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Hydrothermal and Biogenic Alteration of Oceanic Crust as Recorded in Ophiolites |
1 Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Allegt. 41, 5007 Bergen, Norway Harald.Furnes{at}geo.uib.no
2 Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
In this paper we summarize the present knowledge on bioalteration of basaltic glass from pillow lava rims of former oceanic crust, based on the study of four ophiolite complexes. These complexes range in age from Late Cretaceous to Mid-Proterozoic, and their metamorphic grades vary from non-metamorphosed to low greenschist- to low amphibolite-facies metamorphism. In the non-metamorphosed volcanic part of ophiolite complexes, in which undevitrified glass is still present in pillow lava rims and/or hyaloclastites, biogenerated textures are common. These textures (termed granular and tubular) are similar to those found in volcanic glass of recent to old (170 Ma) in situ ocean floor, and mimic microbes in terms of size and shape. In the metamorphic and completely recrystallized examples, the textural evidence of bioalteration is generally obliterated, although it may still be visible in little-deformed volcanic domains of low-grade greenschist-facies metamorphism. Where biogenerated textures are present, element mapping invariably reveals the presence of organic carbon, and sometimes nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus. Carbon-isotope signatures (
13C) in the pillow lava rims from all four investigated ophiolites show lower values than those of the adjacent crystalline parts. This phenomenon may be attributed to bio-induced fractionation of carbon isotopes during preferential bioalteration of the pillow lava glass, and may further represent a feature that seems to survive metamorphism and deformation.
