Halogen contents of eclogite facies fluid inclusions and minerals: Caledonides, western Norway

Abstract

AbstractPrimary multiphase brine fluid inclusions in omphacite and garnet from low‐ to medium‐temperature eclogites have been analysed for Cl, Br, I, F, Li and SO4. Halogen contents and ratios provide information about trapped lower crustal fluids, even though the major element (Na, K, Ca) contents of inclusion fluids have been modified by fluid–mineral interactions and (step‐) daughter‐crystal formation after trapping. Halogens in the inclusion fluids were analysed with crush–leach techniques. Cl/Br and Cl/I mass ratios of eclogite fluids are in the range 31–395 and 5000–33 000, respectively. Most fluids have a Cl/Br ratio lower than modern seawater and a Cl/I ratio one order of magnitude lower than modern seawater. Fluids with the lowest Cl/Br and highest Cl/I ratios come from an eclogite that formed by hydration of granulite facies rocks, and may indicate that Br and I are fractionated into hydrous minerals. Reconstructions indicate that the inclusion fluids originally contained 500–4000 ppm Br, 1–14 ppm I and 33–438 ppm Li. Electron microprobe analyses of eclogite facies amphibole, biotite, phengite and apatite indicate that F and Cl fractionate most strongly between phengite (F/Cl mass ratio of 1469 ± 1048) and fluid (F/Cl mass ratio of 0.008), and the least between amphibole and fluid. The chemical evolution of Cl and Br in pore fluids during hydration reactions is in many ways analogous to Cl and Br in seawater during evaporation: the Cl/Br ratio remains constant until the aH2O value is sufficiently lowered for Cl to be removed from solution by incorporation into hydrous minerals.