Composition and origin of serpentinites from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 24� and 30� North Latitude

Abstract

Serpentinites occur in transverse fracture zones and adjacent areas in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 24° and 30° N. In two fracture zones, about 700 km distant from each other, serpentinites show practically the same trend and range of variation in chemical composition. Their CaO content ranges from 2.05 to 0.07% by weight. Serpentinites relatively high in CaO content contain pargasite, whereas those relatively low in CaO do not. Serpentinites relatively high in CaO are chemically similar to high-temperature peridotites which are widely believed to have been derived from the upper mantle. With a decrease in CaO, the Al2O3, TiO2, K2O and FeO contents and the Fe/Mg ratio tend to decrease, whereas the H2O+ content tends to increase. This compositional variation is probably due partly to heterogeneity of uper mantle peridotite from which the serpentinites were derived, and partly to chemical migration during serpentinization. The interior of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge may be mainly made up of serpentinites. Alternatively, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Serpentinites may have been formed by serpentinization of peridotites that were intruded into fracture zones from a great depth.