Petrology of Ultramafic Rock
in the East Sulawesi Ophiolite
Complex, Indonesia
SUFRIADIN
Mine Engineering Department
Faculty of Engineering of Hasanuddin University
Eng. Campus, Gowa 97171
Introduction
Study of ophiolites have many significant
means both for scientific and practical
aspects.
The understanding of ophiolite can provide the
explanation about oceanic crust evolution and
its tectonic setting.
In practical aspect, the knowledge of ophiolite
sequences might be used as basic for searching
mineral deposits associated within the complex
such as Cr, Ni, Co, PGE, etc.
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Objectives
The main objectives of this review are
as follow :
To find out the spatial distribution of the
rocks within the complex
To describe the general characteristic of
petrology and mineralogy of the rocks.
Ophiolite Definition/Terminology
Ophiolite (from Greek ophis=snake and
lithos=rocks) was first used in 1813 by a French
Mineralogist, Alexandre Brongniert, in reference
to serpentinites in melanges.
However, this term was elevated by Gustav
Steinman in 1905, to a new concept that is the
rock assemblage consisting of ultramafic, mafic,
and deep-marine sedimentary.
Petrologically, Ophiolite refer to a distinctive
assemblage of mafic to ultramafic rocks. It
occurs in rock sequence, starting from bottom to
the top are : ultramafic ; gabroic ; mafic sheet
dikes and mafic volcanic (Dilek, 2003)
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Ophiolite Definition/Terminology
In complete sequence ; normally
ophiolite consist of 4 layers:
Layer 1 : Pelagic sediments with
thickness around 0,3 km
Layer 2 : Basaltic pillow lava and
sheeted dikes (0,3 1,5 km)
Layer 3 : Gabbro and layered gabro (2
5 km).
Layer 4 : Ultramafic Complex (wehrlite,
harzburgit, dunit), up to 7 km
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Classsification of Mafic & Ultramafic Rock
In general, igneous rock can be
classified on the basis of : silica
saturation, color index, texture,
grain size, and mineralogical
composition.
Mafic describes a rock with far more
mafic minerals, whereas basic refers to
a rock that contain SiO2 ranging
between 45 % to 52 %
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Classsification of Mafic & Ultramafic Rock
Term of ultrabasic used if one refers to
silica content less than 45 wt % SiO2,
while ultramafic denote to rocks that
have more than 90 wt % mafic minerals
(olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, biotite).
Ternary diagram for classsification of mafic
and ultramafic Rocks
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East Sulawesi Ophiolite (ESO)
Complex
Sulawesi Island is divided into 4
tectonic provinces :
West Sulawesi Plutono Volcanic Belt
Central Sulawesi Metamorphic Belt
East Sulawesi Ophiolite Belt
Micro-continent of Banggai Sula- Buton
Tukang Besi
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East Sulawesi Ophiolite (ESO)
ESO is one of the three world largest
ophiolites along with Semail
Ophiolite, Oman and Papua New
Guinea Ophiolite.
Total length of ESO extension reach
up to 700 km covering an area of
1500 km2 with the thickness around
10 km.
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Reconstruction of
ESO stratigraphic
section (Monnier et
al, 1995)
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Petrology
Three main groups of the rocks have
been recognized within the complex
(Kadarusman, et al, 2004):
Ultramafic complexes are mainly situated
in southeast arm of the island
Gabroic rocks are commonly located in
the east northeast arm
Basalt & Dolerite are mostly in northeast
arm and partly in south arm
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Distribution
of ESO
More mafic
More
ultramafic
INCO Mine Site
Aneka
Tambang Mine
Site
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Ultramafic Complex
These rocks are dominated by
peridotite (harzburgite is more than
lherzolite) and locally dunite.
Generally, peridotite has undergone
serpentinisation with various degree,
except for Soroako mine area.
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Mineralogical composition, (After
Kadarusman et al, 2004) :
Lherzolite : olivine (60 70)%, Opx(12
20)%, Cpx (5-10)%, hornb(0-2)%,
spinel(1-2)%.
Harzburgite : olivine (65-75)%, Opx(1220)%, Cpx(1-4)%, spinel(1-2)%.
Dunite : olivine (95 98)%, Opx<1%,
spinel (2-5)%.
Websterite : olivine (0-5)%, Opx (6065)%, Cpx(25-30)%, spinel(1-3)%.
Wehrlite : olivine (70-75)%, Opx(0-5)%,
Cpx(5-25)%, spinel (2-4)%.
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Olivine and Pyroxene Composition
Lherzolite : Fo88-91
Harzburgite : Fo89-92
Dunite : Fo86-91
Websterite : Fo91-93
Wehrlite : Fo86-89
Orthopyroxene : Mg-rich enstatite
Clinopyroxene : Mg-rich augite
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Photomicrograph of peridotite sample from
Matano
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Photomicrograph of serpentinized peridotite
sample from Bahudopi
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BSE Images of peridotite
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BSE images of serpentinized UM-Rock
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Gabro
Gabro in ESO is still commonly fresh and
coarse grained.
These rocks were characterized by some
varieties according to their dominance
mineralogy : (i) olivine-gabro, (ii) hornblendegabro, (iii) gabro-norite, (iv) ferro-gabro, and
(v) anorthosite
Plagioclase composition is around An50 - An90,
while pyroxenes are dominated by augite and
minor pigeonite.
Hornblende are also present in small amount.
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Photomicrograph of gabro from Petea Area
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Basalt & Dolerite
Basalts in ESO were classified into three types on the
basis of phenocryst and textures :
Clinopyroxene-plagioclase with phenocryst set in
glassy groundmass
Clinopyroxene-plagioclase with phenocryst set in
crystalline groundmass
Aphyric basalt with plagioclase, clinopyroxene, and
Fe-Ti oxides composition.
Dolerite mainly comprises of plagioclase, pyroxene, and
minor glassy groundmass.
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Implication to ore mineralization
Economic mineral deposits that are
associated with ultramafic rocks in
ophiolite genetically can be
categorized into three types :
Magmatic deposits (Chromite, PGM)
Hydrothermal-metamorphic deposits
(Massive Sulphide Deposits, talc,
asbestos, etc.)
Lateritic Deposits (Ni, Co).
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