Geochemical consequences of the metasomatic conversion of an Early Archean komatiite sequence into chert
Duchac and Hanor (1985) have demonstrated from field and petrographic evidence that the stratiform, muscovite-bearing cherts of Skokhola Ridge, Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa, represent a pervasively silicified sequence of komatiites and komatiitic basalts of Early Archean age. Most alteration took place early, prior to any significant tectonic deformation. The isovolumetric nature of the alteration, as confirmed by excellent preservation of igneous textures, and the immobility of Al make it possible to quantify elemental gains and losses during metasomatism. The sequence was strongly depleted in Na, Mg, Ca, Sr, Fe, and Mn, and enriched in K, Rb, and Ba, Al, Y, Zr, Ti, and P were immobile. It is most likely that the sequence was altered by large volumes of ascending hydrothermal solutions, with the decrease in T upward favoring precipitation of silica and muscovite. The net effect was to convert an ultramafic igneous rock into a rock having a composition approaching that of the average sandstone. Such alteration, if regionally extensive, undoubtedly affected the geochemical evolution of both the Early Archean crust and hydrosphere in the Barberton greenstone belt.
- Research Organization:
- Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6593069
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8510489-
- Journal Information:
- Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States), Vol. 17; Conference: 98. annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Oct 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BASALT
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION
CHERT
HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS
SOUTH AFRICA
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
GEOCHEMISTRY
PETROGENESIS
PETROGRAPHY
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
AFRICA
CHEMISTRY
IGNEOUS ROCKS
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SYNTHESIS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
580400* - Geochemistry- (-1989)