Host Rock Temperature Research Articles

Effect of 241Am buildup during spent fuel cooling on the decay heat of vitrified high-level waste and post-closure safety assessment

Long-term interim storage of spent fuel is a key factor affecting the thermal properties of vitrified high-level waste (HLW). In this study, we observed that increasing the spent fuel cooling-off period from 4 to 100 years decreased the decay heat of vitrified HLW and allowed a volume reduction of up to 13% based on the loading of the waste up to the thermal constraint of the repository. Contrastingly, the glass surface temperature 1000 years after disposal and the temperature-dependent glass dissolution rate increased with the cooling-off period due to 241Am buildup from 241Pu within that period. However, these dissolution rates can be regarded as nearly equivalent throughout the lifetime of glass dissolution because the glass temperature approached the host rock temperature and remained at this temperature for most of its lifetime. Consequently, the impact of 241Am buildup was confirmed to be negligible in the safety assessment of geological disposal with an intrinsically large safety margin.Graphical abstractPlots illustrating the effect of spent fuel cooling-off period on the thermal properties of vitrified high-level waste (HLW) and its long-term disposal safety. The left shows the results of waste volume reduction by higher waste loadings in the context of thermal constraint of the bentonite buffer less than 100 °C. The center shows the dissolution rate after disposal depending on the temperature of glass surface. The right is the result of safety assessment for different dissolution rates.

Creep characteristics of thermally-stressed Beishan granite under triaxial compression

The operation of enhanced geothermal system and geological disposal of radioactive waste typically involve considerable variations in the host rock temperature, and the resulting thermal damage induced by mismatched inter-mineralic expansion could hence modify fundamentally the mechanical rock behaviour. Despite tremendous efforts dedicated to the examination of quasi-static performance after temperature changes, the influence of thermal exposure on the rock response in the long term, however, has stilled remained largely unaddressed. In this study, a series of triaxial creep experiments are thus carried out over variably confined Beishan granite that has been thermally-stressed across a wide range of temperatures. The evolution of failure strain, creep rate, and long-term strength parameters with respect to thermal damage and confinement condition is then critically analyzed. Our experimental investigation suggests that the competition between thermal cracking and hydrostatic compaction could reshape radically the crystalline fabric and hence exert a decisive structural control over the resulting creep deformation. In particular, we have shown that a suitably configured residual crack network could contribute to apparent blunting of subcritical cracking and therefore enhance considerably the rock resistance to stress corrosion. Pervasive grain disintegration, however, stemmed from aggressive thermal treatment would otherwise eradicate effectively the favourable particle interlocking and hence weaken substantially the long-term rock stability. The authors believe the novel findings presented could refine the understanding of time-dependent rock deformation after experiencing intense thermal loading, and thus have significant implications for the reliable decarbonized electricity production towards delivering sustainable energy transition.

Simulation of cooling in a magma chamber: Implications for geothermal fields of southern Peru

Numerical simulations of a geothermal reservoir often assume that the primary heat source is a magmatic system; however, heat from the host rock and the coupled complex transport phenomena between magma chamber and host rock also need to be considered. This research numerically simulated the cooling history of an enclosed magma chamber and the thermal effects on the host rock around it from which geothermal energy could be extracted. Modeling of the magma body included natural convection, the effect of latent heat of phase change when the crystals are being formed between the liquidus temperature and the solidus temperature, and heat conduction when the temperature is below the solidus temperature. This study takes as an example a geothermal reservoir in southern Peru (Western Cordillera) whose heat source is a rhyolitic magma chamber like those that gave rise to the intrusive rocks of the Peru coastal cordillera. This analysis varies the chamber shape and uses three solidification temperature ranges for convection and conduction models above the rock formation temperature (solidus) to study the implications for heating of the host rock. This is the first study of its kind in this area. The center of an average-sized magma chambers takes approximately 500 ka to cool from 800 °C to 300 °C. Simulated cooling times between intrusion and solidus temperatures decreased 3 ka when convection was modeled along with conduction cooling. Cooling times decreased by up to 6 ka when the solidification temperature range was increased. The host rock temperature pattern depends strongly on the stage at which the magma chamber is modeled to begin cooling. The temperatures results near the surface of the host rock obtained in this work match well with measurements at hot springs founded in several places in the Western Cordillera. Application of the methodology proposed in this study can reduce uncertainties in planning geothermal energy extraction wells. The accuracy of the numerical model described here could be improved by including more ground data from exploration wells, e.g., soil stratigraphy and temperatures variation with depth.

A study of thermal pressurization and potential for hydro-fracturing associated with nuclear waste disposal in argillaceous claystone

We present coupled Thermo–Hydro–Mechanical (THM) modeling of geologic nuclear waste disposal in argillaceous claystone, focusing on thermally-induced pressure changes and the potential for such pressure changes to induce hydro-fracturing. To investigate this possibility, we first conduct a three-dimensional repository scale model, with host rock properties, repository design, and nuclear waste decay heat functions derived from the French concept of geologic disposal in argillaceous claystone. The model simulations show that the highest potential for hydro-fracturing occurs between emplacement micro-tunnels (cells) at the center rather than at the edge of the repository. We further investigate the use of a two-dimensional single cell model as a simpler surrogate for a full three-dimensional model. Our results reveal that such geometric simplification is reasonably accurate for modeling coupled THM processes at the center of the repository, though it overestimates the likelihood for hydro-fracturing and substantially overpredicts ground surface uplift. A parameter study shows the importance of adjacent higher permeability geological layers that play a significant role in dissipating overpressure in the host rock layer. Finally, the study shows the importance of the spacing between emplacement tunnels, which if too short results in a higher fluid pressure and a strongly increased potential for hydro-fracturing. Overall, the study suggests, the limiting factor in the thermal management and design of a repository is not necessarily the maximum temperature in the engineered barrier system near the waste packages, but rather the more modest host rock temperature between emplacement tunnels, due to the potential for thermal damage.

Temperatures and duration of crystallization within gem-bearing cavities of granitic pegmatites

Crystallization within miarolitic cavities in granitic pegmatites begins with the primary igneous minerals – feldspars, quartz, micas, and lesser others – along the margins of pockets and ends with the formation of zeolites, carbonates, and finally dense clay. The euhedral and gem-quality crystals for which many pegmatites are mined form within this interval, and they are commonly suspended in the dense clay with no points of attachment to a substrate. The sequence of mineral assemblages reflects a history of crystallization with cooling that continues well after and to temperatures below the initial magmatic stage. Low-temperature assemblages of zeolites and clays are normally restricted to the miarolitic cavities themselves in otherwise fresh and unaltered pegmatite of igneous origin. This study utilizes feldspar solvus thermometry to delineate the temperature interval over which the euhedral and gem-quality crystals form. Additional data include a survey of Al/Si order in K-feldspar and the mineralogy of the clay-size fraction from miarolitic cavities as further constraints on the conditions of crystallization. The primary feldspars at pocket margins record an average crystallization temperature of 431°C (1σ = 68°C), approximately the same temperature at which crystallization takes place across the massive portions of thin miarolitic pegmatite dikes. The average calculated temperature of closure of perthite exsolution occurred at 338°C (1σ = 60°C). Pairings of glassy, non-perthitic rims on K-feldspar with radial albite of cleavelandite habit on the K-feldspar surfaces record the final stage of crystallization of the primary silicates in pockets at an average temperature of 359° (1σ = 64°C). The glassy rims are not perthitic because they form close enough to the closure temperature of perthite that exsolution does not occur. The zeolites, which include stilbite-Ca, laumontite, and heulandite, are restricted in their stability to less than 300°C, and they follow the precipitation of the gem minerals in all known cases. Thus, the gem-forming stage likely falls between ~ 435°-355°C based on the feldspar solvus temperatures. Cookeite, kaolinite, montmorillonite, and illite enclose zeolites and formed after them. In a thermal model, a dike 1 meter thick emplaced as hydrous granitic liquid at 700°C at a depth of 7 km (ambient temperature of 160°C) cools to 435°C at its center in 12 days, and from 435°C to 355°C – the interval over which the primary silicates crystallize in pockets – in another 14 days. Increasing the host rock temperature to 300°C only extends the crystallization interval of the principal pocket silicates by another 5.2 months. The dike center reaches 275°C, at which temperature laumontite could crystallize, approximately 55 days after emplacement. Clay minerals likely form and perhaps reform below ~200°C, the upper thermal stability limit of stilbite-Ca, as the devitrified products of a remnant and flux-depleted hydrosilicate glass that partially fills the miarolitic cavities. The pegmatite achieves thermal equilibrium with the host rocks at 160°C more than 200,000 years later.

Bayesian Markov-Chain Monte Carlo Inversion of Low-Temperature Thermochronology Around Two 8 − 10 m Wide Columbia River Flood Basalt Dikes

Flood basalt volcanism involves large volumes of magma emplaced into the crust and surface environment on geologically short timescales. The mechanics of flood basalt emplacement, including dynamics of the crustal magma transport system and the tempo of individual eruptions, are not well constrained. Here we study two exhumed dikes from the Columbia River Flood Basalt province in northeast Oregon, USA, using apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology to constrain dike emplacement histories. Sample transects perpendicular to the dike margins document transient heating of granitic host rocks. We model heating as due to dike emplacement, considering a thermal model with distinct melt-fraction temperature relationships for basaltic magma and granitic wallrock, and a parameterization of unsteady flow within the dike. We model partial resetting of thermochronometers by considering He diffusion in spherical grains as a response to dike heating. A Bayesian Markov-Chain Monte Carlo framework is used to jointly invert for six parameters related to dike emplacement and grain-scale He diffusion. We find that the two dikes, despite similar dimensions on an outcrop scale, exhibit different spatial patterns of thermochronometer partial resetting away from the dike. These patterns result in distinct predicted emplacement histories. We extend previous modeling of a presumed feeder dike at Maxwell Lake in the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon, finding posterior probability distribution functions (PDFs) that predict steady heating from sustained magma flow over $1-6$ years and elevated farfield host rock temperatures. This suggests regional-scale heating in the vicinity of Maxwell Lake, which might arise from nearby intrusions. The other dike, within the Cornucopia subswarm, is predicted to have a $1-4$ year thermally active lifespan with an unsteady heating rate suggestive of magma low flow rate compared to Maxwell Lake, in a cool near-surface thermal environment. In both cases, misfit of near-dike partial resetting of thermochronometers by models suggests either heat transfer via fluid advection in host rocks or pulsed magma flow in the dikes. Our results highlight the diversity of dike emplacement histories within the Columbia River Flood Basalt province and the power of Bayesian inversion methods for quantifying parameter trade-offs and uncertainty in thermal models.

A Design Nomogram for a Horizontally-Fractured Geothermal Reservoir to determine the Production Temperature

The paper presents a graphical technique for the rapid analysis of the complex, non- linear equation that describes the variation of the production temperature of a horizontally-fractured geothermal well. The nomogram presented for the evaluation of the production temperature incorporates the mass flow rate, fracture width, fracture length, number of conductive fractures, host rock temperature, and the production time. The range of the fracture length considered in the nomogram varies from 100 m to 1000 m whereas host rock temperature can be selected from a range of 100 o C to 260 o C. The production temperature predicted by the nomogram agrees well with the analytical solution. The most attractive feature of the proposed technique is its extreme simplicity and speed of operation.

Determination of optimum parameters of doublet system in a horizontally fractured geothermal reservoir

The parameters for the optimum production temperature of a geothermal well were determined by using both an analytical and convective conductive heat transfer numerical model. The numerical model was verified with the available analytical solutions. The production temperatures for different mass flow rate, number of fractures, fracture width, and production time were combined to obtain the minimum fracture length and the half spacing. The velocity profile in a single fracture was incorporated in the numerical model in deriving the minimum fracture length that allows for target production temperature. A nomogram solution is also presented for the evaluation of the production temperature that incorporates the mass flow rate, fracture width, fracture length, number of conductive fractures, host rock temperature, and the production time. The minimum fracture half spacing was investigated in order to prevent thermal interference between the fluid-carrying fractures by using the numerical model. The minimum fracture length is determined to be 600 m for maintaining 10% thermal drawdown after 10 years of production with 20 fractures when the mass flow rate and fracture width are 40 kg/sec and 100 m, respectively. The results from this study can provide a preliminary guideline to optimize the various design parameters involved in hydraulic stimulation and geothermal production in the EGS reservoir.

Controls of host rock mineralogy and H2O content on the nature of pseudotachylyte melts: Evidence from Pan-African faulting in the foreland of the Gariep Belt, South Africa

Abstract Late-orogenic Pan-African tectonics formed an 8 km long fault-fracture zone in the shallow foreland crust of the Gariep Orogen in Mesoproterozoic granitoid basement. Pseudotachylyte was locally formed during a single seismic event that caused brittle failure in cohesive quartz-diorite, granodiorite and granitic gneiss. 40Ar/39Ar laser spot analysis provides an age of 512.5 ± 7.5 Ma for this seismic event. The depth of the hypocentre between 1700 and 5300 m is inferred from the likely thickness of the overlying rock at that time. Abundant quartz melting in conjunction with low host rock temperature indicates a minimum seismic temperature rise exceeding 1030 °C but in some samples dry quartz melting at temperatures exceeding 1700 °C might have been possible. The abundance of hydrous phases in the host rock controlled the volume of melt produced in a given host rock type. Different types of primary melt were formed by the fusion of batches of host rock with different relative proportions of plagioclase, alkali feldspar, quartz, biotite, and, where present, amphibole or garnet. The chemical and physical interaction between these melts depended on contrasting melt mobility and viscosity. In quartz-diorite, glasses of variable composition are well preserved and show the distribution of primary melt species at the time of quenching. These different melt species had limited tendency of mixing, unless mixing was assisted by syn-seismic shearing. In granodiorite, which has a low proportion of hydrous phases, low-viscosity melt was formed at high temperatures, eliminating most host rock fragments and leading to extensive melting of quartz. The low melt viscosity, probably further decreased by the dissolution of free H2O, permitted effective melt homogenisation in such veins. Still in the liquid state these melts segregated, effectively separating secondary melts of sodic–calcic and of K–Mg–Fe-rich composition. After quenching the solid state diffusion of cations in glass was comparatively insignificant.

Porphyry Cu-Mo Stockwork Formation by Dynamic, Transient Hydrothermal Pulses: Mineralogic Insights from the Deposit at Butte, Montana

The systematic distribution of vein and alteration mineral assemblages in porphyry Cu deposits largely arises from changes in the temperature and pressure of fluids that traversed fractures throughout the hydrothermal system. Magmatic and hydrothermal minerals record the complex history of the fluctuating temperature and pressure regime as hydrothermal fluids transfer heat from their magmatic source to cold wall rock in response to lithostatic-to-hydrostatic pressure variations. We examine the thermal profile of the porphyry Cu-Mo deposit in Butte, Montana, by determining formation temperatures for magmatic and hydrothermal samples representing different time frames and depths within the deposit, in context with sample pressure estimates. We use three independent mineral thermobarometers: Ti in quartz, Zr in rutile, and X Mg -Ti in biotite, from which we estimate that final dike injection temperature, and hence the initial magmatic-hydrothermal fluid temperature, was ~700°C while the ambient host-rock temperature was ~450° to 500°C. We find a magmatic-hydrothermal continuum represented in hydrothermal veins, ranging from ~710° to

山陽帯東部，土岐花崗岩体の冷却史

The cooling history of the Crateceous Toki granite, exposed in the eastern Sanyo Belt, Central Japan, was constructed from various geochronological data. The granite yields K-Ar biotite ages of 74±2 to 72±2 Ma (±1σ) and K-Ar hornblende ages of 75±4 to 74±4 Ma, which are concordant with a previously reported Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron age. Fission-track ages of zircon and apatite in the granite give ages 73±3 to 64±3 Ma and 40±4 to 37±4 Ma, respectively. These above thermochronological data suggests two distinctive cooling stages for the Toki granite; 1) a first rapid cooling stage in which the granitic magma was cooled to the temperature of host rock soon after intrusion at depths of 5-7 km in the upper crust, and 2) second slow cooling stage (7-9 °C/m.y.) associated with the uplift and subsequent erosion of the granite intrusion after ∼ 70 Ma.

Formation of authigenic monazite-(Ce) to monazite-(Nd) from Upper Carboniferous graywackes of the Drahany Upland: Roles of the chemical composition of host rock and burial temperature

Irregular aggregates of monazite-(Ce) to monazite-(Nd), up to 150μm in diameter, have been found in graywackes from the Protivanov Formation, Drahany Upland, Czech Republic. Monazite aggregates enclose a variety of detrital and authigenic minerals. Textural evidences suggest that they are of authigenic origin and grew during very low-grade metamorphism at a maximum temperature ~200–300°C in relation to a deep burial. Rarely, they enclose relics of detrital monazite with a chemical composition typical for high-grade monazite. Intensive fluid-related REE-remobilization occurred in relation to this very low-grade metamorphism. Authigenic monazite appears to form only in Ca-poor rocks. In Ca-rich graywackes, which underwent the same low-temperature metamorphic overprint, authigenic synchysite-(Ce) or parisite-(Ce) are common instead. In the overlaying Rozstání and Myslejovice Formations (T~150–200°C), remobilization of REEs was low and authigenic monazite did not form even in the Ca-poor graywackes. Authigenic monazite shows low concentrations of Th, U, Ca, Y+HREE, and a low Eu anomaly. The central parts of the aggregates are enriched in Nd+MREE, whereas the outer parts are enriched in La and Ce. Zoning pattern suggests an evolution in fluid chemistry during diagenesis/very low-grade metamorphism or it relates to different solubility of the individual REE-phosphates. The major source of REEs in the pore fluids are probably detrital minerals mainly monazite. Other minor sources of REEs probably include Fe-oxide/hydroxide and/or clay minerals, which could have contributed to the Nd+MREE-rich cores in the authigenic monazite.

Shock experiments in support of the Lithopanspermia theory: The influence of host rock composition, temperature, and shock pressure on the survival rate of endolithic and epilithic microorganisms

Abstract–Shock recovery experiments were performed with an explosive set‐up in which three types of microorganisms embedded in various types of host rocks were exposed to strong shock waves with pressure pulse lengths of lower than 0.5 μs: spores of the bacteriumBacillus subtilis,Xanthoria eleganslichens, and cells of the cyanobacteriumChroococcidiopsissp. 029.In these experiments, three fundamental parameters were systematically varied (1) shock pressures ranging from 5 to 50 GPa, (2) preshock ambient temperature of 293, 233 and 193 K, and (3) the type of host rock, including nonporous igneous rocks (gabbro and dunite as analogs for the Martian shergottites and chassignites, respectively), porous sandstone, rock salt (halite), and a clay‐rich mineral mixture as porous analogs for dry and water‐saturated Martian regolith. The results show that the three parameters have a strong influence on the survival rates of the microorganisms. The most favorable conditions for the impact ejection from Mars for microorganisms would be (1) low porosity host rocks, (2) pressures <10–20 GPa, and (3) low ambient temperature of target rocks during impact. All tested microorganisms were capable of surviving to a certain extent impact ejection in different geological materials under distinct conditions.

Post-Early Cretaceous Mississippi Valley-type Zn-Pb Mineralization in the Bongara Area, Northern Peru: Fluid Evolution and Paleo Flow from Fluid Inclusion Evidence

The Bongara area, northern Peru, contains Zn-Pb mineralization with characteristics typical of Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) systems. The northwest–southeast-trending late Triassic–Jurassic carbonate host rocks of the Pucara Group were locally replaced by early (D1) and late (D2) dolomite. Fluid inclusion microthermometric data from dolomite and sphalerite are typical of MVT ore fluids (78° to 187°C; ~15–23 wt.% CaCl 2 equivalent), and do not show apparent covariation between temperature and salinity. Homogenization temperature data from D1 and D2 dolomite show a decrease from northern (mean Th = 138°C) to central (mean Th = 126°C) to southern areas (mean Th = 102°C), suggesting fluid flow from north to south. Assuming a geothermal gradient of ~30°C/km and an average surface temperature of ~20°C, the lower temperature limits might approximate the ambient host-rock temperatures, whereas the upper temperature limits may represent minimum temperatures of a deeper aquifer, probably at a maximum depth of ~6000 m. The lower temperature limits are also similar to the estimated temperatures if dolomitization and mineralization took place in the Late Cretaceous at ~2000–3000 m depth, probably during the formation of the Peruvian fold and thrust belt near the present day Peru–Ecuador border. Fluid inclusion data show that the fluids in each studied location had relatively uniform temperatures and salinities during dolomitization and mineralization. A significant salinity drop and a slight temperature decrease are observed during late calcite precipitation, suggesting mixing of brines with dilute, cooler fluids.

Post-Early Cretaceous Mississippi Valley-type Zn-Pb Mineralization in the Bongara Area, Northern Peru: Fluid Evolution and Paleo Flow from Fluid Inclusion Evidence

Research Article| January 01, 2009 Post-Early Cretaceous Mississippi Valley-type Zn-Pb Mineralization in the Bongara Area, Northern Peru: Fluid Evolution and Paleo Flow from Fluid Inclusion Evidence N.I. Basuki; N.I. Basuki † 1F. Gordon Smith Fluid Inclusion Lab., Department of Geology, University of Toronto, 22 Russell St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B1. *Present address: Department of Geology, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132, Jawa Barat, Indonesia. †Corresponding Author: E-mail: basuki@gc.itb.ac.id Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar E.T.C. Spooner E.T.C. Spooner 1F. Gordon Smith Fluid Inclusion Lab., Department of Geology, University of Toronto, 22 Russell St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B1. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Exploration and Mining Geology (2009) 18 (1-4): 25–39. https://doi.org/10.2113/gsemg.18.1-4.25 Article history received: 05 Nov 2007 accepted: 19 Apr 2009 first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation N.I. Basuki, E.T.C. Spooner; Post-Early Cretaceous Mississippi Valley-type Zn-Pb Mineralization in the Bongara Area, Northern Peru: Fluid Evolution and Paleo Flow from Fluid Inclusion Evidence. Exploration and Mining Geology 2009;; 18 (1-4): 25–39. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gsemg.18.1-4.25 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentBy SocietyExploration and Mining Geology Search Advanced Search Abstract The Bongara area, northern Peru, contains Zn-Pb mineralization with characteristics typical of Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) systems. The northwest–southeast-trending late Triassic–Jurassic carbonate host rocks of the Pucará Group were locally replaced by early (D1) and late (D2) dolomite. Fluid inclusion microthermometric data from dolomite and sphalerite are typical of MVT ore fluids (78° to 187°C; ~15–23 wt.% CaCl2 equivalent), and do not show apparent covariation between temperature and salinity.Homogenization temperature data from D1 and D2 dolomite show a decrease from northern (mean Th = 138°C) to central (mean Th = 126°C) to southern areas (mean Th = 102°C), suggesting fluid flow from north to south. Assuming a geothermal gradient of ~30°C/km and an average surface temperature of ~20°C, the lower temperature limits might approximate the ambient host-rock temperatures, whereas the upper temperature limits may represent minimum temperatures of a deeper aquifer, probably at a maximum depth of ~6000 m. The lower temperature limits are also similar to the estimated temperatures if dolomitization and mineralization took place in the Late Cretaceous at ~2000–3000 m depth, probably during the formation of the Peruvian fold and thrust belt near the present day Peru–Ecuador border.Fluid inclusion data show that the fluids in each studied location had relatively uniform temperatures and salinities during dolomitization and mineralization. A significant salinity drop and a slight temperature decrease are observed during late calcite precipitation, suggesting mixing of brines with dilute, cooler fluids. You do not currently have access to this article.

Can pseudotachylytes be used to infer earthquake source parameters? An example of limitations in the study of exhumed faults

Tectonic pseudotachylytes might be used to constrain earthquake source parameters, such as dynamic shear stress resistance, average dynamic friction and slip-weakening distance. Estimation of dynamic shear stress resistance and dynamic friction from field studies is based on the assumption that the volume of melt produced during coseismic slip is proportional to the frictional work converted to heat on the fault surface. Conditions conducive to a realistic estimate of dynamic shear resistance are: (i) the presence of large outcrop exposures that allow for estimation of the volume of pseudotachylyte; (ii) the presence of structural markers offset by faults in order to relate the displacement accommodated by the fault with the volume of melt produced; (iii) data that provide an estimate of the initial melt temperature; and (iv) determination of host-rock temperature and pressure conditions that may have existed during seismic faulting. An independent indication that steady-state friction in the presence of melts might be achieved during coseismic slip arises from the dependence of the fractal dimension of the fault profile (intersection of the fault surface with the outcrop surface) with displacement. This relation could also indicate the slip-weakening distance ( Hirose, T., Shimamoto, T., 2003. Fractal dimension of molten surfaces as a possible parameter to infer the slip-weakening distance of faults from natural pseudotachylytes. Journal of Structural Geology 25, 1569–1574). The above conditions are all satisfied in the case of the Gole Larghe Fault Zone, which consists of hundreds subparallel strike-slip faults that cut tonalites of the Adamello batholith (Italy). The thickness of pseudotachylyte-bearing faults increases with displacement. From displacement/thickness ratios and energy balance calculations, we determined the dynamic shear resistance for several pseudotachylyte-bearing faults. In the same faults, the fractal dimension of the fault profile increases from 1.0 to 1.16 with displacement. This was also observed in experiments where steady-state friction in the presence of melt was achieved ( Hirose, T., Shimamoto, T., 2003. Fractal dimension of molten surfaces as a possible parameter to infer the slip-weakening distance of faults from natural pseudotachylytes. Journal of Structural Geology 25, 1569–1574). However, we will show that the estimate of the dynamic shear stress resistance, average dynamic friction and slip-weakening distance in the studied faults is limited by the uncertainties to attribute the measured displacement to a single seismic rupture. Since many pseudotachylytes in the upper seismogenic crust overprint preexisting cataclasites, it is suggested that future field and experimental work should be addressed to determine microstructural indicators (i.e. evolution of cataclastic fabric with displacement) within cataclasites, which might constrain the contribution of the cataclastic, pre-pseudotachylyte displacement to the total displacement accommodated by the fault.

The origin of high magnetic remanence in fault pseudotachylites: Theoretical considerations and implication for coseismic electrical currents

Several examples of fault-related pseudotachylites display a significantly higher initial magnetic susceptibility than their granitic host rock (10:1 to 20:1). These higher values are attributed to the presence of fine magnetic particles formed during melt quenching. The hysteresis properties of the particles indicate a single domain (SD) to pseudo single domain (PSD) magnetic grain size. The Curie temperature (Tc) of the magnetic particles is close to 580 °C. The natural remanent magnetization (NRM) of these pseudotachylites is also significantly higher than that of the host rock (up to 300:1). Such anomalously high remanence cannot be explained by a magnetization acquired in the Earth's magnetic field, regardless of pseudotachylite age. Ground lightning and other strong electric pulses can cause anomalously high NRM intensities. A ground lightning explanation seems unlikely to explain the systematically high NRM intensities, particularly in the case of recently exposed samples that have been collected from active quarries. Alternatively, high NRM intensities could be explained by earthquake lightning (EQL), a seismic phenomenon occasionally reported in connection with large magnitude earthquakes ( M > 6.0). The coseismic electrical properties of the pseudotachylite vein–host rock system are characterized by (1) a core of molten material (high conductivity), (2) vapor-rich margins of thermally and mechanically fractured host rocks (low conductivity) and (3) moderately fractured to undeformed host rock (normal conductivity). Such a core conductor bordered by insulating margins is potentially responsible for the propagation of EQL pulses. The coseismic thermal history of pseudotachylite veins has been modeled in 2-D using conductive heat transfer equations. It shows that EQL can be recorded only during a brief time interval (less than 1 min) for a given vein thickness and host-rock temperatures. If the vein is too thick or if the host rock is too hot, the pseudotachylite remains above Tc after the electric pulse has lapsed.

Multiphase modeling of contact metamorphic systems and application to transitional geomagnetic fields

We present a numerical model that improves our capability to simulate multiphase, non-isothermal flow in variably saturated porous and fractured media at magmatic temperatures and shallow crustal pressures. Simulations of heat and fluid flow in variably saturated host rock near a magmatic intrusion provide insight into contact metamorphic processes, including dryout, condensation, and resaturation effects and implications for host-rock alteration. The numerical code, an enhanced version of FEHM, uses a finite-element/finite-volume technique incorporating implicit Newton–Raphson iteration to solve non-linear conservation equations for mass and energy, using thermodynamic properties of water and air in the ranges 10°C≤ T≤1500°C, 0.00123≤ P≤1000 MPa and 10°C≤ T≤1500°C, 0.00123≤ P≤22 MPa, respectively. The study area is located at Paiute Ridge, eastern Nevada Test Site, Nevada, USA, where hypabyssal mafic intrusions were emplaced at about 8.5–8.6 Ma (Ar/Ar age estimate) and cooled contemporaneously with part of a geomagnetic field reversal, inferred from paleomagnetic data from over 100 sites in intrusions and remagnetized host ash-flow tuffs. We used a radial model of heat flow and multiphase pore fluid flow adjacent to a 1200°C intrusion to characterize the thermal evolution of the contact metamorphic system. For likely initial pore saturations of 0.4–0.6, an expanding dryout zone near the intrusion and a condensation zone of enhanced saturation ( S≤0.8) extends 150–400 m from the intrusion. Host-rock temperatures reach 800°C near the contact and cool below 100°C within 2000 yr after emplacement, two to four times faster than predicted by a simple conduction model. The thermal history of the system is very sensitive to initial saturation. The multiphase thermal model allows bounds to be placed on the rate of change of the transitional part of the geomagnetic field during the field reversal recorded at Paiute Ridge. We assume that magnetization acquisition took place during the life of the thermal system that developed in the intrusions and contact rocks and that the paleomagnetic data provide a quasi-continuous record of the transitional part of the reversal. Sites in intrusions and thermally annealed ash-flow tuffs reveal subtle yet systematic variations in paleomagnetic directions. We combine the directional data with robust thermal (temperature/time) models to estimate the rate of change of the geomagnetic field. Modeled times of 140–290 yr and 215–440 yr for the duration of magnetization acquisition at two different sites correspond to estimated rates of change of 0.06–0.13°/yr for the field during the transitional part of the reversal.

High‐T, low‐P metamorphism in the Palaeoproterozoic Halls Creek Orogen, northern Australia: the middle crustal response to a mantle‐related transient thermal pulse

AbstractHigh‐T, low‐P metamorphic rocks of the Palaeoproterozoic central Halls Creek Orogen in northern Australia are characterised by low radiogenic heat production, high upper crustal thermal gradients (locally exceeding 40 °C km−1) sustained for over 30 Myr, and a large number of layered mafic‐ultramafic intrusions with mantle‐related geochemical signatures. In order to account for this combination of geological and thermal characteristics, we model the middle crustal response to a transient mantle‐related heat pulse resulting from a temporary reduction in the thickness of the mantle lithosphere. This mechanism has the potential to raise mid‐crustal temperatures by 150–400 °C within 10–20 Myr following initiation of the mantle temperature anomaly, via conductive dissipation through the crust. The magnitude and timing of maximum temperatures attained depend strongly on the proximity, duration and lateral extent of the thermal anomaly in the mantle lithosphere, and decrease sharply in response to anomalies that are seated deeper than 50–60 km, maintained for <5 Myr in duration and/or have half‐widths <100 km. Maximum temperatures are also intimately linked to the thermal properties of the model crust, primarily due to their influence on the steady‐state (background) thermal gradient. The amplitudes of temperature increases in the crust are principally a function of depth, and are broadly independent of crustal thermal parameters. Mid‐crustal felsic and mafic plutonism is a predictable consequence of perturbed thermal regimes in the mantle and the lowermost crust, and the advection of voluminous magmas has the potential to raise temperatures in the middle crust very quickly. Although pluton‐related thermal signatures significantly dissipate within <10 Myr (even for very large, high‐temperature intrusive bodies), the interaction of pluton‐ and mantle‐related thermal effects has the potential to maintain host rock temperatures in excess of 400–450 °C for up to 30 Myr in some parts of the mid‐crust. The numerical models presented here support the notion that transient mantle‐related heat sources have the capacity to contribute significantly to the thermal budget of metamorphism in high‐T, low‐P metamorphic belts, especially in those characterised by low surface heat flow, very high peak metamorphic geothermal gradients and abundant mafic intrusions.

Fluid composition and thermal regime during Zn-Pb mineralization in the lower Windsor Group, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Zn-Pb-Ba-Cu-Ag-F deposits hosted by Lower Windsor Group (early Carboniferous) carbonates in Nova Scotia are located along the southern margin of the Maritimes basin. Various geochemical studies indicate that the deposits were formed by fluids expelled from the basin, but it remains unclear whether the ore-forming fluids for different deposits were derived from a common source region in the central part of the basin, as proposed previously, or from separate source regions. It is also unknown how the ore fluids were conveyed from the source regions to the sites of mineralization and whether or not the mineralizing systems of different deposits were hydrologically related. This paper addresses these problems through a compilation of regional fluid composition and temperature data and thermal comparisons between the ore-forming fluids and their host rocks. The compositions and temperatures of the fluids were evaluated from fluid inclusion data, whereas host-rock temperatures were estimated from vitrinite reflectance measurements.The ore-forming fluids are characterized by: (1) variable, but generally high salinities (mainly between 15 and 30 wt % NaCl equiv), (2) variable, but generally detectable amounts of bivalent cations (mainly Ca (super 2+) ), (3) significant concentrations of hydrocarbon species, and (4) high temperatures (mainly between 150 degrees and 250 degrees C). NaCl/(NaCl + CaCl 2 ) wt ratios in fluid inclusions show a broad district-scale variation: mainly 0.4 for the Gays River and Walton deposits in mainland Nova Scotia. CH 4 /higher hydrocarbons ratios of the gas components are greater for the Gays River deposit (3.8-9.7) than the Jubilee deposit (0.7-1.3). Fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures do not show a negative correlation with the distance between the deposits and the central part of the Maritimes basin, as might be expected if the fluids for different deposits were derived from the same source region.The background temperatures prior to mineralization were estimated from mean vitrinite reflectance (R o ) in host rocks which were relatively far from the deposit, and were probably least affected by the mineralizing events, and from homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions in preore minerals. These temperatures are in the range of 70 degrees to 155 degrees C, which are significantly lower than those of the ore-forming fluids. The paleogeothermal gradients estimated from the background temperatures and burial depths are ca. 65 degrees C/km. Vitrinite reflectance values in host rocks adjacent to the deposits indicate that these rocks were heated by the mineralizing fluids to variable degrees, but thermal equilibrium between the fluids and rocks was not attained in most eases. This thermal relationship suggests focused and short-lived, rather than pervasive and long-lived, fluid flow.The regional variation of fluid composition and thermal patterns supports a model in which the ore-forming fluids of individual deposits were derived from separate sources; fluid flow was focused along confined conduits and individual mineralizing systems were unconnected hydrologically. Under paleogeothermal gradients of ca. 65 degrees C/km, fluids with temperatures of ca. 250 degrees C could have been generated in sub-basins proximal to the deposits. Sudden release of overpressured fluids from the basal part of the proximal sub-basins, characterized by high flow rate and short duration, is proposed as the mechanism of ore-forming fluid flow.