Determining timescales of natural carbonation of peridotite in the Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution June 2012Determining timescales of the formation and preservation of carbonate alteration products in mantle peridotite is important in order to better understand the role of this potentially important sink in the global carbon cycle and also to evaluate the feasibility of using artificially-enhanced, in situ formation of carbonates in peridotite to mitigate the buildup of anthropogenic CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Timescales of natural carbonation of peridotite were investigated in the mantle layer of the Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman. Rates of ongoing, low-temperature CO2 uptake were estimated through 14C and 230Th dating of carbonate alteration products. Approximately 1-3 x 106 kg CO2/yr is sequestered in Ca-rich surface travertines and approximately 107 kg CO2/yr is sequestered in Mg-rich carbonate veins. Rates of CO2 removal were estimated through calculation of maximum erosion rates from cosmogenic 3He measurements in partiallyserpentinized peridotite bedrock associated with carbonate alteration products. Maximum erosion rates for serpentinized peridotite bedrock are ~5 to 180 m/Myr (average: ~40 m/Myr), which removes at most 105-106 kg CO2/yr through erosion of Mg-rich carbonate veins.My PhD thesis research was funded by the National Science Foundation grant EAR-1049281, the Deep Ocean Exploration Institute at WHOI, the Academic Programs Office at WHOI, and the Mellon Foundation

Short length scale mantle heterogeneity beneath Iceland probed by glacial modulation of melting

Glacial modulation of melting beneath Iceland provides a unique opportunity to better understand both the nature and length scale of mantle heterogeneity. At the end of the last glacial period, View the MathML source BP, eruption rates were ∼20–100 times greater than in glacial or late postglacial times and geophysical modeling posits that rapid melting of the large ice sheet covering Iceland caused a transient increase in mantle decompression melting rates. Here we present the first time-series of Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopic data for a full glacial cycle from a spatially confined region of basaltic volcanism in northern Iceland. Basalts and picrites erupted during the early postglacial burst of volcanic activity are systematically offset to more depleted isotopic compositions than those of lavas erupted during glacial or recent (<7 kyr) times. These new isotopic data, coupled with major and trace element data, show that the mantle underneath northern Iceland is heterogeneous on small (<100 km) length scales. The temporal response of the isotopic compositions of the basalts to glacial unloading indicates that the isotopic composition of mantle heterogeneities can be linked to their melting behavior. The present geochemical data can be accounted for by a melting model in which a lithologically heterogeneous mantle source contains an enriched component more fusible than its companion depleted component

Potential for offsetting diamond mine carbon emissions through mineral carbonation of processed kimberlite: an assessment of De Beers mine sites in South Africa and Canada

De Beers kimberlite mine operations in South Africa (Venetia and Voorspoed) and Canada (Gahcho Kué, Victor, and Snap Lake) have the potential to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) through weathering of kimberlite mine tailings, which can store carbon in secondary carbonate minerals (mineral carbonation). Carbonation of ca. 4.7 to 24.0 wt% (average = 13.8 wt%) of annual processed kimberlite production could offset 100% of each mine site�s carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions. Minerals of particular interest for reactivity with atmospheric or waste CO2 from energy production include serpentine minerals, olivine (forsterite), brucite, and smectite. The most abundant minerals, such as serpentine polymorphs, provide the bulk of the carbonation potential. However, the detection of minor amounts of highly reactive brucite in tailings from Victor, as well as the likely presence of brucite at Venetia, Gahcho Kué, and Snap Lake, is also important for the mineral carbonation potential of the mine sites.</p

Potential for offsetting diamond mine carbon emissions through mineral carbonation of processed kimberlite: An assessment of De Beers mine sites in South Africa and Canada

De Beers kimberlite mine operations in South Africa (Venetia and Voorspoed) and Canada (Gahcho Kué, Victor, and Snap Lake) have the potential to sequester carbon dioxide (CO) through weathering of kimberlite mine tailings, which can store carbon in secondary carbonate minerals (mineral carbonation). Carbonation of ca. 4.7 to 24.0 wt% (average = 13.8 wt%) of annual processed kimberlite production could offset 100% of each mine site’s carbon dioxide equivalent (COe) emissions. Minerals of particular interest for reactivity with atmospheric or waste CO from energy production include serpentine minerals, olivine (forsterite), brucite, and smectite. The most abundant minerals, such as serpentine polymorphs, provide the bulk of the carbonation potential. However, the detection of minor amounts of highly reactive brucite in tailings from Victor, as well as the likely presence of brucite at Venetia, Gahcho Kué, and Snap Lake, is also important for the mineral carbonation potential of the mine sites