Veins and mineral deposits as proxy for coupled fluid pressure and stress state evolution at the base of the seismogenic crust.

The development of ore deposits strongly depends on the ways mineralizing fluids are redistributed in the Earths crust. The relationship between fluid flow and fault-rupturing episodes are to date poorly understood, in particular in low-permeability, mid-crustal environments. A better understanding of this hydro-tectonic coupling may lead to new models for ore exploration. The research project focuses on fluid flow and mixed brittle-ductile deformation behaviour in mid-crustal environments, more specifically at the base of the seismogenic zone. In this environment, both fluid pressure and stress state evolution play a crucial role in dynamically maintaining a percolation network for fluid flow. Special research interest goes to the temporal link with the seismic cycle and overall tectonic regime changes. This project, based on detailed (micro-)structural, mineralogical and geochemical investigations, primarily concerns veins in the Palaeozoic slate belts exposed in the Ardennes and the Rhenish massif (Belgium, Germany) and Tungsten-Tin and Copper-Cobalt ore deposits in Central Africa (Ruanda, DR Congo, Zambia).

Keywords:Hydrotectonic coupling, Geodynamics, Quartz, Vein, Ore Genesis, Seismogenesis, Slate belt

Disciplines:Geology, Geophysics