CH4 Inclusions in High-pressure Metapelite: Revealing the Link Between
Fluid Behavior and Redox Mechanisms for Subducting Sedimentary Carbon
Abstract
(Ultra)high-pressure metamorphic rocks provide valuable insights into
properties of slab-derived fluids. Here, we report CH4-rich fluid
inclusions in garnet of a metapelite from the Zermatt-Saas ophiolite,
western Alps. Two types of metapelite, a CH4-bearing pelitic schist and
a calcareous pelitic schist, were investigated to unravel favorable
P-T-fO2 conditions for preservation of CH4 in high-pressure metapelite.
In the CH4-bearing pelitic schist, CH4-rich fluid inclusions exclusively
occur in the core of garnet (GrtI) rather than the rim (GrtⅡ). GrtI
records P-T conditions of ~2.85 GPa and
~555 °C, whereas GrtⅡ records a prograde P-T path from
~1.75 GPa at 510 °C to ~2.0 GPa at 530
°C. Compositional profile of garnet in the calcareous pelitic schist
reflects a prograde metamorphic path from ~1.9 GPa at
510 °C to ~2.12 GPa at 545 °C. CH4-rich fluid formation
may primarily rise from graphite reduction at high-pressure reduced
conditions (ΔFMQ -3.5 to -4, 2.85 GPa, ~550 °C), while
graphite and carbonates stabilize in a relatively oxidized environment
(ΔFMQ ~ 0, 2.12 GPa, 545 °C). The initial redox budget
of subducted sediments is primarily controlled by the amount of
sedimentary carbonate and organic carbon, which plays the most important
role in deciding the carbon speciation at different subduction depth.
CH4 formation in COH fluids could primarily be attributed to the
reduction of graphite. Subducted metasediments act as conduits for
transporting non-oxidized fluids to arc magmas, which provides crucial
evidence to support the heterogeneity for slab-derived COH fluids and
offers new insights into the deep carbon cycle.