Carbon Geochemistry of the Active Serpentinization Site at the Wadi
Tayin Massif: Insights from the ICDP Oman Drilling Project - Phase II
Abstract
A large part of hydrated oceanic lithosphere consists of serpentinites
exposed in ophiolites, which constitute reactive chemical and thermal
systems and potentially represent an effective sink for CO2.
Understanding carbonation mechanisms is almost exclusively based on
studies of outcrops, which can limit the interpretation of fossil
hydrothermal systems. We present stable and radiogenic carbon data that
provide insights into the isotopic trends and fluid evolution of
peridotite carbonation in ICDP Oman Drilling Project drill holes BA1B
(400 m deep) and BA3A (300 m deep). Geochemical investigations of the
carbonates in serpentinites indicate formation in the last 50 kyr,
implying a distinctly different phase of alteration than the initial
oceanic hydration and serpentinization of the Samail Ophiolite. The
oldest carbonates (~31 to over 50 kyr) are localized
calcite, dolomite, and aragonite veins, which formed between 26 to 43
degrees Celcius and are related to focused fluid flow. Subsequent
pervasive small amounts of dispersed carbonate precipitated in the last
1000 yr. Macroscopic brecciation and veining of the peridotite indicate
that carbonation is influenced by tectonic features allowing
infiltration of fluids over extended periods of time and at different
structural levels such as along fracture planes and micro-fractures and
grain boundaries, causing large-scale hydration of the ophiolite. The
formation of dispersed carbonate is related to percolating fluids with
δ18O lower than modern ground- and meteoric water. We also show that
radiocarbon investigations are an essential tool to interpret the
carbonation history and that stable oxygen and carbon isotopes alone can
result in ambiguous interpretations.