This paper is dedicated to results of microscopic study of minerals from xenoliths of mantle spinel lherzolites in Cenozoic basaltoids of Zhokhov Island (New Siberian Islands, Russia) using microanalysis and Raman spectroscopy, as well as the assessment of formation conditions (T, P, fO2) of the olivine-spinel mineral assemblage. Olivine is one of the major minerals of spinel lherzolites of the Zhokhov Island. It contains numerous syngenetic and later mineral and fuid inclusions. The solid-phase inclusions include enstatite, diopside, spinel, apatite, sulfdes, and solid hydrocarbons identifed by Raman spectroscopy as kerogen and bitumen. Based on results of Raman spectroscopy, fuid inclusions contain CO2 and, locally, a mixture of CO2 (97.5 %) and CO (2.5 %). According to various geothermometers, the average temperature of co-existence of the olivine-spinel assemblage is 1010 K (737 °C) at a pressure of 1 GPa. Oxygen fugacity (lgfO2) for lherzolites of the Zhokhov Island ranges from –13.9 to –14.6.

Keywords: Zhokhov Island, olivine, pyroxenes, spinel, mineral, fuid and hydrocarbon inclusions, geothermometers, oxygen fugacity.

Funding. This work was supported by the St. Petersburg State University, grant no. 124032000029-9.

Acknowledgements. We are grateful to A.M. Kulkov (X-ray Diffraction Research Methods Recourse Center of the St. Petersburg State University) and N. R. Pinchuk, K.A. Benkin and O.V. Kashpar (Recourse Center of Microscopy and Microanalysis of the St. Petersburg State University) for advice and assistance in studies.

Confict of interests. The authors declare that there is no confict of interest related to the manuscript.

Author contribution. N.I. Ponomareva – microscopic studies of minerals, calculation of P-T-fO2 parameters, analysis and interpretation of results, writing a draft of the manuscript, editing the fnal version of the manuscript; L.P. Nikitina – formulation of an idea, statement of tasks; V.N. Bocharov – Raman spectroscopy, analysis of Raman spectra and interpretation of results, editing the fnal version of the manuscript; N.S. Vlasenko– electron microscope studies, editing the fnal version of the manuscript; S.Y. Janson – analytical work, cluster analysis, editing of the fnal version of the manuscript; V.F. Proskurnin, A.N. Sirotkin, N.M. Stolbov – collection and description of geological data; A.N. Sirotkin – writing the geological part of the paper and editing the fnal version of the manuscript. All the authors approved the fnal version of the article before publication.

For citation: Ponomareva N.I., Nikitina L.P., Bocharov V.N., Vlasenko N.S., Yanson S.Y., Proskurnin V.F., Sirotkin A.N., Stolbov N.M. Mineralogy of olivine rocks and conditions of their formation (Zhokhov island, New Siberian islands, Russia). Mineralogy, 2025, 11(3), 5–19. DOI: 10.35597/2313-545X-2025-11-3-1

Received 03.08.2025, revised 05.09.2025 accepted 06.09.2025

N.I. Ponomareva, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; n_ponomareva@mail.ru

L.P. Nikitina, Institute of Precambrian Geology and Geochronology RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia

V.N. Bocharov, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; 

N.S. Vlasenko, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia;

S.Y. Yanson, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia;

V.F. Proskurnin, Karpinsky Russian Scientifc Research Geological Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia

A.N. Sirotkin, Gramberg All-Russian Scientifc Research Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources of the World Ocean, St. Petersburg, Russia;

N.M. Stolbov, Gramberg All-Russian Scientifc Research Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources of the World Ocean, St. Petersburg, Russia 

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