Melt impregnation phases in the mantle section of the Sleza ophiolite (SW Poland)

Author(s)
Piotr Marian Wojtulek, Jacek Puziewicz, Theodoros Ntaflos
Abstract

The ultramafic member of the Variscan Ślez˙a Ophiolite (SW Poland) consists of heavily serpentinised, refractory harzburgites. Those located down to 1.5 km below paleo-Moho contain scarce grains or aggregates of olivine, clinopyroxene and spinel. Non-serpentine phases occur in various assemblages: M1-olivine (Fo 90.2-91.0%, NiO 0.38-0.47 wt.%) and rounded or amaeboidal aluminous chromite, rimmed by Al poor chromite and magnetite; M2-olivine (Fo 90.5-91.5, NiO 0.32-0.44 wt.%), olivine with magnetite inclusions (Fo 87.1-92.5, NiO 0.01-0.68 wt.%), rounded, cleavaged clinopyroxene I (Mg# 91.1-93.2, Al

2O

3 3.00-4.00 wt.%, Cr

2O

3 1.00-1.40 wt.%) and elongated clinopyroxene II and clinopyroxene from symplectites with magnetite (Mg# = 92.2-94.1, Al

2O

3 2.20-3.20 wt.% and Cr

2O

3 0.80-1.20 wt.%). Clinopyroxene is depleted in REEs relative to chondrite. The M3 assemblage consists of intergrown olivine (Fo 90.8-92.7, NiO 0.20-0.38 wt.%) and clinopyroxene (Mg# = 96.0-98.1, Al

2O

3 0.00-1.00 wt.% and Cr

2O

3 0.20-0.60 wt.%). The M1 assemblage contains chromite which records greenschist-facies metamorphism. Textural relationships and chemical composition of clinopyroxene occurring in the M2 assemblage are similar to those formed in oceanic spreading centres by LREE depleted basaltic melt percolation. Olivine occurring in M1 assemblage and part of that from M2 have composition typical of residual olivine from the abyssal harzburgites and of olivine formed in those rocks by melt percolation. The olivine with magnetite inclusions (M2 assemblage) and that from M3 record later deserpentinization event, which supposedly produced also M3 clinopyroxene. The non-serpentine phases from the Ślez˙a ophiolite mantle member, albeit very poorly preserved, document depleted basaltic melt percolation in the Variscan oceanic spreading centre.

Organisation(s)
Department of Lithospheric Research
External organisation(s)
University of Wrocław
Journal
Chemie der Erde / Geochemistry
Volume
76
Pages
299-308
No. of pages
10
ISSN
0009-2819
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2016.03.004
Publication date
2016
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
105105 Geochemistry, 105120 Petrology
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Geochemistry and Petrology, Geophysics
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/melt-impregnation-phases-in-the-mantle-section-of-the-sleza-ophiolite-sw-poland(116ac1c6-e72d-4c7f-a365-2ace9adef198).html