Electrical conductivity of serpentinized rocks to 6 kilobars

Electrical conductivity of serpentinized rocks from the Indian Ocean ridge is 3–4 orders of magnitude higher than that of serpentine-free peridotite, hornblende gabbro, and basalt from the same area and from the Tonga trench. The enhanced conduction is apparently characteristic of many but not all serpentine-rich rocks and may be due in part to high porosity and in part to mineral conduction associated with the magnetite formed during serpentinization. Observations of high oceanic crustal conductivity could be explained by the presence of serpentine in these rocks, although this might be ruled out on the basis of temperature, velocity, or local petrology.