Fluid Infiltration Through Oceanic Lower Crust in Response to Reaction‐Induced Fracturing: Insights From Serpentinized Troctolite and Numerical Models

The mechanisms of fluid penetration through the gabbroic lower crust are important for the hydration of oceanic lithosphere. In the Oman ophiolite, which preserves an entire sequence of oceanic lithosphere formed at a fast‐spreading ridge, the layered gabbros and dunites are extensively serpentinized. In this paper, we describe the characteristic textures of serpentinized troctolite and olivine gabbros recovered from the CM1A site of the Oman Drilling Project. In the troctolite, an olivine mesh texture is pervasively developed and is characterized by two types of veins: early lizardite + brucite + magnetite and late Al‐rich lizardite + magnetite. These veins suggest the initiation of serpentinization at