Podiform chromitite formation in a low-Cr/high-Al system: An example from the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR)

Recent reassessment of abyssal peridotites obtained during the dredging of the oblique supersegment and the easternmost subsection of the Southwest Indian Ridge by the R/V Knorr Cruise 162 and the R/V Yokosuka YK98-07 revealed the occurrence of dunites containing podiform chromitites and dunites with variable chromite concentration closely associated with lherzolite and harzburgite. The size of the chromitite pods varies from a few mm to 2 cm in width. Chromites in the podifom chromitites have very low Cr# (=0.22–0.23) and low TiO2 (