High-pressure deformation of serpentine + olivine aggregates

Abstract:

Serpentinization is expected to occur when fluids are released from the dehydrating subducting slabs and migrate into shear zones and the mantle wedge peridotites. At shallow depths (15-30km) a few percent volume serpentine can lower the viscosity of peridotites by almost an order of magnitude [1]. However, the deformation mechanisms are not easily extrapolable to deeper contexts. The rheology of a rock with two phases of contrasted mechanical properties is highly non-linear with composition and cannot be modelled from its end-members. Here we investigate the rheology of serpentine + olivine « synthetic » peridotites with varying serpentine content (5 to 50%) at high pressure (2- 3 GPa, ca. 60-90 km depth), using the D-DIA large volume press and synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and imaging. The results will provide insights on the conditions under which serpentinized peridotites evolve in a regime dominated by the rheology of the strongest phase (olivine) or the weakest phase (antigorite).

[1] Escartin et al, Journal of Geophysical Research, 1997