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Subduction of oceanic plates releases large amounts of chlorine and fluorine into the mantle. These halogens are transported into the crust through hydrous melting, where they may be incorporated into minerals such as biotite, apatite, and amphibole. Halogen concentrations are measured in volcanic or plutonic material, while the concentration of Cl and F released from the subducting slab must be calculated based upon the amount of crystallized material and the partition coefficients of each mineral. As amphibole is the most common halogen bearing igneous mineral, it is commonly studied as a bearer of Cl and F. However, the partition coefficient of F between amphibole and a hydrous melt has not been agreed upon by previous studies. Here we show that F is moderately to highly compatible in amphibole, in agreement with other experiments performed at crustal conditions. As amphibole may be able to incorporate a large amount of F, cryptic amphibole crystallization may raise the Cl/F ratio of residual magma, which will then be transported to the surface bearing this geochemical signature, even with little crystallized amphibole present in erupted material. This provides further evidence for the occurrence of cryptic amphibole crystallization, previously predicted based on REE studies and phase equilibria. A better understanding of the halogen reservoirs present in the crust will allow for more accurate estimates of the amount of Cl and F released by subducting slabs.
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Halogen Bearing Amphiboles, Aqueous Fluids, and Melts in Subduction Zones: Insights on Halogen Cycle From Electrical Conductivity
Abstract Amphiboles are hydrous minerals that are formed in the oceanic crust via hydrothermal alteration. The partial substitution of halogens for OH−makes amphibole one of the principal hosts of Cl and F in the subducting slab. In this study, we investigated the electrical conductivity of a suite of halogen bearing amphibole minerals at 1.5 GPa up to 1,400 K. The discontinuous electrical behavior indicates dehydration of amphibole at ∼915 K. This is followed by dehydration induced hydrous melting at temperatures above 1,070 K. We find that the released aqueous fluids have an electrical conductivity of ∼0.1 S/m. This high electrical conductivity is likely to explain anomalously high electrical conductivity observed in certain subduction zone settings. This high electrical conductivity of an order of magnitude greater than the electrical conductivity of pure aqueous fluids at similar conditions is likely due to the partitioning of the F and Cl into the aqueous fluids. We also noted that subsequent to the dehydration, secondary phases form due to the breakdown of the primary halogen bearing amphibole. Chemical analyses of these secondary phases indicate that they are repositories of F and Cl. Hence, we infer that upon dehydration of the primary halogen bearing amphibole, first the F and Cl are partitioned into the aqueous fluids and then the halogens are partitioned back to the secondary mineral phases. These secondary minerals are likely to transport the halogen to the deep Earth and may in part explain the halogen concentration observed in ocean island basalt.
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- PAR ID:
- 10450174
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
- Volume:
- 126
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2169-9313
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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