Calcium amphibole exsolution lamellae in chromite from the Semail ophiolite: Evidence for a high-pressure origin

We report here for the first time aluminous Ca-amphibole exsolution lamellae in an anhydrous chromite host of podiform chromitite from the Nakhl massif of the Semail Ophiolite. Transmission electron microscopy observations show that the Ca-amphibole lamellae have a crystallographic topotaxy and d-spacing relationship with the host chromite, i.e., [103]am//[11 8 _ ]chr, (020)am//(2 2 _ 0)chr and d060am ≈ d220chr, that indicate an exsolution origin. The presence of Ca-amphibole exsolution implies the incorporation of Si4+ and Ca2+ cations and hydroxyl in the host precursor chromite. The reconstructed precursor chromite had SiO2 concentrations of 0.33–0.58 wt%, suggesting upwelling from a minimum pressure of 8 GPa (depth of ~250 km). Hydroxyl groups occupy octahedral vacancies, which can be introduced in high-pressure chromite by substituting 4 Cr3+ by 3 Si4+ and a vacancy. During upwelling, vacancies decrease when Si4+ cations exsolve stepwise from chromite. It leads to a coupled decrease of OH occupied vacancies and exsolution of Ca-amphibole lamellae at pressures below 3 GPa. Our results provide new evidence for a deep origin of the chromitite-bearing mantle section of the Semail ophiolite.