The Formation and Evolution of Uvarovite in UHP Serpentinite and Rodingite and its Constraints on Chromium Mobility in the Oceanic Subduction Zone

Abstract

AbstractThe uvarovite‐andradite and uvarovite‐andradite‐grossular solid‐solution series are rare in nature. The discovery of uvarovite‐andradite in serpentinite and rodingite from the ultra‐high pressure (UHP) metamorphic belt in southwestern Tianshan provided an opportunity to investigate its behavior in the subduction zone. Uvarovite (defined as chromium‐garnet) from serpentinite is homogeneous in a single grain, covering compositions in the uvarovite‐andradite solid solution series of Adr58–66Uv33–41, with few grossular components. Uvarovite from rodingites contain various Cr2O3 contents (1.7–17.9 wt%) and mineral compositions being in the range of Adr21–31Uv41–50Grs22–37, Adr52–90Uv5–25Grs0–21 and Adr19–67Uv3–63Grs13–42. Discontinuous chemical variation of uvarovite from core to rim indicates that uvarovite formed by consuming andradite and chromite, which could provide Ca, Cr, Al and Fe. Raman signals of water were identified for uvarovite from both serpentinite and rodingite, with high water content in uvarovite from serpentinite. The high pressure mineral assemblage, as well as the association with perovskite, indicated that the studied uvarovite from serpentinite and rodingite was formed through high pressure metamorphism, during the subduction zone serpentinization and rodingitization. High alkaline and highly reduced fluids released from serpentinization or rodingitization in the oceanic subduction zone promote the mobility of chromium and enable its long‐distance migration.