serpentinizationthe

Note: The term serpentinizationthe appears to be a typographical variant of serpentinization, the standard term for the hydrothermal alteration of ultramafic rocks by seawater or groundwater.

Serpentinization refers to hydration of ultramafic rocks, typically peridotite and dunite, transforming olivine and pyroxene into serpentine minerals such as antigorite, lizardite, and chrysotile. The reaction commonly occurs at low to moderate temperatures, from about 50°C up to several hundred degrees, in the presence of water. As minerals alter, secondary phases such as magnetite and brucite may form, and hydrogen gas is released.

This process is widespread at mid-ocean ridges where seawater penetrates fractured mantle rocks, producing serpentinized peridotite. It also occurs in ophiolites and in fault zones within subduction complexes. Serpentinization can create long-lived, low-temperature hydrothermal systems, sometimes emitting alkaline fluids rich in hydrogen.

The hydrogen generated provides energy for chemolithoautotrophic microbes, supporting subsurface and vent communities. Serpentinization also alters ocean chemistry by consuming water and releasing hydrogen, affecting pH and redox conditions; it may influence carbonate precipitation and mineral stability.

Serpentinization is of interest for astrobiology and planetary geology because water-rock reactions could supply energy for life on Mars and icy moons such as Europa or Enceladus if heat and liquid water are present.