Chlorine-rich amphibole in deep layered gabbros as evidence for brine/rock interaction in the lower oceanic crust: A case study from the Wadi Wariyah, Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Adriana Currin
  • Paul Eric Wolff
  • Jürgen Koepke
  • Renat R. Almeev
  • Chao Zhang
  • Barbara Zihlmann
  • Benoit Ildefonse
  • Damon A.H. Teagle

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • University of Southampton
  • Géosciences Montpellier
View graph of relations

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)125-136
Number of pages12
JournalLithos
Volume323
Early online date25 Sept 2018
Publication statusPublished - 15 Dec 2018

Abstract

Hydrothermal veins and dykelets that cross-cut layered olivine gabbros deep in the plutonic section of the Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman, point towards the occurrence of hydrothermal circulation in the deep oceanic crust, and these features record interactions between rock and high temperature seawater-derived fluids or brines. Deep penetration of seawater-derived fluids down to 100 m above the Moho transition zone and the consequent interactions with the host rock lead to hydrothermal alteration from granulite facies grading down to greenschist facies conditions. Here we present a study of veins and dykelets formed by hydrothermal interaction cutting layered gabbro in the Wadi Wariyah, using petrographic, microanalytical, isotopic, and structural methods. We focus on amphiboles, which show a conspicuous compositional variation from high-Ti magnesiohastingsite and pargasite via magnesiohornblende and edenite, to Cl-rich ferropargasite and hastingsite (up to 1.5 a.p.f.u. Cl) and actinolite. These minerals record a wide range of formation conditions from magmatic to hydrothermal, and reveal a complex history of interactions between rock and hydrothermal fluid or brine in a lower oceanic crustal setting. Large variations in Cl content and cation configurations in amphibole suggest formation in equilibrium with fluids of different salinities at variable fluid/rock ratios. The presence of subsolidus amphibole extremely enriched in chlorine implies phase separation and brine/rock interactions. 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.7031 to 0.7039 and stable δ18O isotopic compositions of 4.1 to 5.6‰ of the different amphibole types suggest a rock-dominated environment, i.e. with low fluid/rock ratios. However, the slight departure from mean Oman isotope values may indicate there was some influence of seawater in the aforementioned fluid-rock interactions. Our study provides new petrological data for the subsolidus evolution of gabbro-hosted amphibole-rich veins in the presence of a seawater-derived fluid.

Keywords

    Brine-rock interactions, Cl-bearing amphibole, High-temperature hydrothermal circulation, Lower oceanic crust, Phase separation, Samail Ophiolite

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Chlorine-rich amphibole in deep layered gabbros as evidence for brine/rock interaction in the lower oceanic crust: A case study from the Wadi Wariyah, Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman. / Currin, Adriana; Wolff, Paul Eric; Koepke, Jürgen et al.
In: Lithos, Vol. 323, 15.12.2018, p. 125-136.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Currin A, Wolff PE, Koepke J, Almeev RR, Zhang C, Zihlmann B et al. Chlorine-rich amphibole in deep layered gabbros as evidence for brine/rock interaction in the lower oceanic crust: A case study from the Wadi Wariyah, Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman. Lithos. 2018 Dec 15;323:125-136. Epub 2018 Sept 25. doi: 10.1016/j.lithos.2018.09.015
Download
@article{8da4981eb73c4ee4bf66e6d952d486bd,
title = "Chlorine-rich amphibole in deep layered gabbros as evidence for brine/rock interaction in the lower oceanic crust: A case study from the Wadi Wariyah, Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman",
abstract = "Hydrothermal veins and dykelets that cross-cut layered olivine gabbros deep in the plutonic section of the Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman, point towards the occurrence of hydrothermal circulation in the deep oceanic crust, and these features record interactions between rock and high temperature seawater-derived fluids or brines. Deep penetration of seawater-derived fluids down to 100 m above the Moho transition zone and the consequent interactions with the host rock lead to hydrothermal alteration from granulite facies grading down to greenschist facies conditions. Here we present a study of veins and dykelets formed by hydrothermal interaction cutting layered gabbro in the Wadi Wariyah, using petrographic, microanalytical, isotopic, and structural methods. We focus on amphiboles, which show a conspicuous compositional variation from high-Ti magnesiohastingsite and pargasite via magnesiohornblende and edenite, to Cl-rich ferropargasite and hastingsite (up to 1.5 a.p.f.u. Cl) and actinolite. These minerals record a wide range of formation conditions from magmatic to hydrothermal, and reveal a complex history of interactions between rock and hydrothermal fluid or brine in a lower oceanic crustal setting. Large variations in Cl content and cation configurations in amphibole suggest formation in equilibrium with fluids of different salinities at variable fluid/rock ratios. The presence of subsolidus amphibole extremely enriched in chlorine implies phase separation and brine/rock interactions. 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.7031 to 0.7039 and stable δ18O isotopic compositions of 4.1 to 5.6‰ of the different amphibole types suggest a rock-dominated environment, i.e. with low fluid/rock ratios. However, the slight departure from mean Oman isotope values may indicate there was some influence of seawater in the aforementioned fluid-rock interactions. Our study provides new petrological data for the subsolidus evolution of gabbro-hosted amphibole-rich veins in the presence of a seawater-derived fluid.",
keywords = "Brine-rock interactions, Cl-bearing amphibole, High-temperature hydrothermal circulation, Lower oceanic crust, Phase separation, Samail Ophiolite",
author = "Adriana Currin and Wolff, {Paul Eric} and J{\"u}rgen Koepke and Almeev, {Renat R.} and Chao Zhang and Barbara Zihlmann and Benoit Ildefonse and Teagle, {Damon A.H.}",
note = "{\textcopyright} 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",
year = "2018",
month = dec,
day = "15",
doi = "10.1016/j.lithos.2018.09.015",
language = "English",
volume = "323",
pages = "125--136",
journal = "Lithos",
issn = "0024-4937",
publisher = "Elsevier",

}

Download

TY - JOUR

T1 - Chlorine-rich amphibole in deep layered gabbros as evidence for brine/rock interaction in the lower oceanic crust

T2 - A case study from the Wadi Wariyah, Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman

AU - Currin, Adriana

AU - Wolff, Paul Eric

AU - Koepke, Jürgen

AU - Almeev, Renat R.

AU - Zhang, Chao

AU - Zihlmann, Barbara

AU - Ildefonse, Benoit

AU - Teagle, Damon A.H.

N1 - © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PY - 2018/12/15

Y1 - 2018/12/15

N2 - Hydrothermal veins and dykelets that cross-cut layered olivine gabbros deep in the plutonic section of the Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman, point towards the occurrence of hydrothermal circulation in the deep oceanic crust, and these features record interactions between rock and high temperature seawater-derived fluids or brines. Deep penetration of seawater-derived fluids down to 100 m above the Moho transition zone and the consequent interactions with the host rock lead to hydrothermal alteration from granulite facies grading down to greenschist facies conditions. Here we present a study of veins and dykelets formed by hydrothermal interaction cutting layered gabbro in the Wadi Wariyah, using petrographic, microanalytical, isotopic, and structural methods. We focus on amphiboles, which show a conspicuous compositional variation from high-Ti magnesiohastingsite and pargasite via magnesiohornblende and edenite, to Cl-rich ferropargasite and hastingsite (up to 1.5 a.p.f.u. Cl) and actinolite. These minerals record a wide range of formation conditions from magmatic to hydrothermal, and reveal a complex history of interactions between rock and hydrothermal fluid or brine in a lower oceanic crustal setting. Large variations in Cl content and cation configurations in amphibole suggest formation in equilibrium with fluids of different salinities at variable fluid/rock ratios. The presence of subsolidus amphibole extremely enriched in chlorine implies phase separation and brine/rock interactions. 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.7031 to 0.7039 and stable δ18O isotopic compositions of 4.1 to 5.6‰ of the different amphibole types suggest a rock-dominated environment, i.e. with low fluid/rock ratios. However, the slight departure from mean Oman isotope values may indicate there was some influence of seawater in the aforementioned fluid-rock interactions. Our study provides new petrological data for the subsolidus evolution of gabbro-hosted amphibole-rich veins in the presence of a seawater-derived fluid.

AB - Hydrothermal veins and dykelets that cross-cut layered olivine gabbros deep in the plutonic section of the Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman, point towards the occurrence of hydrothermal circulation in the deep oceanic crust, and these features record interactions between rock and high temperature seawater-derived fluids or brines. Deep penetration of seawater-derived fluids down to 100 m above the Moho transition zone and the consequent interactions with the host rock lead to hydrothermal alteration from granulite facies grading down to greenschist facies conditions. Here we present a study of veins and dykelets formed by hydrothermal interaction cutting layered gabbro in the Wadi Wariyah, using petrographic, microanalytical, isotopic, and structural methods. We focus on amphiboles, which show a conspicuous compositional variation from high-Ti magnesiohastingsite and pargasite via magnesiohornblende and edenite, to Cl-rich ferropargasite and hastingsite (up to 1.5 a.p.f.u. Cl) and actinolite. These minerals record a wide range of formation conditions from magmatic to hydrothermal, and reveal a complex history of interactions between rock and hydrothermal fluid or brine in a lower oceanic crustal setting. Large variations in Cl content and cation configurations in amphibole suggest formation in equilibrium with fluids of different salinities at variable fluid/rock ratios. The presence of subsolidus amphibole extremely enriched in chlorine implies phase separation and brine/rock interactions. 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.7031 to 0.7039 and stable δ18O isotopic compositions of 4.1 to 5.6‰ of the different amphibole types suggest a rock-dominated environment, i.e. with low fluid/rock ratios. However, the slight departure from mean Oman isotope values may indicate there was some influence of seawater in the aforementioned fluid-rock interactions. Our study provides new petrological data for the subsolidus evolution of gabbro-hosted amphibole-rich veins in the presence of a seawater-derived fluid.

KW - Brine-rock interactions

KW - Cl-bearing amphibole

KW - High-temperature hydrothermal circulation

KW - Lower oceanic crust

KW - Phase separation

KW - Samail Ophiolite

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85054755648&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.lithos.2018.09.015

DO - 10.1016/j.lithos.2018.09.015

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85054755648

VL - 323

SP - 125

EP - 136

JO - Lithos

JF - Lithos

SN - 0024-4937

ER -

By the same author(s)