Serpentinization, element transfer, and the progressive development of zoning in veins: evidence from a partially serpentinized harzburgite

Abstract

Serpentinization is an important geochemical process that affects the chemistry and petrophysical properties of the oceanic lithosphere and supports life through abiogenic formation of hydrogen. Here, we document through detailed mineralogical evidence and equilibrium thermodynamic models the importance of water (H2O) and silica (SiO2) activities on mineral assemblages produced during progressive serpentinization of a harzburgite. We describe a harzburgite from the Santa Elena Ophiolite in Costa Rica that is ~30 % serpentinized. Serpentine + brucite ± magnetite veins occur in olivine, Al-rich serpentine + talc veins occur in orthopyroxene, and Al-rich serpentine ± talc ± brucite veins occur at the boundary of orthopyroxene and olivine. Bulk vein chemistry and element distribution maps demonstrate distinct chemical zonations within veins and chemical gradients between orthopyroxene- and olivine-dominated areas. Specifically, the sample records (1) varying brucite composition depending on whether or not it is associated with magnetite, (2) formation of magnetite from Fe-rich brucite (±Fe-rich serpentine) during olivine hydration, where magnetite coexists with brucite Mg#96 and serpentine Mg#99, (3) chemical gradients in Si, Al, Cr, and Ca within and between orthopyroxene- and olivine-hosted veins, and 4) local (different) equilibrium assemblages within different zones of veins. The studied sample preserves rarely observed textures documenting continuous replacement of olivine, rather than individual vein generations and overprinting that is typically observed in more intensely serpentinized peridotites. Furthermore, the presence of a discrete sequence of vein textures and mineralogy allows direct comparison between mineral textures and equilibrium thermodynamic models and permits new insights into mineral reactions during serpentinization.