The effect of temperature and cataclastic deformation on the composition of upper crustal fluids — An experimental approach

Abstract

We investigated the potential of common crystalline rocks to facilitate the geochemical evolution of continental basement brines and to serve as a metal source for hydrothermal ore deposits. We performed leaching experiments on typical crystalline basement rocks (granite and gneiss), a redbed sandstone and their mineral separates (feldspar, quartz and biotite) at variable T (25, 180, 275 and 350°C), P (ambient pressure, 0.9, 1.4 and 1.9kbar), grain-size fractions (<0.01mm, 0.063–0.125 and 2–4mm) and variable fluid/rock ratios (10 to 1.1) with ultrapure water and 25wt.% NaCl solution as solvents.The modification of the fluid chemistry during water–rock interaction strongly depends on grain-size: leachates (using pure H2O) of fine-grained rock powders have lower Na/Cl and Cl/Br ratios but much higher chlorinities (by a factor of up to 40) compared to leachates from coarse-grained rock powders. The Cl/Br ratios of all leachates are lower than that of their respective whole-rocks. Smaller grain-sizes of the starting materials yield element ratios (Cl/Br and Na/Cl) similar to those found in natural fluids, emphasizing the influence of cataclastic deformation on the fluid chemistry of crustal fluids. During our leaching experiments, Pb, Zn, Cu and W are released by felsic minerals, while biotite alteration releases Ni, As and additional Zn and Cu.Our experiments confirm that crystalline rocks may serve as metal source for hydrothermal ore deposits. Short-term water–rock interactions along cataclastic fault zones in the brittle crust may influence the geochemical evolution of upper crustal fluids. This is further suggested by low F/Cl and Cl/Br ratios in some of the leachates being very similar to halogen systematics in natural fluid samples.