reveals that the Geodo clinopyroxene is diopsidic in composition (Di: 65-96%). This fact is in good contrast with garnet chemistry showing mostly andraditic (An: 41-82%). Especially, clinopyroxene coexisting with magnetite belongs to nearly end member diopside (Di: 97-99%). Thus, diopside-andradite pair indicates that Geodo skarns were formed under the reduced environment. X-ray diffraction analysis shows unit-cell parameters vary with increase of Fe contents: a = 9.765-9.838$\AA$, b = 8.943-9.020$\AA$, c= 5.240-5.253$\AA$.$\beta$ = 105.70-104.83$^{\circ}$, and V =440.64-448.19$\AA$3. It is noted from the least square regression that a, b and V increase linearly with increase of Fe content, while $\beta$ slightly decreases and c remains nearly unchanged as change in Fe content. These trends are to difference between synthetic and natural clinopyroxenes. This fact is also recognized in IR spectra which show a slight shift of several absorption bands toward lower wavenumber region with increasing Fe content.