Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This manuscript reports new data on mineralogy and composition of Cr-spinels analyzed in mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Monchegorsk Mafic-Ultramafic Layered Complex (Kola Region, Russia). The presented data emphasize the importance of the texture and composition of Cr-spinels as petrogenetic indicators.  

Unfortunately the text contains many language mistakes, is not properly organized, it does not present adequately the analytical results and finally, it is really too long. The article is not written with an economy of words and I worry that potential readers will be discouraged at the length of it. For these reasons, I consider the manuscript not acceptable in the present form, but could be published subject to a major revision and consistent emendation. Hereafter, I’m giving some suggestions that the Author may consider in order to improve the scientific impact of their work.

Title. I suggest to remove the word mineralization, since the authors analyzed also disseminated Cr-spinels.

Introduction must be reduced as well as the relationships among the 1) MRC, 2)  Monchepluton and 3) Monchegorsk complex must be summarized in two or three sentences.

Line 45. Zircon.

4. Materials and Methods. In this chapter the authors must provide more precise as it regards the selected analytical conditions, i.e. WDS or EDS, if the Fe3 amount was measured or calculated.

 Lines 404-409. The obtained results correspond the mixed analyses between spinels and Ti-bearing minerals. Therefore they must be removed from the graphics.

 5.2. Geochemistry of the MC Cr-spinels. The authors must follow the paper by Bosi et al. 2019, European Journal of Mineralogy (2019) 31 (1): 183–192. for the correct nomenclature and classification of the studied spinels. Ferruginous Cr-spinels? Please change figure 14 a.

 All the figures showing the composition of the spinels are too small.

 Line 750. The nodular texture is common in ophiolitic podiform chromitites, but very rare in layered mafic-ultramafic complex. I suggest to the authors to insert a nice picture of these chromitites.

  Some zonations observed in some spinels may be the results of an alteration process?

   In conclusion, I recommend the publication of this paper after major revision.

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper presents a comprehensive review on the composition of Cr-spinels from rocks of the Monchegorsk layered complex. 

The study might be useful contribution and the review is pretty good and reliable. But I have some comments and recomandations that are listed in the PDF attached.

 

I think that this manuscript suits to the level where it can be published in Minerals after the major revision.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

I have seen that Authors have corrected the manuscript following my suggestion. In my opinion, provided that the language will be considered enough good by expert people,  the paper can be now published in Minerals. I recently co-authored a paper published in the following special issue of Minerals: From Mantle to Market: Platinum Group Elements and Minerals and Their Geological Significance https://www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals/special_issues/22JF797PBQ. Considering the topic of their manuscript, may be the Authors are open to moving their manuscript to the
special issue. Of course this is only a suggestion. With my best regards.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

 Accept in present form