Mineral assemblages and oxygen and sulphur fugacities in natural water-rock interaction processes

Several mineral assemblages capable of buffering oxygen and sulphur fugacity and theoretical calculations were used to determine the fugacities of these two gas species over a temperature range between 150° and 350°C. Computed values were compared with those calculated from the composition of the geothermal fluids of Larderello, Travale, Bagnore and Piancastagnaio (Italy), The Geysers (USA) and Cerro Prieto (Mexico). The possible hydrothermal mineral assemblages that best fit the field data are those containing minerals frequently found in many geothermal fields: epidote, chlorite, K-feldspar, quartz and pyrite. These assemblages can be used in place of the classical buffers based on iron oxides and sulphides.