Serpentinites: Essential Roles in Geodynamics, Arc Volcanism, Sustainable Development, and the Origin of Life

摘要

Serpentinites are rocks consisting mostly of the serpentine-group minerals chrysotile, lizardite and antigorite. They are formed by the hydration of olivine-rich ultramafic rocks and they contain up to ～13 wt% H_2O. They have long been used by many cultures as building and carving stones. Serpentinites play essential roles in numerous geological settings. They act as a lubricant along plate boundaries during aseismic creep and contribute to the geochemical cycle of subduction zones. In the mantle, they are a reservoir of water and fluid-mobile elements. Serpentinites can produce nickel ore where weathered, and they can sequester CO_2 where carbonated. They may have provided an environment for the abiotic generation of amino acids on the early Earth and other planets, potentially leading to the development of life.