Effect of Sulfide Sulfur on the Crystallization of Low-Alkali Magmas: Prolegomena

Abstract

The effect of sulfide sulfur on the crystallization of ultramafic–mafic–intermediate magmatic systems is considered in order to assess its scale and direction during the crystallization of rock-forming phases. The study carried out a theoretical analysis of the effect of sulfur on the activity of the components of the silicate melt according to the Korzhinskii’s principle of acid–base interaction. To test the theoretical constructions, published experimental data analyzed to select data allowing a direct comparison of sulfur-saturated and sulfur-free runs. Despite the very limited number of such experiments, they all fit well with theoretically predicted trends. It has been established that the addition of sulfur to the system moderately reduces the liquidus temperature of rock-forming minerals within 20–30°C, and significantly affects their composition. In particular, chrome spinel is enriched in chromium by 10–12 mol % and complementary depleted in aluminum. The composition of plagioclase is enriched in the anorthite component by 3 mol % in dacites and 8 mol % in andesites; this effect was not established in basalts, but its strengthening can be expected. Olivine and orthopyroxene demonstrate an insignificant increase in magnesian content, but the field of their coexistence is significantly reduced in favor of orthopyroxene, which should inevitably lead to a change in their cotectic and peritectic proportions. Natural observations that can be interpreted as the result of the sulfur effect are taken from publications. The results obtained lead to the conclusion that sulfur significantly affects the crystallization of silicate magmas. It follows that the petrological dependences calibrated for sulfur-free experiments should be applied with caution to the interpretation of sulfur-bearing systems.