Melting of a Hydrous Mantle: II. Geochemistry of Crystals and Liquids Formed by Anatexis of Mantle Peridotite at High Pressures and High Temperatures as a Function of Controlled Activities of Water, Hydrogen, and Carbon Dioxide

The system peridotite-H₂O-CO₂ serves as a simplified model forthe phase relations of mantle peridotite involving more thanone volatile component. Run products obtained in a study ofphase relations of four mantle peridotites in the presence ofH₂O- and (H₂O+CO₂)-bearing vapors and with controlled hydrogenfugacity (f_H2) at high pressures and temperatures have beensubjected to a detailed chemical investigation, principallyby the electron microprobe. Mg/(Mg+Fe) of all phases generally increases with increasingtemperature and with increasing Mg/(Mg+Fe) of the starting material.This ratio appears to decrease with increasing pressure forolivine, and for amphibole coexisting with garnet. DecreasingfH₂from that of IW buffer to that of MH buffer decreases Mg/(Mg+Fe)of the partial melt from approximately 0?85 to approximately0?50, whereas the Fo content of coexisting olivine increasesslightly less than 3 per cent and the Mg/(Mg+Fe) of clinopyroxeneincreases about 4 per cent. However, the variations in Fo contentof olivines are within those observed in olivines from naturalmantle peridotite. The chemistry of other silicate mineralsdoes not significantly reflect variations of fH₂. Consequently,the peridotite mineralogy and/or chemistry is not a good indicatorfor the fH₂ conditions during crystallization. All crystalline phases, except amphibole, and to some extentgarnet, show increasing Cr content with increasing temperatureand increasing Cr content of the starting material, resultingin a positive correlation with Mg/(Mg+Fe). Partial melts aredepleted in Cr₂O₃ relative to the crystalline phases. High Mg/(Mg+Fe)and Cr₂O₃ are thus expected in crystal residues after partialmelting. The absolute values depend on degree of melting andthe composition of the parent peridotite.