Experimental constraints on serpentinite carbonation in the presence of a H2O–CO2–NaCl fluid

Abstract

Serpentinite carbonation contributes to the deep carbon (C) cycle. Recently, geophysical and numerical studies have inferred considerable hydrothermal alteration in plate bending faults, opening the possibility of significant C storage in the slab mantle. However, there is a lack of quantitative determination of C uptake in serpentinized mantle rocks. Here, we experimentally constrain serpentinite carbonation in H₂O–CO₂–NaCl fluids to estimate C uptake in hydrated mantle rocks. We find that serpentinite carbonation results in the formation of talc and magnesite along the serpentinite surface. The presence of porous reaction zones (49.2% porosity) promotes the progress of carbonation reactions through a continuous supply of CO₂-bearing fluids to the reaction front. Added NaCl effectively decreases the serpentinite carbonation efficiency, particularly at low salinities (< 5.0 wt%), which is likely attributed to the reduction in fluid pH and the transport rate of reactants, and the increase in magnesite solubility. Based on previous and our experiments, we fit an empirical equation for the reaction rate of serpentinite carbonation. Extrapolation of this equation to depths of plate bending fault systems suggests that serpentinite carbonation may contribute to an influx of up to 7.3–28.5 Mt C/yr in subduction zones. Our results provide new insights into serpentinite carbonation in environments with high fluid salinities and potentially contribute to the understanding of the C cycle in subduction zones.