2009 Volume 60 Issue 7-8 Pages 381-394
This paper is intended to show the relationship between susceptibilities and degrees of serpentinization of serpentinized peridotite. The susceptibility, magnetization and bulk density of 79 serpentinized peridotites were measured. Moreover, rock magnetic analyses, i.e., acquisition of IRM, thermal demagnetization of composite IRM, thermomagnetic analysis, and low-temperature magnetometry, were applied to selected samples obtained from the Iwanai-dake ultramafi c rock body in Hokkaido, Japan. Samples with similar peridotite contents were chosen to detect the serpentinization effects clearly. Results show that the magnetic carrier is mainly magnetite. Linear trends fell between 0.1 % and 0.4 % of the predicted volume of magnetite when observed susceptibilities were plotted against densities. The study results show that, if the magnetic carrier is magnetite, the relationship between susceptibility and density reveals the variation of serpentinization reactions. A significant spread of the data is apparent, but it remaines along each linear line of reactions. The volume of magnetite produced by serpentinization of other ultramafi c rock bodies is presumed to be similar in samples for which the magnetic carrier is magnetite. The different susceptibility is inferred to result from the volume of water reaction when these rock bodies come from the same peridotite series. The results suggest that comparable amounts of reacting water affect the ultramafic bodies. The water reaction was found to be an important approach to solving many tectonic problems. Therefore, we recommend that serpentinite, which has the same basic reaction should be used to elucidate tectonic problems.
