Finite element modelling of reactive fluids mixing and mineralization in pore‐fluid saturated hydrothermal/sedimentary basins

Abstract

We present the finite element simulations of reactive mineral‐carrying fluids mixing and mineralization in pore‐fluid saturated hydrothermal/sedimentary basins. In particular we explore the mixing of reactive sulfide and sulfate fluids and the relevant patterns of mineralization for lead, zinc and iron minerals in the regime of temperature‐gradient‐driven convective flow. Since the mineralization and ore body formation may last quite a long period of time in a hydrothermal basin, it is commonly assumed that, in the geochemistry, the solutions of minerals are in an equilibrium state or near an equilibrium state. Therefore, the mineralization rate of a particular kind of mineral can be expressed as the product of the pore‐fluid velocity and the equilibrium concentration of this particular kind of mineral. Using the present mineralization rate of a mineral, the potential of the modern mineralization theory is illustrated by means of finite element studies related to reactive mineral‐carrying fluids mixing problems in materially homogeneous and inhomogeneous porous rock basins.

Citation

Zhao, C., Lin, G., Hobbs, B.E., Wang, Y., Mühlhaus, H.B. and Ord, A. (2002), "Finite element modelling of reactive fluids mixing and mineralization in pore‐fluid saturated hydrothermal/sedimentary basins", Engineering Computations, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 364-387. https://doi.org/10.1108/02644400210423990