The Etnean Lavas, 1977–1983: Petrology and mineralogy

The products emitted by Mount Etna in the 1977–1983 period are porphyric, sodic trachybasalts («etnaïtes») that, though substantially higher in K₂O, resemble most of the historic lavas.The 1983 flows, for instance, are composed of 50–55% glassy groundmass and abundant phenocrysts or microphenocrysts: plagioclase (25–30%), clinopyroxene (12–15%), olivine (3–5%), titanomagnetite (2%). Scarce olivine Fo 83-78 and diopsidic pyroxene are present in the cores of some phenocrysts. Outer zones and/or more numerous crystals are olivine Fo 75-68, salite En 43-37 Fs 10-15, plagioclase An 83-55 an Al-Mg rich magnetite Usp 43-33. The chemical composition of glass inclusions interpreted as trapped liquids suggests that olivine and magnetite crystallize first and are followed by pyroxene and plagioclase. The early appearance of olivine has been determined by optical thermometry to about 1170°C, soon followed by plagioclase and pyroxene (1160–1140°C). Pre-eruptive crystallization further progresses until 1073°C which is the field-measured temperature at the lava vent. Then, the appearance and composition of microlites (and outer rims of phenocrysts) depend upon the cooling rate of the samples (water quenching or natural cooling). Electron microprobe analyses of chlorine and sulphur have been performed on crystal trapped and groundmass glasses. Sulphur ranges from an initial content of 1500 ppm to 400 ppm in residual glass, leading to an average sulphur emission of 1500 tons/day (3000 t/d SO₂), as estimated from the volume of erupted lava.The most striking chemical feature of the 1977–1983 lavas lies in the abnormal potassium behaviour, especially in the earliest flows of the 1978–1979 fissure eruptions. Although these lavas are amongst the most femic of the period, they are relatively high in K₂ O, leading to an aberrant K/Na ratio (i.e. increasing with increasing basicity). Furthermore, a less pronounced but steady increase of K₂ O/Na₂ O is evidenced in all the lavas of the past 12 years. This ratio ranges from 0.42 in the 1971 lavas to 0.51 in the 1983 ones, for about the same differentiation index. Such an abnormal potassium behaviour first appeared during the 1974 eruption on the west slope of the volcano. It is unknown, however, in any other historic lava, nor in any lava of entire Etna so far analyzed.

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Resume Les produits rejetés par l'Etna de 1977 à 1983 sont des trachybasaltes porphyriques («etnaïtes») semblables à ceux qui caractérisent la majorité des laves de ce volcan, mais avec une teneur en K plus élevée.Les coulées de 1983, par exemple, sont formées de 50–55% de mésostase et par de nombreux phéno et microphénocristaux de plagioclase (25–30%), clinopyroxène (12–15%), olivine (3–5%), titanomagnétite (2%). De l'olivine Fo 83-78 et un peu de diopside-salite cristallisent d'abord, passant rapidement à une olivine Fo 78-68, une salite (Wo 47,5 — En 43/37 — Fs 10/15), du plagioclase An 83-55, une titanomagnétite Usp 43-33 riche en Al et Mg. Le domaine de température de cristallisation commençante des phénocristaux établi par thermométrie optique est compris entre 1170° et 1140°C. La cristallisation intratellurique progresse ensuite jusqu'à 1073°C, qui représente la température d'émission de la lave mesurée sur le terrain. La nature et la quantité des microlites, la composition des stades terminaux de cristallisation des phénocristaux et celle du verre résiduel de la mésostase dépendent du mode de refroidissement de la lave: trempe à l'eau, à l'air, ou refroidissement lent naturel. La quantité de soufre dans les verres inclus et la mésostase varie de 1500 à 400 ppm, celle du chlore de 1700 à 2800 ppm.La composition chimique est celle d'un trachybasalte sodique (hawaiite basaltique). Le caractère le plus marquant réside dans le comportement anormal du potassium, en particulier dans les laves du début des éruptions de 1978 et 1979. Alors que ces produits sont parmi les plus basiques de la période considérée, leur teneur en K est relativement élevée, ce qui conduit à un rapport K/Na aberrant (augmentant avec la basicité de la roche). En dehors de ces cas extrêmes, on note une augmentation régulière, quoique plus faible, de K/Na dans tous les produits des 12 dernières années. Ce comportement anormal du potassium était déjà apparu dans les produits de l'éruption excentrique de 1974 sur le versant ouest. Cependant, on ne trouve aucune variation aberrante du potassium dans les autres laves historiques, ni même dans aucun des produits connus de l'Etna.

     

Giant gas-rich hydrothermal systems and their role in the generation of vapor-dominated geothermal fields and ore mineralization

This paper characterizes certain unique geological structures on the earth, viz., giant gas-rich hydrothermal systems with major vapor-dominated geothermal fields that are generated beneath them during the present phase of evolution. A review of the relevant literature and materials of our own research are used to show that such systems are formed in zones of deep-seated faults at junctions of oceanic and continental plates, in structures of volcanic island arcs, and in areas of crustal tectono-magmatic activity. The systems extend throughout the crustal thickness and possess enormous geothermal and ore potentials. It was found that in these systems the ascending high-temperature gas-water fluid, as well as all types of mixed waters, and new mineral compounds in the hypergenesis zone of geothermal anomalies, all take part in the transport, accumulation, and rearrangement of complex compounds of many metals (Fe, Al, Ti, Au, Ag, Hg, As, Sb, and others). It was inferred that gas-rich hydrothermal systems and the vapor-dominated geothermal fields that are formed beneath them reflect the conditions for the generation of mesothermal and epithermal gold and complex ores and of Au-Ag-Cu-Mo porphyric deposits.     

大地电磁测深法在秦皇岛—唐山沿海地区地热资源调查评价中的应用

应用大地电磁测深法,对秦皇岛-唐山沿海地区进行地热资源勘查.在该测区布设6条测线,获得103个测点的野外资料.采用先进的数据处理和反演方法,得到大地电磁测深剖面二维反演电阻率模型,根据当地区域地质资料,对地层、断裂构造进行推断解释,并结合华北地区地热资源类型及其与地质构造特征的关系,圈定该测区地热资源远景区.     

Petrology of seamounts northwest of Samoa and their relation to Samoan volcanism

Petrological and geochemical data on dredged samples from five submarine volcanos northwest of Samoa indicate that three of these volcanos belong to the Samoan volcanic province (Field, Lalla Rookh, and Combe banks), and two belong to separate magmatic zones (Wallis Islands and Alexa Bank). The Samoan volcanic province increases in age westward and both shield-building tholeiitic and alkalic lavas (Combe Bank) and strongly undersaturated (post-erosional?) melilitites or nephelinites and ankaramites (Field and Lalla Rookh banks) are present. The age progression and petrochemical character of these rocks is consistent with a fixed hotspot beneath eastern Samoa. Slightly askew from this trend is Alexa Bank where dredged lavas are ocean-island tholeiites; however, its radiometric age and compositional characteristics apparently preclude its association with Samoa by a fixed-hotspot model. Dredged volcanic rocks from near the Wallis Islands are geochemically, petrologically, and temporally different from Samoan volcanism, but are similar in these respects to Quaternary volcanism in Rotuma and Fiji and may be related to plate reorganization accompanying opening of the North Fiji Basin.     

Generalised formulation of composite filters and their application to earthquake engineering test systems

This paper addresses the problem of generating unmeasured kinetic data—and/or providing improvements in existing data—for the enhancement of performance characteristics of earthquake engineering test systems, such as shaking tables, reaction walls and other custom‐made test rigs. The approach relies upon the use of composite filters (CF), a method of data fusion that was originally conceived via transfer function formulation. The current work generalises the CF concept and extends its formulation into the state‐space domain, thereby providing a wider basis for application to test systems and their controllers, including those of a multivariable (coupled, multi‐axis) nature. Comparative simulation studies of shaking table control are presented that demonstrate the design techniques for state‐space CF and also their effectiveness for signal synthesis, noise suppression and performance improvement. Specific examples include the use of CF for displacement demand signal generation, velocity feedback generation and acceleration control. In each case, the essential principles behind CF—output signals with zero bias and zero drift—are consistently upheld. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Petrology of arc volcanic rocks and their origin by mantle diapirs

Calc-alkalic chemical trends characteristic of arc volcanic rocks mainly result from three mechanisms which act additively: (1) fractional crystallization involving separation of titanomagnetite; (2) selective concentration of plagioclase phenocrysts and selective depletion of titanomagnetite phenocryst compared with the actually fractionated proportion; and (3) mixing of magmas on continuous fractionation trends. The association of calc-alkalic and tholeiitic trends in a single composite volcano may not represent different fractional crystallization processes or different chemistries of primary magmas, but the calc-alkalic chemical trend can be considered as a mixing trend resulting from mixing of various magmas on associated tholeiitic chemical trends. Chemical variations of most arc volcanic rocks, including calc-alkalic ones, can accordingly be essentially accounted for by the low-pressure fractional crystallization of phenocrystic phases from primary basaltic magmas.Crystallization sequences of arc magmas which are strongly dependent on water content in magmas are deduced from the phenocryst assemblages. The crystallization sequence changes laterally across-arc, suggesting increasing water contents in magmas toward the back-arc side, as is also seen for other incompatible elements such as K and Rb. Systematic differences in the characteristic crystallization sequence are also observed among arcs, roughly correlating with the crustal thickness. Water content in magma, like other incompatible elements, tends to increase with increasing crustal thickness. The variation of incompatible elements including water roughly represents that of the degree of partial melting of the upper mantle, which is broadly controlled by the crustal thickness.The variation of water content indicates that arc magmas are not saturated with water during differentiation to late differentiates such as dacite or rhyolite. This strongly constrains the maximum water contents in primary basaltic magma, at most 2.5 wt.%. This value suggests that magma generation beneath arcs is dependent on dry solidus of peridotite. Diapiric uprise of the hot deeper mantle and associated adiabatic decompression would be necessary for mantle peridotite to attain the temperature as high as dry solidus. Diapirs that begin to rise from the subduction zone may stop at or near the crust-mantle boundary because of the surrounding density change, and their degree of partial melting is roughly controlled by their stopped depth assuming their similar temperature. Across-arc variation is also explained by the stopped depth of diapirs, but is not controlled by crustal thickness.     

增强型地热系统开发技术研究进展

增强型(或工程型)地热系统(简称EGS)是指从地下3～10km低渗透岩体中经济开采深层地热的人工热能系统,主要用于发电.作为目前地热领域的重要发展方向,其研究受到发达国家的高度重视,但我国对增强型地热系统的研究还基本处于空白.本文从增强型地热系统的概念和开发思路入手,总结资源勘查、人工储层建造、地热田生产以及监测等阶段需要的科学与工程方面的关键技术及研究现状,对于提高深层地热认识,明确未来的技术发展方向具有重要意义.     

Aquifer chemistry of the Puga and Chumatang high temperature geothermal systems in India

Results of a chemical study of the fluids from drill holes and hot springs of Puga and Chumatang areas in the northwestern part of the Himalaya are presented and discussed in this paper. The thermal waters of Puga and Chumatang are of Na-HCO₃-Cl and Na-HCO₃ types, respectively. A comparison between these waters, their chemical classification and activity studies suggest a flow path within a quartzitic-schistose basement, containing quartz, K-feldspar and illite, and in clayey terrains containing montmorillonite and illite.The chemistry of thermal waters also indicate their association with magmatic activity. The chemical geothermometers indicate the possible existence of a geothermal reservoir at Puga with temperature ≈250°C. The Chumatang area has a comparatively cooler reservoir with a temperature of 150–180°C.     

A newly devised infra-red ground scanner and its application to geothermal research in volcanoes

A new infra-red radiometer for volcanological purposes consists of a commercially available infra-red optical unit (IR camera), mounted on a balloon-tracking theodolite in place of the telescope. The device has a motor-driven horizontal scan at two speeds, and the output signal is fed to a portable recorder. Thus, it is possible to obtain the horizontal temperature profile of an objective area. With successive scanning with different vertical angles of the camera, the spatial temperature distribution can be obtained.The IR ground scanner was successfully utilized at two volcanoes — Kusatsu-shirane and Mihara-yama, O-shima. Repeated IR surveys were made after minor eruptive events. Variations of the surface temperature with time were detected for both volcanoes. The IR scanner is also suitable for monitoring the time and temperature of eruptions from active vents.     

Earthquake detection probability within a seismically quiet area: application to the Bruchsal geothermal field

In applications such as oil and gas production, deep geothermal energy production, underground storage, and mining, it is common practice to implement local seismic networks to monitor and to mitigate induced seismicity. For this purpose, it is crucial to determine the capability of the network to detect a seismic event of predefined magnitude in the target area. The determination of the magnitude of completeness of a network is particularly required to properly interpret seismic monitoring results. We propose a method to compute the detection probability for existing local seismic networks, which (i) strictly follows the applied detection sequence; (ii) estimates the detection capability where seismicity has not yet occurred; and (iii) delivers the results in terms of probabilities. The procedure includes a calibration of a local magnitude scale using regional earthquakes recorded by the network and located outside the monitored area. It involves pre‐processing of the seismograms recorded at each station as performed during the triggering sequence, which is assumed based on amplitude thresholds. Then, the calibrated magnitude–distance–amplitude relations are extrapolated at short distances and combined to reproduce the network detection sequence. This generates a probability to detect a seismic event of a given magnitude at a specified location. This observation‐based approach is an alternative to a fully theoretical detection capability modelling and includes field conditions. Seismic wave attenuation by geometrical spreading and intrinsic attenuation, site effect, and instrumental responses are partly accounted for by the calibration. We apply this procedure on the seismic network deployed in the Bruchsal geothermal field (Germany). Although the system was in good working order, no induced seismicity was identified in the area between June 2010, when monitoring started, and November 2012. The recording of distant seismicity during this time period, however, allowed the application of the proposed procedure. According to the applied network detection parameters, the results indicate that the absence of seismicity can be interpreted as a 95% probability that no seismic event with M_L ≥ 0.7 occurred below the network at 2.4‐km depth, i.e., in the geothermal reservoir.     

Major active faults determine the location of the Tongonan geothermal field: Evidence provided by rock alteration and stable isotope geochemistry

Abstract The influence of major active faults on rock alteration and stable isotope geochemistry is described for the Tongonan geothermal field, Leyte, the Philippines. In the Pliocene, acid alteration with characteristic iron enrichment (3 g/100 g) and calcium depletion (2 g/100 g) occurred along a Riedel shear fault in the Malitbog sector, and initial minor acid alteration also occurred along a similar shear in the Mahiao sector. Later, sodium metasomatism (5 g/100 g) coincided with the highest aquifer chloride (10 000 mg/kg) as a result of dissociation of saline magmatic fluids discharging through the reservoir rocks in the Upper Mahiao. The incursion of magmatic fluids (possibly δD 35‰, δ¹⁸O +7‰) set up a vigorous convection cell of meteoric water, which focused around low‐angle (L) shears centered in the Sambaloran sector. Meteoric water (δD ?35 to ?40‰, δ¹⁸O ?6 ± 1‰) depleted the reservoir in silica (6 g/100 g) and potassium (1–2 g/100 g). It also completely exchanged oxygen isotopes rapidly (within months) at high temperatures (300–400°C), and now does so continuously with fractured isotopically fresh or incompletely altered rock at small scales (centimeters or less) exposed by a 2 cm/year creep around the L shears to form a new component called geothermal water. Geothermal water mixes with meteoric water at lower temperatures (<300°C) to create the characteristic shift in δ¹⁸O of 6‰ at near constant δD (?35 ± 5‰). The 10‰ variation in δD is due to groundwater recharge derived from rain falling on steep terrain (5‰) and to enrichment of deuterium in boiling saline solutions (5‰); it is not due to two‐component mixing of meteoric with magmatic water. The low (～1) isotopic water/rock (W/R) ratios calculated from oxygen isotopes in previously published reports are meaningless, because the water contains four components (predominantly geothermal and meteoric water; <10% magmatic and rock water). W/R ratios of up to 1500 calculated from spring and rock chemistry are more realistic and, with a flow rate of approximately 50 L/s through a 30 km³ reservoir, can account for the estimated 3 My age of the system.     

斑岩型铜矿床高-中温蚀变过程实验研究及其地质意义

作为金属Cu最重要来源的斑岩铜矿一般发育有典型的蚀变和矿化分带,该分带模式在空间上常呈同心圈层结构.对不同蚀变带元素变化规律和迁移机制进行深入研究,将有利于增进对整个斑岩体系演化过程的认识.本研究采用流动体系水-岩反应装置来模拟斑岩铜矿形成过程中含矿热液与围岩的相互作用,研究元素迁移机制和蚀变分带形成的控制因素.实验结果显示与较低温度相比, 450℃实验产物中元素含量变化更加显著,这表明温度可能是影响水-岩体系内元素再分配的重要因素.温度是造成围岩钾硅酸盐化蚀变和Ca淋滤、活化的关键因素,而且高温下发生同等钠化蚀变需要更高的Na^+浓度.温度也是控制体系中Ti、Sr、Pb置换进入硅酸盐矿物的重要因素.从实验产物推断,在斑岩成矿系统中,中-基性火山围岩由中心向外围K、Ti含量应呈降低趋势,而Ca、Zn和Mn含量增加, Na和Si在靠近高温蚀变带外围可能存在含量峰值或过渡区.本研究为斑岩铜矿系统钾化带的产生、钠化普遍缺失、硬石膏共生等重要地质现象的形成机理提供了实验和理论证据.     

Hydrothermal alteration in the Reykjanes geothermal system: Insights from Iceland deep drilling program well RN-17

The Reykjanes geothermal system is a seawater-recharged hydrothermal system that appears to be analogous to seafloor hydrothermal systems in terms of host rock type and low water/rock alteration. The similarities make the Reykjanes system a useful proxy for seafloor vents. At some time during the Pleistocene, the system was dominated by meteoric water recharge, and fluid composition at Reykjanes has evolved through time as a result of changing proportions of meteoric water influx as well as differing pressure and temperature conditions. The purpose of this study is to characterize secondary mineralization, degree of metasomatic alteration, and bulk composition of cuttings from well RN-17 from the Reykjanes geothermal system. The basaltic host rock includes hyaloclastite, breccia, tuff, extrusive basalt, diabase, as well as a marine sedimentary sequence. The progressive hydrothermal alteration sequence observed with increasing depth results from reaction of geothermal fluids with the basaltic host rock. An assemblage of greenschist facies alteration minerals, including actinolite, prehnite, epidote and garnet, occurs at depths as shallow as 350 m; these minerals are commonly found in Icelandic geothermal systems at temperatures above 250 °C (Bird and Spieler, 2004). This requires hydrostatic pressures that exceed the present-day depth to boiling point curve, and therefore must record alteration at higher fluid pressures, perhaps as a result of Pleistocene glaciation. Major, minor, and trace element profiles of the cuttings indicate transitional MORB to OIB composition with limited metasomatic shifts in easily mobilized elements. Changes in MgO, K₂O and loss on ignition indicate that metasomatism is strongly correlated with protolith properties. The textures of alteration minerals reveal alteration style to be strongly dependent on protolith as well. Hyaloclastites are intensely altered with calc-silicate alteration assemblages comprising calcic hydrothermal plagioclase, grandite garnet, prehnite, epidote, hydrothermal clinopyroxene, and titanite. In contrast, crystalline basalts and intrusive rocks display a range in alteration intensity from essentially unaltered to pervasive and nearly complete albitization of igneous feldspar and uralitization of clinopyroxene. Hydrothermal anorthite (An92–An98) occurs in veins in the most altered basalt cuttings and is significantly more calcic than igneous feldspar (An48–An79). Amphibole compositions change from actinolite to hornblende at depth. Hydrothermal clinopyroxene, which occurs in veins, has greater variation in Fe content and is systematically more calcic than igneous pyroxene and also lacks uralitic textures. Solid solutions of prehnite, epidote, and garnet indicate evolving equilibria with respect to aluminum and ferric iron.     

Experimental study of high to intermediate temperature alteration in porphyry copper systems and geological implications

Porphyry copper systems, which provide most of the world's copper resource, are commonly associated with characteristic concentric zonation of alteration and mineralization. In-depth knowledge of the distribution and transport mechanism of elements in the alteration zones is essential for understanding the ore-forming processes. We employed flow-reaction apparatus to simulate the fluid-rock interactions during porphyry ore formation so as to investigate the mechanisms that govern the transport of elements and the development of zonation. The results indicate more heterogeneous distribution of elements in the experimental products at 450°C compared to those at lower temperatures, which implies a crucial role of temperature in controlling elements redistribution in hydrothermal systems. Heating advances potassic alteration and Ca leaching of wall rocks.To achieve the same degree of sodic alteration, it requires a higher concentration of Na+in the fluid toward higher temperature.Temperature also facilitates the incorporation of Ti, Sr and Pb into silicate minerals through cation substitution. We infer from experimental results that from the center of intermediate to mafic volcanic wall rocks toward periphery, the contents of K and Ti should decrease and the contents of Ca, Zn and Mn should increase, whereas the trend for Si and Na could be non-monotonic.This study provides experimental and theoretical insights into a variety of vital geological observations, including anhydrite formation and the widespread development of potassic rather than sodic alteration in porphyry copper deposits.     

Real-time envelope cross-correlation detector: application to induced seismicity in the Insheim and Landau deep geothermal reservoirs

We develop and test a real-time envelope cross-correlation detector for use in seismic response plans to mitigate hazard of induced seismicity. The incoming seismological data are cross-correlated in real-time with a set of previously recorded master events. For robustness against small changes in the earthquake source locations or in the focal mechanisms we cross-correlate the envelopes of the seismograms rather than the seismograms themselves. Two sequenced detection conditions are implemented: After passing a single trace cross-correlation condition, a network cross-correlation is calculated taking amplitude ratios between stations into account. Besides detecting the earthquake and assigning it to the respective reservoir, real-time magnitudes are important for seismic response plans. We estimate the magnitudes of induced microseismicity using the relative amplitudes between master event and detected event. The real-time detector is implemented as a SeisComP3 module. We carry out offline and online performance tests using seismic monitoring data of the Insheim and Landau geothermal power plants (Upper Rhine Graben, Germany), also including blasts from a nearby quarry. The comparison of the automatic real-time catalogue with a manually processed catalogue shows, that with the implemented parameters events are always correctly assigned to the respective reservoir (4 km distance between reservoirs) or the quarry (8 km and 10 km distance, respectively, from the reservoirs). The real-time catalogue achieves a magnitude of completeness around 0.0. Four per cent of the events assigned to the Insheim reservoir and zero per cent of the Landau events are misdetections. All wrong detections are local tectonic events, whereas none are caused by seismic noise.     

Quantitative assessment of the contribution of climate variability and human activity to streamflow alteration in Dongting Lake,China

Climate variability and human activity were regarded as two contributors to streamflow alteration. However, the contributions of the two factors were still unclear in Dongting Lake. Therefore, it was crucial to quantify the relative impact of climate variability and human activity on streamflow alteration. The time series (1961–2010) was divided into three periods, namely, natural period (1961–1980), change period I (1981–2002) and change period II (2003–2010). Sensitivity analysis based on Budyko‐type equations was applied to reveal the contributions of climate variability and human activity in those two change periods, respectively. The results showed that during the change period I, climate variability was the main factor responsible for streamflow alteration in most parts of Dongting Lake, accounting for 60.07–67.27%. However, the impact of climate variability was slightly smaller than that of human activity in West Dongting Lake (the former accounting for 43.20% while the latter accounting for 56.80%). For the change period II, human activity was the dominate factor for streamflow alteration, accounting for 58.89–78.33%. The impact of climate variability gradually decreased while the impact of human activity gradually increased. Along with the intensification of the human activity, the impact of it became more dominant. The results could provide a reference for water resources planning and management decisions. Under the condition of uncontrollable climatic factor, effective measures should be put forward in controlling human activity, such as reservoir/dam operation, closed management of protected area and so on. Besides, it is essential to study the impact of climate variability on future water resources and water resource management under different climate change scenarios. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The alteration of effusive rocks due to acidic leaching by shallow thermal waters: The Baranskii geothermal system,Iturup Island

This paper discusses patterns that are observable in the alteration of effusive rocks that were discharged by Baranskii Volcano (central Iturup Island) under the action of sulfate chloride as well as acidic and ultra-acidic water (in the Kipyashchaya Rechka thermal brook). We acquired data on changes in the chemical and mineralogic composition of the rocks, structural features, porosity, and petrophysical properties. The dynamics of leaching and the leaching phase in a flowing acidic (ultra-acidic) geothermal environment are described. We note that the mechanism that is responsible for hydrogen sulfate leaching of rocks at the ground surface may be largely analogous to the generation of secondary quartzites (mono-quartzites) in the zones of ascending acidic gas flows above small gabbro-diorite and diorite intrusions.     

Temperature/flow statistics and thermomechanics of low-temperature geothermal systems in Iceland

A survey of low-temperature geothermal activity in Iceland shows that there is a strong positive correlation between the temperature and the mass flow of the systems. The relation is very clearly displayed by the thermal systems in Central Northern Iceland. Subdividing the temperature interval from 20/dgC to 100°C into 8 intervals of equal length and plotting the average system flow in each interval against the average temperature of the interval we find that the mass flow increases with the temperature. At the lower end this relation is the result of a conductive cooling of the thermal water as it ascends to the surface. At temperatures above 50°C convective effects appear to be the dominant cause. A very simple lumped element analysis of the low-temperature systems results in reasonable estimates of important flow parameters. The convective downward migration of fracture spaces along the walls of mafic dikes appears to be a dominant thermomechanical process in the development of the low-temperature systems in Northern Iceland.