Mass transfer and porosity evolution during low temperature water–rock interaction in gneisses of the simano nappe: Arvigo, Val Calanca, Swiss Alps

Abstract

Late Alpine fissures and fractures in amphibolite-facies basement gneisses at Arvigo (Val Calanca, Swiss Alps) show distinct cm-sized reaction selvages parallel to the fracture walls that composed of subgreenschist facies assemblages produced by the interaction of water present in the fracture porosity with the old high-grade gneiss assemblages. The process of selvage or reaction-vein formation occurred in the brittle deformation regime and at temperatures characteristic of, first the prehnite-pumpellyite facies and then later of the zeolite facies. The vein formation occurred during uplift and cooling at very late stages of the Alpine orogeny. The reaction veins are composed of a selvage of altered gneiss on both sides of the central fracture and a central zone with fissure minerals that have been growing in the open fracture pore space. The central zone of the Arvigo veins contains an early assemblage with epidote, prehnite and chlorite and a late succession sequence of various species of zeolite. The veins of the Arvigo quarry are convincing evidence that fracture fluids in gneiss and granite have the potential to precipitate Ca–zeolite. This is an important find because many fluids recovered from deep continental drill holes and from geothermal energy exploration are found to be oversaturated in respect to a number of Ca–zeolite species. Vein formation during late uplift and cooling of the Alps occurred at continuously decreasing T and at hydrostatic pressure: (1) coexisting prehnite/epidote records temperatures of 330–380°C, (2) chlorite formation at temperature of 333 ± 32°C and (3) formation of zeolites <250°C. In the selvages the prime reaction is the replacement of plagioclase by albite along a sharp reaction front that separates the selvage from unaltered gneiss. In addition to albitisation, chloritisation of biotite is the second important reaction in the alteration process. The reactions release components for the formation of Ca–Al silicates. The water–rock interaction is associated with a depletion of Al, Si, Ca, Fe and K in the altered wall rock. The overall reaction is associated with an increase in porosity of up to 14.2 ± 2.2% in the selvage zone (altered wall rock), caused by the volume decrease during albitisation and the removal of biotite. The propagation of the sharp reaction front through the gneiss matrix occurred via a dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism. Zeolite formation is tied to the plagioclase alteration reaction in the rock matrix, which releases components for zeolite formation to a CO2-poor aqueous liquid.