Relating sulfide mineral zonation and trace element chemistry to subsurface processes in the Reykjanes geothermal system, Iceland

Libbey, R.B.; Williams‐Jones, Anthony E.

doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2015.12.011

Cited by 19 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…This interpretation is consistent with the presence of chalcopyrite disease in sphalerite (Libbey and Williams-Jones, 2016); a texture that may result from the replacement of sphalerite/wurtzite by chalcopyrite with increasing temperatures (akin to the process of zone refining in VHMS systems; Barton and Bethke, 1987;Ohmoto, 1996;Hannington, 1998). The absence of actinolite at depths where the measured temperature exceeds 280 • C (its usual lower stability at Reykjanes; Friðleifsson et al, 2014), is also consistent with the hypothesis that the system is undergoing heating.…”

Section: Chloritesupporting

confidence: 73%

“…A particular aim of this study is to increase the understanding of barium incorporation into hydrothermal minerals, as lithogeochemical data from Reykjanes have shown this element to be particularly enriched in the upflow zone (i.e., mass additions of >400 mg/kg PrecursorRock ), and there is evidence that it may be useful for making system mass/volume estimates. A companion study by Libbey and Williams-Jones (2016) details the sulfide mineralogy and mineral chemistry in the Reykjanes geothermal system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Compositions of hydrothermal silicates and carbonates as indicators of physicochemical conditions in the Reykjanes geothermal system, Iceland

Libbey

Williams‐Jones

2016

Geothermics

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Section: Chloritesupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compositions of hydrothermal silicates and carbonates as indicators of physicochemical conditions in the Reykjanes geothermal system, Iceland

Libbey

Williams‐Jones

2016

Geothermics

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“…For example, previous studies have reported LA-ICP-MS data showing that chalcopyrite from black smoker vents can host variable amounts of Zn, As, Sb, Ag, Pb, Bi, Se, Te, Co, and Ni, among other trace elements [12,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. Furthermore, [27] presented micro-analytical data of chalcopyrite retrieved from drill cuttings at the seawater-dominated Reykjanes geothermal system in Iceland. LA-ICP-MS data show that chalcopyrite in Reykjanes is characterized by high contents of Ag, Cd, Se, and Zn, as well as low As concentrations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Silver-Rich Chalcopyrite from the Active Cerro Pabellón Geothermal System, Northern Chile

et al. 2020

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Active subaerial geothermal systems are regarded as modern analogues of low- to intermediate-sulfidation epithermal Au–Ag deposits, where minor amounts of Cu are mostly present as chalcopyrite. Although trace element data concerning sulfides are scarce in active geothermal systems at convergent settings, studies in several other environments have demonstrated that chalcopyrite is a relevant host of Ag and other trace elements. Here, we focus on the active Cerro Pabellón geothermal system in the Altiplano of northern Chile, where chalcopyrite-bearing samples were retrieved from a 561 m drill core that crosscuts the high-enthalpy geothermal reservoir at depth. A combination of EMPA and LA-ICP-MS data shows that chalcopyrite from Cerro Pabellón is silver-rich (Ag > 1000 ppm) and hosts a wide range of trace elements, most notably Se, Te, Zn, Sb, As, and Ni, which can reach 100 s of ppm. Other elements detected include Co, Pb, Cr, Ga, Ge, Sn, Cd, and Hg but are often present in low concentrations (<100 ppm), whereas Au, Bi, Tl, and In are generally below 1 ppm. Chalcopyrite shows a distinct geochemical signature with depth, with significantly higher Ag concentrations in the shallow sample (494 m) and increasing Cd and In contents towards the bottom of the studied drill core (549 m). These differences in the trace element contents of chalcopyrite are interpreted as related to temperature gradients during the waning stages of boiling at Cerro Pabellón, although further studies are still needed to assess the precise partitioning controls. Our data provide evidence that chalcopyrite may play a relevant role as a scavenger of certain metals and a monitor of fluid changes in hydrothermal systems.

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“…As reported from field studies and simulations, porosity and permeability changes due to precipitation and dissolution of minerals as silica, quartz, anhydrite, gypsum and calcite can occur when exploiting geothermal reservoirs (Libbey and Williams-Jones 2016;McNamara et al 2016;Mielke et al 2015;Mroczek et al 2000;Pape et al 2005;Sonnenthal et al 2005;Taron and Elsworth 2009;Wagner et al 2005;White and Mroczek 1998;Xu et al 2009). These fluid-rock interactions can alter and possibly clog flow paths, potentially affecting the performance of the geothermal plant significantly.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Effective Behavior Near Clogging in Upscaled Equations for Non-isothermal Reactive Porous Media Flow

Bringedal

Kumar

2017

Transp Porous Med

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For a non-isothermal reactive flow process, effective properties such as permeability and heat conductivity change as the underlying pore structure evolves. We investigate changes of the effective properties for a two-dimensional periodic porous medium as the grain geometry changes. We consider specific grain shapes and study the evolution by solving the cell problems numerically for an upscaled model derived in Bringedal et al (2016). In particular, we focus on the limit behavior near clogging. The effective heat conductivities are compared to common porosity-weighted volume averaging approximations and we find that geometric averages perform better than arithmetic and harmonic for isotropic media, while the optimal choice for anisotropic media depends on the degree and direction of the anisotropy. An approximate analytical expression is found to perform well for the isotropic effective heat conductivity. The permeability is compared to some commonly used approaches focusing on the limiting behavior near clogging, where a fitted power law is found to behave reasonably well. The resulting macroscale equations are tested on a case where the geochemical reactions cause pore clogging and a corresponding change in the flow and transport behavior at Darcy scale. As pores clog the flow paths shift away, while heat conduction increases in regions with lower porosity.

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Relating sulfide mineral zonation and trace element chemistry to subsurface processes in the Reykjanes geothermal system, Iceland

Cited by 19 publications

References 77 publications

Compositions of hydrothermal silicates and carbonates as indicators of physicochemical conditions in the Reykjanes geothermal system, Iceland

Compositions of hydrothermal silicates and carbonates as indicators of physicochemical conditions in the Reykjanes geothermal system, Iceland

Silver-Rich Chalcopyrite from the Active Cerro Pabellón Geothermal System, Northern Chile

Effective Behavior Near Clogging in Upscaled Equations for Non-isothermal Reactive Porous Media Flow

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