Melting of a Hydrous Mantle: III. Phase Relations of Garnet Websterite+H2O at High Pressures and Temperatures

A garnet websterite nodule from the Honolulu volcanic series,Oahu, Hawaii, has been melted in the presence of nearly pureH₂O. The solidus is intermediate between that of peridotiteand gabbro. The curve displays a temperature minimum around20 kb reflecting the breakdown of plagioclase. The Iiquidusis between 1130 ?C and 1150 ?C between 10 and 20 kb vapor pressure.Amphibole (pargasitic hornblende) has an extensive stabilityfield, reaching a maximum temperature about 20 ?C below thegarnet websterite liquidus at 15 kb and a maximum pressure of27.5 kb at 950 ?C. The amphibole-out curve intersects the soliduswith a positive slope. Liquids formed by partial melting of garnet websterite are quartz-normativewithin the stability field of amphibole, but become olivine-normative(tholeiitic) with increasing temperature. Amphibole and clinopyroxeneare enriched in Tschermak's molecule at higher temperatures,pargasite content of amphibole increases with increasing pressure. A garnet websterite-rich upper mantle containing modal olivineyields quartz-normative (13–16 per cent), aluminous (21–4wt. per cent A1₂O₃) melts at 17 P 10 kb and in the presenceof nearly pure H₂O. However, the presence of amphibole controlsthe liquid composition, a situation not found for liquids formedfrom wet peridotite. In contrast to many basalt liquids, liquidof garnet websterite composition cannot fractionate to andesiteby precipitation of amphibole, as amphibole is not a liquidusphase.