Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T13:42:29.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Metallogenetic significance of a North Pennine springwater

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

D. A. C. Manning  and
D. W. Strutt
D. A. C. Manning
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, the University, Manchester M13 9PL
D. W. Strutt
Affiliation:
Weardale Minerals Ltd., Blackdene Mine, Bishop Auckland DL14 1EG
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The occurrence is reported of a saline spring water from Weardale, which compositionally closely resembles other saline waters derived from the Carnmenellis granite, southwest England. The total dissolved solutes achieve approximately 38 000 mg/L, and alkali geothermometers suggest equilibration temperatures of approximately 150°C, equivalent to a depth of 4 km. Using Na, K and Li it is possible to compare the composition of the spring water with those of other spring waters derived from Carboniferous sequences adjacent to the North Pennine Orefield and with published data for fluid inclusions from North Pennine fluorite. These compositional parameters suggest that the ancient mineralizing fluids resemble modern Carboniferous sediment-derived waters and contain a relatively minor component of granite-derived water. Data for Br and Cl indicate that a significant component of the present day Weardale spring waters was probably ultimately derived from organic-rich sedimentary sequences while data for K, Na and Li indicate the importance of a component derived from a permeable granite aquifer. The Weardale springwaters continue to have ‘mineralizing’ potential, in view of the possibility that they may have precipitated quartz or chalcedony during their ascent.

Keywords

spring watersaline watermetallogenesisNorth PenninesEngland
Type
Applied Mineralogy
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 54 , Issue 377 , December 1990 , pp. 629 - 636
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alderton, D. H. M. and Sheppard, S. M. F. (1977) Chemistry and origin of thermal waters from southwest England. Trans. Inst. Min. Metall. (Sect B Appl. Earth Sci.), 86, B191–4.Google Scholar
Brown, G. C., Ixer, R. A., Plant, J. A., and Webb, P. C. (1987) Geochemistry of granites beneath the north Pennines and their role in orefield mineralization. Ibid. 96, B65-76.Google Scholar
Day, J. B. W. (1970) The geology of the country around Bewcastle. Mem. Geol. Surv. 12, 357 pp.Google Scholar
Dunham, K. C. (1949) Geology of the Northern Pennine Orefield. Vol 1, Tyne to Stainmore. Economic Mere. Geol. Surv., 357 pp.Google Scholar
Dunham, K. C. (1983) Ore genesis in the English Pennines: a fluorite subtype. In International conference on Mississippi Valley type lead-zinc deposits, proceedings volume (Kisvarsanyi, G. et al. eds). Rolla, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 86–112.Google Scholar
Dunham, K. C. (1987) Discussion of Brown et al. . Trans. Inst. Min. Metall. (Sect. B: Appl. Earth Sci.), 96, B229–30.Google Scholar
Dunham, K. C. (in press) Geology of the Northern Pennine Orefield. Vol, 1, Tyne to Stainmore (second edition). Economic Mem. British Geol. Surv.Google Scholar
Dunham, K. C. and Wilson, A. A. (1985) Geology of the Northern Pennine Orefield. Vol. 2, Stainmore to Craven. Economic Mem. British Geol. Surv., 247 pp.Google Scholar
Edmunds, W. M. (1971) Hydrogeochemistry of ground-waters in the Derbyshire Dome with special reference to trace constituents'. Rep. no. 71-7, Inst. Geol. Sci., 52pp.Google Scholar
Edmunds, W. M. (1975) Geochemistry of brines in the Coal Measures of northeast England. Trans. Inst. Min. Metall, (Sect. B: Appl. Earth Sci.), 84, B39–52.Google Scholar
Edmunds, W. M., Andrews, J. N., Burgess, W. G., Kay, R. L. F. and Lee, D. J. (1984) The evolution of saline and thermal groundwaters in the Carnmenellis granite. Mineral. Mag. 48, 407-24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edmunds, W. M., Cook, J. M. and Miles, D. L. (1986) Lithium mobility and cycling in dilute continental waters. Extended abstracts of Water-Rock Interaction V. Reykjavik, 183-7.Google Scholar
Manning, D. A. C. and Exley, C. S. (1984) The origins of late-stage rocks in the St Austell granite—a reinterpretation. J. geol. Soc. London, 141, 581-91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rankin, M. J. and Graham, M. J. (1988) Na, K. and Li contents of mineralizing fluids in the Northern Pennine Orefield, England, and their genetic significance. Trans. Inst. Min. Metall: (Sect. B: Appl. Earth Sci.), 97, B99-107.Google Scholar
Rimstidt, J. D. and Barnes, H. L. (1980) The kinetics of silica-water reactions. Geochim. Cosmochim. Aeta, 44, 1683-99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sawkins, F. J. (1966) Ore genesis in the North Pennine orefield, in the light of fluid inclusion studies. Econ. Geol. 61, 385-401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trotter, F. M. and Hollingworth, S. E. (1932) The geology of the Brampton district. Mem. Geol. Surv. 18, 223 pp.Google Scholar
Truesdell, A.H. (1984) Chemical geothermometers for geothermal exploration. In Fluid-mineral equilibria in hydrothermal systems (Henley, R. W., Truesdell, A. H. and Barton, P. B. Jr. eds.. Reviews in Econ. Geol. 1, 31-44.Google Scholar
Webb, P. C., Tindle, A. G., Barritt, S. D., Brown, G. C., and Miller, J. F. (1985) Radiothermal granites of the United Kingdom: comparison of fractionation patterns and variation ofheat production for selected granites. In High heat production (HHP) granites, hydrothermal circulation and ore genesis, Inst. Min. Metall., 409-24.Google Scholar
Wolery, T. J. (1983) EQ3NR, a computer programme for geochemical aqueous speciation-solubility calculations: user's guide and documentation. UCRL-53414, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Livermore, Calfornia.Google Scholar