RESEARCH FOCUS

Serpentinization and the formation of fluid pathways

Esther M. Schwarzenbach
Institute of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstr. 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany

Serpentinized ultramafic rocks constitute a major part of the oceanic and reactive surface area is produced. However, Tutolo et al. argue that be-
lithosphere. They form when water interacts with olivine and pyroxene— cause serpentinization is relatively rapid, serpentine should immediately
the primary minerals of Earth’s mantle—to form serpentine, magnetite, form in the newly opened spaces substantially reducing both porosity and
and brucite. Serpentinites are relatively widespread: They are commonly permeability and thus limit fluid migration. Additionally, the formation
found along slow to ultra-slow spreading mid-ocean ridges, where tec- of a serpentine + brucite rind may limit further interaction of olivine with
tonic unroofing exposes sections of the mantle to the ocean floor induc- fluid. As an alternative, Tutolo et al. suggest that fluid-flow and the gen-
ing mantle hydration (e.g., Cannat et al., 1992; Bach and Früh-Green, eration of porosity happen at a far finer scale. Using neutron scattering
2010), in deep fractures in the bend of the subducting lithospheric slab they determine the porosity of variably serpentinized peridotites from the
(e.g., Ranero et al., 2003; Ivandic et al., 2010), within the mantle wedge Atlantis Massif (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) and the Duluth Complex in the USA
of subduction zones as a response to dehydration reactions in the down- (see Tutolo et al. for references). Their results imply that during formation
going slab (Hyndman and Peacock, 2003; Scambelluri and Tonarini, of serpentine from olivine, the porosity as represented by nano-scale pores
2012), and in ultramafic rocks emplaced on the continent that are ser- increases! In other words, formation of serpentine as well as other phyl-
pentinized upon interaction with meteoric waters (e.g., Barnes et al., losilicates produces new fluid pathways. Tutolo et al. suggest that the pore
1967; Barnes and O’Neil, 1969). Serpentinization has implications on space is present as crystal internal porosity and as porosity as a result of
many global-scale processes and impacts, for example the chemical bud- mineral internal defects—pores in the submicrometer scale are generated
get of the oceans (Snow and Dick, 1995; Früh-Green et al., 2004), and within the minerals.
regulates the chemical flux into Earth’s mantle (Scambelluri et al., 1995; This nano-scale porosity would allow continued fluid migration
Ulmer and Trommsdorff, 1995). In addition, serpentinization can sup- within a partly hydrated peridotite and has direct implications for vein
port diverse microbial communities (Kelley et al., 2005; Brazelton et al., internal fluid flow. For instance, growth in serpentine vein width is com-
2006) and has even been hypothesized to play a major role in the origin monly reported as a result of increased olivine hydration (e.g., Beard et
of life on Earth and other planetary bodies (e.g., Martin and Russell, al., 2009). Within serpentine veins, porosity on the submicron scale could
2007; Martin et al., 2008). promote continuous fluid migration toward the surface of the primary
However, despite the intense study of serpentinization in diverse as- minerals and allow their continued replacement and an increase in vein
pects of geochemistry, geophysics, and biology, one aspect of the serpenti- width. Similarly, Schwarzenbach et al. (2015) describe the formation of
nization process has remained relatively poorly understood; serpentiniza- chemical gradients (e.g., gradients in water and silica activity) between
tion should be a self-limiting process because the mineral transformation the center of serpentine veins and the olivine grain boundaries. These
is accompanied by a significant volume increase of 25–50%. Such a gradients may be mediated by an interconnected pore space between vein
volume expansion should result in the closure of fluid pathways and re- center and vein rim (i.e., between the parent olivine grain and the fluid-
duce fluid migration, preventing further hydration of the primary minerals rich vein core). The study by Tutolo et al. provides evidence that such an
(Coleman and Keith, 1971; Macdonald and Fyfe, 1985; O’Hanley, 1992; interconnected porosity may exist within the newly formed serpentine.
Plümper et al., 2012). In this issue of Geology, Tutolo et al. (2016, p. 103) Alternatively, fluid pathways may exist along grain boundaries of finely
use neutron scattering techniques to look for nano-scale pore spaces that intergrown serpentine-brucite, which is often observed in serpentine veins
can serve as fluid pathways. In fact, they find that growth of new phases replacing olivine, producing a fine-grained texture on the sub­micron ­scale
such as serpentine generates more porosity than is present in the primary (e.g., Beard et al., 2009; Schwarzenbach et al., 2015). Such a submicron
minerals. This finding is pioneering as it provides a mechanism for fluid intergrowth possibly also provides pathways for fluids to migrate at a lack
migration to pervasively hydrate ultramafic rocks. of mineral internal porosity.
Previous studies have focused on different aspects of fluid flow within In addition, a nano-scale porosity may also have implications on the
ultramafic lithologies. In mid-ocean ridge settings protracted serpenti- sequestration of CO2. Especially in recent years, serpentinization has in-
nization of ultramafic rocks is partly explained by the creation of fluid creasingly gained interest due to the potential of ultramafic lithologies to
pathways through tectonic processes; the generation of fractures caused sequester CO2 (Kelemen and Matter, 2008; Boschi et al., 2009; Schwar-
by changes in the stress regime during lithospheric uplift, formation of zenbach et al., 2013) and thus may be a possible way to mitigate the ever-
faults during extensional unroofing of the mantle rock, and mechanical increasing atmospheric CO2 levels. However, during CO2 sequestration
weathering all can provide new pathways for fluids (e.g., Kelley et al., (or carbonation) of ultramafic rocks the same problems are encountered
2001; Boschi et al., 2006; Andreani et al., 2007). In the absence of external as during their hydration; formation of carbonate minerals in peridotite
forces, progressive serpentinization has been more challenging to explain will seal fluid pathways. In this case, reaction-driven cracking has been
and recently focus has been mostly on a process described as reaction- suggested to play a critical role to continue fluid flow (e.g., Jamtveit et al.,
driven cracking (Jamtveit et al., 2009; Kelemen and Hirth, 2012; Plümper 2008; Jamtveit et al., 2009; Kelemen and Hirth, 2012), though the results
et al., 2012). On the micrometer scale, the conversion of olivine to serpen- from Tutolo et al. may provide an additional explanation for fluid migra-
tine is a dissolution-precipitation process along mineral grain boundar- tion during carbonation.
ies. At this scale, the volume expansion during serpentine formation may Considering the importance and potential utility of serpentinization re-
increase the stress sufficiently to crack the host rock and to allow intense actions, the study of microtextures on the submicrometer scale sheds new
self-propagating fracturing (Macdonald and Fyfe, 1985; O’Hanley, 1992; light on how serpentinization reactions proceed and how ultramafic rocks
Kelemen and Hirth, 2012). This is reflected by the formation of a network can be hydrated, even without substantial external (e.g., tectonic) forces.
of micro-fractures in adjacent minerals; i.e., new porosity, permeability, The study of Tutolo et al. is a first step toward a new research focus on pro-

GEOLOGY, February 2016; v. 44; no. 2; p. 175–176  | doi:10.1130/focus022016.1

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cesses that occur in these systems on the nano scale. However, many more Ivandic, M., Grevemeyer, I., Bialas, J., and Petersen, C.J., 2010, Serpentiniza-
questions are left to answer: How efficient is fluid transfer on the nano tion in the trench-outer rise region offshore of Nicaragua: Constraints from
seismic refraction and wide-angle data: Geophysical Journal International,
scale? Can fluid migration take place along grain boundaries of serpentine- v. 180, p. 1253–1264, doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2009.04474.x.
brucite intergrowths? Is nano-scale porosity controlled by the type of ser- Jamtveit, B., Malthe-Sorenssen, A., and Kostenko, O., 2008, Reaction enhanced
pentine mineral (e.g., lizardite vs chrysotile)? And what is the influence of permeability during retrogressive metamorphism: Earth and Planetary Sci-
temperature? Specifically, at low temperatures, nano-scale porosity may ence Letters, v. 267, p. 620–627, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2007.12.016.
influence the extent of hydrogen formation that may be used by microbes Jamtveit, B., Putnis, C., and Malthe-Sorenssen, A., 2009, Reaction induced frac-
turing during replacement processes: Contributions to Mineralogy and Pe-
living in continental serpentinization environments. Thus, further research trology, v. 157, p. 127–133, doi:10.1007/s00410-008-0324-y.
is needed to clarify submicron-scale processes in order to understand how Kelemen, P.B., and Hirth, G., 2012, Reaction-driven cracking during retrograde
these processes affect serpentinization environments or what role they play metamorphism: Olivine hydration and carbonation: Earth and Planetary Sci-
during fluid-solid interaction within Earth’s lithosphere. ence Letters, v. 345–348, p. 81–89, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2012.06.018.
Kelemen, P.B., and Matter, J., 2008, In situ carbonation of peridotite for CO2
storage: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
States of America, v. 105, p. 17295–17300, doi:10.1073/pnas.0805794105.
I thank Mark Caddick, Benjamin Gill, Timm John, and James Spotila for their valu-
Kelley, D.S., et al., 2005, A serpentinite-hosted ecosystem: The lost city hydro-
able comments and input.
thermal field: Science, v. 307, p. 1428–1434, doi:10.1126/science.1102556.
Kelley, D.S., et al., 2001, An off-axis hydrothermal vent field near the Mid-At-
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