Progressive carbonation and Ca-metasomatism of serpentinized ultramafic rocks: insights from natural occurrences and hydrothermal experiments

Hydration, carbonation, and related metasomatism of mantle peridotite play a significant role in the global geochemical cycle. In this study, we combined an analysis of carbonated serpentinite with hydrothermal experiments on carbonation and Ca-metasomatism for samples from the Manlay ophiolite, southern Mongolia to investigate that carbonation mechanism of the serpentinite body after serpentinization. Samples show that the serpentinite was either transected by calcite and dolomite veins or was completely replaced by carbonates (calcite with minor dolomite) and quartz, in which the original mesh texture of serpentinite was preserved. Carbonation occurred after low-temperature serpentinization (lizardite/chrysotile), suggesting that carbonation occurred at temperatures lower than 300 C. Calcite in the serpentinite showed delta(13) C-VPDB values ranging from -8.83 to -5.11 parts per thousand and delta(18) O-VSMOW from + 20.1 to + 24.4 parts per thousand, suggesting that CO2 in the fluids could be derived from the degradation of organic material or methanotrophic processes rather than the origin of seafloor limestone. Three batch-type experiments, i.e., single step experiments (1) Olivine + NaHCO3,aq + CaCl2,aq and (2) Chrysotile + NaHCO3,aq + wollastonite (Ca source), and two steps experiment (3) Olivine carbonation and Ca-metasomatism, were conducted at 275 degrees C and 5.7 MPa to constrain the mechanism of calcite replacement of serpentinite. We found that calcite precipitated from the solution directly in the first two experiments, but replacement of serpentinite by calcite was not observed. In contrast, the third experiment caused the initial carbonation to form magnesite and then changed to calcite by later alteration. The natural occurrences and experiments revealed the possibility that the carbonation of olivine followed by Ca-rich fluid infiltration produced calcite in the carbonated serpentinite. Such Ca-metasomatism of Mg carbonates could easily occur in the ultramafic bodies and significantly affect the global carbon cycle.

Automated summary

This study investigates the carbonation mechanism of serpentinite after serpentinization by analyzing carbonated serpentinite samples from the Manlay ophiolite in southern Mongolia. It is found that carbonation occurs at temperatures lower than 300°C and is likely derived from the degradation of organic material or methanotrophic processes. Batch-type experiments reveal that carbonation of olivine followed by Ca-rich fluid infiltration can produce calcite in carbonated serpentinite and significantly affect the global carbon cycle.