Porous Mineral Textures as Indicators of

the Mechanism of Replacement Reactions.

Christine V. Putnis and Kilian Pollok

Institut fr Mineralogie, Universitt Mnster,

Corrensstr. 24, 48149 Mnster
putnisc@uni-muenster.de

Whenever minerals are no longer in equilibrium

with their surrounding fluids, mineral replacement
reactions may occur. As aqueous fluids are
ubiquitous over the surface and near-surface
environments of the Earth, mineral replacement is a
common process which traditionally has been
described in terms of ion exchange, diffusion or
coupled dissolution/reprecipitation reactions. The
results of replacement reactions can be observed as
new textures, overgrowths, volume changes or
changes in chemistry. All or some of these processes
have been described as reaction rims, aureoles,
metasomatism (e.g. albitization) or, if the complete
transformation of one mineral to another is
observed, as pseudomorphism. The most common
process in geologic settings that is associated with
mineral replacements and transformation is
metamorphism.
A replacement reaction is often characterised by
textural changes such as the development of porosity
in the newly formed phase, that is, a resulting
volume deficit [1]. Such a porous phase is often seen
macroscopically as turbidity in the replaced zone. In
the aqueous solution-solid solution system KCl-KBr
H2O the development of porosity has been studied
together with chemical analyses of the new replacing
phases and analogies made with similar textures in
natural minerals. The correspondence between
chemical zoning patterns and turbidity in garnets
from the Dalradian schists from Conamara, Ireland
[2] and in the replacement of leucite by analcime in
volcanics from the Roman Province [3] has been
reinterpreted in terms of a coupled
dissolution/reprecipitation mechanism.

[1] Pollok K., Pina C.M., Putnis C V., Gilkin A.E., Putnis
A., (2003). Submitted Europ. J.. Mineral.
[2] Yardley B.W.D. (1977) Am. Min 62, 793-800
[3] Putnis A., Putnis C., Giampaolo C., (1994) Europ. J.
Mineral, 6, 627-