HR: 0800h
AN: GP21A-0107 [Abstracts]
TI: Reflected Light Microscopy, SEM and Rock Magnetic Characterization of Magnetic Minerals Through an Intact Sequence of Oceanic Crust, IODP Hole 1256D
AU: Rodriguez Durand, S
EM: durand@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty-Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, United
States
AU: * Herrero-Bervera, E
EM: herrero@soest.hawaii.edu
AF: SOEST-HIGP 1680 East West Rd, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822,
United States
AU: Krasa, D
AF: School of Geoscience, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JW, United Kingdom
AU: Haggerty, S
EM: shaggerty@servax.fiu.edu
AF: Florida International University, Department of Earth Science, Miami, Fl 33199, United
States
AU: Acton, G
EM: acton@geology.ucdavis.edu
AF: Department of Geology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, United States
AB:
The identification of magnetic minerals throughout a complete oceanic crustal section yields important
information about the carriers of the marine magnetic anomalies, one of the longest continuous archives of the
behavior of the geomagnetic field. A study involving the determination of the magnetic hysteresis parameters,
Curie temperatures, IRM acquisition curves, magnetic susceptibility, and the microscopic identification of
magnetic minerals of samples from sections recovered during drilling of IODP Leg 206, Expedition 309 and 312.
Identification of magnetic minerals was performed by reflected light microscopy and scanning electron
microscopy and by classifying the oxidation state of titanomagnetites according to the oxidation stages of
Haggerty (1976, 1991). The composition of Fe-Ti oxides has been determined semi-quantitatively by energy
dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Analyses on these sections confirm that a number of downhole variations exist in
the magnetic properties which can be attributed to variations in the composition and alteration state of the
magnetic mineral phases. From the top of 1256D, the sheeted flows and massive basalts (Leg 206 and Exp.
309) have cruciform/dendritic titanomagnetite grain shapes typical for MORBs. There is huge variability in grain
sizes from <1μm up to 100μm in this part of the section. The degree of alteration roughly increases
with depth. This finding is mainly evidenced by microscopically visible shrinkage cracks that indicate a transition
from titanomagnetite to titanomaghemite and by the continuously increasing Curie temperatures. Primary
sulphides are present and in some cases are in contact with titanomagnetites. The magnetic minerals in these
sections are likely to carry primary magnetization. In the sheeted dike section (Exp. 309), grain shapes are more
ideomorphic, reflecting earlier stage crystallization and possibly a change of the primary composition of Fe-Ti-
oxides. In some cases oxy-exsolution is seen with occurrences increasing with depth. An increase in the degree
of alteration is evident by the kind of mineral replacement seen in these rocks (titanomagnetite -
titanomaghemite-rutile/titanite/magnetite). Secondary sulphides are present in veins in addition to the primary
sulphides found. In the plutonic section (Exp. 312), the gabbros contain massive titanomagnetite grains up to 2-3
mm in size. These grains are frequently oxy-exsolved to magnetite and ilmenite with the ilmenite lamellae being
partially to totally replaced by secondary minerals like sphene and/or rutile. Hemoilmenite grains are also present
as discrete crystals. In some cases, much smaller magnetite grains around 1μm in size are exsolved from
silicate minerals. Sulphides are ubiquitous in the plutonic rocks. The present level of oxidation exhibited by the
titanomagnetite grains in this section ranges from stage C2 to C3. The Curie temperature throughout the sheeted
dikes and gabbroic units lies between 550 and 580°C confirming the presence of Ti-poor
titanomagnetite either as the primary product of Fe-Ti-oxide crystallization or as a result of oxyexsolution. In both
cases, the present composition would have been established during initial emplacement or shortly thereafter.
DE: 1517 Magnetic anomalies: modeling and interpretation
DE: 1519 Magnetic mineralogy and petrology
DE: 1540 Rock and mineral magnetism
DE: 1599 General or miscellaneous
SC: Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism [GP]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting