Olivine Crystallographic Preferred Orientation Research Articles

An SPO-induced CPO in composite mantle xenoliths correlated with increasing melt-rock interaction

Melt-rock interaction, a general term describing various processes including cryptic and modal metasomatism and melt-rock reaction, is the main process responsible for modifying chemical composition of previously melt-depleted mantle peridotite. However, the underlying mechanisms of melt-rock interaction and its effect on mantle rheology, particularly in natural peridotites, is poorly constrained. Composite xenoliths are natural examples of melt-rock interaction as they contain pyroxenitic veins interpreted as evidence of passage of melt through peridotite at high pressures. Here, we present new mineral chemistry (major, trace element, and water contents of olivine and pyroxenes) and microstructural data on a suite of composite xenoliths from the Neogene Hannuoba basalt, North China Craton. We show that despite having experienced high melt/rock ratios, olivines and pyroxenes contain very low water contents (<10 ppm and <100 ppm, respectively). In contrast, melts calculated to be in equilibrium with clinopyroxene show enriched trace element signatures suggesting the infiltrating melt had a crustal origin. Microstructural data corroborate a key role for melt infiltration in causing a systematic shift in olivine crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) from initially A-type to AG-type with increasing melt/rock ratio. By describing the olivine grain shape with respect to the crystal reference frame, we show that as pyroxene mode (and hence melt/rock ratio) increases, olivine grains appear to rotate with their flattest (0 1 0) faces aligning with the melt flow plane, resulting in an olivine CPO controlled by its shape-preferred orientation (SPO). Previously, such an SPO-induced CPO was only demonstrated in shallow magmatic environments such as mafic intrusions, in mafic lavas, and in high-pressure/high-temperature experiments. Such a finding in the deep lithosphere is important as it suggests that dislocation creep may not always play a major role in CPO development, particularly when melt is involved.

Interplay between Fluid Extraction Mechanisms and Antigorite Dehydration Reactions (Val Malenco, Italian Alps)

AbstractWe investigate the feedback between antigorite dehydration reactions and fluid extraction mechanisms through the analysis of field-scale structures and microtextures formed by antigorite dehydration reactions producing olivine and talc in the Bergell intrusion contact aureole at Alpe Zocca (Malenco Unit, Northern Italy). The reactions, which resulted in the replacement of serpentinites by metaperidotites, occurred under quasi-static conditions. The main reaction front, which defines the equilibrium isograd, is an ∼150 m wide zone composed of variably reacted rocks with an irregular distribution at scales ranging from a few centimeters to a few meters. Veins composed of the prograde mineral assemblage occur downstream (&amp;lt;100 m) of this front. They are often surrounded by centimeter- to decimeter-scale dehydration reaction zones that propagate into the serpentinite wall-rock. Olivine in the metaperidotites and partially reacted serpentinites has a crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) correlated with the antigorite CPO, with [010]Ol axes parallel to [001]Atg. This CPO is accompanied by a shape-preferred orientation (SPO) that marks the foliation in both rock types. Olivine crystals in Ol–Tlc dehydration veins also have SPO and CPO that define a jackstraw texture within the plane of the vein. They are elongated parallel to [001] within the vein plane and have their [010]Ol axes normal to the vein. We interpret the olivine–talc assemblage in the veins as resulting from dehydration reactions at lower temperature than the equilibrium conditions owing to fluid extraction from the wall-rock into the veins. The jackstraw texture indicates fast kinetics, with the crystal orientation controlled by anisotropic growth under a fluid pressure gradient. We interpret the foliated metaperidotites as formed at near equilibrium conditions, with pervasive fluid extraction from the metaperidotite by viscous metamorphic compaction. Olivine CPO in these rocks may result from topotaxy, oriented growth in the presence of an anisotropic (foliation-controlled) fluid flow, and/or solid reorientation of the anisometric olivine crystals accommodated by the deformation of the weaker talc (± chlorite) matrix during compaction.

Relationships Between Olivine CPO and Deformation Parameters in Naturally Deformed Rocks and Implications for Mantle Seismic Anisotropy

AbstractWe analyze peridotites from a wide range of tectonic settings to investigate relationships between olivine crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) and deformation conditions in naturally deformed rocks. These samples preserve the five olivine CPO types (A‐ through E‐type) that rock deformation experiments have suggested are controlled by water content, temperature, stress magnitude, and pressure. The naturally deformed specimens newly investigated here (65 samples) and compiled from an extensive literature review (445 samples) reveal that these factors may matter less than deformation history and/or geometry. Some trends support those predicted by experimentally determined parametric dependence, but several observations disagree—namely, that all CPO types are able to form at very low water contents and stresses and that there is no clear relationship between water content and CPO type. This implies that at the low stresses typical of deformation in the mantle, CPO type more commonly varies as a function of strain geometry. Because olivine CPO is primarily responsible for seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle, the results of this study have several implications. These include (1) the many olivine CPO types recorded in samples from individual localities may explain some of the complex seismic anisotropy patterns observed in the continental mantle, and (2) B‐type CPO—where olivine's “fast axes” align perpendicular to flow direction—occurs under many more conditions than traditionally thought. This study highlights the need for more experiments and the difficulty in using olivine CPO in naturally deformed peridotites to infer deformation conditions.

Feedback of mantle metasomatism on olivine micro–fabric and seismic properties of the deep lithosphere

The interaction of hydrous fluids and melts with dry rocks of the lithospheric mantle inevitably modifies their viscoelastic and chemical properties due to the formation of compositionally distinct secondary phases. In addition, melt percolation and the associated metasomatic alteration of mantle rocks may also facilitate modification of the pre–existing rock texture and olivine crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) and thus seismic properties. Here we explore the relationship between mantle metasomatism, deformation and seismic anisotropy using subduction–related mantle xenoliths from the Penghu Islands, western Taiwan. The investigated xenoliths have equilibrated at upper lithospheric mantle conditions (879 °C to 1127 °C) based on pyroxene geothermometry and show distinct variations in clinopyroxene chemical composition, texture and olivine CPO allowing for the classification of two distinct groups. Group 1 xenoliths contain rare earth element (REE) depleted clinopyroxene, show a porphyroclastic texture and olivine grains are mostly characterized by [100]–axial pattern symmetries. In contrast, REE-enriched clinopyroxene from Group 2 xenoliths occur in a fine–grained equigranular texture and coexisting olivine frequently displays [010]–axial pattern symmetries. The clinopyroxene compositions are indicative of cryptic and modal to stealth metasomatic alteration of Group 1 and Group 2 xenoliths, respectively. Furthermore, the observed olivine [100]–axial pattern of Group 1 xenoliths reflects deformation by dislocation creep at high temperature, low pressure and dry conditions, whereas olivine [010]–axial patterns of Group 2 xenoliths imply activation of olivine [001] glide planes along preferentially wet (010) grain boundaries. This correlation indicates that the variation in olivine CPO symmetry from [100]– to [010]–axial pattern in Penghu xenoliths results from deformation and intra-crystalline recovery by subgrain rotation during metasomatic alteration induced by melt percolation. The microstructural observations and olivine CPO combined with petrological and geochemical data suggest that Group 1 xenoliths preserve microstructural and chemical characteristics of an old, probably Proterozoic lithosphere, while Group 2 xenoliths record localized Miocene deformation associated with wall–rock heating and metasomatism related to melt circulation. Furthermore, the observed transition of olivine CPO from [100]–axial pattern to [010]–axial pattern by deformation in the presence of variable melt fractions and associated metasomatic alteration can be inferred to modify the physical properties of mantle rocks.

From mantle peridotites to hybrid troctolites: Textural and chemical evolution during melt-rock interaction history (Mt. Maggiore, Corsica, France)

Recent studies investigate the replacive formation of hybrid troctolites from mantle peridotites after multiple stages of melt-rock reaction. However, these studies are not conducted in a field-controlled geological setting displaying the clear evolution from the protolith to the end-product of the reactions. The Mt. Maggiore peridotitic body exposes a clear evolution from spinel lherzolite to plagioclase-bearing lithotypes (plagioclase peridotites, olivine-rich troctolites and troctolites) during two continuous episodes of melt-rock interaction. In the spinel facies, the reactive percolation of a LREE-depleted melt leads to the dissolution of mantle pyroxenes and the growth of olivine crystals, forming replacive spinel dunites. The progressive evolution from spinel lherzolite to harzburgite to replacive dunite is accompanied by a change of olivine Crystallographic Preferred Orientation (CPO), from axial-[100] in the lherzolite to axial-[010] olivine CPO in the dunites, indicative of deformation in presence of melt. The initial percolating melt composition is consistent with single melt increments after 6% partial melting of a depleted mantle source. Reactive melt percolation leads to a progressive enrichment in the melt M-HREE absolute concentrations, while preserving its LREE depletion, consistent with the enriched analyzed HREE composition of olivine in the spinel dunite.In the shallower plagioclase facies, the melts modified by reactive melt percolation impregnate the spinel-facies lithotypes, leading to the dissolution of olivine and crystallization of plagioclase and orthopyroxene in the peridotites. This impregnation stage is also observed in the spinel dunites, forming hybrid olivine-rich troctolites and troctolites. The dissolution-precipitation reactions forming hybrid troctolites cause a progressive textural evolution of the olivine matrix, with the disruption of deformed coarse grains into undeformed small rounded grains. This textural evolution is not accompanied by clear changes in the olivine CPO, indicating low instantaneous melt/rock ratios during the impregnation process. Olivine, plagioclase and clinopyroxene REE compositions analyzed in troctolite fit a process of impregnation with a progressive closure of the porosity (at decreasing melt mass), leading to the crystallization of trapped melt and REE enrichments during the last crystallization increments.

Melt transport and mantle assimilation at Atlantis Massif (IODP Site U1309): Constraints from geochemical modeling

Olivine-rich troctolites (>70% olivine) reveal that extensive melt impregnation of pre-existing olivine-rich lithologies participate to the building of slow spread oceanic crust. To constrain their origin and their impact on the structure and geochemistry of oceanic crust, we realized a multi-scale petro-structural, geochemical, and numerical modeling study of olivine-rich troctolites drilled at IODP Hole U1309D (Atlantis Massif, Mid-Atlantic Ridge 30°N). Discrete intervals of olivine-rich troctolites display sharp to diffuse contacts with neighboring troctolites or gabbros. Their texture is characterized by plastically deformed (high temperature imprint), corroded coarse-grained to undeformed fine-grained olivine embayed in poikilitic clinopyroxene and plagioclase. Olivine crystallographic preferred orientations show weak [001] clusters. Olivine has variable major and minor element compositions, but similar fractionated REE (DyN/YbN = 0.04–0.11). We distinguished three types of olivine-rich troctolites based on microstructure, texture and mineral composition. Olivine-rich troctolites 1 and 2 display sharp contacts with adjacent lithologies. Type 1 has modal olivine <75%, occurring mainly as single rounded grains with primitive compositions (Mg# = 85–86), and associated with high Mg# clinopyroxene. Type 2 has higher olivine modes (>75%), dominantly forming aggregates, showing more evolved compositions (Mg# = 83–84) and associated with slightly lower Mg# clinopyroxene. These variations of olivine modes and compositions are in contrast to common trends of magmatic crystallization that predicts decreasing modal olivine with melt differentiation towards evolved compositions. Type 3 has diffuse contacts with gabbroic veins and modal olivine overlapping those of types 1 and 2. Chemical traverses along principal crystallographic axes of olivine are flat, suggesting local equilibrium between olivine and neighboring phases. Mineral modes and compositions, together with textures and microstructures, suggest that olivine-rich troctolites formed after melt-rock interactions in a reactive porous flow process. Their compositions are best modeled by percolation of primitive MORBs into Hole U1309D impregnated and compositionally heterogeneous harzburgites, triggering orthopyroxene dissolution, followed by olivine assimilation and concomitant crystallization of clinopyroxene and plagioclase. Modeling shows that Ni variations in olivine at constant Mg# are mantle inherited. Compositions of olivine-rich troctolite 1 are fitted assuming higher olivine assimilation (Ma = 0.06–0.13) in contrast to olivine-rich troctolites 2 and 3 (Ma = 0.01–0.02). Olivine-rich troctolite 3 was ‘buffered’ by crystallizing reacted melts, progressively more evolved as temperature decreased during a late stage process. We interpret olivine-rich troctolites from the Atlantis Massif as marking local assimilation of harzburgitic mantle into the gabbroic sequence during a period of enhanced magmatism at depth. Our study shows that the distribution and variable compositions of olivine-rich troctolites result from the incipient stages of this process when local spatial variations in mantle rock permeability, probably related to pyroxene distribution, controlled in turn melt transport and mantle-melt interactions.

Olivine-antigorite orientation relationships: Microstructures, phase boundary misorientations and the effect of cracks in the seismic properties of serpentinites

Antigorite-bearing rocks are thought to contribute significantly to the seismic properties in the mantle wedge of subduction zones. Here we present a detailed study of the microstructures and seismic properties in a sample of antigorite-olivine schist previously studied by Kern et al. (1997, 2015). We have measured crystallographic orientations and calculated the seismic properties in three orthogonal thin sections. Microstructures indicate that deformation is localized in the bands with high antigorite fractions, resulting in strong crystallographic preferred orientations (CPOs) with point maxima of poles to (100) parallel to lineation and poles to (001) to the foliation normal. Olivine CPO suggests deformation under high temperature and low stress, with a [100] fiber texture. The CPO strength varies with grain size, but is strong even in fine-grained antigorite, and larger grains tend to display higher internal misorientation. Orientation relationships between olivine and antigorite are evident in phase boundary misorientation analysis, (100)ol||(001)atg being more frequent than [001]ol||[010]atg. Two new orientation relationships between olivine and antigorite have been documented. Seismic velocities decrease while anisotropy increases with increasing antigorite modal content. Antigorite grain shape has a weak effect on seismic velocities, but it is important on anisotropy. Comparison between CPO-derived seismic velocities using Voigt, Reuss, Hill averages and geometric mean only showed good agreement in 1/3 of experimental velocities. If the crack porosity of 1.63% measured experimentally at 600 MPa was used in the self-consistent model with two crack orientations with planes normal to Z and Y, good match with all experimental velocities was achieved. The self-consistent model implies important crack porosity in the foliation plane at 600 MPa that reduces Vp normal to the foliation by 0.3 km/s.

Large-scale trench-normal mantle flow beneath central South America

We investigate the anisotropic properties of the fore-arc region of the central Andean margin between 17–25°S by analyzing shear-wave splitting from teleseismic and local earthquakes from the Nazca slab. With partly over ten years of recording time, the data set is uniquely suited to address the long-standing debate about the mantle flow field at the South American margin and in particular whether the flow field beneath the slab is parallel or perpendicular to the trench. Our measurements suggest two anisotropic layers located within the crust and mantle beneath the stations, respectively. The teleseismic measurements show a moderate change of fast polarizations from North to South along the trench ranging from parallel to subparallel to the absolute plate motion and, are oriented mostly perpendicular to the trench. Shear-wave splitting measurements from local earthquakes show fast polarizations roughly aligned trench-parallel but exhibit short-scale variations which are indicative of a relatively shallow origin. Comparisons between fast polarization directions from local earthquakes and the strike of the local fault systems yield a good agreement. To infer the parameters of the lower anisotropic layer we employ an inversion of the teleseismic waveforms based on two-layer models, where the anisotropy of the upper (crustal) layer is constrained by the results from the local splitting. The waveform inversion yields a mantle layer that is best characterized by a fast axis parallel to the absolute plate motion which is more-or-less perpendicular to the trench. This orientation is likely caused by a combination of the fossil crystallographic preferred orientation of olivine within the slab and entrained mantle flow beneath the slab. The anisotropy within the crust of the overriding continental plate is explained by the shape-preferred orientation of micro-cracks in relation to local fault zones which are oriented parallel to the overall strike of the Andean range. Our results do not provide any evidence for a significant contribution of trench-parallel mantle flow beneath the subducting slab.

B-type olivine fabric induced by low temperature dissolution creep during serpentinization and deformation in mantle wedge

The B-type olivine fabric (i.e., the [010] axes subnormal to foliation and the [001] axes subparallel to the lineation) has been regarded as an important olivine fabric for interpreting global trench-parallel S-wave polarization in fore-arc regions. However, strong serpentinization and cold temperature environment in the mantle wedge should inhibit development of the B-type olivine fabric that requires high temperature to activate solid-state plastic deformation. Here we report fabrics of olivine and antigorite generated at low temperatures (300–370°C) during serpentinization in a fossil mantle wedge of the Val Malenco area, Central Alps. Olivine in the serpentine matrix develops a pronounced B-type fabric, while antigorite in the same matrix displays a strong crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) with the (001) planes and the [010] axes subparallel to foliation and lineation, respectively. The following evidence leads to the conclusion that the B-type olivine fabric results from dissolution creep assisted by grain boundary sliding (GBS) and grain rotation, rather than solid-state plastic deformation: (1) serpentinization took place at low temperatures and a fluid-enriched environment, ideal for dissolution-precipitation creep; (2) the voids and zigzag boundaries along the interface between antigorite and olivine suggest a fluid dissolution reaction; (3) the primary coarse olivine develops a nearly random fabric, indicating the B-type fabrics in the fine-grained olivine may not be inherited fabrics. These results document for the first time the B-type olivine CPO formed by dissolution creep at low temperatures during serpentinization and provide a mechanism to reconcile petrofabric observations with geophysical observations of trench parallel fast S-wave seismic anisotropy in fore-arc mantle wedge regions.

Transfer of olivine crystallographic orientation through a cycle of serpentinisation and dehydration

Our ability to decipher the mechanisms behind metamorphic transformation processes depends in a major way on the extent to which crystallographic and microstructural information is transferred from one stage to another. Within the Leka Ophiolite Complex in the Central Norwegian Caledonides, prograde olivine veins that formed by dehydration of serpentinite veins in dunites exhibit a characteristic distribution of microstructures: The outer part of the veins comprises coarse-grained olivine that forms an unusual, brick-like microstructure. The inner part of the veins, surrounding a central fault, is composed of fine-grained olivine. Where the fault movement included a dilational component, optically clear, equant olivine occurs in the centre. Electron backscatter diffraction mapping reveals that the vein olivine has inherited its crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) from the olivine in the porphyroclastic host rock; however, misorientation is weaker and associated to different rotation axes. We propose that prograde olivine grew epitaxially on relics of mantle olivine and thereby acquired its CPO. Growth towards pre-existing microfractures along which serpentinisation had occurred led to straight grain boundaries and a brick-like microstructure in the veins. When dehydration embrittlement induced slip, a strong strain localisation on discrete fault planes prevented distortion of the CPO due to cataclastic deformation; grain size reduction did not significantly modify the olivine CPO. This illustrates how a CPO can be preserved though an entire metamorphic cycle, including hydration, dehydration, and deformation processes, and that the CPO and the microstructures (e.g. grain shape) of one phase do not necessarily record the same event.

Axial‐type olivine crystallographic preferred orientations: The effect of strain geometry on mantle texture

AbstractThe effect of finite strain geometry on crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) is poorly constrained in the upper mantle. Specifically, the relationship between shape preferred orientation (SPO) and CPO in mantle rocks remains unclear. We analyzed a suite of 40 spinel peridotite xenoliths from Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica. X‐ray computed tomography allows for quantification of spinel SPO, which ranges from prolate to oblate shape. Electron backscatter diffraction analysis reveals a range of olivine CPO patterns, including A‐type, axial‐[010], axial‐[100], and B‐type patterns. Until now, these CPO types were associated with different deformation conditions, deformation mechanisms, or strain magnitudes. Microstructures and deformation mechanism maps suggest that deformation in all studied xenoliths is dominated by dislocation‐accommodated grain boundary sliding. For the range of temperatures (780–1200°C), extraction depths (39–72 km), differential stresses (2–60 MPa), and water content (up to 500 H/106Si) of the xenolith suite, variations in olivine CPO do not correlate with changes in deformation conditions. Here we establish for the first time in naturally deformed mantle rocks that finite strain geometry controls the development of axial‐type olivine CPOs; axial‐[010] and axial‐[100] CPOs form in relation to oblate and prolate fabric ellipsoids, respectively. Girdling of olivine crystal axes results from intracrystalline slip with activation of multiple slip systems and grain boundary sliding. Our results demonstrate that mantle deformation may deviate from simple shear. Olivine texture in field studies and seismic anisotropy in geophysical investigations can provide critical constraints for the 3‐D strain in the upper mantle.

Microstructural and geochemical constraints on the evolution of deep arc lithosphere

AbstractMantle xenoliths from the Sierra Nevada, California, USA, sampled a vertical column (60–120 km) of lithosphere that formed during Mesozoic continental arc magmatism. This lithosphere experienced an anticlockwise P‐T‐t path resulting in rapid cooling that effectively “quenched in” features inherited from earlier high‐temperature conditions. Here we combine new mineral chemistry data (water, trace element, and major element concentrations) with mineral crystallographic preferred orientations (CPOs) to investigate the relationship between melt infiltration and deformation. The peridotites record a refertilization trend with increasing depth, starting from shallow, coarse‐protogranular, less‐melt‐infiltrated spinel peridotite with strong, orthorhombic olivine CPO to deep, fine‐porphyroclastic, highly melt‐infiltrated garnet peridotite with weak, axial‐[010] olivine CPO. In contrast to the observed axial‐[010] CPOs, subgrain boundary orientations and misorientation axes suggest the dominant activation of the (001)[100] slip system, suggesting deformation under moderately hydrous conditions. After accounting for effects of subsolidus cooling, we see coherent trends between mineral trace element abundance and water content, indicating that melt infiltration led to an increase in water content of the peridotites. However, measured olivine and pyroxene water contents in all peridotites (5–10 and 30–500 wt ppm, respectively) are lower than that required to promote dominant (001)[100] slip system observed in both natural and experimental samples. These results suggest that deformation occurred earlier along the P‐T path, probably during or shortly after hydrous melt infiltration. Subsequent rapid cooling at 90 Ma led to water loss from olivine (owing to decreased solubility at low temperature), leaving behind a deep arc lithosphere that remained viscously coupled to the Farallon slab until the opening of the slab window in the late Cenozoic.

Modeling olivine CPO evolution with complex deformation histories: Implications for the interpretation of seismic anisotropy in the mantle

AbstractRelating seismic anisotropy to mantle flow requires detailed understanding of the development and evolution of olivine crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO). Recent experimental and field studies have shown that olivine CPO evolution depends strongly on the integrated deformation history, which may lead to differences in how the corresponding seismic anisotropy should be interpreted. In this study, two widely used numerical models for CPO evolution—D‐Rex and VPSC—are evaluated to further examine the effect of deformation history on olivine texture and seismic anisotropy. Building on previous experimental work, models are initiated with several different CPOs to simulate unique deformation histories. Significantly, models initiated with a preexisting CPO evolve differently than the CPOs generated without preexisting texture. Moreover, the CPO in each model evolves differently as a function of strain. Numerical simulations are compared to laboratory experiments by Boneh and Skemer (2014). In general, the D‐Rex and VPSC models are able to reproduce the experimentally observed CPOs, although the models significantly over‐estimate the strength of the CPO and in some instances produce different CPO from what is observed experimentally. Based on comparison with experiments, recommended parameters for D‐Rex are: M* = 10, λ* = 5, and χ = 0.3, and for VPSC: α = 10–100. Numerical modeling confirms that CPO evolution in olivine is highly sensitive to the details of the initial CPO, even at strains greater than 2. These observations imply that there is a long transient interval of CPO realignment which must be considered carefully in the modeling or interpretation of seismic anisotropy in complex tectonic settings.

Evidence of melting, melt percolation and deformation in a supra-subduction zone (Marum ophiolite complex, Papua New Guinea)

New geochemical and microstructural data are presented for a suite of ultramafic rocks from the Marum ophiolite in Papua New Guinea. Our results describe a piece of most depleted mantle made essentially of dunite and harzburgite showing compositions of supra-subduction zone peridotite. Strong olivine crystallographic preferred orientations (CPOs) in dunite and harzburgite inferred the activation of both (001)[100] and (010)[100] slip systems, which are activated at high-temperature and low-stress conditions. Clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene CPOs inferred the activation of (100)[001] and (010)[001] slip systems, which are common for pyroxenes deformed at high temperature. This plastic deformation is interpreted to have developed during the formation of the Marum ophiolite, prior to melt percolation. The orientation of the foliation and olivine [100] slip directions sub-parallel to the subduction zone indicates that mantle flow was parallel to the trench pointing a fast polarisation direction parallel to the arc. This provides new evidence that fast polarisation direction parallel to the arc could be caused by anisotropic peridotite and not by olivine [001] slip. After its formation, Marum ophiolite has been fertilised by diffuse crystallisation of a low proportion of clinopyroxene (1–2 %) (P1) and formation of cm-scale ol-clinopyroxenite and ol-websterite veins cross-cutting the foliation (P2). This percolating melt shows silica-rich magnesian affinities (boninite-like) related to supra-subduction zone in a young fore-arc environment. The peridotite has also been percolated by a melt with more tholeiite affinities precipitating plagioclase-rich wehrlite and thin gabbroic veins (P3); these are interpreted to form after the boninitic event. The small proportion of newly crystallised pyroxene in the dunite shows similar orientation of crystallographic axes to the host dunite ( ol parallel to cpx–opx). In contrast, the pyroxenes in ol-clinopyroxenite, ol-websterite and the thin gabbroic veins in the wehrlite, record their own orientation with axes at 45°–60° to olivine axes. Our results indicate that for low melt proportion the crystallisation is governed by epitaxial growth, and when the proportion of melt is higher the newly formed minerals record syn-kinematic crystallisation. This switch of crystallographic axes orientation of newly formed minerals indicates a reorientation of the constraints during the boninitic and tholeiitic melts event probably due to a variation of lateral mantle flow within the fore-arc area. The variation of the crystallographic axes orientation could be an indicator for the development of a young fore-arc mantle in supra-subduction zone.

In situ observation of crystallographic preferred orientation of deforming olivine at high pressure and high temperature

Simple-shear deformation experiments on polycrystalline olivine and olivine single-crystal were conducted at pressures of 1.3–3.8GPa and temperatures of 1223–1573K to understand the achievement of steady-state fabric strength and the process of dynamic recrystallization. Development of crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) of olivine was evaluated from two-dimensional X-ray diffraction patterns, and shear strain was measured from X-ray radiographs. The steady-state fabric strength of the A-type fabric was achieved within total shear strain of γ=2. At strains higher than γ=1, an increase in concentration of the [010] axes mainly contributes to an increase in fabric strength. At strains higher than γ=2, the magnitude of VSH/VSV (i.e., ratio of horizontally and vertically polarized shear wave velocities) scarcely increased in most of the runs. The VSH/VSV of peridotite (70vol.% olivine+30vol.% minor phases) having the steady-state A-type olivine fabric coincides with that of recent global one-dimensional models under the assumption of horizontal flow, suggesting that the seismic anisotropy observed in the shallow upper mantle is mostly explained by the development of A-type olivine fabric. Experimental results on the deformation of single-crystal olivine showed that the CPO of olivine is influenced by the initial orientation of the starting single crystal because strain is concentrated in the recrystallized areas and the relic of the starting single crystal remains. In the upper mantle, the old CPO of olivine developed in the past may affect the olivine CPO developed in the present.

A numerical and experimental investigation on seismic anisotropy of Finero peridotite, Ivrea-Verbano Zone, Northern Italy

The Ivrea-Verbano Zone offers a unique opportunity to study lower crust/upper mantle rocks unaffected by serpentinization. Peridotites from Finero (North-East Ivrea-Verbano Zone) have been collected to investigate the influence of individual mineral phases on seismic anisotropy. The methods involve experimental ultrasonic P-wave velocity measurements using a hydrostatic pressure vessel, and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis to investigate the crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO). CPO was analyzed by large area EBSD scans for major minerals including olivine, orthopyroxene, but also for metasomatic hornblende. The CPO of olivine is confirmed to be the major source of detected seismic anisotropy. Minor influence can arise from hornblende if it is sufficiently abundant.

Depletion, cryptic metasomatism, and modal metasomatism (refertilization) of Variscan lithospheric mantle: Evidence from major elements, trace elements, and Sr-Nd-Os isotopes in a Saxothuringian garnet peridotite

Orogenic garnet peridotites of diverse origins and histories in the Bohemian Massif attest to a variety of mantle processes, including partial melting, cryptic metasomatism, and modal metasomatism (refertilization), all of which are recorded by Saxothuringian garnet peridotite from the T-7 borehole in northern Bohemia. The T-7 peridotite consists of interlayered garnet lherzolite, harzburgite, and phlogopite-garnet pyroxenite lenses that yield peak temperatures and pressures of 1030–1150°C and 36.1–48.0kbar. Olivine crystallographic preferred orientations exhibit [axial](010) slip, corresponding to a pure shear component of deformation under relatively low flow stress conditions. Some lherzolite samples are fertile, resembling primitive mantle in major and trace element composition, but other lherzolites are slightly depleted in incompatible major elements, HREE, and HFSE, and slightly enriched in LREE. Harzburgite is depleted in incompatible major elements, HREE, and HFSE, but enriched in LREE. Harzburgite adjacent to pyroxenite has been refertilized, containing phlogopite, less olivine, more orthopyroxene, and more garnet than distal harzburgite. The T-7 peridotite compositions are the result of variable degrees of partial melting in the spinel stability field, followed by cryptic metasomatism and modal metasomatism by transient basaltic melts in the garnet field. Trace elements, Sr and Nd isotopes, and occurrence of phlogopite reflect a subduction component in the metasomatising melts. Partial melting of the T-7 peridotite was a Proterozoic event, as indicated by Rhenium depletion model ages (TRD); the age of cryptic and modal metasomatism is unconstrained, but is thought to be related to Variscan subduction and amalgamation of the Bohemian Massif.

The effect of deformation history on the evolution of olivine CPO

Olivine crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) is the primary cause of seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle. In tectonic environments with complex flow patterns, for example corner flow near mid-ocean ridges or subducting slabs, the interpretation of seismic anisotropy may be complicated by evolving thermochemical deformation conditions and the integrated deformation history. To understand how deformation history influences CPO evolution, deformation experiments were conducted on samples of Åheim dunite, which has a strong pre-existing texture. Experiments were performed in a triaxial geometry using a Griggs apparatus at P=1 GPa, T=1473 K, up to a maximum strain of ∼0.7. To simulate different deformation histories, samples were deformed in three different configurations, with the pre-existing foliation perpendicular, oblique, and parallel to the shortening axis of deformation. Distinct patterns of CPO development are observed for each experimental configuration. Likewise, texture strength, symmetry, and orientation evolved differently in each set of experiments. These data are interpreted as evidence that CPO did not reach steady state and that achieving steady state texture requires larger strains than previously thought. It is concluded that the integrated deformation history plays a significant role in CPO evolution and the consequent interpretation of seismic anisotropy in Earth's mantle.

Viscoplasticity of polycrystalline olivine experimentally deformed at high pressure and 900°C

Abstract We have performed tri-axial compression experiments on olivine aggregates at 900 °C and at a confining pressure of 300 MPa in a high-resolution gas-medium mechanical testing apparatus. Deformation at two different constant strain rates (1.1 × 10− 5 s− 1 and 3.4 × 10− 4 s− 1) yields continuous hardening, reaching maximal differential stresses of 930 and 1076 MPa, respectively, before sample failure at ca. 10% strain. The deformed samples were characterized by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Crystallographic preferred orientations (CPO) are weak but reveal an alignment of the [010] axes around the compression direction and some concentration of [001] and [100] axes normal to it. TEM observations confirm plastic deformation by dislocation glide, with both [001] and [100] Burgers vectors. Electron tomography, performed for the first time on deformed fined-grained olivine, shows that [001] dislocations glide extensively on {110} and {130} planes, in complement to the (010) and (100) glide planes often reported at high temperatures. [100] dislocations glide mostly on (010), but {011} and {041} planes are also activated. The experimental CPO and relative activity of slip systems are well reproduced by viscoplastic self-consistent simulations in which all [100] and [001] slip systems have similar strengths. They are also consistent with olivine CPO from natural samples deformed at low temperature. Comparison of the present mechanical results to those obtained for olivine single-crystals at similar conditions shows that at low temperature (below 1100 °C) and high stress (> 300 MPa) polycrystalline olivine has a more complex mechanical behavior than single crystals. However, both datasets advocate for a much weaker dry mantle lithosphere than previously thought.

Microstructures and seismic properties of south Patagonian mantle xenoliths (Gobernador Gregores and Pali Aike)

The subcontinental lithospheric mantle evolves through time due to tectonic events and processes as static recrystallization and melt percolation. To constrain the extent of these processes in the South Patagonian subcontinental mantle lithosphere we performed a microstructural and Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) study of a suite of 35 peridotite xenoliths brought to the surface by Plio-Pleistocene alkaline volcanic rocks from Gobernador Gregores and Pali Aike. All samples show a well-developed olivine and pyroxene crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO), consistent with deformation by dislocation creep with dominant activation of [100]{0kl} in olivine. The coarse granular or tabular textures and the low density of intracrystalline deformation features indicate that deformation was followed by annealing under static conditions. The xenoliths also show microstructural evidence of multiple episodes of reactive melt percolation. Neither annealing nor melt percolation erased the olivine CPO, which has [010]-fiber, [100]-fiber and orthorhombic patterns in Pali Aike xenoliths and essentially [010]-fiber and orthorhombic patterns in Gobernador Gregores xenoliths. Seismic properties calculated based on the CPO and modal compositions are, however, rather homogeneous, with fast S-wave polarization and P-wave propagation parallel to the [100] olivine axis. The variation in the olivine CPO solely changes the minimum S-wave birefringence direction, which is normal to the foliation for axial-[010] olivine CPO. Average samples for the two localities, obtained by adding up the individual samples CPO data in a common reference frame, show, however, a 'normal' upper mantle anisotropy with a maximum S-wave birrenfringence of ca. 5% at high angle to the both the maximum [010] and [100] axes concentrations, that is in the foliation, but normal to the lineation, and a minimum birefringence at low angle to the [100] maximum, that is parallel to the lineation.