Carbon Dioxide in igneous petrogenesis: I

Abstract

A number of experimental CO2 solubility data for silicate and aluminosilicate melts at a variety of P- T conditions are consistent with solution of CO2 in the melt by polymer condensation reactions such as SiO 4( 4− +CO2(v)+Si n O 3+1() (2+1) ⇌Si n+1O 3+4() (2+4)− +CO 3( )2− . For various metalsilicate systems the relative solubility of CO2 should depend markedly on the relative Gibbs free change of reaction. Experimental solubility data for the systems Li2O-SiO2, Na2O-SiO2, K2O-SiO2, CaO-SiO2, MgO-SiO2 and other aluminosilicate melts are in complete accord with predictions based on Gibbs Free energies of model polycondesation reactions. A rigorous thermodynamic treatment of published P- T-wt.% CO2 solubility data for a number of mineral and natural melts suggests that for the reaction CO2(m) ⇌ CO2(v) $$\ln X_{{\text{CO}}_{\text{2}} }^m = \ln f_{{\text{CO}}_{\text{2}} } - \frac{A}{T} - B - \frac{C}{T}(P - 1)$$ have been determined. Regression parameters are (A, B, C): andesite (3.419, 11.164, 0.408), tholeiite (14.040, 5.440,0.393), melilite (9.226, 7.860, 0.352). The solubility equations are believed to be accurate in the range 3<P<30 kbar and 1,100°<T<1,650 °C. A series of CO2 isopleth diagrams for a wide range of T and P are drawn for andesitic, tholeiitic and alkalic melts.