Formation conditions of quartz deposits in the Southern Urals: Fluid inclusion data and IR spectroscopy

Research subject. Quartz veins of the Svetlorechenskoye, Karayan, Gora Khrustalnaya and Tolstikha quartz deposits in the Southern Urals.

Methods. An optical study of quartz was performed using an Olympus BX51 optical microscope. A fluid inclusion study was performed using a thermostage TMS-600 (Linkam) equipped with the LinkSys V-2.39 software and an Olympus BX51 optical microscope (South Urals State University, Miass). The fluid composition in the inclusions was estimated from eutectic temperatures. Fluid salinity was calculated based on the melting temperatures of crystalline pha ses. Registration of infrared spectra was carried out using an infrared Fourier spectrometer Nicolet-6700 Thermo Scientific (SU FRC MG UB RAS, Miass). The spectra were processed using the OMNIC Thermo Nicolet software package and the Peakfit program. The extinction coefficients for calculating the concentration of molecular water and OH-groups were used from.

Results. The veins are composed of coarse-grained milky-white quartz. The fluid inclusion data shows that the quartz veins were deposited from similar in composition NaCl-H₂O fluids with salinities of 3–9 wt % NaCl eq. and at temperatures ranging from 100 to 280°C. Quartz in the Tolstikha deposit was deposited at the highest temperatures. According to IR spectroscopy data, quartz in the studied deposits is characterized by high contents of molecular water and average concentrations of Al-OH groups. According to the content of OH-groups, quartz in the Tolstikha deposit approaches industrial granulated quartz used in the production of high-purity quartz concentrates.

Conclusions. Quartz veins in the studied deposits formed at temperatures ranging from 100 to 280°C. The salinity of inclusions in quartz ranged from 10 to 3.5 wt % NaCl eq. Mineral-forming fluids were of Na-chloride or Na-K-chloride composition, which indicates quartz crystallization during the post-diagenetic (metamorphic) transformation of rocks. Quartz in the studied deposits is characterized by a specific ratio of water and Al-OH, which is associated with the conditions of deposit formation and incompleteness of quartz metamorphism processes therein.

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