Mass transfer evaluation of the hydration of an olivine-bearing monzo-diorite from the Mid-Continent Rift in Kansas (USA)
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: We studied a rock sample belonging to the Mid-Continent Rift in Kansas (USA) that is partially hydrated with the formation of serpentine and amphibole. At the mineral scale, the original mineral assemblage of olivine and orthopyroxene (+ plagioclase + alkali feldspar) is partially replaced by serpentine, magnetite, biotite, amphibole, with locally some apatite and quartz. The replacement tends to preserve the shape of the original olivine and orthopyroxene, supporting a pseudomorphic replacement. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Probe Micro-Analyzer (EPMA) mineral compositional map, and mass balance equations were used to quantify the transfers of mass during fluid infiltration. Here, the hydration reactions involve the decrease of rock density and, under the assumption of volume preservation, require a significant loss of mass through the fluid phase. Indeed, this study demonstrates that the formation of the newly formed hydrated minerals results from similar mass transfers between parent mineral, fluid, and product minerals. This study also demonstrates that the redox conditions are similar during the formation of all of these hydrated minerals. These observations confirm the close relationship between local stress generated by hydration reactions, mass transfers, and the scale over which the system is open.
Source: Global and Planetary Change
Language: English
Subfield: Geophysics
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,120
OpenAlex ID: W4415823984