2/21/24, 12:05 PM ALEX STREKEISEN-Nephelinesyenite-

Nepheline Syenite
Syenite, from Latin "Lapis Syenitis" (lapis = stone) of Syene, from Syene (an ancient city of southern Egypt), is a
coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock of the same general composition as granite but with the quartz either absent or
present in relatively small amounts (<5%). The feldspar component of syenite is predominantly alkaline in character
(usually orthoclase). Plagioclase feldspars may be present in small quantities, less than 10%. Syenites are usually
either peralkaline with high proportions of alkali elements relative to aluminum, or peraluminous with a higher
concentration of aluminum relative to alkali elements (K, Na, Ca).

Syenites usually occur as relatively small independent intrusions or more commons as satellite bodies, related to
larger intrusions with different overall compositions. In many areas Syenites are comagmatic with Granitic intrusions.
As these Syenites tend to form marginal igneous facies to much larger granitic bodies, the former are often
interpreted as having evolved from the latter. This poses problems, because if a Syenite is to evolve from a granite,
significant amounts of SiO2 have to removed; and significant amounts of MgO, total Fe, MnO and TiO2 and also CaO
and Na2O have to be added.

Such changes in chemical composition may be locally accomplished by the assimilation of mafic/or carbonate rocks,
and the escape of volatiles containing dissolved silica. Many Syenite, however, are interpreted as being product of the
fractional crystallization of basaltic magma. Chapman and Williams (1935) demonstrated that the removal of 53% of
Plagioclase, 10% of Pyroxene, 10% of Olivine and 4.5% of Ilmenite form the parental basaltic magma would produce
a monzonitic magma; and the removal of 17% of plagioclase, 16% of pyroxene and 2% of Ilmenite from this parental
magma would produce a Syenitic magma. This fractional crystallization process require the removal of high portion of
plagioclase, and this may help explain the close association of Syenites and Anorhosites.

Syenite can contain both feldspathoids, including nepheline, sodalite and/or leucite, olivine or quartz. Feldspathoid
syenites often have alkali pyroxenes, such as aegirine-augite and aegirine, or alkali amphiboles, such as reibeckite. A
number of terms have been used to describe different type of foid-bearing Syenite:

Larvikite: from the town of Larvik in Norway. The feldspar has partly unmixed on the micro-scale to form a perthite,
and the presence of the alternating alkali feldspar and plagioclase layers give its characteristic silver blue sheen
(Schiller effect) on polished surfaces.
Nordmarkite: Is used to describe a quartz-bearing Syenite from Nordmark area, Oslo.
Shonkinite: A melanocratic variety of feldspathoid syenite containing a large proportion (> 60% modal) of mafic
silicates (typically, augite, biotite and olivine) and < 10% modal feldspar. For Shonkin, the Native-American name for
the Highwood Mountains, Chouteau Co., central Montana, USA.
Laurdalite: An alkalic syenite containing more than 10% modal feldspathoids and characterized by porphyritic
texture. Also spelled lardalite. The name, given by Broegger in 1890, is for Laurdal, Norway.
Foyaite: Massive or trachytoidal hypersolvus nepheline syenite (commonly peralkaline). For Mt. Foia, Monchique,
western Algarve, Portugal.
Ditroite: Sodalite-bering Nephelin Syenites with both microcline and Albite. From Ditrau or Dìtro in Romania.
Miaskite: Leucocratic hypersolvus foid (monzo)syenite containing calcic albite, perthite, and nepheline ± cancrinite-
group minerals as the principal foid minerals. Biotite is the major mafic mineral, while ilmenite, zircon and pyrochlore
are characteristic accessory constituents. For Miass, South Urals, Russia.
Litchfieldite: A variety of nepheline syenite and is composed of two near pure phases of feldspar, albite and
microcline, with predominance of the first one, plusnepheline, sodalite, cancrinite and calcite named after its
occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA, by Bayley in 1892.
Lujavrite: Meso- to melanocratic trachytoidal peralkaline nepheline Syenite (commonly agpaitic). For Lujavr Urt
(Lovozero Mts.), Kola P-la, northwestern Russia.
Kakortokite: Cumulate-textured peralkaline nepheline syenite typically showing alkali-feldspar, arfvedsonite- and
eudialyte-rich layers. For Quaqortoq,Ilímaussaq complex, South Greenland.
Naujaite: Agpaitic (nepheline-)sodalite syenite with a poikilitic texture comprising crystals of feldspathoid minerals
enclosed in alkali feldspar and ferromagnesian silicates. For Naajakasik (formerly Naujakasik), Ilímaussaq complex,
South Greenland.
Pulaskite: Nepheline-bearing alkali feldspar syenite. For Pulaski Co., central Arkansas, USA.
Malignite: mesocratic foid-Syenites that contain 30-60% of mafic minerals. From Maligne River, Ontario, Canada
Mariupolite: Albite-rich Nepheline Syenite. From mariupol in Ukraine.

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Nepheline Syenite: feldspar (white), pyroxene (dark) and gray interstitial nepheline. Immagine tratta da Hypocentre

Bibliography

• Cox et al. (1979): The Interpretation of Igneous Rocks, George Allen and Unwin, London.
• Howie, R. A., Zussman, J., & Deer, W. (1992). An introduction to the rock-forming minerals (p. 696). Longman.
• Le Maitre, R. W., Streckeisen, A., Zanettin, B., Le Bas, M. J., Bonin, B., Bateman, P., & Lameyre, J. (2002). Igneous
rocks. A classification and glossary of terms, 2. Cambridge University Press.
• Middlemost, E. A. (1986). Magmas and magmatic rocks: an introduction to igneous petrology.
• Shelley, D. (1993). Igneous and metamorphic rocks under the microscope: classification, textures, microstructures
and mineral preferred-orientations.
• Vernon, R. H. & Clarke, G. L. (2008): Principles of Metamorphic Petrology. Cambridge University Press.

Photo

Nepheline crystals (colorless and Nepheline crystals (low Nepheline crystals (colorless and
rich in inclusions) in a fine interference colors) in a fine rich in inclusions) in a fine
grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of
plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt.
Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL
image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm) XPL image, 2x (Field of view = image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
7mm)

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2/21/24, 12:05 PM ALEX STREKEISEN-Nephelinesyenite-
Nepheline crystals (low Nepheline crystals (colorless and Nepheline crystals (colorless and
interference colors) in a fine rich in inclusions) in a fine rich in inclusions) in a fine
grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of
plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt.
Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL
XPL image, 2x (Field of view = image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm) image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
7mm)

Nepheline crystals (low Nepheline crystals (colorless and Nepheline crystals (colorless and
interference colors) in a fine rich in inclusions) in a fine rich in inclusions) in a fine
grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of
plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt.
Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL
XPL image, 2x (Field of view = image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm) image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
7mm)

Nepheline crystals (low Nepheline crystals (colorless and Nepheline crystals (low
interference colors) in a fine rich in inclusions) in a fine interference colors) in a fine
grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of
plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt.
Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia.
XPL image, 2x (Field of view = image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm) XPL image, 2x (Field of view =
7mm) 7mm)

Nepheline crystals (colorless and Nepheline crystals (low Nepheline crystals (colorless and
rich in inclusions) in a fine interference colors) in a fine rich in inclusions) in a fine
grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of
plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt.
Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL
image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm) XPL image, 2x (Field of view = image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
7mm)

Lorenzenite Lorenzenite Lorenzenite

Nepheline crystal (colorless and Nepheline crystals (low Aegirine crystal (green) in a fine
rich in inclusions) in a fine interference colors) in a fine grained groundmass made of
grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of plagioclase and aegirine. Mt.
plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL
Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. image, 10x (Lato lungo = 2mm).
image, 10x (Lato lungo = 2mm). XPL image, 10x (Lato lungo =
2mm).

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2/21/24, 12:05 PM ALEX STREKEISEN-Nephelinesyenite-

Nepheline crystals (colorless and Nepheline crystals (low Nepheline crystal (colorless and
rich in inclusions) in a fine interference colors) in a fine rich in inclusions) in a fine
grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of grained groundmass made of
plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. plagioclase and aegirine. Mt.
Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL
image, 10x (Lato lungo = 2mm). XPL image, 10x (Lato lungo = image, 10x (Lato lungo = 2mm).
2mm).

Aegirine crystals (green) in a fine Aegirine crystals in a fine grained Aegirine crystals (green) in a fine
grained groundmass made of groundmass made of plagioclase grained groundmass made of
plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. and aegirine. Mt. Flora, Lovozero, plagioclase and aegirine. Mt.
Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL Kola, Russia. XPL image, 10x Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL
image, 10x (Lato lungo = 2mm). (Lato lungo = 2mm). image, 10x (Lato lungo = 2mm).

Aegirine crystals (green) in a fine Aegirine crystals in a fine grained Aegirine crystal (green) in a fine
grained groundmass made of groundmass made of plagioclase grained groundmass made of
plagioclase and aegirine. Mt. and aegirine. Mt. Flora, Lovozero, plagioclase and aegirine. Mt.
Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL Kola, Russia. XPL image, 10x Flora, Lovozero, Kola, Russia. PPL
image, 10x (Lato lungo = 2mm). (Lato lungo = 2mm). image, 10x (Lato lungo = 2mm).

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