Orthopyroxene to talc transformation

Abstract

Mineralogical transformations that occur during the weathering of rocks are complex processes involving both physical and chemical changes. Although it may be difficult to relate the primary minerals to the secondary phases of the weathering process, there is evidence that certain transformations occur topotaxially. The clinopyroxene, hedenbergite, alters to montronite, an iron-rich montmorillonite mineral, topotaxially; the transformation has been modelled by a crystallographic shear of 1/2[101] on (100) of the pyroxene. This shear mechanism converts the chain silicate into a sheet structure. A similar process may be postulated for several other pyroxene alterations. The commonly observed orthopyroxene to talc transformation has been studied in detail using electron microscopy, electron microprobe, optical microscopy and x-ray diffraction.The process has been studied in an interaction zone that develops between unaltered orthopyroxene and talc layers formed along grain boundaries and within cracks. The growth of the interaction zone occurs by the migration of the interface into the unaltered orthopyroxene-Fig. 1.