Disequilibrium reaction pathways and the twin-mediated growth of tabular forsterite during contact metamorphism of quartz-bearing dolomite

Abstract

The forsterite zone of the Ubehebe Peak contact aureole, Death Valley, USA consists of an outer zone of tabular/jack-straw olivine and an inner zone of subequant polyhedral olivine. Subequant polyhedral forsterite crystals close to the intrusion are small and tabular forsterite crystals farther away are larger. To investigate the formation of the two morphologies, forsterite growth experiments were conducted in cold seal pressure vessels in the CaO-MgO-SiO₂-CO₂-H₂O system. Forsterite precipitation follows a disequilibrium reaction pathway made of three reactions: [1] tabular forsterite growth from quartz and dolomite, [2] forsterite growth from tremolite dissolution, and [3] subequant polyhedral forsterite growth from tabular forsterite dissolution. Initially, quartz reacts with dolomite to simultaneously form twinned tabular forsterite and tremolite. As quartz reacts away, forsterite precipitation continues at a slower rate through tremolite dissolution. A second generation of forsterite then precipitates on top of some tabular forsterite but has different habit and tracht. Once all the tremolite reacts away, subequant polyhedral forsterite precipitation continues at an even slower rate through dissolution of tabular forsterite. The tabular morphology of jack-straw olivine is a consequence of twin-mediated unidirectional growth; the abundance of twins being due to rapid nucleation and growth at initially high reaction affinities. Twin junctions are preferential nucleation centers for steps, so faceted growth is enhanced on {100}. This phenomenon is the twin plane re-entrant effect. Subequant polyhedral forsterite in the Ubehebe Peak inner contact aureole recrystallized and ripened from tabular forsterite. In the outer contact aureole, conditions were not conducive to recrystallization and ripening so well-developed tabular forsterite persists.