Experimentelle Untersuchung der Metamorphose von kieselig dolomitischen Sedimenten

During an experimental investigation of the metamorphism of siliceous dolomites the equilibrium data of the heterogeneous bivariant reaction 1 $$3{text{ dolomite + 4 quartz + 1 H}}_{text{2}} O rightleftharpoons + 3 calcite + 3 CO_2 $$ were determined for the total fluid pressures of 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 bars. The equilibrium conditions were found by experiments in which dolomite, quartz and water react to form talc, calcite and CO₂, as well as by experiments with reversible reaction direction. Results are shown on the temperature- (X_{CO_2 } ) -diagram of Fig. 3. The temperature of formation of talc and calcite depends to a considerable extent on the composition of the CO₂-H₂O-gas phase; this can be read straight off the isobaric (P _f =const.) equilibrium curves in Fig. 3. In addition a strong dependence of the equilibrium temperature on the total pressure P _f was established (see Fig. 5). At a total gas pressure of 1,000 bars dolomite and quartz can react, according to the composition of the CO₂-H₂O-gas phase, to talc and calcite over the whole of the temperature range between about 350° and 490° C. This indicates that at low pressures the formation of talc and calcite takes place in the field of the albite-epidote-hornfels facies. At a pressure of 3,000 bars dolomite and quartz are stable up to about 550° C if the fluid phase is rich in carbon dioxide and correspondingly poor in water. Thus, this paragenesis can occur up to the stability field of staurolite [see annotation (5)] if the partial pressure of CO₂ is large. At the higher total gas pressure of 5,000 bars dolomite and quartz react even at medium CO₂-concentrations only at about 580° C to give talc and calcite. Therefore it is expected that in regional metamorphism at about 5,000 bars pressure or more the paragenesis dolomite plus quartz exists up to and within the stability field of staurolite and reacts only here to form talc and calcite after reaction (1) or tremolite and calcite after the following reaction (2)¹: $$5 dolomite + 8 quartz + 1 H_2 O rightleftharpoons 1 tremolite + 3 calcite + 7 CO_2 $$ . The exact physico-chemical conditions under which dolomite, quartz and water react on the one hand to form talc, calcite and CO₂, and on the other hand to form tremolite, calcite and carbon dioxide, will be discussed later when our experimental investigations on the formation of tremolite are completed. First results were already published in a short note by Metz, Puhan and Winkler (1968).