Isotopic constraints on ice age fluids in active geothermal systems: Reykjanes, Iceland

Abstract

The Reykjanes geothermal system is located on the landward extension of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in southwest Iceland, and provides an on-land proxy to high-temperature hydrothermal systems of oceanic spreading centers. Previous studies of elemental composition and salinity have shown that Reykjanes geothermal fluids are likely hydrothermally modified seawater. However, δD values of these fluids are as low as −23‰, which is indicative of a meteoric water component. Here we constrain the origin of Reykjanes hydrothermal solutions by analysis of hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of hydrothermal epidote from geothermal drillholes at depths between 1 and 3 km. δD EPIDOTE values from wells RN-8, -9, -10 and -17 collectively range from −60 to −78‰, and δ 18 O EPIDOTE in these wells are between −3.0 and 2.3‰. The δD values of epidote generally increase along a NE trend through the geothermal field, whereas δ 18 O values generally decrease, suggesting a southwest to northeast migration of the geothermal upflow zone with time that is consistent with present-day temperatures and observed hydrothermal mineral zones. For comparative analysis, the meteoric-water dominated Nesjavellir and Krafla geothermal systems, which have a δD FLUID of ∼ −79‰ and −89‰, respectively, show δD EPIDOTE values of −115‰ and −125‰. In contrast, δD EPIDOTE from the mixed meteoric-seawater Svartsengi geothermal system is −68‰; comparable to δD EPIDOTE from well RN-10 at Reykjanes. Stable isotope compositions of geothermal fluids in isotopic equilibrium with the epidotes at Reykjanes are computed using published temperature dependent hydrogen and oxygen isotope fractionation curves for epidote–water, measured isotope composition of the epidotes and temperatures approximated from the boiling point curve with depth. Calculated δD and δ 18 O of geothermal fluids are less than 0‰, suggesting that fluids of meteoric or glacial origin are a significant component of the geothermal solutions. Additionally, δD FLUID values in equilibrium with geothermal epidote are lower than those of modern-day fluids, whereas calculated δ 18 O FLUID values are within range of the observed fluid isotope composition. We propose that modern δD EPIDOTE and δD FLUID values are the result of diffusional exchange between hydrous alteration minerals that precipitated from glacially-derived fluids early in the evolution of the Reykjanes system and modern seawater-derived geothermal fluids. A simplified model of isotope exchange in the Reykjanes geothermal system, in which the average starting δD ROCK value is −125‰ and the water to rock mass ratio is 0.25, predicts a δD FLUID composition within 1‰ of average measured values. This model resolves the discrepancy between fluid salinity and isotope composition of Reykjanes geothermal fluids, explains the observed disequilibrium between modern fluids and hydrothermal epidote, and suggests that rock–fluid interaction is the dominant control over the evolution of fluid isotope composition in the hydrothermal system.