A new chlorite geothermometer for diagenetic to low-grade metamorphic conditions (original) (raw)

Abstract

The evolution of chlorite composition with temperature (and pressure) serves as basis to a number of chlorite chemical thermometers, for which the oxidation state of iron has been recognised as a recurrent issue, especially at low temperature (T). A new chlorite geothermometer that does not require prior Fe3+ knowledge is formulated, calibrated on 161 analyses with well-constrained T data covering a wide range of geological contexts and tested here for low-T chlorites (T < 350 °C and pressures below 4 kbar). The new solid-solution model used involves six end-member components (the Mg and Fe end-members of ‘Al-free chlorite S’, sudoite and amesite) and so accounts for all low-T chlorite compositions; ideal mixing on site is assumed, with an ordered cationic distribution in tetrahedral and octahedral sites. Applied to chlorite analyses from three distinct low-T environments for which independent T data are available (Gulf Coast, Texas; Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles; Toyoha, Hokkaido), the new pure-Fe2+ thermometer performs at least as well as the recent models, which require an estimate of Fe3+ content. This relief from the ferric iron issue, combined with the simple formulation of the semi-empirical approach, makes the present thermometer a very practical tool, well suited for, for example, the handling of large analytical datasets—provided it is used in the calibration range (T < 350 °C, P < 4 kbar).

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Acknowledgments

We are most grateful to the materials characterisation department of IFP Energies nouvelles-Lyon, in particular to F. Moreau, and to the laboratory of CP2M-Université Aix-Marseille, for technical advice. The discussions and comments of the journal editor Jochen Hoefs, of Atsuyuki Inoue and two anonymous reviewers are gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also extended to K. Milliken, S. Dutton and J. Donnelly of Bureau of Economic Geology at Austin, Texas. This study was financially supported by IFP Energies nouvelles, CNRS and ENS Paris.

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1. Franck Bourdelle
   Present address: IMPMC, UPMC-CNRS, Case courrier 115, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France

Authors and Affiliations

1. IFP Energies nouvelles, 1&4 avenue de Bois Préau, 92852, Rueil-Malmaison Cedex, France
   Franck Bourdelle & Teddy Parra
2. Laboratoire de Géologie, Ecole normale supérieure – CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France
   Franck Bourdelle & Christian Chopin
3. IMPMC, UPMC-CNRS, Case courrier 115, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France
   Olivier Beyssac

Authors

1. Franck Bourdelle
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2. Teddy Parra
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3. Christian Chopin
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4. Olivier Beyssac
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Correspondence toFranck Bourdelle or Teddy Parra.

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Communicated by J. Hoefs.

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Bourdelle, F., Parra, T., Chopin, C. et al. A new chlorite geothermometer for diagenetic to low-grade metamorphic conditions.Contrib Mineral Petrol 165, 723–735 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-012-0832-7

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• Received: 07 August 2012
• Accepted: 03 November 2012
• Published: 29 November 2012
• Issue Date: April 2013
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-012-0832-7

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