Up-temperature flow of surface-derived fluids in the mid-crust: the role of pre-orogenic burial of hydrated fault rocks

The Walter‐Outalpa shear zone in the southern Curnamona Province of NE South Australia is an example of a shear zone that has undergone intensely focused fluid flow and alteration at mid‐crustal depths. Results from this study have demonstrated that the intense deformation and ductile shear zone reactivation, at amphibolite facies conditions of 534 ± 20 °C and 500 ± 82 MPa, that overprint the Proterozoic Willyama Supergroup occurred during the Delamerian Orogeny (c. 500 Ma) (EPMA monazite ages of 501 ± 16 and 491 ± 19 Ma). This is in contrast to the general belief that the majority of basement deformation and alteration in the southern Curnamona Province occurred during the waning stages of the Olarian Orogeny (c. 1610–1580 Ma). These shear zones contain hydrous mineral assemblages that cut wall rocks that have experienced amphibolite facies metamorphism during the Olarian Orogeny. The shear zone rock volumes have much lower δ¹⁸O values (as low as 1‰) than their unsheared counterparts (7–9‰), and calculated fluid δ¹⁸O values (5–8‰) consistent with a surface‐derived fluid source. Hydrous minerals show a decrease in δD_(H2O) from ?14 to ?22‰, for minerals outside the shear zones, to ?28 to ?40‰, for minerals within the shear zones consistent with a contribution from a meteoric source. It is unclear how near‐surface fluids initially under hydrostatic pressure penetrate into the middle crust where fluid pressures approach lithostatic, and where fluid flow is expected to be dominantly upward because of pressure gradients. We propose a mechanism whereby faulting during basin formation associated with the Adelaidean Rift Complex (c. 700 Ma) created broad hydrous zones containing mineral assemblages in equilibrium with surface waters. These panels of fault rock were subsequently buried to depths where the onset of metamorphism begins to dehydrate the fault rock volumes evolving a low δ¹⁸O fluid that is channelled through shear zones related to Delamerian Orogenic activity.     

The Ore-forming Fluid of the Gold Deposits of Muru Gold Belt in Eastern Shandong, China - a Case Study of Denggezhuang Gold Deposit

Abstract. Denggezhuang gold deposit is an epithermal gold‐quartz vein deposit in northern Muru gold belt, eastern Shandong, China. The deposit occurs in the NNE‐striking faults within the Mesozoic granite. The deposit consists of four major veins with a general NNE‐strike. Based on crosscutting relationships and mineral parageneses, the veins appear to have been formed during the same mineralization epochs, and are further divided into three stages: (1) massive barren quartz veins; (2) quartz‐sulfides veins; (3) late, pure quartz or calcite veinlets. Most gold mineralization is associated with the second stage. The early stage is characterized by quartz, and small amounts of ore minerals (pyrite), the second stage is characterized by large amounts of ore minerals. Fluid inclusions in vein quartz contain C‐H‐O fluids of variable compositions. Three main types of fluid inclusions are recognized at room temperature: type I, two‐phase, aqueous vapor and an aqueous liquid phase (L+V); type II, aqueous‐carbonic inclusions, a CC₂‐liquid with/without vapor and aqueous liquid (LCO₂+VCC₂+Laq.); type III, mono‐phase aqueous liquid (Laq.). Data from fluid inclusion distribution, microthermometry, and gas analysis indicate that fluids associated with Au mineralized quartz veins (stage 2) have moderate salinity ranging from 1.91 to 16.43 wt% NaCl equivalent (modeled salinity around 8–10 wt% NaCl equiv.). These veins formatted at temperatures from 80d? to 280d?C. Fluids associated with barren quartz veins (stage 3) have a low salinity of about 1.91 to 2.57 wt% NaCl equivalent and lower temperature. There is evidence of fluid immiscibility and boiling in ore‐forming stages. Stable isotope analyses of quartz indicate that the veins were deposited by waters with δ^O and δD values ranging from those of magmatic water to typical meteoric water. The gold metallogenesis of Muru gold belt has no relationship with the granite, and formed during the late stage of the crust thinning of North China.     

The structure and dynamics of 2-dimensional fluids in swelling clays

The interlayer pores of swelling 2:1 clays provide an ideal 2-dimensional environment in which to study confined fluids. In this paper we discuss our understanding of the structure and dynamics of interlayer fluid species in expanded clays, based primarily on the outcome of recent molecular modelling and neutron scattering studies. Counterion solvation is compared with that measured in bulk solutions, and at a local level the cation-oxygen coordination is found to be remarkably similar in these two environments. However, for the monovalent ions the contribution to the first coordination shell from the clay surfaces increases with counterion radius. This gives rise to inner-sphere (surface) complexes in the case of potassium and caesium. In this context, the location of the negative clay surface charge (i.e. arising from octahedral or tetrahedral substitution) is also found to be of major importance. Divalent cations, such as calcium, eagerly solvate to form outer-sphere complexes. These complexes are able to pin adjacent clay layers together, and thereby prevent colloidal swelling. Confined water molecules form hydrogen bonds to each other and to the clays' surfaces. In this way their local environment relaxes to close to the bulk water structure within two molecular layers of the clay surface. Finally, we discuss the way in which the simple organic molecules methane, methanol and ethylene glycol behave in the interlayer region of hydrated clays. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering of isotopically labelled interlayer CH₃OD and (CH₂OD)₂ in deuterated clay allows us to measure the diffusion of the CH₃- and CH₂-groups in both clay and liquid environments. We find that in both the one-layer methanol solvates and the two-layer glycol solvates the diffusion of the most mobile organic molecules is close to that in the bulk solution.     

Equation of state of MgGeO3 perovskite to 65 GPa: comparison with the post-perovskite phase

The equation of state of MgGeO₃ perovskite was determined between 25 and 66 GPa using synchrotron X-ray diffraction with the laser-heated diamond anvil cell. The data were fit to a third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state and yielded a zero-pressure volume (V ₀) of 182.2 ± 0.3 Å³ and bulk modulus (K ₀) of 229 ± 3 GPa, with the pressure derivative (K′₀ = (?K ₀/?P) _T ) fixed at 3.7. Differential stresses were evaluated using lattice strain theory and found to be typically less than about 1.5 GPa. Theoretical calculations were also carried out using density functional theory from 0 to 205 GPa. The equation of state parameters from theory (V ₀ = 180.2 Å³, K ₀ = 221.3 GPa, and K′₀ = 3.90) are in agreement with experiment, although theoretically calculated volumes are systematically lower than experiment. The properties of the perovskite phase were compared to MgGeO₃ post-perovskite phase near the observed phase transition pressure (～65 GPa). Across the transition, the density increased by 2.0(0.7)%. This is in excellent agreement with the theoretically determined density change of 1.9%; however both values are larger than those for the (Mg,Fe)SiO₃ phase transition. The bulk sound velocity change across the transition is small and is likely to be negative [?0.5(1.6)% from experiment and ?1.2% from theory]. These results are similar to previous findings for the (Mg,Fe)SiO₃ system. A linearized Birch–Murnaghan equation of state fit to each axis yielded zero-pressure compressibilities of 0.0022, 0.0009, and 0.0016 GPa^?1 for the a, b, and c axis, respectively. Magnesium germanate appears to be a good analog system for studying the properties of the perovskite and post-perovskite phases in silicates.     

Reply to comment by Y. Park and J.-H. Ree on 'Chemical remagnetization of the Upper Carboniferous-Lower Triassic Pyeongan Supergroup in the Jeongseon area, Korea: fluid migration through the Ogcheon Fold Belt'

In their comment, Park & Ree have raised several points against the interpretation by Park et al. , and argued that the remagnetization in the Jeongseon area was caused by the thermal effects of a Late Cretaceous pluton and/or associated short-range hydrothermal fluids, rather than by long-range fluids advocated by us.
We disagree with most points raised by Park & Ree and we make a case that these are invalid because of what we believe is incorrect geologic evidence. Hence, our model—that the fluids causing the chemical remagnetization might migrate through the fault system within the Ogcheon Fold Belt—is the most plausible scenario. We recognize that our model needs to be tested in a future study and we welcome new interpretations for or against our model based on reliable geologic or geophysical data.