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An experimental investigation of antigorite dehydration in natural silica-enriched serpentinite

An experimental investigation of antigorite dehydration in natural silica-enriched serpentinite Piston cylinder experiments were performed to constrain the pressure and temperature conditions for two high-pressure antigorite dehydration reactions found in silica-enriched serpentinites from Cerro del Almirez (Nevado–Filábride Complex, Betic Cordillera, southern Spain). At 630–660°C and pressures greater than 1.6 GPa, antigorite first reacts with talc to form orthopyroxene ± chlorite + fluid. We show that orthopyroxene + antigorite is restricted to high-pressure metamorphism of silica-enriched serpentinite. This uncommon assemblage is helpful in constraining metamorphic conditions in cold subduction environments, where antigorite serpentinites have no diagnostic assemblages over a large pressure and temperature range. The second dehydration reaction leads to the breakdown of antigorite to olivine + orthopyroxene + chlorite + fluid. The maximum stability of antigorite is found at 680°C at 1.9 GPa, which also corresponds to the maximum pressure limit for tremolite coexisting with olivine + orthopyroxene. The high aluminium (3.70 wt% Al2O3) and chromium contents (0.59 wt% Cr2O3) of antigorite in the investigated starting material is responsible for the expansion of the serpentinite stability to 60–70°C higher temperatures at 1.8 GPa than the antigorite stability calculated in the Al-free system. The antigorite from our study has the highest Al–Cr contents among all experimental studies and therefore likely constraints the maximum stability of antigorite in natural systems. Comparison of experimental results with olivine–orthopyroxene–chlorite–tremolite assemblages outcropping in Cerro del Almirez indicates that peak metamorphic conditions were 680–710°C and 1.6–1.9 GPa. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology Springer Journals

An experimental investigation of antigorite dehydration in natural silica-enriched serpentinite

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References (101)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 by Springer-Verlag
Subject
Earth Sciences; Mineralogy ; Mineral Resources ; Geology
ISSN
0010-7999
eISSN
1432-0967
DOI
10.1007/s00410-009-0414-5
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Piston cylinder experiments were performed to constrain the pressure and temperature conditions for two high-pressure antigorite dehydration reactions found in silica-enriched serpentinites from Cerro del Almirez (Nevado–Filábride Complex, Betic Cordillera, southern Spain). At 630–660°C and pressures greater than 1.6 GPa, antigorite first reacts with talc to form orthopyroxene ± chlorite + fluid. We show that orthopyroxene + antigorite is restricted to high-pressure metamorphism of silica-enriched serpentinite. This uncommon assemblage is helpful in constraining metamorphic conditions in cold subduction environments, where antigorite serpentinites have no diagnostic assemblages over a large pressure and temperature range. The second dehydration reaction leads to the breakdown of antigorite to olivine + orthopyroxene + chlorite + fluid. The maximum stability of antigorite is found at 680°C at 1.9 GPa, which also corresponds to the maximum pressure limit for tremolite coexisting with olivine + orthopyroxene. The high aluminium (3.70 wt% Al2O3) and chromium contents (0.59 wt% Cr2O3) of antigorite in the investigated starting material is responsible for the expansion of the serpentinite stability to 60–70°C higher temperatures at 1.8 GPa than the antigorite stability calculated in the Al-free system. The antigorite from our study has the highest Al–Cr contents among all experimental studies and therefore likely constraints the maximum stability of antigorite in natural systems. Comparison of experimental results with olivine–orthopyroxene–chlorite–tremolite assemblages outcropping in Cerro del Almirez indicates that peak metamorphic conditions were 680–710°C and 1.6–1.9 GPa.

Journal

Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology – Springer Journals

Published: Jun 20, 2009

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