Platinum-group elements geochemistry and mineralogy in Eastern Alpine ultramafic massifs

We intend to investigate the platinum-group elements (PGE) mineralogy and geochemistry of the Kraubath and Hochgrößen dunite-hurz-burgite massifs, located in Styria. We plan to focus on: 1) PGE mineralogy of different ultramafic rocks and alluvial sediments closely associated with these massifs; 2) PGE geochemistry of the ultramafic rocks; 3) Re-Os systematics of platinum-group minerals (PGM) from rocks and heavy mineral concentrates of stream sediments. These goals are achieved by a combination of methods: (a) field work including a stream sediment survey; (b) mineral separation by electric-pulse disintegration and hydroseparation techniques (partly carried out in St. Petersburg Russia); (c) mineralogical work (re-flected light microscopy); (d) analytical work including the compositions of PGM (SEM, EMPA) and the platinum-group elements geochemistry of whole-rock and chromite samples (carried out in Leoben, Moscow and St. Petersburgl Russia); (d) isotope analysis (Re-Os system) carried out in St. Petersburg, Russia. The obtained results on mineralogy and geochemistry of Alpine-type ultramafites of Early Paleozoic age, with emphasis on their implications for platinum-group elements behaviour during mantle melting, would allow us to obtain much more precisely the nature and time of formation of these massifs.