Morrison, Anna O., Stock, Michael J., Cooper, Mark R., Andersen, Jens C. Ø., Hughes, Hannah S. R., Carter, Elliot J., Beckwith, Jack, McDonald, Iain  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9066-7244, Kerr, Andrew C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5569-4730 and Mohr, Paul
2026.
Platinum-group element systematics in the North Atlantic Igneous Province: New insights from Northern Irish and Irish magmatism.
Lithos: Journal of Petrology, Mineralogy and Geochemistry
542–43
, 108725.
10.1016/j.lithos.2026.108725
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Abstract
The North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) is one of the most prospective regions for Ni-Cu-Platinum-Group Element (PGE) mineralisation in Europe, and recent studies have discovered elevated PGE concentrations within its early lavas and minor intrusions comprising the British and Irish Palaeogene Igneous Province (BIPIP). This study presents an extended digital map of the regional mafic dyke swarms associated with the BIPIP in Northern Ireland and Ireland and a comprehensive new geochemical dataset of these magma conduits, the Antrim Lava Group and associated minor intrusions, including PGE and Au analyses. Digital mapping using airborne magnetic data reveals a high density of dyke-related anomalies on the island of Ireland. Dyke density and orientation indicate at least one swarm originating from an onshore Palaeogene igneous centre, whilst others are likely propagating from submarine igneous centres in the North Atlantic. Previous studies have shown that Pt/Pd ratios vary systematically across the NAIP, with early magmatic rocks in Greenland and Scotland typically displaying higher values (∼1.9) than younger Icelandic sequences (∼0.4), reflecting an evolving geodynamic setting from intraplate magmatism to continental rifting and ocean opening. Irish and Northern Irish BIPIP centres record a similar pattern, with an average Pt/Pd ratio of 1.6 ± 0.8. The close spatiotemporal association between Pt/Pd variations in Ireland and Scotland suggests that this geodynamic transition occurred within a geologically short time interval (<1 Myr). Results from our samples indicate widespread sulphide saturation, supporting the potential for orthomagmatic Ni-Cu-PGE mineralisation within related central complexes or magmatic feeder networks.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > Earth and Environmental Sciences Schools > Physical, Chemical & Environmental Sciences |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| ISSN: | 0024-4937 |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 7 August 2026 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 31 July 2026 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Aug 2026 10:53 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/188769 |
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