The Role of Fluids in Crustal Processes

Water and other fluids play a vital role in the processes that shape the earth's crust, possibly even influencing earthquakes and volcanism. Fluids affect the movement of chemicals and heat in the crust, and they are the major factor in the formation of hydrothermal ore deposits. Yet, fluids have been overlooked in many geologic investigations. The Role of Fluids in Crustal Processes addresses this lack of attention with a survey of what experts know about the role of fluids in the Earth's crust—and what future research can reveal. The overview discusses factors that affect fluid movement and the coupled equations that represent energy and mass transport processes, chemical reactions, and the relation of fluids to stress distribution. Table of ContentsFront MatterOverview and Recommendations1. Mass and Energy Transport in a Deforming Earth's Crust2. Pore Fluid Pressure Near Magma Chambers3. Evolution and Style of Fracture Permeability in Intrusion-Centered Hydrothermal Systems4. Fluid Dynamics During Progressive Regional Metamorphism5. Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Constraints on the Deep Circulation of Surface Waters into Zones of Hydrothermal Metamorphism and Melting6. Hydrothermal Systems Associated with Regional Metamorphism and Crustal Anatexis: Example from the Pyrenees, France7. Time-Dependent Hydraulics of the Earth's Crust8. COCORP and Fluids in the Crust9. Smoluchowski's Dilemma Revisited: A Note on the Fluid-Pressure History of the Central Appalachian Fold-Thrust Belt10. Fluid Pressure History in Subduction Zones: Evidence from Fluid Inclusions in the Kodiak Accretionary Complex, Alaska11. Degassing of Carbon Dioxide as a Possible Source of High Pore Pressures in the CrustIndex