Potential mechanisms of pore-fluid movement from continental lithospheric mantle into upper continental crust

Abstract

Through integrating the state of the art scientific knowledge in different research fields, some potential mechanisms of large-scale movements of underground pore-fluids such as H₂O and CO₂ in the continental lithosphere were presented and discussed. The results show that the generation and propagation of porosity waves are important mechanisms to transport mass and heat fluxes from the continental lithospheric mantle into the lower continental crust; the generation and propagation of porosity waves, pore-fluid flow focusing through lower and middle crustal faults, advection of pore-fluids through the lower and middle crust, and whole-crust convection in some particular cases are important mechanisms to transport mass and heat fluxes from the lower into the upper continental crust; heat and mass transport through convective pore-fluid flow is the most effective mechanism of ore body formation and mineralization in hydrothermal systems; due to heat and mass exchange at the interface between the earth surface, hydrosphere and atmosphere, it is very important to consider the hydro-geological effect of the deep earth pore-fluids such as H₂O and CO₂ on the global warming and climate change in future investigations.

Keywords

underground pore-fluid / porosity wave / continental crust / heat and mass transport

References

[1] TurcotteD. L., SchubertG.Geodynamics: Applications of continuum physics to geological problems[M], 1982, New York, John Wiley and Sons: 450

[2] RichterF. M.. Convection and large-scale circulation of the mantle[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research, 1973, 78: 8735-8745

[3] BuckW. R., ParmentierE. M.. Convection between young oceanic lithosphere: Implication for thermal structure and gravity[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research, 1986, 91: 1961-1974

[4] DoinM. P., FleitoutL., ChristensenU.. Mantle convection and stability of depleted and undepleted continental lithosphere[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research B, 1997, 102(2): 2771-2787

[5] NeilE. A., HousmanG. A.. Rayleigh-Taylor instability of the upper mantle and its role in intraplate orogeny[J]. Geophysical Journal International, 1999, 138(1): 89-107

[6] ZhangR., HuS.. A case study of the influx of upper mantle fluids into the crust[J]. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2002, 118(3/4): 319-338

[7] DurrheimR. J., MooneyW. D.. Evolution of the precambrian lithosphere: Seismological and geochemical constraints[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research B, 1994, 99(8): 15359-15374

[8] OwensT. J., ZandtG.. Implication of crustal property variations for models of Tibetan plateau evolution[J]. Nature, 1997, 387(6628): 37-43

[9] HermannJ., MuntenerO., GuntherD.. Differentiation of Mafic magma in a continental crust-to-mantle transition zone[J]. Journal of Petrology, 2001, 42(1): 189-206

[10] BarnesH. L.Geochemistry of hydrothermal ore deposits[M], 1997, New York, John Wiley and Sons: 972

[11] ZhaoC., HobbsB. E., OrdA., LinG., MühlhausH. B.. Theoretical and numerical analysis of large-scale heat transfer problems with temperature-dependent pore-fluid densities[J]. Engineering Computations, 2005, 22(2): 232-252

[12] MckenzieD.. The generation and compaction of partially molten rock[J]. Journal of Petrology, 1984, 25(3): 713-765

[13] ConnollyJ. A. D., PodladchikovY. Y.. Temperature-dependent viscoelastic compaction and compartmentalization in sedimentary basins[J]. Tectonophysics, 2000, 324(3): 137-168

[14] ZhaoC., HobbsB. E., MühlhausH. B.. Analysis of pore-fluid pressure gradient and effective vertical-stress gradient distribution in layered hydrodynamic systems[J]. Geophysical Journal International, 1998, 134(2): 519-526

[15] ZhaoC., HobbsB. E., MühlhausH. B., OrdA., LinG.. Analysis of steady-state heat transfer through mid-crustal vertical cracks with upward throughflow in hydrothermal systems[J]. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 2002, 26(14): 1477-1491

[16] ZhaoC., HobbsB. E., MühlhausH. B.. Theoretical and numerical analyses of convective instability in porous media with upward throughflow[J]. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 1999, 23(7): 629-646

[17] Sorjonen-wardP., ZhangY., ZhaoC.. Numerical modelling of orogenic processes and mineralization in the south eastern part of the Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia[J]. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 2002, 49(6): 935-964

[18] ZhaoC., HobbsB. E., HornbyP., OrdA., PengS.. Numerical modelling of fluids mixing, heat transfer and non-equilibrium redox chemical reactions in fluid-saturated porous rocks[J]. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 2006, 66(7): 1061-1078

[19] ZhaoC., HobbsB. E., OrdA., HornbyP., PengS., LiuL.. Mineral precipitation associated with vertical fault zones: the interaction of solute advection, diffusion and chemical kinetics[J]. Geofluids, 2007, 7(1): 3-18

[20] ZhaoC., MühlhausH. B., HobbsB. E.. Finite element analysis of steady-state natural convection problems in fluid-saturated porous media heated from below[J]. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 1997, 21(12): 863-881

[21] ZhaoC., HobbsB. E., MühlhausH. B.. Finite element modelling of temperature gradient driven rock alteration and mineralization in porous rock masses[J]. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 1998, 165(1/4): 175-187