Petrographic analysis of ultramafic rocks in a zone of Cajálbana massif, western Cuba
Keywords:
ophiolite, ultramafic rocks, serpentinization process , CajálbanaAbstract
The Ultramafic Rocks of Cajálbana Massif (URCM) are part of the Northern Ophiolithic Belt (NOB) of Cuba. The massif outcrops as an irregular body in the western part of the island, Bahía Honda region in Pinar del Río province. The study presents the petrographic and geochemical analysis of 21 samples of peridotites and dunite from the SW sector of this massif and their comparison with similar lithology of the Belt. Results showed that during the magmatic process and after serpentinization RUMC, two fundamental stages of mineral formation occurred: one with olivine, pyroxenes (enstatite and augite) and Cr-spinel (stage 1), and another with lizardite, chrysotile, bastite, Fe3+-rich Cr-spinel and magnetite (stage 2). The Al2O3/SiO2 ratios (0.02 - 0.06) and weight percent (wt %) of Al2O3 (1.17 - 2.43), TiO2 (0.01 - 0.04) and CaO (0.04 - 2. 58) vary in these rocks, and are located within the range of ultramafic rocks of abyssal environment (portion of proto-Caribbean crust) and in overlapping zones of proto-Caribbean crust with the forearc (portion of Caribbean plate crust). Similar performance has been reported for the ultramafic rocks of the Villa Clara and Havana-Matanzas massifs.Downloads
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