Textural and chemical variations in peridotite induced by hydrous melt migration in mantle under the back-arc spreading

Abstract

This study presents the structural and petrological characteristics of mantle peridotites in relation to the rock-hydrous melt reaction found in the Hayachine ultramafic complex, NE Japan. We conducted sampling, microstructural observations, crystal-orientation analyses, and major element composition analyses of the major constituent minerals in the peridotites. We used 17 serpentinized peridotites that preserved better mantle textures. The peridotites are composed of lherzolite to harzburgite, consisting of olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, amphibole, and spinel. The peridotites were classified into two textures according to olivine grain size: coarse-grained (ca. 2–3 mm) and fine-grained (ca. 0.3–0.5 mm). Fine-grained peridotites were newly found in this study and were characterized by aggregates of orthopyroxene and amphibole with a large number of spinel inclusions. Based on olivine crystal-preferred orientation (CPO), we found that the coarse-grained peridotites were further classified into Group 1 (A type CPO) and 2 (AG type CPO) and the fine-grained peridotites were accordingly classified into Group 3 (weak CPO). The systematic continuity in the chemical compositions of the minerals suggests that Group 1 peridotites partially melted to form Group 2 peridotites, followed by Group 3 peridotites, due to further reaction of Group 2 peridotites with hydrous melts. These textural and chemical variations in the peridotites could have resulted from rock-hydrous melt reactions under back-arc spreading and subsequent processes.