Copper Adsorption on Olivine

Copper adsorption on olivine supplied by the A/S Olivine Production Plant at Aheim in western Norway was studied. The factors were evaluated which affect the uptake of copper. It is shown that the equilibrium pH of aqueous solution has the greatest influence on copper adsorption thanks to the competitive adsorption between proton and copper ions, and the adsorption of copper to olivine increases rapidly with pH increasing from 4 to 6. Moreover, initial copper concentration and olivine dose possess significant effect on copper adsorption, for the adsorption rate of copper increases with olivine dose increasing or initial copper concentration decreasing at the same pH. In addition, the ionic strength effect on the adsorption was also investigated, but it owns little effect on the adsorption process of copper due to the formation of inner sphere adsorption of copper on olivine. The experimental data show that olivine has a high acid buffer capacity and is an effective adsorbent for copper.

Mechanism of Mg2+ dissolution from olivine and serpentine: Implication for bioleaching of high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore at elevated pH

To inhibit the dissolution of Mg^2+ during the bioleaching process of high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore, the effect of major bioleaching factors on the dissolution of Mg^2+ from olivine and serpentine was investigated and kinetics studies were carried out. The results indicated that the dissolution rate-controlling steps are chemical reaction for olivine and internal diffusion for serpentine. The most influential factor on the dissolution of Mg^2+ from olivine and serpentine was temperature, followed by p H and particle size. A novel method of bioleaching at elevated pH was used in the bioleaching of Jinchuan ore. The results showed that elevated pH could significantly reduce the dissolution of Mg^2+ and acid consumption along with slightly influencing the leaching efficiencies of nickel and cobalt. A model was used to explain the leaching behaviors of high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore in different bioleaching systems. The model suggested that olivine will be depleted eventually, whereas serpentine will remain because of the difference in the rate-controlling steps. Bioleaching at elevated pH is a suitable method for treating high-magnesium nickel sulfide ores.

Oxygen Isotopic Compositions in a Plagioclase-Olivine Inclusion from Ningqiang Similar to Those in Al-rich Chondrules

We report the petrology and oxygen isotopic composition,using a Cameca Nano SIMS 50L ion microprobe,of a plagioclase-olivine inclusion,C#1,found in the Ningqiang carbonaceous chondrite.In addition to major phases(plagioclase,spinel and olivine),C#1 is also surrounded by a pyroxene rim(64 vol%Ca-rich and 36 vol%Ca-poor pyroxenes).On a three-isotope oxygen diagram,δ^(17)O vs.δ^(18)O,the compositions of individual minerals analyzed in C#1 fall along the carbonaceous chondrite anhydrous mineral line(CCAM),and oxygen isotopic compositions in C#1 show significant variability in δ^(18)O and δ^(17)O.The oxygen isotopic compositions of the pyroxene rim minerals are similar to those of the other host minerals,which suggests that the rim likely formed from the same melting process as the host.The rim is considered to have formed as a result of interaction between an ^(16)O-poor gas and a melt.Some spinel grains are typically ^(16)O-rich and likely of relict origin,which is similar to ^(16)O-rich Ca-,Al-rich inclusions,which are probably a precursor of C#1.The inclusion then likely melted in an ^(16)O-poor region where chondrules form,accompanied by oxygen isotope exchange with an ^(16)O-poor gas.Some anorthite,pyroxene and spinel might have undergone fluid-assisted thermal metamorphism on the Ningqiang chondrite parent body.The oxygen isotope data and evolution of the C#1 plagioclase-olivine inclusion are similar with those of Al-chondrules in chondrites.

Reactions between olivine and CO2-rich seawater at 300℃:Implications for H2 generation and CO2 sequestration on the early Earth

To understand the influence of fluid CO_2 on ultramafic rock-hosted seafloor hydrothermal systems on the early Earth,we monitored the reaction between San Carlos olivine and a CO_2-rich NaCl fluid at 300 C and 500 bars.During the experiments,the total carbonic acid concentration(∑XO_2) in the fluid decreased from approximately 65 to 9 mmol/kg.Carbonate minerals,magnesite,and subordinate amount of dolomite were formed via the water-rock interaction.The H_2 concentration in the fluid reached approximately 39 mmol/kg within 2736 h,which is relatively lower than the concentration generated by the reaction between olivine and a CO2-free NaCl solution at the same temperature.As seen in previous hydrothermal experiments using komatiite,ferrous iron incorporation into Mg-bearing carbonate minerals likely limited iron oxidation in the fluids and the resulting H_2 generation during the olivine alteration.Considering carbonate mineralogy over the temperature range of natural hydrothermal fields,H_2 generation is likely suppressed at temperatures below approximately 300℃ due to the formation of the Mg-bearing carbonates.Nevertheless,H_2 concentration in fluid at 300℃ could be still high due to the temperature dependency of magnetite stability in ultramafic systems.Moreover,the Mg-bearing carbonates may play a key role in the ocean-atmosphere system on the early Earth.Recent studies suggest that the subduction of carbonated ultramafic rocks may transport surface CO_2 species into the deep mantle.This process may have reduced the huge initial amount of CO_2 on the surface of the early Earth.Our approximate calculations demonstrate that the subduction of the Mg-bearing carbonates formed in komatiite likely played a crucial role as one of the CO_2 carriers from the surface to the deep mantle,even in hot subduction zones.

Study on copper adsorption on olivine

The copper adsorption on olivine supplied by A/S Olivine production plant at Aheim in western Norway has been studied. The factors Which affect the uptake of copper have been evaluated. The results reveal that the equilibrium pH in aqueous solution has the greatest influence on the copper adsorption thanks to the competitive adsorption between proton and copper ions, and the adsorption of copper to olivine increases rapidly with the pH increasing from 4 to 6. The initial copper concentration and olivine dose also possess significant effect on copper adsorption. The adsorption efficieny of copper increases with the increase of olivine dose or the decrease of initial copper concentration at the same pH. The ionic strength effect on the adsorption has also been investigated, but it owns little effect on the adsorption process of copper due to the formation of inner sphere surface complexation of copper on olivine. The experimental data show that olivine has a high acid buffer capacity and is an effective adsorbent for copper.

Olivine Weathering against Climate Change

One natural process has since the origin of the Earth removed almost all the CO2 that was ever produced by volcanism. That process is the reaction of CO2 and water with rocks, a process known as weathering. It is a logical choice to see if we can use the same process to remove also the vastly higher CO2 emissions caused by burning in a few hundred years the fossil fuels that have taken hundreds of millions of years for their formation. Many people claim that the rate of weathering of olivine is too slow to counter climate change, but they base this on experimental data in sterile laboratories, under exclusion of biotic and other environmental factors. As many conditions determine the weathering rate at each specific location, these laboratory conditions are irrelevant for the real world. Weathering models based on these laboratory data are off by orders of magnitude. Weathering experiments that use conditions closer to nature [1] show already much higher weathering rates. In this note I provide some data on the weathering of olivine in nature, which make clear that the weathering of olivine is fast enough to play an important role in the cycle of CO2 capture and its safe and sustainable storage as carbonate rocks. The CO2 released by volcanism has always been captured by the weathering of rocks since the origin of the Earth. Without this mechanism the Earth would be a lifeless planet with a CO2 atmosphere in the order of 100 bar, as our neighbor planet Venus demonstrates.

Insight into interactions of olivine-scCO_2-water system at 140C and15 MPa during CO_2 mineral sequestration

CO_2 mineral sequestration(in ultrabasic or basaltic rocks) has been considered as a promising long-term and stable approach to reduce CO_2 in the atmosphere and would counteract the effect of global warming.Meanwhile, clays are widely found in ultrabasic reservoirs. In our study, clays were observed in natural olivine samples, which were used for laboratory experiments in a supercritical CO_2 system at 140C and15 MPa. Initial olivine samples were crushed into two sizes which were large grains of w850-1000 mm and powder particles of w75-150 mm, with the durations of 400 and 1000 h for the powder and grains,respectively. The results showed amorphous silica was newly formed and this passivating layer could mitigate the water-rock interaction to some extent, but it would not play a long-term prohibited effect on secondary mineral carbonate formation as it is a Fe(III) free silica coating. More interestingly, the secondary carbonates were observed to form near the surface sites where locates more clays. Our findings provide insights into the reaction mechanisms of olivine-scCO_2-water interaction process in natural ultrabasic rocks.

Olivine and Cr-spinel as indicators of the petrogenesis and partial melting conditions of the high-MgO ultramafic volcanic rocks from NW Ad Dhala Province—Yemen

The high-MgO ultramafic volcanic rocks in the NW Ad Dhala province are classified as meimechite according to the IUGS classification scheme.This province represents the southeastern outcrops of the Yemen Volcanic Group(YVG),which constitutes part of the AfroArabian continental large igneous province(LIP) and located within the boundary of the Afar mantle plume.In this study,we present the chemical compositions of olivine and Cr-spinel in meimechite rocks from Bagah Village in NW Ad Dhala province,aiming to characterize the genesis and partial melting conditions and to estimate the crystallization temperatures of these high-MgO rocks.Olivine crystals are characterized by high forsterite,ranges from Mg-rich core(up to Fo_(89.69)) to relatively Fe-rich rim(down to Fo_(78.57)),high CaO,MgO and MnO whereas Cr-spinel crystals have high TiO_(2) and Cr# values ranging from 0.49 to 0.63 which indicate that they are crystallized from primary magma and are typical of volcanic olivine and Crspinel that formed in intraplate tectonic setting.Olivine and Cr-spinel compositional data and primary melt composition(MgO ~ 23 wt.%) are compatible with the derivation of studied meimechite rocks from peridotite mantle source by small degrees of partial melting under conditions of high temperature and pressure at great depths,mostly within the garnet stability field.Also,these data provide a compelling indicator for the important role of upwelling Afar mantle plume in the genesis of these high-MgO ultramafic volcanic rocks.Finally,based on the different olivine-liquid equilibrium methods and Al-in-olivine thermometer approach the estimated crystallization temperature ranges from 1450 to 1490℃,and mantle potential temperature(Tp) ranges from 1617 to 1677℃,at high pressure(3-4.8 GPa).These high temperatures substantiate the existence of the Afar thermal mantle plume and its important role in the genesis of the studied meimechite rocks.

Electrical properties of dry polycrystalline olivine mixed with various chromite contents: Implications for the high conductivity anomalies in subduction zones

Chromite,a crucial high-conductivity mineral phase of peridotite in ophiolite suites,has a significant effect on the electrical structure of subduction zones.The electrical conductivities of sintered polycrystalline olivine containing various volume percents of chromite(0,4,7,10,13,16,18,21,23,100 vol.%)were measured using a complex impedance spectroscopic technique in the frequency range of 10^(−1)-10^(6) Hz under the conditions of 1.0-3.0 GPa and 873-1223 K.The relationship between the conductivities of the chromite-bearing olivine aggregates and temperatures conformed to the Arrhenius equation.The positive effect of pressure on the conductivities of the olivine-chromite systems was much weaker than that of temperature.The chromite content had an important effect on the conductivities of the olivine-chromite systems,and the bulk conductivities increased with increasing volume fraction of chromite to a certain extent.The inclusion of 16 vol.%chromites dramatically enhanced the bulk conductivity,implying that the percolation threshold of interconnectivity of chromite in the olivine-chromite systems is-16 vol.%.The fitted activation enthalpies for pure polycrystalline olivine,polycrystalline olivine with isolated chromite,polycrystalline olivine with interconnected chromites,and pure polycrystalline chromite were 1.25,0.78-0.87,0.48-0.54,and 0.47 eV,respectively.Based on the chemical compositions and activation enthalpies,small polaron conduction was proposed to be the dominant conduction mechanism for polycrystalline olivine with various chromite contents.Furthermore,the conductivities of polycrystalline olivine with interconnected chromite(10-1.5-100.5 S/m)provides a reasonable explanation for the high conductivity anomalies in subduction-related tectonic environments.

The effect of oxygen fugacity on ionic conductivity in olivine

The oxygen fugacity(f_(O2)) may affect the ionic conductivity of olivine under upper mantle conditions because Mg vacancies can be produced in the crystal structure by the oxidization of iron from Fe^(2+) to Fe3+. Here we investigated olivine ionic conductivity at 4 GPa, as a function of temperature, crystallographic orientation, and oxygen fugacity, corresponding to the topmost asthenospheric conditions. The results demonstrate that the ionic conductivity is insensitive to f_(O2) under relatively reduced conditions(f_(O2) below Re-ReO_(2) buffer), whereas it has a clear f_(O2)-dependence under relatively oxidized conditions(f_(O2) around the magnetite-hematite buffer). The ionic conduction in olivine may contribute significantly to the conductivity anomaly in the topmost asthenosphere especially at relatively oxidized conditions.

Composition of Hydrocarbons in Diamonds, Garnet, and Olivine from Diamondiferous Peridotites from the Udachnaya Pipe in Yakutia, Russia

Volatile components in diamonds, associated garnet (pyrope), and olivine from two extremely rare xenoliths of diamondiferous peridotites recovered from the Udachnaya kimberlite pipe in Yakutia, Russia, were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) using a Focus DSQ II Series Single Quadrupole GC–MS (Thermo Scientific, USA). These xenoliths are pyrope lherzolite and pyrope dunite based upon compositions of coexisting minerals. Unlike the pyrope lherzolite, which contained pyrope with moderate calcium (Ca)-component content (about 15 mol%), the dunite contained subcalcic chromium (Cr)-pyrope with low Ca-component content (less than 10 mol%). All investigated minerals contained dominating hydrocarbons and their derivatives represented by aliphatic (paraffins, olefins), cyclic (naphthenes, arenes), oxygenated (alcohols, ethers), and heterocyclic (dioxanes, furans) hydrocarbons;nitrogenated, chlorinated, and sulfonated compounds;carbon dioxide (CO2);and water (H2O). The relative concentration (rel%) of total hydrocarbon was 79.7 rel% for diamonds, 69.1 rel% for garnet, and 92.6 rel% for olivine, with a general amount of components ranging from 161 to 206. New data on volatiles in diamonds, associated garnet, and olivine suggest the presence of a wide spectrum of hydrocarbons along with nitrogen (N2), CO2, and H2O in some upper mantle areas.

Source and magmatic evolution of ocean island basalts from the Pohnpei Island,Northwest Pacific Ocean:Insights from olivine geochemistry

The compositional variability of ocean island basalts(OIBs)is thought to reflect partial melting of a lithologicallyheterogeneous mantle source dominated by either pyroxenite or peridotite.The Pohnpei Island in Micronesia,which is associated with the Caroline hotspot,is suggested to have been generated from partial melting of a pyroxenite-rich mantle.To examine this hypothesis,we present new major-and trace-element compositions of olivine phenocrysts in basalts from the island.The olivines exhibit large systematic inter-and intra-crystalline compositional variability.In Sample DS1,olivines record compositional zonation,in which cores have relatively high Fo(77–85),Ni(550×10^(-6 )–2392×10^(-6 )),and Fe/Mn ratios(66–82),whereas rims have lower Fo(71–78),Ni(526×10^(-6 )–1537×10^(-6 )),and Fe/Mn ratios(51–62).By contrast,olivines within other samples preserve no clear compositional zonation,exhibiting similar or slightly lower Fo values(66–78),Ni contents(401×10^(-6 )–1268×10^(-6 )),and Fe/Mn ratios(53–69)as the rims of zoned crystals.The distinct chemical contrast between the two different types of olivine suggests they formed in magma chambers at different depths.Analysis using forward petrological modeling and multi-element indicators(Fe/Mn,Zn/Fe,FC3MS(FeO^(T)/CaO-(3×MgO/SiO^(2))),Mn/Zn,and Ni/(Mg/Fe))of whole-rock samples and high-Fo olivines is inconsistent with a pyroxenite-rich mantle source.We suggest these inconsistencies reflect an influence on the partition coefficients of Ni and Mn between olivine and liquid during melting at variable pressures and temperatures.In addition,magma recharge and mixing within the magmatic plumbing system can change the composition of olivine.We suggest that identification of the mantle source of OIBs in volcanic islands such as the Pohnpei Island using olivine geochemistry should be treated with caution.

The influence of silica on reaction rates and molecular hydrogen(H_(2))generation during olivine hydrothermal alteration

Hydrothermal alteration of olivine greatly influences geodynamics and the recycling of volatiles(such as water and carbon)in subduction zones.Silica is an important component of geological fluids,and its influence on the hydrothermal alteration of olivine remains poorly constrained.In this study,we performed experiments at 300–515℃ and 3.0 kbar(1 bar=10^(5)Pa)by reacting well homogenized mixtures of olivine and silica powders with saline solutions(0.5 mol L^(−1)NaCl).Silica greatly influences the reaction pathways,reaction rates,and molecular hydrogen(H_(2))formation during olivine hydrothermal alteration.In experiments at 300℃ and 3.0 kbar with mixtures of olivine and 10 wt%silica,olivine was replaced by serpentine and talc.The proportions of serpentine and talc were determined according to standard curves based on infrared spectroscopy analyses.Around 6.5%serpentine and 12%talc were produced after an experimental duration of 7 days,which had no change after a longer period(14 days).Compared to the kinetics in silica-free systems,the rates of olivine hydrothermal alteration in experiments with 10 wt%silica are much lower.The overall reaction is:4.5Forsterite+5.5SiO_(2),aq+4H_(2)O=Serpentine+2Talc.With the addition of more silica(20 wt%and 40 wt%),olivine was transformed into talc.The rates of reaction were much faster,e.g.,for experiments with olivine and 20 wt%silica,43%of talc was produced after 14 days,which increased to 77%for experiments with 40 wt%silica over the same period.The overall reaction is:3Forsterite+5SiO_(2),aq+2H_(2)O=2Talc.In experiments at 400–505℃ and 3.0 kbar,the promoting effect of silica on olivine hydrothermal alteration was also observed,which is closely associated with a decrease in Gibbs free energies of olivine hydrothermal alteration.At 300℃ and 3.0 kbar,silica decreased H_(2)formed during olivine hydrothermal alteration by around an order of magnitude,resulting in an increase in oxygen fugacity.Based on measured H_(2),we calibrated oxygen fugacities,ranging from 0.96 to 3.41 log units below FMQ(fayalite-magnetitequartz buffer assemblage).This study suggests that the infiltration of SiO_(2)-bearing fluids into peridotites greatly influences redox conditions and the rates of olivine hydrothermal alteration.

Transformation of olivine to diopside via interaction with carbonatite melts

Numerous empirical and experimental studies have documented the consumption of orthopyroxene and production of clinopyroxene in mantle peridotite during carbonatite metasomatism,whereas little attention has been paid to whether and how olivine is compositionally modified through the same process of carbonatite metasomatism.Here,we present the discovery of well-preserved reaction features in olivine from typical calciocarbonatites from Sri Lanka.The olivine grains experienced serpentinization along the cracks and in their rims and are generally surrounded outwardly by serpentine,tremolite and diopside zones.The inner serpentine zone is dominated by serpentine with tiny magnetite,whereas the mantle tremolite zone is characterized by euhedral tremolite and intergrowth of dolomite with small amounts of serpentine relics and diopside.The outer diopside zone shows spongy texture and commonly encloses olivine,serpentine,tremolite and dolomite,which are also observed in interstitial diopside grains in the carbonatites.Compositional profile analyses reveal that these olivine grains display decreasing FeO and increasing MgO contents and thus elevating Fo values from their cores to the reaction rims,while the serpentine inherits compositions from the olivine.Elemental mapping images demonstrate outward diffusion of Si and Mg in the serpentine zones and contribution of Ca from carbonatite melts during tremolite formation.Further interaction with carbonatite melts produced Si-and Mg-poor and Ca-rich diopside relative to the reactant tremolite.These observations suggest that the interaction with carbonatite melts first transformed olivine to diopside through serpentinization,followed by tremolitization.The diopside formed through olivine-carbonatite melt interaction is anomalously depleted in Na and Al and enriched in Ca,which are distinct from those generated in interactions between orthopyroxene and both carbonatite and silicate melts.This implies that for the first time some wehrlites and clinopyroxenites in the mantle might originate from intense interaction between peridotites(including dunite)and carbonatite melts.This mechanism can be invoked to explain the formation of other global occurrences of wehrlite and clinopyroxenite suites.

Mineralogy and Chemistry Characterization of the New Basaltic Intrusion at Maasser El Chouf/Lebanon

The importance of this study is to identify the newly reordered and recognized basaltic intrusion for the first time in Maasser El Chouf in Lebanon. The recorded basaltic intrusion cut the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous rock in this area. Necessary field inspection, geology, mineralogy and chemical tests were carried out on 8 basalt samples to determine their mineralogy, petrography and chemical composition. Representative samples have been tested with polarizing microscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Petrographic and mineralogical studies show that the basalt is characterized by presence mainly of calcic-plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene-augite and olivine minerals. Secondary minerals of iron oxides also present (ilmenite and magnetite). The most appeared property is the alteration of olivine mineral to iddingsite that indicated highly weathered process. The composition of the basaltic samples reflects ultrabasic-basic type (Basanite-Tholeiitic basalt). The existence of volcanic activity occurred mostly with Pliocene age (< 2 Ma) as indicated by previous studies for similar basalt in Lebanon. Possibly, these boulders have been carried up from some deeper intrusive magmatic body under very active tension zones. Volcanism of Lebanon basalts belong to the alkaline olivine basalt, suite generally associated with tension, rifting and block faulting movements of the continental crust. Most of the volcanisms in Lebanon and in Harrat Ash Shaam Basalt from Syria and Palestine through Jordan to Saudi Arabia are related and connected to the opening of the Red Sea Rift System, making the area with tremendous volcanic tectonic activities.

Distinctive melt activity and chromite mineralization in Luobusa and Purang ophiolites, southern Tibet: constraints from trace element compositions of chromite and olivine

To investigate the factors controlling the mineralization in ophiolites we systematically compared the petrology and mineral compositions of the harzburgites/lherzolites, dunites and chromitites in the Luobusa and Purang ophiolites. Generally, the petrological features and trace element compositions of chromite and olivine in peridotite and chromitite are distinctly different between the two ophiolites.In Luobusa, boninitic melts are inferred to have interacted with the harzburgites and modified the distributions of some trace elements(e.g., Ni, Mn and V) in chromite and olivine. The subsequently formed dunites and chromitites experienced significant elemental exchange. In contrast, the Purang ophiolite contains a wider range of chromitite compositions and records diverse melt activities, such as the growth of relatively abundant secondary clinopyroxene. The metasomatic melts were enriched in Al and depleted in Si, Na and highly incompatible trace elements(e.g., Nb, Zr). Such melts resemble MORBlike melts proposed in the literature but are assumed to be more hydrous than typical MORB because of presence of hydrous minerals. The parental magmas of the Purang dunites and intermediate chromitites are inferred to be compositionally intermediate between boninitic and MORB-like melts. In addition,the more refractory nature of the Luobusa harzburgites facilitated a high Cr concentration gradient with the interacting melts, making it easier to increase Cr in the melts. Crystallization of clinopyroxene and amphibole in the Purang ophiolite accommodated significant amounts of Cr and water, respectively,and negatively affected Cr concentration and chromite crystallization. The concentration of chromite to form chromitites requires the presence of focused melt channels.

Tectonic discrimination of olivine in basalt using data mining techniques based on major elements:a comparative study from multiple perspectives

The olivine in basalt records much information about formation and evolution of basaltic magma,which may help to discriminate basalt tectonic settings.However,the viewpoint that olivine is connected with the tectonic setting where it formed is controversial.To verify the hypothesis,we intend to discriminate the basalt tectonic settings by geochemical characteristics of olivine.The data mining technique is selected as an effective tool for this study,which is a new attempt in geochemical research.The geochemical data of olivine used is extracted from open-access and comprehensive petrological databases.The classification performance of Logistic regression classifier,Naïve Bayes,Random Forest and Multi-layer perception(MLP)algorithms is firstly compared under some constraints.The results of the basic experiment indicate that MLP has the highest classification accuracy of about 88%based on raw data,followed by Random Forest.But this does not fully prove the hypothesis is credible.Then,the crossvalidation method and other measurement criteria are integrated for scientific and in-depth comparative analysis.The advanced experiments mainly include the comparison of different data preprocessing methods,combinations of geochemical characteristics and sample data volumes.It turns out that chemical composition of olivine in basalt has the function of discriminating tectonic settings.

Coronas around Olivine in the Miaowan Olivine Norite, Yangtze Craton, South China

Coronitic microstructures have been used to interpret the late-stage solidification history of igneous rocks and to constrain the corresponding chemical and/or physical changes. Coronas with three shells were also recognized in the Miaowan olivine norite, Yangtze Craton, South China. In our study, orthopyroxene intergrowth with vermicular magnetite in the inner shell is in optical continuity with magnetite-free orthopyroxene in the middle shell. In the outer shell of brown amphibole remaining magnetite-free orthopyroxene inclusions sporadically occur. Meanwhile Mg# values of orthopyroxene(76–80) in the inner and middle shells are basically consistent with olivine(78–81). In this paper, we propose a multi-stage genetic model for the formation of coronas in the Miaowan olivine norite. In the first stage, the magnetite-free orthopyroxene shell formed through reaction between primocrystal olivine with the residual Si-rich melt at 990–1 053 ℃ and 6.2–6.5 kbar. In the second stage, the orthopyroxene-magnetite symplectite shell formed when primocrystal olivine reacted with the late-stage residual Fe-rich melt promoted by high oxygen fugacity condition at 927–1 035 ℃ and 6.0–6.5 kbar. In the third stage, the brown amphibole shell formed as the presence of residual hydrous melt and replaced the middle shell at 821–900 ℃ and 5.5–6.0 kbar.

Determination of Calcium in Olivine by Proton Microprobe and Its Implication

Ca is a minor component of olivine (oliv). Its concentration measured by electron microprobe (EMP) is about 0.1—0.5%, which is close to the minimum detection limit. As Ca distribution between oliv and clinopyroxene (cpx)has the possibility of being used as geothermobarometers, it is very important to measure accurately the Ca content in oliv. Proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique as a new high energy analysis method shows advantage in high sensitivity and accuracy of microanalyses and begins to be

An Investigation of Dislocation in Olivine Phenocrysts from the Hawaiian Basalts

Intracrystalline distortions(like undulose extinction,dislocations,and subgrain boundaries)in olivine from naturally-deformed peridotites are generally taken as signs of dislocation creep.However,similar features in olivine phenocrysts that have been found in basaltic magmas are still not well understood.In particular,whether subgrain boundaries in olivine phenocrysts arise from plastic deformation or grain growth is still debated(in the latter case,they are essentially grain boundaries but not subgrain boundaries.Therefore,we used hereinafter subgrain-boundary-like structures instead of subgrain boundaries to name this kind of intracrystalline distortion).Here we carried out a detailed study on dislocations and subgrainboundary-like(SG-like)structures in olivine phenocrysts from two Hawaiian basaltic lavas by means of petrographic microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Abundant and complex dislocation substructures(free dislocations,dislocation walls,and dislocation tangles)were observed in the decorated olivine grains,similar to those in olivine from peridotite xenoliths entrained by the Hawaiian basalts.The measured average dislocation density is(2.9±1.3)×1011 m-2,and is three to five orders of magnitude higher than that in laboratory-synthesized,undeformed olivine.TEM observations on samples cut across the SG-like structures by FIB(focused ion beam)demonstrated that this kind of structures is made of an array of dislocations.These observations clearly indicate that these structures are real subgrain boundaries rather than grain boundaries.These facts suggest that the observed high dislocation densities and subgrain boundaries cannot result from crystal crystallization/growth,but can be formed by plastic deformation.These deformation features do not prove that the olivine phenocrysts(and implicitly mantle xenoliths)were deformed after their capture by the basaltic magmas,but can be ascribed to a former deformation event in a dunitic cumulate,which was formed by magmatic fractionation,then plastically deformed,and finally disaggregated and captured by the basaltic magma that brought them to the surface.