Hydrothermal alteration of seafloor peridotites does not influence oxygen fugacity recorded by spinel oxybarometry

Author(s)Birner, Suzanne K.
Author(s)Warren, Jessica M.
Author(s)Cottrell, Elizabeth
Author(s)Davis, Fred A.
Ordered AuthorSuzanne K. Birner, Jessica M. Warren, Elizabeth Cottrell, and Fred A. Davis
UD AuthorWarren, Jessica M.en_US
Date Accessioned2016-11-03T18:45:51Z
Date Available2016-11-03T18:45:51Z
Copyright DateCopyright © 2016 The Authorsen_US
Publication Date2016-06-01
DescriptionPublisher's PDFen_US
AbstractOlivine, orthopyroxene, and spinel compositions within seafloor peridotites yield important information about the nature of Earth’s mantle. Major element compositions of these minerals can be used to calculate oxygen fugacity, a thermodynamic property critical to understanding phase equilibria in the upper mantle. This study examines how hydrothermal alteration at the seafloor influences peridotite chemistry. The Tonga Trench (South Pacific Ocean) exposes lithospheric forearc peridotites that range from highly altered to completely unaltered and provides an ideal sample suite for investigating the effect of alteration on spinel peridotite major element chemistry and calculated oxygen fugacity. Using the Tonga peridotites, we develop a qualitative alteration scale rooted in traditional point-counting methodology. We show that high degrees of serpentinization do not affect mineral parameters such as forsterite number in olivine, iron site occupancy in orthopyroxene, and Fe3+/SFe ratio in spinel. Additionally, while serpentinization is a redox reaction that leaves behind an oxidized residue, the oxygen fugacity recorded by mantle minerals is unaffected by nearby low-temperature serpentinization. As a result, oxygen fugacity measured by spinel oxybarometry in seafloor peridotites is representative of mantle processes, rather than an artifact of late-stage seafloor alteration.en_US
DepartmentUniversity of Delaware. Department of Geological Sciences.en_US
CitationBirner, Suzanne K., et al. "Hydrothermal alteration of seafloor peridotites does not influence oxygen fugacity recorded by spinel oxybarometry." Geology (2016): G38113-1.en_US
DOIdoi:10.1130/G38113.1en_US
ISSN0091-7613 ; e- 1943-2682en_US
URLhttp://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/19826
Languageen_USen_US
PublisherGeological Society of Americaen_US
dc.rightsCC-BYen_US
dc.sourceGeologyen_US
dc.source.urihttp://geology.gsapubs.org/en_US
TitleHydrothermal alteration of seafloor peridotites does not influence oxygen fugacity recorded by spinel oxybarometryen_US
TypeArticleen_US
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