The origin of thermal waters in volcanic areas

Abstract

This study is concerned with the sources of heat and material for hydrothermal occurrences in volcanic areas. The issue is that of whether these are different (in this case the hydrothermal waters would be heated meteoric waters) or the source of heat and material is a common one (in this case the hydrothermal waters contain a heat carrier or a fluid). Our inferences are based on a multidisciplinary approach to the problem that incorporates the balance of terrestrial water, the relationships between water and volcanism on the terrestrial planets, the patterns that govern the generation of hydrothermal compositions, which are all deduced from Kamchatkan materials using heat-flow data. According to our inferences, the mantle fluid is the source of both heat and material for hydrothermal waters. These waters are either the fluid itself or products of its dispersal. Primarily, however, the fluid initiates acid volcanism, which precedes the hydrothermal process. The locations where the fluid is differentiated in the crust have promise as locations of hydrothermal mineral generation and mineralization. This study is of interest to geologists who study water as an active material in high-temperature processes.