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The role of exhumation in metamorphic dehydration and fluid production

Nature Geoscience volume 3, pages 31–35 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

When mountain belts form, crustal rocks undergo metamorphism, resulting in the breakdown of volatile-bearing minerals and the release of water-rich fluids. As these fluids move towards the Earth’s surface, they can cause generation of ore deposits, enhance deformation of the crust and change rock composition1. Generation of such fluids has long been considered to occur dominantly during heating associated with burial of rocks. In contrast, the exhumation of rocks that follows heating has not been expected to generate large amounts of fluid1,2,3. Here we use mineral-equilibria modelling to show that the erosion-induced exhumation of greywacke — a common rock type in mountain-forming regions — generates a continual supply of new fluid. Fluid formation is particularly pronounced at temperatures below about 500 ∘C. Such fluids can explain the pairing of seismic and electrical conductivity anomalies observed in the Southern Alps in New Zealand, as well as the formation of vein-infilled backshears there.

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Figure 1: The active plate boundary, South Island, New Zealand.
Figure 2: Enhanced fluid generation during decompression.
Figure 3: Enhanced fluid generation occurs during decompression across the reaction zone identified in Fig. 2.
Figure 4: Cumulative moles of H2O generated from one mole of Alpine schist during decompression at different temperatures.

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Acknowledgements

This project owes its start to results from the South Island GeopHysical Transect (SIGHT) programme (with financial support from NSF programmes EAR-9418530, EAR-98530 and EAR-9725883 and the New Zealand Foundation for Research Science and Technology). The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the following sources: J.V., Victoria University (grants 23065, 25773, 23117) and The University of Melbourne; R.P., the Australian Research Council (ARC) grant DP0451770; K.M.G., the US National Science Foundation (NSF) (grants DAS-0222171, DMS-0537015); and K.P., NSF grant DMS-0537015 and the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programme through VIGRE grant DMS-0091675. Supplementary Fig. S1 was kindly provided by S. Cox, GNS Science, Dunedin. The manuscript has been improved based on thoughtful reviews by A. Tomkins.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6040, New Zealand

    Julie Vry

  2. School of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia

    Roger Powell

  3. Department of Mathematics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0090, USA

    Kenneth M. Golden

  4. Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10012, USA

    Kellen Petersen

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Contributions

J.V. identified the problem as being of interest. The final calculation and design of Figs 3, 4 and Supplementary Fig. S2 was done by R.P. with input and data provided by J.V., and J.V. and R.P. contributed equally to the writing of the letter. K.M.G. and K.P. undertook early calculations that were instrumental in bringing the Letter to its present focus, and contributed insights and feedback during the writing process.

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Correspondence to Julie Vry.

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Vry, J., Powell, R., Golden, K. et al. The role of exhumation in metamorphic dehydration and fluid production. Nature Geosci 3, 31–35 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo699

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