Preliminary Examinations of the Ore-forming Process by Fluid Mixing – a Test of MIX99

Abstract: Possible ore deposition by fluid mixing was preliminarily examined using MIX 99, a FORTRAN program developed for simulating water-rock interactions. We consider mixing of two fluids, the low f_O2 and high temperature source fluid and the high f_O2 and low temperature seawater. Oxygen fugacity of a mixed fluid formed by titration of seawater into the source fluid gradually decreases with decreasing temperature (model A). Sequential precipitation of ore-forming minerals was examined in this model. On the other hand, simultaneous precipitation of the minerals could be followed by simulation of instantaneous overall mixing of the two fluids (model B). Results of simulation of the both models revealed that a temporal sequence of mineralization observed in the Karuizawa mine, NE Japan, can be formed by model A, while model B is suitable for the mineralization of an active chimney found in the Rainbow hydrothermal area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.