FIELD DETERMINATION OF
SERPENTINISATION AT SOROAKO
FIELD DETERMINATION OF SERPENTINISATION AT
SOROAKO
JUNE 2002
Jacques Babineau
PLAN OF PRESENTATION
1. The olivine problem in the East Block coarse fraction
(> 1 inch)
2. Classification of serpentinisation degree for field
determination
3. Observations to be made on rock samples
4. Comparative rock show 1
5. Tests to be performed on rock samples
6. Comparative rock show 2
7. Practice on real rock samples
THE OLIVINE PROBLEM:
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Unserpentinised peridotites are composed of 70 to 80%
olivine
East Block rocks are serpentinised at variable degrees:
some olivine left
Olivine melts at very high temperature (up to 1890
degrees Celsius)
High olivine % in E-Block coarse fraction (> 1 inch) do
not melt in furnace
Unmelted olivine tends to block heat flow & slag tap in
the furnace
PETROGRAPHIC OBSERVATION:
SERPENTINE VS OLIVINE
Soroako Bedrock
West type 3
100.00
West type 2
Observed Modal Olivine (%)
West type 1
80.00
Hybrid
East -6"
Field of
Serp > 40%
Ol < 40%
East -18"
60.00
All
Linear (All)
40.00
Field of
Serp > 60%
Ol <15%
20.00
0.00
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
Observed Modal Serpentine (%)
80.00
100.00
FIELD CLASSIFICATION OF
SERPENTINISATION
VERY LOW (OR ABSENT)<5%
undetectable
- Serpentine
LOW
5 to 39%
MODERATE (MEDIUM)
40 to 59%
HIGH
60 to 100%
Note:
Serpentinisation is gradational and the
properties of the serpentinised rocks to be
SERPENTINISATION:
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE ROCK?
OLIVINE
OPX
SERPENTINE + MAGNETITE
SERPENTINE + MAGNETITE
Grain size decreases
Magnetic susceptibility increases
SERPENTINISATION DETERMINATION
OBSERVATIONS: WHAT DO YOU SEE?
1. COLOR ON FRESH BROKEN SURFACE
- Gets darker with increasing serpentinisation
2. ASPECT ON FRESH BROKEN SURFACE: GLASSY TO
DULL
- Gets dull or amorphous with serpentinisation
3. COLOR ON DRY DRILL CORE AND SAW-CUT SURFACES
- Gets darker with increasing serpentinisation
4. TEXTURE ON DRY DRILL CORE AND SAW-CUT
SURFACES
- Dark serpentine stringers increase in thickness and
proportion
THIN SECTION VIEW
TEXTURE ON DRY DRILL CORE AND SAW-CUT
SURFACES
LOW SERPENTINISATION
(30%)
LAILA HARZBURGITE
RX307115
40% OL
CROSSED NICOLS
ERPENTINE STRINGERS WITH FINE-GRAINED OLIVINE SUB-GRAIN
COLOR & ASPECT ON FRESH BROKEN
SURFACES
Light
color
Glassy
&
Crystalli
ne
aspect
Dark
color
Dull
amorpho
us
aspect
5 mm
VERY LOW
0% SERP
LOW
20% SERP
MEDIUM
50% SERP
HIGH
80% SERP
VERY LOW
0% SERP
1 cm
COLOR & ASPECT ON FRESH BROKEN
SURFACES
LOW
10% SERP
MEDIUM
45% SERP
HIGH
60% SERP
COLOR AND TEXTURE
ON DRY (WET?) CORE & SAW CUT SURFACES
MEDIUM
50% SERP
RX307116
VERY LOW
0% SERP
RX307104
Light color
no
serpentine
stringers
No finegrained
matrix
Dark color
serpentine
stringers
finegrained
matrix
LOW
20% SERP
HIGH
70% SERP
COLOR AND TEXTURE
ON DRY (WET?) CORE & SAW CUT SURFACES
VERY LOW
0% SERP
RX307101
LOW
20% SERP
MEDIUM
45% SERP
HIGH
90% SERP
SERPENTINISATION DETERMINATION TESTS:
WHAT DO YOU FEEL AND SEE?
1.
HARDNESS ON ANY FRESH SURFACE
- Decreases with serpentinisation from hard (up to 7)
to soft (2.5)
2.
ROUGHNESS (TOUCH) ON FRESH BROKEN SURFACE
- Decreases with serpentinisation from rough to
smooth
- Highly serpentinised rocks may have a soapy or
waxy touch
3.
ATTRACTION TO A PEN-MAGNET
- Increases with serpentinisation from none (0) to
medium (2.5)
COLOR & ASPECT ON FRESH BROKEN
SURFACE
10% SERP
RX307160
15% SERP
RX307138
20% SERP
RX307126
30% SERP
RX307115
HOW MUCH SERPENTINISATION IN THESE
ROCKS ?
LOW
SERPENTINISATION
COLOR & ASPECT ON FRESH BROKEN
SURFACE
HOW MUCH SERPENTINISATION IN THESE
ROCKS ?
HIGH SERPENTINISATION
60% SERP
RX307125
80% SERP
RX307139
80% SERP
RX307127
90% SERP
RX307109
COLOR & ASPECT ON FRESH BROKEN
SURFACE
HOW MUCH SERPENTINISATION IN THESE
ROCKS ?
MEDIUM
SERPENTINISATION
40% SERP
RX307144
45% SERP
RX307114
50% SERP
RX307113
COLOR & ASPECT ON FRESH BROKEN
SURFACE
HOW MUCH SERPENTINISATION IN THESE
ROCKS ?
VERY LOW /ABSENT
SERPENTINISATION
0% SERP
RX307120
0% SERP
RX307158
0% SERP
RX307103
<5% SERP
RX307101
COLOR AND TEXTURE
ON DRY CORE & SAW CUT SURFACES
HOW MUCH SERPENTINISATION IN THESE
ROCKS ?
SUBHEDRAL
OPX
ANHEDRAL
CPX
HIGH
SERPENTINISATION
60% SERP
RX307125
80% SERP
RX307124
90% SERP
RX307146
COLOR AND TEXTURE
ON DRY CORE & SAW CUT SURFACES
HOW MUCH SERPENTINISATION IN THESE
ROCKS ?
LOW SERPENTINISATION
20% SERP
RX307126
20% SERP
RX307161
30% SERP
RX307115
COLOR AND TEXTURE
ON DRY CORE & SAW CUT SURFACES
HOW MUCH SERPENTINISATION IN THESE
ROCKS ?
MEDIUM
SERPENTINISATION
40% SERP
RX307144
45% SERP
RX307112
45% SERP
RX307114
COLOR AND TEXTURE
ON DRY CORE & SAW CUT SURFACES
HOW MUCH SERPENTINISATION IN THESE
ROCKS ?
VERY LOW / ABSENT SERPENTINISATION
0% SERP
RX307158
0% SERP
RX307104
0% SERP
RX307101
0% SERP
RX307103
FIELD DETERMINATION OF
SERPENTINISATION TOOLS NEEDED
Your eyes
Your hands
A knife or a nail
A pen-magnet or/and a magnetic susceptibility-meter
Use the combination of all the properties of the rock
FIELD DETERMINATION OF
SERPENTINISATION AT SOROAKO:
CONCLUSION
The serpentinisation degree is gradational between 2
end members
The properties of the serpentinised rocks are also
gradational
There is an overlap of some of the properties between
the classes
Do
Usenot
theuse
combination
of all theto
properties
the rock
only one property
determineofthe
serpentinisation degree
THE END : LETS PRACTICE!
FIELD CLASSIFICATION OF SERPENTINISATION
VERY LOW (OR ABSENT)
<5%
LOW
5 to 39%
MODERATE (MEDIUM)
40 to 59%
HIGH
60 to 100%
Note:
Serpentinisation is gradational and the
properties of the serpentinised rocks to be
