Serpentinites of the Pollino ophiolite massif (Calabria, southern Italy), mineralogy, petrography and future perspectives

Abstract

Serpentinites of the Pollino ophiolite Massif have been widely studied for their mineralogical, petrographic, and chemical characteristics, providing major findings on their impact on environmental and human health issues. The mineralogy and the petrography of the studied serpentinites revealed the presence of lizardite, antigorite, crysotile, Cr-chlorite, magnetite, tremolite, actinolite, pyroxene, calcite, dolomite, aragonite, and talc, and the most commonly occurring minerals are different polymorphs of serpentine. Capturing atmospheric CO2 and storing it in natural rock systems through carbonation reactions is a promising greenhouse gas mitigation research, and largely depends on the use of hydrated ultramafic rocks, which are widespread in orogenic belts around the globe. The integration between petrographic and mineralogical studies of serpentinites in Southern Italy ophiolites can represent a starting point for the study of natural materials, which can be used for CO2 storage and sequestration. A particular attention must be given to those carbonate phases that are produced by carbonation processes to check whether the serpentinites of the Pollino Massif can be used for the induced mineral Carbon Capture Storage (CCS). If successful, this technique and the Pollino Massif serpentinites can become highly significant in safeguarding the health of our planet’s climate.