Lecture 12(alteration Minerals).ppt

Geology 2142 Alteration Minerals What Is Alteration? Igneous and metamorphic rocks form at high temperatures / pressures Minerals are not stable at low pressures and low temperatures Begin to breakdown (alter) Part of the weathering process Also due to hydrothermal alteration What Is Alteration? Visible evidence that igneous and metamorphic rocks are metastable at the earth’s surface Divison between alteration – metamorphism – weathering is blurred! Alteration = Hydration? Weathering = hydrolysis Alteration also requires water Many alteration reactions are simply hydration reactions with only minor hydrolysis Hydrothermal Alteration of Olivine Olivine = Mg2SiO4 What happens when we add water? Mg2SiO4 + 3H2O = Hydrothermal Alteration of Olivine Olivine = Mg2SiO4 What happens when we add water? 2Mg2SiO4 + 3H2O = Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 (serpentine) DOES THIS REACTION BALANCE? Hydrothermal Alteration of Olivine Olivine = Mg2SiO4 What happens when we add water? 2Mg2SiO4 + 3H2O = Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 + Mg(OH)2 (brucite) Serpentine Group Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 TO structure Trioctahedal Three polymorphs Chrysotile: Monclinic or orthorhombic Lizardite Hexagonal Antigorite Monoclinic Chrysotile Layer mismatch accommodated by curvature of layers Roll into hollow fibres parallel to the c axis Antigorite T sheets are continuous but periodically reverse direction of apical oxygen Also side of the O sheet on which the apical oxygen joins Sense of curvature periodically reverse Relatively flat but still slightly curved Lizardite Pattern of tetrahedra in T-sheet distorts to match the O-sheet Substitution of Al3+ for Si4+ in T sites expands the T-sheet Al3+ substitution for Mg3+ shrinks the O-sheet sheets are flat Form and Twinning Chrysotile fine fibres in veins or mats elongate parallel to a diameter of 220-270 Angstroms hollow Lizardite fine-grained green masses most common polymorph Antigorite micaceous, forms scaley masses Twinning is rare Paragenesis of Serpentine Complete