Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Carbonated Sections From Komatiite Flow- Top Alteration Zones In The Barberton Greenstone Belt: Implications For Near-Surface Archean Environments, Judith E. F. Stoute

LSU Master's Theses

Over a dozen komatiitic flows in the 3.2-3.5 Ga Barberton Greenstone Belt are topped with unique green silica- and carbonate-rich rocks, which likely formed from interaction of the cooling lava flow with seawater shortly after deposition. This study focuses on an alteration zone in the Mendon Formation. Two styles of alteration are observed in this alteration zone: silicification and carbonation. The goal of this study is to characterize the carbonates in the alteration zone, constrain the timing of alteration, test whether the alteration zones are due to interaction with seawater after deposition, and estimate the elemental fluxes between the rock …