Fe–Ni–Co–O–S Phase Relations in Peridotite–Seawater Interactions
Geoscience Department, University of Bremen, Klagenfurter Straße, 28359 Bremen, Germany
RECEIVED SEPTEMBER 8, 2008; ACCEPTED NOVEMBER 28, 2008
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Abstract |
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Serpentinization of abyssal peridotites is known to produce extremely reducing conditions as a result of dihydrogen (H2,aq) release upon oxidation of ferrous iron in primary phases to ferric iron in secondary minerals by H2O. We have compiled and evaluated thermodynamic data for Fe–Ni–Co–O–S phases and computed phase relations in fO2,g–fS2,g and aH2,aq–aH2S,aq diagrams for temperatures between 150 and 400°C at 50 MPa. We use the relations and compositions of Fe–Ni–Co–O–S phases to trace changes in oxygen and sulfur fugacities during progressive serpentinization and steatitization of peridotites from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the 15°20'N Fracture Zone area (Ocean Drilling Program Leg 209). Petrographic observations suggest a systematic change from awaruite–magnetite–pentlandite and heazlewoodite–magnetite–pentlandite assemblages forming in the early stages of serpentinization to millerite–pyrite–polydymite-dominated assemblages in steatized rocks. Awaruite is observed in all brucite-bearing partly serpentinized rocks. Apparently, buffering of silica activities to low values by the presence of brucite facilitates the formation of large amounts of hydrogen, which leads to the formation of awaruite. Associated with the prominent desulfurization of pentlandite, sulfide is removed from the rock during the initial stage of serpentinization. In contrast, steatitization indicates increased silica activities and that high-sulfur-fugacity sulfides, such as polydymite and pyrite–vaesite solid solution, form as the reducing capacity of the peridotite is exhausted and H2 activities drop. Under these conditions, sulfides will not desulfurize but precipitate and the sulfur content of the rock increases. The co-evolution of fO2,g–fS2,g in the system follows an isopotential of H2S,aq, indicating that H2S in vent fluids is buffered. In contrast, H2 in vent fluids is not buffered by Fe–Ni–Co–O–S phases, which merely monitor the evolution of H2 activities in the fluids in the course of progressive rock alteration. The co-occurrence of pentlandite–awaruite–magnetite indicates H2,aq activities in the interacting fluids near the stability limit of water. The presence of a hydrogen gas phase would add to the catalyzing capacity of awaruite and would facilitate the abiotic formation of organic compounds.
KEY WORDS: serpentinization; ODP Expedition 209; sulfide; oxygen fugacity; sulfur fugacity; hydrothermal system; metasomatism; Mid-Atlantic Ridge
*Corresponding author. Telephone: 0049-421-218-65400. Fax: 0049-421-218-65429. E-mail: wbach{at}uni-bremen.de