The mineralogy of the highly peralkaline Junguni nepheline syenite intrusion of the Chilwa alkaline province has been investigated. The rocks comprise alkali feldspar, very abundant nepheline, locally exceptionally abundant sodalite, sodic pyroxenes, scarce biotite, rare amphibole, and an extensive range of accessory minerals. Electron microprobe analyses indicate that the pyroxenes define an evolutionary trend from salite through aegirine-augite to aegirine, which is unusual in its broadness and ill-definition. This is explained by a series of overlapping trends produced by fluctuating Fe3+/Fe2+ ratios caused by variations in alkali content of the magma, probably produced by periodic alkali loss by surface de-gassing. Much of the sodalite occurs as a primary liquidus phase, but the paragenesis of certain ramifying sodalite veins is more problematical. It is possible that such ramifying masses are the product of coupled migration of alkalis and volatiles by diffusion in a gravitation field under pressure gradients generated by eruptive events, or by the formation of immiscible Na- and Cl-rich liquids. Both early calcic and late mangan-fluor eckermannitic/arfvedsonitic amphiboles occur. The micas vary from biotites with Mg: Fe ratios < 0·5 to almost pure annites; they are fluor-micas and characterized by high Mn contents. Analyses of niobian rutile, mangan ilmenite, ferroan pyrophanite, manganese-rich eucolite, låvenite, mangan-titan låtvenite, rosenbuschite, wöhlerite, pyrochlore, eudialyte and what is believed to be only the second occurrence of kupletskite are given. Many of these minerals are rich in Zr, Nb, Na and Mn and thus typical of the assemblages found in extreme agpaitic complexes such as Ilimaussaq and Lovozero.

The Late Cretaceous Itatiaia complex is made up of nepheline syenite grading to peralkaline varieties, quartz syenite and granite, emplaced in the metamorphic rocks of the Serra do Mar, SE Brazil. The nepheline syenites are characterized by assemblages with alkali feldspar, nepheline, Fe-Ti oxides, clinopyroxene, amphibole, apatite and titanite, while the peralkaline nepheline syenites have F-disilicates (rinkite, wöhlerite, hiortdahlite, låvenite), britholite and pyrophanite as the accessory phases. The silica-oversaturated rocks have alkali feldspar, plagioclase, quartz, amphibole, clinopyroxene and Fe-Ti oxides; the chevkinite-group minerals are the featured accessory phases and are found with allanite, fluorapatite, fluorite, zircon, thorite, yttrialite, zirconolite, pyrochlore and yttrocolumbite. The major- and trace-element composition of the Itatiaia rocks have variations linked to the amount of accessory phases, have smooth, enriched chondritenormalized rare-earth element (REE) distribution patterns in the least-evolved nepheline syenites and convex patterns in the most-evolved nepheline syenites. The REE distribution patterns of the quartz syenites and granites show a typical pattern caused by fractional crystallization of feldspar and amphibole, in an environment characterized by relatively high oxygen fugacity (>NiNiO buffer) and high concentrations of H2O and F, supporting the crystallization of hydrous phases, fluorite and F-disilicates. The removal of small amounts of titanite in the transition from the least-evolved to the most-evolved nepheline syenites stems from petrogenetic models involving REE, and is shown to be a common feature of the magmatic evolution of many other syenitic/ trachytic/ phonolitic complexes of the Serra do Mar and elsewhere.

The layered agpaitic nepheline syenites (kakortokites) of the Ilímaussaq complex, South Greenland, host voluminous accumulations of eudialyte-group minerals (EGM). These complex Na-Ca-zirconosilicates contain economically attractive levels of Zr, Nb and rare-earth elements (REE), but have commonly undergone extensive autometasomatic/hydrothermal alteration to a variety of secondary mineral assemblages. Three EGM alteration assemblages are recognized, characterized by the secondary zirconosilicates catapleiite, zircon and gittinsite. Theoretical petrogenetic grid models are constructed to assess mineral stabilities in terms of component activities in the late-stage melts and fluids. Widespread alteration of EGM to catapleiite records an overall increase in water activity, and reflects interaction of EGM with late-magmatic Na-, Cl- and F-rich aqueous fluids at the final stages of kakortokite crystallization. Localized alteration of EGM and catapleiite to the rare Ca-Zr silicate gittinsite, previously unidentified at Ilímaussaq, requires an increase in CaO activity and suggests post-magmatic interaction with Ca-Sr bearing aqueous fluids. The pseudomorphic replacement of EGM in the kakortokites was not found to be associated with significant remobilization of the primary Zr, Nb and REE mineralization, regardless of the high concentrations of potential transporting ligands such as F and Cl. We infer that the immobile behaviour essentially reflects the neutral to basic character of the late-magmatic fluids, in which REE-F compounds are insoluble and remobilization of REE as Cl complexes is inhibited by precipitation of nacareniobsite-(Ce) and various Ca-REE silicates. A subsequent decrease in F– activity would furthermore restrict the mobility of Zr as hydroxyl-fluoride complexes, and promote precipitation of the secondary zirconosilicates within the confines of the replaced EGM domains.